Gene and Katie Hamilton
Gene and Katie Hamilton are veteran do-it-yourselfers whose column, "Do It Yourself Or Not," has been in newspaper syndication for 20 years. They've been in the home improvement trenches long enough to know when to hire a contractor and when to do a project yourself and share their sage advice with real life experience and dollar and cents figures.
The award-winning authors have penned 20 home improvement books. Their latest best-seller, "Fix It and Flip It," is a handbook for investors who want to buy, fix and sell houses. The Hamiltons are best known for their quirky, no-nonsense philosophy of home improvement and demystifying a home repair so it's not intimidating. Their offbeat humor can be found in a series of "Dummies" titles including "Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies," "Plumbing for Dummies," "Carpentry for Dummies" and "Home Improvement For Dummies." Gene and Katie are Internet pioneers who founded HouseNet.com, the first home improvement site on the Web. As home improvement experts they are frequent speakers at home shows across the country and have appeared on "The Today Show," "Dateline," "CNN News" and many other television shows.
Gene and Katie Hamilton Samples
Repair a toilet
Before you call a plumber to fix an old toilet, try diagnosing the problem. Even if you're not so handy, you can take a stab at fixing a toilet; if that fails, you can call in a pro as a last resort.
Install oak strip flooring
Anyone who lives in a home with hardwood flooring knows the beauty and warmth it gives to a room. A flooring contractor will charge $1,952 to lay unfinished oak strip flooring in a 12- by 15-foot room.
Install oak strip flooring
Anyone who lives in a home with hardwood flooring knows the beauty and warmth it gives to a room. A flooring contractor will charge $263 to lay unfinished oak strip flooring in a 12- by 15-foot room.
Replace an interior door
If you are tired of your home's thin, hollow-core interior doors, you can upgrade to new molded six-panel solid-core doors that look better and more substantial, and that reduce the transmission of sound.
Hang a plank ceiling
A laminate wood plank ceiling creates a striking look in any room and can transform it from ordinary to extraordinary.
Replace a kitchen sink
When it's time to replace a kitchen sink, consider one made of stainless steel with new styling and design that offers more utility. A plumber will charge $487 to replace an old kitchen sink with a new single-bowl 25-inch stainless bowl and faucet.
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