Professional versus do-it-yourself

There are three main approaches to managing a home improvement project: hiring a general contractor, directly hiring specialized contractors, or doing the work oneself.

A general contractor oversees a home improvement project that involves multiple trades. A general contractor acts as project manager, providing access to the site, removing debris, coordinating work schedules, and performing some aspects of the work.

35% of homeowners, according to the Remodeling Sentiment Report bypass the general contractor, and hire tradesmen themselves, including plumbers, electricians and roofers.

Another strategy is to "do it yourself" (DIY). 67% of homeowners report they will do some work themselves when they remodel according to the Remodeling Sentiment Report. Several major American retailers, such as Home Depot and Lowes, specialize in selling materials and tools for DIY home improvement. These stores host classes and carry numerous books to teach customers how to do the work themselves. DIY websites also provide information.

House & Garden

House & Garden was an American shelter magazine published by Condé Nast Publications that focused on interior design, entertaining, and gardening.

The magazine was renamed HG with its March 1988 issue, under editor in chief Anna Wintour. Its new emphasis on mixing fashion and interior decoration in its pages led the revamped magazine to be derided as House & Garment by its critics; another derisive sobriquet was Vanity Chair. Wintour became editor in chief of Vogue in 1988; HG ceased publication in 1993.

House & Garden was relaunched in 1995 under editor in chief Dominique Browning; its first issue of its second incarnation was September 1996. Condé Nast Publications announced on 5 November 2007 that the magazine was being closed again, stating that "we no longer believe it is a viable business investment for the company." The magazine's offices closed on 9 November 2007, and its last issue was December 2007.

Home Equity Loan

A home equity loan (sometimes abbreviated HEL) is a type of loan in which the borrower uses the equity in their home as collateral. These loans are sometimes useful to help finance major home repairs, medical bills or college education. A home equity loan creates a lien against the borrower's house, and reduces actual home equity.

Home equity loans are most commonly second position liens (second trust deed), although they can be held in first or, less commonly, third position. Most home equity loans require good to excellent credit history, and reasonable loan-to-value and combined loan-to-value ratios. Home equity loans come in two types, closed end and open end.

There is a specific difference between a home equity loan and a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). A HELOC is a line of revolving credit with an adjustable interest rate whereas a home equity loan is a one time lump-sum loan, often with a fixed interest rate.

Home Improvement Video game

Home Improvement (sometimes called Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit) is an action/platforming video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System loosely based on the hit sitcom Home Improvement.

The player guides Tim "The Toolman" Taylor in a quest to find some Binford power tools that have gone missing from the set of Tool Time.

The game plays similarly to other action/platform games of the time that were based on popular television shows or movies (like Virgin's The Lion King, which was also released in 1994.)

The player's weapons include modified tools such as a nail gun, a blowtorch (used as a flamethrower), and a chainsaw which inexplicably hurls energy waves. These weapons are used to fight dinosaurs, acid-spewing mummies, robot sentries, and other enemies.

Floor Finishing, Refinishing, and Sanding

Sanding provides a method for smoothing an installed floor, compensating for unevenness of the subfloor. Additionally, sanding is used to renew the appearance of older floors. No beveled edges, as seen in some premanufactured prefinished floors, will be evident in a sanded floor. Sanding using successively finer grades of sandpaper is required to ensure even stain penetration when stains are used, as well as to eliminate visible scratches from coarser sandpaper grades used initially. Prior to modern polyurethanes, oils and waxes were used in addition to stains to provide finishes. Beeswax and linseed oil, for example, are both natural crosslinking polymers which harden over time. Modern polyurethanes, and polyester resins, used occasionally, are superior in toughness and durability.

Becoming popular in recent economical troubles Wood Refinishing is a sandless alternative to refinishing wood floors. In most cases the work can be done in one day and in some you can walk on your floors the same day.