Generally speaking, installing ceramic tiles on an existing laminate countertop isn't possible as mortar doesn't adhere well to laminate surfaces. To get around this problem, installers remove the countertop and replace it with mortar-friendly plywood before any tile work is done. A product called "Tavy Thin Skin" promises to simplify and accelerate this process by eliminating the need to remove the countertop altogether. Tavy Thin Skin is a two part process. The first step involves applying a special glue that, unlike mortar, bonds strongly to the laminate countertop surface. This is followed by adhering a thin underlayment paper to the glue, readying the surface for mortar and tiling.

View the complete process with pics and video here.

Apparently in Australia they call headboards 'bedheads' - which is out of control. Jump over to MSN Australia, and if you can decipher their "English" then you should be able to follow this step-by-step howto on creating your very own headboard.

Headboards can have a dramatic effect on any bedroom, but they tend not to come cheap. If you don't have a lot to spend and you're plagued by a tiny bed in a big bedroom, then maybe a DIY project like this is what you need to create a handsome focal point while balancing the space.

The different headboard guides offered in the howto all end up in the $70 ballpark, which isn't too bad at all.

Also check out their complete list of DIY projects and crafts here.

Here's a very cool tool that promises to eliminate the need for accurate measurements when making cutouts in drywall or panelling for electrical outlets and wall switches. The device comes in two pieces. The first piece is called the target, and is placed into the outlet or switch box. The second piece, called the target locator is attracted to the first piece thanks to two strong magnets that ensure perfect alignment and accuracy. Once the locator affixes itself to the target, the installer simply outlines the box and makes the cut with a dremel or whatnot. Very clever. Ah, why try to visualize it - view the demo videos here.

Amazon.com page - unfortunately they are currently unavailable.

Manufacturer's order page.

If you've ever drywalled by yourself, or even watched someone drywall by themselves as you've tried to focus on the comics and eat your chips, you'll know it can get terribly awkward. Usually people will rent a drywall lift that temporarily holds the drywall to the ceiling, freeing up the hands of the installer to secure the sheet with screws. Well, the Free Hands drywall support tool might make renting and lugging home drywall lifts a thing of the past. It certainly doesn't look like it makes ceiling installs 'easy', per se, as you still have to lift the sheets to the ceiling yourself, but it will save at lot on rental fees as well as time, once you get the hang of it (at least judging by the video (Windows media) from the Free Hand site.

Available from Amazon.com.

Via the always interesting Smart Stuff.

Stephen Granade offers up this funny and thorough step by step guide on how to disassemble a toilet, which he created for our collective benefit after discovering that many DIY sites on the net were a little lacking in some fairly important steps:

The Internet claimed that disassembling a toilet to check the flange or to replace the wax ring was easy. Invariably, the same sites that talked about how easy this task was would follow that up by saying, "A TOILET BREAKS EASILY BE CAREFUL!!!!" The sites also varied in how detailed their instructions were, in one case even going so far as to skip the whole "removing the tank" part. As a public service, I'm going to give you the definitive step-by-step guide to disassembling a toilet to repair it.

Also be sure not to miss the toilet diagram Stephen has created, which, although highly technical and beyond the comprehension of the layman, is a useful toilet anatomy nonetheless.

Link: How To Disassemble a Toilet In Many Easy Steps

Extremehowto.com walks you through constructing and mounting a kitchen countertop. The project appears quite intensive, which, come to think of it, is totally consistent with their site name. The amount of work involved seems to be more than what's involved in the DIY concrete countertop project, although that might not be the case once one becomes more acquainted with both jobs, but it does explain why kitchen work can be so costly.

Some enterprising student at the University of Waterloo has made his own air conditioner using a fan, a large garbage can and some vinyl and copper tubing. The device works as follows:

Here's the basic setup. The garbage can is filled with ice water, which is then fed by gravity (a siphon) through the copper tubing coiled along the back of the fan. The hot air passing through the tubing warms the cold water, cooling the air. Waste warm water is then pumped outside. The system will cool an average room to a comfortable level in approximately 15-20 minutes. Depending on flow rate, a full bucket of water will last approximately 1-3 hours. I use a single bucket before bed on hot nights, which lets me get to sleep. Once the water runs out, the house has cooled off enough that the fan alone provides sufficient cooling.

Recently, someone has posted instructions for making improvements to the homemade air conditioner, which involves an aquarium pump to recycle the water, which in the first generation model, was routed outside the house.

Via LifeHacker

Although the title sounds like an Ebay auction that offers you 10 foot TVs for $2.99, this howto from Projector Central really does deliver a thorough walk through on constructing a projector screen yourself. The article details, in 7 steps, how you can create a 100 inch, 16:9 screen for $98.50.

Here's the criteria they were after, from the article:

It must be cheap. Total budget for all materials to make a 100" diagonal 16:9 screen, including frame, must be less than $100.

It must be simple and quick to assemble. We did not want to make a lifetime hobby out of making a screen. We wanted the materials to be easy to find, and we wanted to put it together in less than two hours of invested labor.

It must be easy to install. We wanted a no muss, no fuss solution with a fixed frame that we could hang on a wall in a matter of minutes.

It must perform!!! We had no delusions that we could invest a hundred bucks and a couple hours labor and come up with a screen that would match the quality of the Stewart screens we use in the projection labs. But how close could we come? That was the challenge. And as you will see below, the results were surprisingly good.

If the cost of the screen is what's been holding you back from buying a projector, perhaps a frugal DIY solution such as this one will be your tipping point.

Article: Make a 100" Screen for under $100

HomeTheaterBlog has documented a recent LCD television wall mounting and has shared the details for anyone looking to undertake the installation on their own. The installer lists the tools you'll need for the hanging and also covers finding an appropriate mount location, stud finding, cabling issues, etc.

About.com also offers some wall mounting instructions, including tips on handling situations where cables aren't (or can't be, for whatever reason) behind the wall:

We can either place an obstacle under the television, which would look odd, or we can cheat the eye with camouflage. I have a friend who had this very problem, and his solution was to create a molding that would be used as a cover for his cables. He painted the molding the same colour of his wall, and when placed over the cables it looks like part of the wall. Granted, it's raised about 2-3 inches off the wall, but it looks very natural. As far as supplies, small strips of wood (a 1x2 for the sides and 1x4 for the face) cut to the length of the TV to the floor should be enough to make such a piece.

Wikihow.com provides a more orderly and straightforward, step-by-step instruction set, if that's more your bag.

Here's a neat way to turn a 2 litre Coke bottle into a deadly mosquito death trap of doom - oh and whatever you do; don't get all smug and think that just because the West Nile virus seems to have fallen out of favour with the press thanks to the always imminent bird flu that the little buzzers aren't still out there patiently plotting humanity's demise.

Speaking of mosquitoes, apparently some clever teens have recorded the so-called Mosquito alarm that malls have been experimenting with to keep kids from loitering (the Mosquito alarm is a high pitched alarm that cannot be heard by most people over 20, but tends to drive teens crazy) and have adapted it to be used, surreptitious, as a quasi-silent ringtone on their cell phones during class. Heh, kids.

Here's an excellent soundproofing discussion over at studio-central.com. The thread begins with the oft recommended carpet and foam wall technique, which, as you'll read, is a total no-no to some - although it's not quite unanimously opposed. The carpet opponents believe carpet and foam to be dangerous potential fire hazards that, lacking any significant mass, have minimal soundproofing ability - which is hotly debated due to many people adding their anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

The discussion offers many links to different, informative soundproofing resources, including this document called Exposing Acoustical Myths (PDF), which really breaks down a lot of the misconceptions people have about the science of soundproofing a space. Another nice resource is this page that details the different drywall, stud and insulation configurations and their corresponding STC ratings. STC ratings are, according to stcratings.com:

...a single-number rating of a material's or an assembly's ability to resist airborne sound transfer at the frequencies 125-4000 Hz. In general, a higher STC rating blocks more noise from transmitting through a partition.

So, the higher STC the better. Another site worth checking out is Acoustics.com. They've made available an Acoustics 101 overview page, as well as handy project design resources that give detailed tips on designing all sorts of different types of rooms, including home theatres.

If you're interested in setting up a recording studio in your home but don't know where to start, then this comprehensive site will be an invaluable guide. The guide also tries to assist the reader with keeping costs down while achieving pro-like recording quality. The guide is, very, very detailed and thorough, but also kept readable:

I will tell you the things that you absolutely must know for music production in a clear, simple, even entertaining way. While much of this knowledge is technical, I'll avoid bogging you down with unnecessary technical details. We are not flying to Mars here (except maybe musically), so we can have a little fun. After all, our music is something we want people to enjoy.

For those interested in creating the proper space to create and record masterpieces, the section on home studio construction will be of the most interest.

Via Metafilter.

Here's an excellent list of random tips and tricks for getting things done around the house, from fixing your squeaky floor (use baby powder!) to sanding down the bottom of a door:

If a door is dragging on the floor or threshold--making scraping sounds-place sandpaper on top of a stack of magazines and position the pile under the door. (Use enough magazines so that the door hits the sandpaper.) Then work the door back and forth over the abrasive.

Now that's pretty clever.

Via 43Folders.com

If you enjoy the convenience of keyless entry technology at work then perhaps you've thought about having a similar unit installed at home to make life a little easier, like when you struggle to reach your keys with armfuls of groceries or when you're being chased by neighbourhood thugs and vagrants.

ExtremeTech.com walks you through the creation of just such a device with this tutorial on creating a handy RFID access controller for the front door of your home. This is a very nice, detailed tutorial that includes a parts list, tool list, software and schematics. The project looks pretty intensive, so set aside a good chunk of time to see it to completion.

Combine thirst, geekyness, programming, a monitor, pumps and booze and what do you get? An automated bar, of course. Make your own and impress the friends that are impressed by geeky things with the coolness that is keypad driven drink mixing. The author, a college student, surprisingly enough, claims to have spent about $400 on this summer project before losing track. One screen shot shows that the bar is PIN protected, which is probably a good idea, given that he's moving it into his dorm.

Also see Bar Monkey for pictures of other setups as well as a forum with instructions and help on building your own. If you only need drink ideas, check out the drink search engine, YourNextDrink.com.

Popular Mechanics has a handy list of speedy repairs for around the house ranging from easily cleaning gutters (you could always try one of these foam eavestrough fillers, mind you), to giving your dishwasher a tuneup to silencing squeaky floors. They've also offered a list of the regular maintenance tasks that every homeowner should follow.

Markus Wandel has created a nice DIY home intercom howto, complete with schematics and usage instructions:

If you can manage it, get two speakerphone-type phones. Leave them in "speakerphone" mode continuously and pound on the keypad to attract the attention of the other end.

Heh. Via Boing Boing.

Like many, you've probably got a sizable collection of music on a computer in one room, and a home audio system in another. Unfortunately for us, however, these two pieces of electronics have been giving each other the silent treatment for some time now, leaving us caught in the middle of their petty spat, like powerless, innocent bystanders. Over the last couple of years, devices have come along that tried to remedy the situation - and with some success. However, if you're not interested in buying a ready made wireless music player, you can build your own out of some off the shelf (the shelf being ebay, usually) parts and some shell scripts, as Nathan True did. Luckily for us, Nathan has provided a nice step-by-step walk through of the process. If you're not afraid of some hardware work and elastic bands(!), then give it a go and help bring some harmony back to your home audio world.

via Engadget

The more information one can glean from instructions and tutorials before beginning a project for the first time, the better off one will be when it comes to actually getting to work. This Flash based laminate flooring step-by-step instruction site will help you get a decent understanding of what's involved in laying laminate flooring, from prep work onward. The site goes into detail on measurements and techniques, and would be well worth the read if you're new to laminate flooring installations.

If you've never installed hardwood floors before but were thinking of doing so, this video will give you an idea of what's involved in the process, from preparation to finishing touches. If you're interested in more environmentally sustainable flooring material options, check out this previous post.

J. Kelly McCoy wanted a hot tub. J. Kelly McCoy didn't want to spend $5,000 on a new one. J. Kelly McCoy did what anyone would do: he built his own - for a mere $1,200.

Brigitte Gall shows us how to install the DRIcore subfloor system. From the site:

DRIcore is an ideal product to use on basement floors - or workshops. The plastic cleats raise the panels off the floor, allowing moisture to pass underneath. The DRIcore that Brigitte chooses for her workshop is perfect for so many reasons. It?s ideal for moist conditions, it?s attractive and it?s super easy to install.

If you like the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter but don't want to spend the money, why not make your own poor man's version? From the site:

There were of course the usual hanging planters that are really nothing more than a regular pot with strings tied to a ceiling hook. These really didn?t appeal to me due to previous experiences where the water of flowed down through the soil and filled the overflow basin at the bottom. Another option is hanging inverted planters which have been around for a very long time. Some in a much older design made from terra cotta in a traditional mexican style and a newer one made of plastic that had internal foam spacers for dirt/water containment. This naturally put my mind into make it myself mode.

With flora becoming so elevated lately, we may never get to try the nifty gardening chair, sadly.

Engadget has posted a useful step-by-step howto on building your own Tivo-like home theatre PC (HTPC) using MythTV. They list each piece of hardware they used on the way to a successful, smooth install. From the site:

The total for the base system is $988. The addition of the TV tuners brings the grand total to $1126.

This price is probably beatable if you opt for a lower end processor, which will save you some money and really wont cost too much performance-wise provided the tuner cards you choose do hardware encoding. Tuner based encoding takes the vast majority of processing load off of the CPU. That being said, faster is always better when it comes to CPUs, generally speaking, so too severe a drop in clock speed will hamper menu navigation and other features which will detract from the snappy, slick user interface that you want in a PVR. If you're not too Linux savvy and aren't ready to do a manual install, a great way to set up MythTV on a PC is by using KnoppMyth. KnoppMyth is available on a downloadable, bootable CD that aims to make the MythTV installation as straightforward, user-friendly and painless as possible. If your system meets the hardware requirements, the CD will install MythTV onto your system while prompting you for only a minimal amount of configuration questions. If you encounter problems along the way, the KnoppMyth forum is invaluable. The site's admin, Cecil, not only tirelessly develops KnoppMyth, but also personally answers an unbelievable amount of questions on the forum, which, by the way, is packed full of information on getting up and running with MythTV - useful no matter what your method of installation.

If the wishing well illusion coffee table isn't your speed, maybe you'd be happier with this pinball machine coffee table (with working lights, of course) that you can build yourself with instructables.com's thorough step-by-step pictorial.

Doityourself.com has many useful step by step articles for home renovations and repairs, including this one on waterproofing your basement which may be useful to anyone with a leaky basement and looking to save some money by attempting to do the repairs themselves. The site also has a large, active forum with over 40,000 members.

Here's a nice list of home repair instructions (in PDF format*) that cover topics ranging from novice (how to use a hammer) to intermediate (repairing cracked tile, repairing a defective light switch) to more advanced topics (basement foundation repair). They've also got a nice list of reference materials on topics ranging from the various nail and screw sizes to weights and measures and the metric system.

*Regarding PDFs: it's been said before, but Foxit Reader is a really fast and lightweight alternative to Acrobat Reader that deserves some attention. Give it a shot.

Here is a nice, very detailed page with instructions on building a spacious, double layered desk for your home office. According to the site, the desk had to be spacious enough to hold a lot, including three 21 inch monitors, a mini fridge, a Nintendo 64, a DVD player, a receiver, 3 computer systems and a whole lot more. Not surprisingly, the designer couldn't find a desk on the market that met his criteria for under $300, so he built one himself.

Unhappy with using a traditional Playstation controller for playing driving games, these guys decided to construct something that feels a little more realistic. A little junkyard scavenging, welding and painting produced this gaming setup and saved some money as well.

If you're looking for a personal decoration for the holiday season, check out our Glass Block w/ Mini Lights howto. If you're comfortable drilling into glass and haven't had too much egg nog, then you shouldn't have any trouble with this simple project. This is a beautiful craft that emits a warm, soft glow that is really inviting, creating the perfect festive ambiance.

If you're interested in retro video gaming, you've probably thought about how cool it would be to have an arcade style stand-up video game system in your basement or gameroom. If buying one is out of the question, why not consider building your own MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) unit? This howto describes the steps from cutting the MDF to installing fans, speakers and of course buttons and joysticks. They've included a parts list with costs, which totalled £ 630.79 (about 1,118.19 USD), which is nearly $2,ooo cheaper than the Costco and Target models.

If you're looking for some ideas on geeky home improvement projects, CNET's site devoted to home technology howtos is worth a look. Projects include turning an old monitor into a television, making a home music server from an old PC, and setting up a powerline access network. The site isn't very heavy on the home automation front, although they have posted a decent overview article on the subject. The majority of the projects are related to networking and digital home entertainment.

Here's an informative video on laying ceramic tile in a bathroom. The Michael Holigan site has many videos such as this on a wide range of home renovation subjects. If you are considering laying ceramic tile, you may be interested in underfloor heating. Warmly Yours offers an online flash app to aid you in estimating the cost of an underfloor heating system.

Here is a nice fold-by-fold origami-esque project that will net you a very nice, original lampshade. Make sure you treat the paper with fire retardant as instructed before affixing your handywork to a lamp.

This site collects and posts howtos on turning your old, probably dormant laptop into a digital picture frame. One of the digital frames in the list was even made to respond to voice commands. If you've got an old laptop collecting dust, this may be the project for you.

If you're tired of coming home to a mailbox full of junk mail , check out this helpful article entitled "Do-it-yourself: Stop junk mail, email and phone calls, which has some solid tips on keeping the junk down by preventing your name, number and address from being added to every customer database on the planet. One clever gem:

Sexually Oriented Advertising (SOA):The only help you'll get from the Post Office in controlling junk mail is for explicit stuff. Fill out USPS forms 1500 if you wish this type of mail to stop. You define what you find to be explicit -- if that's an automobile parts catalog the post office won't disagree with you.

Good stuff.

If you've not already wired up your pre-existing POTS system to your VOIP system, you may be interested in this DIY project that walks you through the creation of a telephone-to-VOIP adapter for your wired or cordless phones. From the site:

Just imagine: You can walk with your wireless phone chatting with Skype friends for free, you can make free call to your mom if she is connected to the Internet...Skype wireless phones are expensive, VoIP adapters cost ~$60, but you can make it for free if your have details.. from old TV, Radio or other electronics.

Here is a nice howto on making your own concrete countertop from the diynetwork that covers template construction, mold making, pouring, and finishing up.

Here's another very detailed tutorial from NaturalHandyman.com. Both are good, but the diynetwork breaks down the materials needed in a nicer format.

For some inspiration, take a look at Cheng Design to see some amazing examples of what's possible to accomplish with concrete.

Bob Catanzarite has an amazingly detailed site on structured wiring in the home. The howto gives details on the high level overview and planning stages right down to the twisted pair level. Bob gives advice on data, voice and audio wiring, and has designs on tackling home security soon. If you're planning on starting any wiring projects, you may want to keep this site in mind.

These people really like their RPGs! For only $250, they put together a 32 square foot table with both bells AND whistles.

Some nice features:

A plexiglas top, which enables washable marker action.

Cup holders that position the beverage flush with the table top.

3 pull out trays on each side of the table.

1" Grid covering the entire surface.

From the 'Because we can' file...

If you:
have $10, need an answering machine, have a Linux box and have some spare time on your hands, then you may be interested in making your own linux based answering machine. This howto will walk you through the steps to get you up and running with a geek badge called the linux based answering machine.

Fix a leak, remove a toilet, install a toilet, unclog this, repair that - it's all here in this nice chunk of illustrated how-tos on the Home Depot site. You will recognize the style if you've ever used one of their big orange DIY books.

From the Depot's useful Know-How page.

So this guy combines an overhead projector and LCD projector panel, throws in a screen and for under $175, he's watching sweet, sweet big screen projected video. See also: Tom's Hardware version.

Here's a nice step-by-step of an office irrigation system. If you've got a lot of houseplants and a bad memory then this project could save lives. They've also posted a movie of the system in action. Ok 'action' may be a bit strong of a word in this case...