Home & Auto Maintenance

Easy Fix for a Screen Door Hydraulic Closer | Pretty Handy Girl

Easy Fix for a Screen/Storm Door Closer

How annoying is it to have your ankle bitten by a screen or storm door that closes too fast? Not only is it annoying, but it can really hurt! Why put up with a screen door hydraulic closer that no longer works well when you can fix or replace…
How to Fix Small Areas of Wood Rot | Pretty Handy Girl

How to Fix Small Areas of Wood Rot

Wood rot is as inevitable as a rain storm after you wash your car. Any home that is built with wood is susceptible to rot. Newer constructed homes using cement based siding and PVC trim don't have to worry about it. But for the rest of…

How to Install Knobs on New Cabinet Doors and Drawers

I know when you buy a new vanity or just have new cabinets installed it's hard to get up the guts to drill through the pristine doors and drawers to install new knobs on then. I get it, really I do. You are worried you'll drill in the wrong…

No Need to Gut This Bathroom

I've been working for the past few months on a friend's home here in the beautiful capital city of North Carolina. Her home had a great floor plan, but needed some TLC and some updating. Luckily she and her husband had just finished renovating…
The Best Glue for Every Fix | Pretty Handy Girl

The Best Glues for Every Fix

Over the years I've used a multitude of glues and learned the best glues for each application. Here is a list of The Best Glues for Every Fix. Most of the links in this article are affiliate links to help you find the exact glues I use. To…
Add Decorative Hardware to Dress Up Your Plain Gate | Pretty Handy Girl
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Add Decorative and Functional Gate Hardware

Earlier I showed you how to build a rock solid gate. The gate was solid, but not very attractive or functional. Today I'll show you How to Add Decorative and Functional Hardware to Your Gate. This will take that ho-hum gate and turn it…
How to Build a Rock Solid Gate | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Build a Rock Solid Gate

If you googled "Sad Excuse for a Gate", this is the image that would pop up: Rotted, sagging and falling apart are all words you could use to describe it. One of the main reasons this gate is in poor shape is because it wasn't…
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Smoke Detectors – What You Don’t Know Could Kill You

Okay, now that I have your attention, did you know that approximately every three hours, a home fire death occurs somewhere in our nation. And 66 % of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms or detectors?* The most common reason…
How to Patch a Hole in Drywall | Pretty Handy Girl

How to Patch Holes in Drywall

Nothing ruins the look of a well maintained house like a hole in the drywall. Whether it be an angry child throwing a temper tantrum or a careless mover. Patching the hole is an easy task, but it requires several steps to get a perfect…
How to Clean a Humidifier
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How to Clean a Humidifier

Winter is such a dry season, and the appropriate time to keep the air quality inside of your home healthy with moisture. This can be easily done with a humidifier. During the coldest days of winter it seems like our humidifier is constantly…
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How Energy Efficient is Your Water Heater?

Let's talk more about energy efficiency today. Did you know that your water heater can be one of the biggest energy hogs? It's true! That conventional storage tank water heater works all day to keep your water hot. If the thermostat…
How to Winterize Your Rain Barrel
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How to Winterize Your Rain Barrel

Hello friends. It's Jessica, from Decor Adventures with some easy tips to get your home ready for the cooler months ahead. I'll show you how to winterize your rain barrel, which goes perfectly with Brittany's recent guides on ways you…
11 Ways to Keep Your Home Warmer | Pretty Handy Girl
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11 Ways to Keep Your Home Warmer this Winter

That bugger, Old Man Winter is peeking around the corner. He's ready to put the chill in your bones and push drafts through every little crack in your home. But, you can be ready for him with these 11 Ways to Keep Your Home Warmer this Winter.…
How to Protect Your Pipes from Freezing | Pretty Handy Girl
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Protect Pipes from Freezing

In the same vein as Monday's post about adding insulation, let's continue preparing for winter. While you are under the house looking at insulation, take notice of your water pipes. Are they insulated too? If not, it's important to protect…
Is Your Home Ready for Winter? | Pretty Handy Girl
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Is Your Home’s Insulation Ready for Winter?

The folks at Duluth Trading Company want you to stay warm and comfortable this winter. They have sponsored this post to help you get your home ready for winter.  And to help you stay warm and comfortable while taking on these energy conserving…
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How to Caulk Like a Pro

Knowing how to caulk is a valuable DIY skill. A good looking caulk bead can turn a mediocre trim job into one that looks like a professional installed it. Replacing caulking around your home can also help you save money on heating and cooling.…
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Refinishing a Mid-Century Sideboard

Have you ever turned down a piece of furniture that looks ruined? Aha, today's rocker is Emily and she has the superpower to make furniture look brand new again!  On the Rockstar DIY stage today is a performance you won't forget. Emily…
Pros and Cons of 4 Types of Picture Hangers
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Which Picture Hanger to Use?

Hello! It's Jessica, from Decor Adventures and I'm back this month with some very handy tips to help hang items up on the wall. Do you ever wonder which picture hanger to use? Did you know there are several ways you can hang things up?…
12 Tips to Maintain the Value of Your Car | Pretty Handy Girl
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12 Tips to Maintain the Value of Your Car

We've sold a few cars in our lives. Each time we were able to get top dollar for our used vehicles. Today I have 12 Tips to Maintain the Value of Your Car.  (This is a sponsored post for Spiffy Mobile Car Wash, my newest favorite way…
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10 DIY Frugal House Cleaners

On a quest to save money while cleaning your home? Do you want to use less chemicals when you clean? This is a compilation of 10 DIY Frugal Cleaners that I use in my home.  You can easily make them with common household ingredients. Soon…
Mold & Mildew Free Shower for 4 months | Pretty Handy Girl
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Endurance BioBarrier Review

Endurance BioBarrier Review I'm going to warn you now, this is not a pretty post. But, this product review of Endurance Cleaner Prep and Endurance BioBarrier will most likely be one of your favorite posts if you deal with continual mold &…
Black + Decker Flex Lithium Vacuum | Pretty Handy Girl
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Black + Decker MAX Litihum Flex Vacuum review

Black+Decker sent me their BLACK+DECKER MAX Lithium Flex Vacuum to test. I've been holding this review in my back archives for a while. I never like to publish a review until I've given a product a thorough testing and make sure it will…
How to Fill Holes and Knots in Wood | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Fill Voids and Knot Holes in Wood

Occasionally, you will get a piece of gorgeous wood that has voids or knots in it. You wouldn't want to add wood putty, because it wouldn't retain the look of the knots. But, you want a smooth surface. The solution is to fill the wood knots…
2 Minute Wiper Blade Change | Pretty Handy Girl
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2 Minute Tutorial to Change Wiper Blades

Have you ever had something get stuck in your wiper and you don't realize it until it is pouring rain. Instead of pulling over to remove the object from the wiper, I tried the old "reach out the window and flick the wiper up." Big mistake! I…
Easy Clean Your Storm Windows with Steam | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Easily Clean Mildew Off Windows

Winter is tough on everyone, but it's especially tough on your home.  The temperature difference between the outside and inside your home can leave a thick layer of mildew on your windows. Aluminum storm windows are especially prone to…
How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding I love our antique heart pine floors! They are beautifully distressed. The round pegs and square nails securing them in place add loads of character. However, the square nails sit flush with the…
How to Securely Install a Towel Bar | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Install a Towel Bar Securely

Have you ever reached for a towel and realized that the towel bar was barely secured to the wall? Installing a New Towel Bar Securely is a fairly simple DIY task if you know how to anchor the brackets. As part of my little laundry room…
tiled and grouted marble subway tile backsplash around utility sink
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Tile Setting Marble Tiles without Thinset Mortar

You may remember years ago when I installed Smart Tile adhesive tiles in our laundry room. Well, truth be told, they weren't looking so smart after 3 years and a water leak. I had a few leftover marble subway tiles from our kitchen backsplash…
Auto Cup Holder Extender | Pretty Handy Girl
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Auto Cup Holder Extender

Do you have a solid cup holder in your car that doesn't hold all size bottles and cups? The console cup holder in our older Honda CRV has been a constant source of frustration for myself and Pretty Handsome Guy. When we drive around a corner…
How to Clean a Stinky Bathroom as if a Magazine Photographer was coming | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Clean a Stinky Boys’ Bathroom (as if a Magazine Photographer was Coming!)

I AM SO EXCITED! Remember when I was slaving away on our kitchen on my hands and knees? While I was in the trenches of DIY, one thing kept me going steady (besides the extra doses of Advil.) It was the dream of having our home featured…
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Fixing a Leaky Faucet – Take 2

Remember last week when I was showing you how to fix a leaky faucet in 10 minutes? Well, sometimes a fix doesn't always solve the problem. This is not unusual in home repairs. It doesn't mean you did it wrong or it's time to call a plumber.…
10 Minute Fix for a Leaky Faucet | Pretty Handy Girl
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Fix a Leaky Faucet in 10 minutes

Drip, drip, drip! Is that leaky faucet keeping you up at night? I have a 10 minute fix that will bring you sweet dreams and a lower water bill. Oftentimes the washers in faucets wear out after continuous use. Replacing them is actually…
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12 DIY Storage Projects to Organize Your Home

It's January and you know what that means! Time to clean and purge the house of all the excess stuff. Last year I was too busy with projects to purge, so this year I'm taking advantage of some warmer days to clean out our home. I hope you'll…
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12 Ways to Burglar Proof Your Home

Thanksgiving is next week and it's the biggest traveling holiday of the year. Taking steps to burglar proof your home can put your mind at ease as you travel and keep your home and valuables safe. The experts at Allstate have offered…
How to Install an Exterior Security Light | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Install an Exterior Motion Sensor Light

Nothing deters a thief like a well lit area. But truth be told, I needed this light to illuminate the path when taking out the trash. There is nothing like walking out the door with the trash in your hands after dark and realizing that…
Smoke Detector Maintenance | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 31 – Smoke Detector Maintenance Tips

Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat, smell my feet! Now, give me something good to eat. Are you ready for the trickery tonight? Ahhh, good. What about the time change in the US? On Sunday, November 2nd be sure to turn your clocks back one hour.…
Seal Gaps Around Pipes with GREAT STUFF | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 30 – Seal Gaps Around Pipes

Do you have an open door policy for drafts and bugs? Of course not! Wait... you might and not know it. Have you looked under your sinks around the water pipes? If you have gaps around the pipes, you have the welcome sign up for cold…
How to Caulk Cracks | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 29 – Caulk Cracks in Siding and Trim

One of the best thing you can do to save money is to prevent water from getting through your home's exterior. Now is a good time to walk around your home and look for gaps and cracks around doors, windows, trim and siding. If you see any,…
Use Your Old Toothbrush for Cleaning | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 28 – Keep Old Toothbrushes for Cleaning

Never throw away your old toothbrushes again! These worn out dental tools make fabulous scrub brushes for cleaning. First be sure to mark the old brush with a permanent marker so no one will use it in their mouth again. Then…
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Day 27 – Put an End to Fireplace Drafts

You may sense a theme here, yesterday I talked about weatherstripping the garage. But, as the temps are dropping, it's important to take some time to seal your home and eliminate drafts wherever they are lurking. One of the biggest offenders…