5 DIY projects for beginners
Buying new bath towels seems as if it should be simple enough: Determine the size and quantity you need, choose your color(s), then go to your favorite store and pick out the ones you like best, right? Well, maybe. If you’re lucky, the towels will be soft, absorbent and long-lasting.
But they could also pucker, shred and start to degrade within a few months.
The problem most consumers face when buying towels is the limited information on labels and packaging, making it hard to know exactly what you’re getting. “Industry brands have done a good job of obfuscating the facts, offering few details,” says Jimmy MacDonald, co-founder of Authenticity50, which offers cotton home goods.
“If you were buying a car, you could do online research for its features, such as a backup camera,” says home economics expert Joseph Marini of the lifestyle website At Home with Joseph. “That’s difficult to find for bath towels. Just because a towel is beautiful or carries a celebrity’s name doesn’t always equal quality.”
MacDonald compares towels to cooking: You can’t make a good towel with poor ingredients.
The key component is cotton. It dictates softness, durability and absorbency. But not all cotton is created equal. Ideally, you want a towel woven from what is known as long-staple or extra-long-staple cotton, which you should be able to find in the towel’s description or specifications. That’s because as the staple length – or the length of the individual fibers used – increases, so does the soft, silky feel of the cotton. Through the spinning and weaving process, a longer length yields a
DIY home projects can save you time and money and can leave you with a sense of accomplishment. But if you stretch yourself beyond your abilities, they can also leave you with a big mess that you end up having to pay a professional to come in and fix. Before you start one, it’s important to know what is feasible and what to expect along the way.
Here are four key questions to help you determine whether you can handle a particular task, plus a few projects that are good for beginners.
KEY QUESTIONS
Does this project fit my budget? Tackling a home improvement project can be less expensive than hiring a professional, but budget is still a factor, said Frank Guidry, a Lowe’s store manager in Clinton, Maryland.
You can use HomeAdvisor, a home improvement resource that connects homeowners with contractors, to get a rough idea of how much you can expect to spend on a project. In addition to lists of service providers, the site also has a section you can use to estimate costs based on surveys of homeowners. Be sure to factor in expenses for any tools or equipment you’ll have to buy smoother surface with fewer exposed fiber ends. Items made with longstaple cotton are also more durable.
Marini says you also need to consider where the cotton is grown and harvested. Americangrown cotton with extralong fibers (called “Supima”) is comparable to Egyptian or Turkish cotton. Experts agree that all three are fine options if the towel contains 100% of the product. You want to avoid any type of cotton-polyester mix, which is prone to shredding or or rent.
Your local home improvement store is another valuable resource. “A knowledgeable employee can help you compare costs of different materials and get the most bang for your buck,” said Guidry, who suggested bringing photos of your space and what you want it to look like when it’s done.
Does it match my skills? Staying within your comfort zone for your first DIY project can reduce stress, so make sure to take an honest assessment of your skills. (After all, you know your limits better than anyone.)
Find step-by-step instructions for your project online and see whether you’re comfortable using the tools required. “If you were learning how to play piano, you wouldn’t want to try to play Bach right out of the gate,” said Mitchell Parker, senior editor at Houzz, a home improvement and interior design website. “The same goes for your first DIY home improvement project.”
A smart baseline: “If you know how to do all of the steps without Googling, it’s a good starter project for your skill level,” said David Steckel, a home expert at thumbtack.com and a general contractor.
If you want to stretch your wings a bit, learn how to wield tools and equipment through educational programs such as DIY-U by shrinkage and feels rough against the skin. Here are some other things to consider when shopping. Weight. Towels are rated on a grams per square meter (GSM) scale. Towels that are heavier, more expensive or higher quality have a greater GSM than cheaper towels that tend to fall apart more easily. Typically, the more loops that are woven into a towel, the higher the GSM. The lightest towels are 300 to 400 GSM. A decent-quality, mediumweight towel runs 400 to 600 GSM. One that is 700
Lowe’s, which began this year and includes free workshops with home improvement experts. Home Depot also offers webinars with store associates teaching proper safety measures and skills for specific projects. Can a mistake significantly damage my home? Some home improvement projects are riskier to DIY than others. Guidry said it’s best to avoid tasks that require complex electrical, plumbing or HVAC work. “I would leave those jobs to professionals,” he said.
Steckel agreed. “I’m a handy person, but I would never replace my own toilet, because there’s so much that can go wrong,” he said. How much time will it take? Think about how many hours you are willing to dedicate to a project. “Some projects can be completed in an afternoon, while others can take several days to 900 GSM will be soft, plush and heavy. The higher the GSM, the thicker the towel, and thicker towels are more absorbent, says Mark Feldman, general manager and chief home merchandising officer for Riverbend Home, an online retailer. Use. Interior designer Dawn Cook, co-owner of BLDC Design in Ohio, says to think about where the towels will be stored and who will be using them. Are you storing them in a cabinet or on a towel rack for display?
Will they be used by the or longer,” Guidry said. Home Depot has guides to more than 1,100 projects, including estimated duration and difficulty level, and many one-day options are available.
PROJECTS FOR BEGINNERS
Paint an accent wall. Painting is one of the most popular projects for DIY beginners — for good reason. “You can always repaint if you mess up or you’re not pleased with the result,” Guidry said.
If you’re new, you should try to start small. (Instead of taking on an entire room, paint only an accent wall.) And although painting is a quick and relatively straightforward task, don’t skimp on the prep work, Guidry said. “Whether you need to repair the walls from damage, take off wallpaper, scrape off flaking paint, patch up holes or simply clean the walls, it’s family, on pets or by guests only? Do you want to keep them for years to come, or are you buying them for your collegebound kids? “You may want to splurge on a set that looks nice and you keep out of the family rotation,” she says. Dimensions. Although towels come in standard sizes, there is little to no regulation regarding their measurements. And even within a single company, each towel line may have different dimensions. Typically, a washcloth is 12 by 12 inches, a hand important to take the time to complete these steps to ensure that the new paint can go on as smooth of a surface as possible,” he said.
Guidry suggests using a roller alongside a small brush that can reach in corners.
Use a drop cloth to protect furniture and any areas you’re not painting, suggested Sarah Fishburne, Home Depot’s director of trend and design, in an email.
Replace kitchen hardware. New cabinet knobs and drawer pulls can give a dated kitchen a facelift, Steckel said. “It’s also very hard to make a mistake unless you’re drilling new holes,” he said.
Guidry agreed that this is a great project for first-time DIYers. “Typically, the only tool you need is a screwdriver,” he said. For easier installation, bring one of your current knobs or pulls to a home improvement store, so an expert can help you choose the right size, Guidry towel is 16 by 30 inches and a bath towel is about 27 by 52 inches, Feldman says. “The largest manufacturers adhere to the standard and maybe give you a bit more, while other retailers may cheat in sizing to get the price down.” So it pays to check the size before you buy, especially if you want to ensure that the towel will cover your head or body. Those with a larger frame may want to upsize from a bath towel to a bath sheet (35 by 60 inches to 40 by 70) for ample coverage. Specifications. Marini says the hardest part of buying towels is doing your homework. Find a brand and go to the company’s website. “Look up the towel to see where they source the cotton,” he says. “If the company isn’t as reputable, you may have to dig to find the information. If someone is proud of their towel, they will put the information on the front page.” You also want to note GSM, construction and size.
In a perfect world, you would find something like this: Bath towels are generously sized at 27 by 54 inches. Each towel is spun from handpicked, 700 GSM, long-staple, 100% Supima cotton.
Whatever the circumstances, don’t choose a towel based on how it feels in the store. Many manufacturers use a chemical finish, so the towel feels soft at first touch. However, that feel may disappear after five or so washes.
Finally, realize that towels are an investment, so take care of them.
Wash towels at least once a week. Don’t use fabric softener or bleach, which will damage the fibers, and tumble-dry on low. said.
Caulk gaps around windows. Most homes in the United States have significant air leaks, according to Energy Star. These gaps can drive up your home’s heating and cooling bills. The good news: You can usually seal leaks by caulking around windows. To find trouble spots, slowly wave a candle around windows; if the flame flickers or blows out, you’ve probably detected a leak. Silicone caulk is moisture resistant, making it an ideal choice for windows.
Stain a deck. Rain can take a toll on wood over time, but staining a wooden deck can protect the finish from the elements while also bringing out the wood’s rich color and texture. And you can achieve professional-looking results all on your own. Start by prepping the surface: Sand the wood, then remove dirt and stains using a wood deck cleaner or pressure washer. Once the wood is smooth and clean, use synthetic paint brushes to apply two coats of stain for a uniform, polished look.
Replace a showerhead. Although plumbing repairs are often best left to the professionals, removing a leaky showerhead and installing a new one is generally a quick and easy task. Use an adjustable wrench to loosen and unscrew the old showerhead. (Some can even be removed by hand.) Then clean off rust or mineral deposits on the shower arm with a wire brush, wrap plumber’s tape around the threads of the arm and screw the new showerhead on. If you see any leaks when you turn the water on, carefully tighten the showerhead with an adjustable wrench.