Home & Garage

Fix it, build it, maintain it. The house is the biggest thing you own — act like it.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Do's & Don'ts: Neighbors & Guests

GuideWes DunbarSep 20, 20263 min

The first aid kit in your house is probably useless

Shop-bought kits are built to a price and to a picture. Strip half of it out and add the things that actually get used.

One good kitchen knife beats the block of twelve

From the Home archive

Older stories

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The Water Heater Job You Can Do and the Part You Can't

GuideWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Five house repairs you should stop paying someone else to do

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Find the Roof Leak Before It Takes the Ceiling With It

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The Weekend Vinyl Plank Floor That Still Looks Right in Year Five

GuideRay OkonkwoSep 22, 20265 min

Knowing when to stop and how to get a quote you can trust

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

Pull a floor vent before you price a new hardwood floor

Home on video

Worth an hour of your evening

From channels we rate. Plays on YouTube.

This Old HouseNov 6

Marrying a New and Old Roof | This Old House

This Old HouseNov 5

ASK This Old House | Smart Home Electronics (S14 E14) FULL EPISODE

This Old HouseNov 4

An Italianate Garden | This Old House

Lowe's Home ImprovementMar 23

How to Repair Drywall

This Old HouseOct 18

How to Patch a Drywall Hole | Ask This Old House

Vancouver CarpenterNov 3

How to Patch Drywall Fast and How Much I Charge For it!

LRN2DIYDec 19

How to Fix Holes in Drywall - 4 Easy Methods

Everyday Home RepairsJan 14

Home Maintenance Checklist | With Downloadable 1-Pager

This Old HouseApr 7

Home Maintenance and Tool Checklist for 1st-Time Homebuyers | Ask This Old House

Specific Love CreationsFeb 17

20 Commonly Forgotten Home Maintenance Tasks

Flannel Guy DIYFeb 5

50 Home Preventative Maintenance Tips For New Homeowners

HouseSmartsTVOct 18

Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist | HouseSmarts

How I Do Things WoodworkingAug 18

ESSENTIAL Home Maintenance Checklist

Kura HomeApr 11

Tips for New Homeowners: Home Maintenance Must Do’s

Reluctant DIYersMay 10

The 9 Maintenance Tasks Homeowners Always Regret Skipping

RLLWoodworks and DIYJul 1

5 Home Maintenance Tasks to Do Every Year

Home quizzes

Quiz yourself, then your friends

All quizzes

GuideNina CastellanOct 9, 20266 min

Buy the appliance somebody will still be able to fix

A stand mixer is the best test of a kitchen appliance's staying power. Here's how to judge the gearbox, the warranty and the parts catalog before you pay.

GuideWes DunbarOct 9, 20266 min

The washer people fix is the one built to be opened

Every washing machine wears out something. The ones that last ten-plus years are the ones where that something is cheap, reachable and for sale.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarOct 9, 20266 min

The vacuum that lasts is the one you can open

The motor gets the credit and the blame. The belt, the brush roll, the filter and the battery are what actually decide how long a vacuum stays in your house.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

6 min read

Your first lawn mow, and the bald stripe the whole street can see

The rookie scalps it at 2 p.m. in July. The veteran is done before lunch and the grass thanks him for it. The difference is about eight moves.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

StorySam OrtizOct 7, 20266 min

The house has a map, and it lives in my wife's head

A popped sink line, one calm woman with a towel, and the nine things in our house she can find in the dark.

GuideRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20265 min

The forty-eight rolls were a bargain. The rest of the cart wasn't.

Bulk paper towels look like free money until you count the sheets, the miles, the closet space and everything that rode home next to them.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20266 min

Why the 45-minute faucet job takes an afternoon

The plumber's quote looks like robbery until you add up the three hardware store trips, the seized valve and the wrench you'll use twice in a decade.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

StoryWes DunbarOct 7, 20265 min

Nobody walks into the plumbing aisle on purpose

Ten lines from the busiest aisle on a Saturday morning, and the fix behind each one, so you're not the next guy holding a wet sandwich bag.

GuideWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

Getting the lights on the roof and yourself back off it

Every step is correct. The asides are what really happens. Holiday lights on the roofline, done safely, with only one trip back to the store.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

Hanging a heavy picture straight on the first try

One frame, two hooks, zero extra holes. The way it really goes, plus the bathroom scale trick nobody mentions.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

GuideWes DunbarOct 3, 20267 min

Caulk a tub and a window so nobody can tell you did it

A pro-looking caulk line has almost nothing to do with a steady hand. It comes down to what you do before the gun ever comes out.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The Asbestos You Can Live With and the Kind That Stops Work

Nine-inch tiles, popcorn ceilings, gray pipe wrap and attic vermiculite. What to leave alone, what to test, and the moment you put the tools down.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

An Open Garage Door Won't Save You From a Generator

Cracking the door a foot feels like ventilation. It isn't. What actually keeps carbon monoxide out of your garage, your shop and your house.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

If Your House Predates 1978, Test Before You Sand

Lead paint sitting on a wall isn't the danger. The danger starts the second you put a sander to it and the dust lands where a toddler crawls.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

6 min

Mow High, Water Deep, Skip the Chemical Program

6 min

The Repairs Worth Doing Before You Sell, and the Ones to Skip

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Winterize the House in One Weekend, Starting With the Water

Cold weather doesn't wreck houses. Water does. Two days of work, in the order that actually protects the place.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

6 min read

Build a Home Office in a Spare Corner That Actually Works

Power you can trust, light that doesn't fry your eyes, and enough quiet to take a call without apologizing for your house.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

Older articles

Older Home stories

Home & Garage

The first aid kit in your house is probably useless

The lint trap isn't the part that starts the fire

Seal the gaps that let water in, not the ones that let it out

Run the dehumidifier before your basement starts to smell

The kitchen drawer you can't close is full of these

One good kitchen knife beats the block of twelve

From the Home archive

The Water Heater Job You Can Do and the Part You Can't

Five house repairs you should stop paying someone else to do

Find the Roof Leak Before It Takes the Ceiling With It

The Weekend Vinyl Plank Floor That Still Looks Right in Year Five

Knowing when to stop and how to get a quote you can trust

Pull a floor vent before you price a new hardwood floor

Worth an hour of your evening

Quiz yourself, then your friends

Buy the appliance somebody will still be able to fix

The washer people fix is the one built to be opened

The vacuum that lasts is the one you can open

Your first lawn mow, and the bald stripe the whole street can see

The house has a map, and it lives in my wife's head

The forty-eight rolls were a bargain. The rest of the cart wasn't.

Why the 45-minute faucet job takes an afternoon

Nobody walks into the plumbing aisle on purpose

Getting the lights on the roof and yourself back off it

Hanging a heavy picture straight on the first try

Caulk a tub and a window so nobody can tell you did it

The Asbestos You Can Live With and the Kind That Stops Work

An Open Garage Door Won't Save You From a Generator

If Your House Predates 1978, Test Before You Sand

Mow High, Water Deep, Skip the Chemical Program

The Repairs Worth Doing Before You Sell, and the Ones to Skip

Winterize the House in One Weekend, Starting With the Water

Build a Home Office in a Spare Corner That Actually Works