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.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

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.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Stop the Squeaky Floor and the Door That Won't Shut

Most squeaks are one loose nail and most sticky doors are one loose hinge. Both are an afternoon's work, and both tell you something if they aren't.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Your Bathroom Fan Is Cheap Insurance Against Rot

Black stains on the attic sheathing above the bathroom mean the fan lost. Here's how to size it, duct it, and stop feeding moisture into your own house.

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

PartnerGermProof.com

6 min read

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

Most of this job happens before you click the first plank together. Skip that part and the floor tells on you by August.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

Build a Mudroom That Survives Six People and a Dog

Hooks at the wrong height, a bench too deep, and no place for wet boots is why your entry still looks like a yard sale at 7:40 a.m.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

What a Kitchen Renovation Really Costs and Where It Goes

Cabinets eat a third of the budget before anyone swings a hammer. Know the rest of the map before you sign a thing.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20267 min

Mice, Ants and Wasps You Can Handle Without a Contract

Three pests, three different jobs, and the exact point where you should stop and hand it to somebody licensed.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

Pull a floor vent before you price a new hardwood floor

Most tired oak has one more refinish left in it, and ten minutes with a screwdriver tells you whether yours does.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Fitting Seven People Into Twelve Hundred Square Feet

The fix isn't more house. It's giving every coat, shoe and cereal box an address it can't wander off from.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The Smoke Alarm On Your Ceiling Might Already Be Expired

Flip one off its base tonight and read the date on the back. If it starts with a 2 and a 0 and a number under 16, it's done working the way you think it is.

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

PartnerShirts.com

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

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

Most of a tank swap is plumbing you already understand. Then it turns into gas, venting and carbon monoxide, and that's a different job.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

What to Ask Before You Sign for a Furnace or Heat Pump

The tablet with three shiny tiers isn't the decision. Sizing, ductwork and install quality are, and three questions tell you who's guessing.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Your Wet Basement Starts On The Roof

Before you spend five figures on waterproofing, fix the four cheap things outside that are putting the water there in the first place.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

PartnerDude.com

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The Mold You Can Scrub and the Mold That Needs a Pro

Ten square feet is the line most people have never heard of. Cross it wrong and you turn a Saturday job into a five-figure one.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

6 min

Find the Roof Leak Before It Takes the Ceiling With It

6 min

A Weekend of Work That Shows Up on Your Energy Bill

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The backyard kids stay in until dark

Nine inches of wood chips, a hose they're allowed to touch, and a pile of junk that moves. Most of what makes a yard stick has nothing to do with the playset.