Home Project Primer
WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING on our own these days, from having babies
at home without medical intervention (“Do-It-Yourself Delivery,” Washington
Post, July 31, 2007) to “Do It Yourself Funerals” (NPR’s Morning Edition,
December 8, 1997). Of course, most do-it-yourself projects are less dramatic.
We’re painting our houses, installing hot tubs, landscaping our yards,
recaulking bathtubs, adding crown molding and restoring old cars.
Some projects will eventually require a redo. According to the National
Association of Home Builders, toilets, wood floors, insulation, and steel
and wood exterior doors should last the lifetime of your house. Wood decks
should go about 20 years, depending on climate, kitchen faucets should last
about 15 years, linoleum floors have a life expectancy of about 25 years and
furnaces can be expected to last 15 to 20 years. A
74 Designing your home project
76 The right window coverings
78 A look at laminate floors
80 Recycling your old carpet
81 Options for the best floor
82 Caring for a stone tabletop
83 Tips for the perfect paint job
84 Water-saving toilets
86 Treating pool problems
