RossBuilt Journal

Category: DIY Tips & Tutorials

Step-by-step home improvement projects St. Louis homeowners can tackle themselves, and how to tell when a job needs a pro.

October 31, 2026

Clogged gutters lead to wet basements and rotted fascia. Here's how to clean them safely, flush downspouts and spot problems at the roof edge.

October 31, 2026

Measure, cope inside corners, miter outside corners and nail baseboard and quarter round for tight, clean trim joints.

October 31, 2026

Most sticking doors need a screwdriver, not a new door. Tighten hinges, add a 3-inch screw, shim, adjust the strike, and plane only as a last resort.

October 31, 2026

A safe, step-by-step guide to inspecting, cleaning, brightening and staining a wood deck so it holds up to St. Louis sun, humidity and freeze-thaw.

October 31, 2026

Keep outdoor faucets from freezing and splitting this winter: disconnect hoses, drain the lines and check frost-free sillcocks.

October 31, 2026

Bring tired tile back to life: deep clean grout, cut out and replace damaged joints, choose sanded or unsanded grout, and seal it the right way.

October 31, 2026

A gouged LVP plank doesn't mean a new floor. Here's how to swap one out on click-lock or glue-down floors, from the wall or right in the middle.

October 31, 2026

After hail or high winds, here is how to safely check your roof and gutters from the ground, document damage and avoid storm chasers.

October 31, 2026

Stop a running toilet yourself: find the leak with a dye test, then fix or replace the flapper, chain and fill valve in under an hour.

October 31, 2026

Most floor squeaks come from loose boards or subfloor gaps. Here's how to find them and quiet them for good, from the basement or from above.

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