home improvement news stories on Newser

Vanilla Ice Project Back for Second Season

Dustin Lushing — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:59:05 CST

Stop, collaborate, and set your DVRs. Ice is back with a second season of "The Vanilla Ice Project," a show on the DIY Network that stars the 44-year-old rapper as he renovates a run-down mansion in Palm Beach County, Florida. Returning on the heels of a hit first season, the...

Vanilla Ice, Home Remodel Expert?

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:48:00 CDT

Today’s WTF moment: Vanilla Ice is back…in a home improvement series. Apparently the rapper “taught himself the basics of home improvement through hands-on experience” over the last 15 years, and is ready to show off his “vast knowledge” of home renovation, according to a rep for the DIY Network. The...

DIY Projects Go Frugal

Jane Yager — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 07:26:25 CDT

With the five-figure granite-countertopped kitchen overhaul now an emblem of prerecession excess, home-improvement chains are seeking a new niche for themselves in more frugal times, the New York Times reports. DIY projects these days have shifted from upgrades to maintenance—consumers won't redo the bathroom but will fix the leaky...

Dow Falls 186, Biggest Drop Since July 2

Nick McMaster — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:32:41 CDT

Stocks continued to decline after drops in world markets proved to be contagious at the open, with the Dow falling the most since July 2, the Wall Street Journal reports. The worldwide stock decline had investors scrambling to Treasurys and other safe havens. Home-improvement retailer Lowe's fell 10% after reporting...

'Insourcing' Is Recession's DIY Buzzword

Matt Cantor — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:00:02 CST

The recession is prompting Americans to forgo luxuries—and that means doing for themselves what they would once have paid someone else to do, the Washington Post reports. Starter sewing-kit sales have soared 30%; landscapers are losing business; customers are forsaking salons to dye their own hair. The trend is...

Nation Cooking on Radioactive Countertops

Kevin Spak — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:07:49 CDT

Granite countertops have become exceedingly popular, but few realize the dapper slabs can be radioactive, the New York Times reports. Granite often contains uranium, and reports have been flowing in of “hot” counters giving off higher-than-recommended levels of radon gas. “It’s not that all granite is dangerous,” said one expert....

'Do-It-Yourself' Can Be Fightin' Words

Ambreen Ali — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:18:00 CDT

Adrian starts painting in the middle, but Hannah wants the wall layered methodically. Adrian storms out, and Hannah works alone. The DIY dispute is no anomaly: 35% of British homeowners said in a recent study that home improvements caused domestic rifts. Underlying the debates on paint color and floorboards is...

DIY Home Care—Not So Hard

Eleanor Villforth — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:04:05 CDT

Homeowners can save big bucks on maintenance and keep their houses shipshape by mastering 10 simple skills, Allen Norwood observes for McClatchy Newspapers: Swap out your door locks: Remove a few bolts and screws and easily replace an existing lock for a new one. Become familiar with your filters: Note...

Dour Housing Market Slams Home Depot Q4 Results

Jim O'Neill — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:23:08 CST

Continuing US housing market woes, showing no signs of letting up, helped drag Home Depot’s fourth quarter profits down 27% over the same quarter last year, to $671 million from $925 million. The world’s largest home-improvement retailer also predicted fiscal-year earnings will drop 19% to 24%, more than twice the...