Even beginning do-it-yourself'ers will find that installing kitchen cabinets is do-it-yourself-able. With care, the results can be as fine as any professional job. Here are some tips to achieve that goal.

One thing professionals know that most others don't is what tool makes the job easier. With kitchen cabinets there are more choices than you'd suspect. Key to installing cabinets that are level and secure, with low hassle, is to use a support system of some kind.

Left alone, cool things warm up from their warmer surroundings. Every air cooling system takes advantage of some very interesting laws of physics to reverse this and make your home temperature lower than the outdoors. Fortunately, you don't have to be a scientist to keep that system working well. Here are some simple tips to do just that...

The most common AC system problems result from something being at least partially clogged. There are several possible sources for that congestion, but the most common is dirty drain lines.

Shower installations are tough, no getting around it. Most home remodeling projects require care, but this is one case where even a small error can lead to disaster. Behind-the-wall or under-the-floor leaks can cause increased insect invasions and large repair bills. So, before you decide to undertake it, prepare to commit yourself to nothing less than a first rate job.

Keeping decks sturdy and looking new is a three step process that can be low cost and require only moderate effort.

First, test the condition of your deck by performing a simple test. Drip water from a turkey basting or similar tool onto the surface. If it beads well, refinishing isn't necessary. If it soaks in rapidly, a full treatment is required.

Next, get a few different weather reports. Pick a period of a week where you expect moderate temperatures and low humidity. Several drying intervals will be needed.

Washing - the critical step

If carried out correctly, replacing your screens can be a snap. Be careless and you really will have to replace the whole screen, frame and all.

Most screens come in two basic types: standard window screens and screen doors.

Screen doors sit on rollers on springs and can typically just be lifted out with slight pressure. Lift and tilt the bottom toward your feet a couple of centimeters (an inch) to clear the bottom frame, then let the screen down. Never force it, don't tilt too far before dropping it and don't twist. You don't want to bend the frame or break the rollers.

It's easy to read magazines and conclude that your home is a danger to you and your family. But, as anyone can see, people are living longer, healthier lives than ever. Nevertheless, there are real risks associated with some remodeling projects. Some simple precautions can help minimize them.

Several potentially harmful gases can build up inside homes, especially newer ones that are often extremely well sealed. Radon is one of the more well known names.

Roof repair can be simple and cheap... or you can wait until the damage spreads and you have a condition only a professional can solve - for hundreds of dollars.

Damage comes in all forms - cracked tiles, warped or torn shingles, bent flashing - the list is endless. But most of them are a problem for the same reason: the possibility of water damage from a leak.

Most damage that leads to a leak doesn't give you any warning. You find out after the water has already started coming in. But you can turn that problem into an asset.

Beyond the basics of grading, foundation and floors, and walls and roofs, there are a host of smaller - but still essential - elements to inspect.

A house has an amazing number of distinct systems: electrical, plumbing, insulation, siding and/or paint, air conditioning and heating, windows and doors and several others. If defective, or poorly built or installed, headaches can run from expensive repairs to life-threatening conditions.

Whether kitchen or bathroom, fixing a sink can be straightforward or it can be a nightmare. Much depends on the condition of the valves and hoses leading to them.

In most cases do-it-yourselfers can shut off the water valves under the sink with a few clockwise twists. But if those valves are old and have never been turned since they were installed they can break, causing a leak.

Be prepared by having a partner stand near the main shutoff valve with a walkie-talkie ready to turn off the water to the whole house.