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Home Improvement Guide

The best materials and practices for your remodeling project

Published: May 2013

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Flooring

Toilets

Home windows

Roofing

Siding

Paints

Odds are high that something will go wrong with your next remodeling project. How do we know? We asked our readers about their experiences with 18 common projects, from painting a room to building an addition—almost 30,000 projects in all. How many respondents had at least one problem? Forty-four percent. You may be able to avoid their fate with a little extra planning and patience, whether you hire a contractor or do the work yourself.

Featured

Remodeling projects

Bathrooms: Remodeling dos and don'ts
Bathrooms: Remodeling trends and costs
Create a beautiful bathroom
Kitchens: Get the luxury look for less
How to hire a reputable remodeling contractor
Five kitchen design blunders and what to do instead
Laundry rooms move out of the basement
Top remodeling gripes from homeowners and contractors
Five home repairs you shouldn't ignore

Top products from our tests

Flooring Ratings and recommendations
Countertop Ratings and recommendations
Sink Ratings and recommendations
Toilet Ratings and recommendations
Roofing Ratings and recommendations
Siding Ratings and recommendations
Window Ratings and recommendations
Paint Ratings and recommendations

Energy-saving ideas

What you should know about replacement lightbulbs
Energy-saving thermostats that cut costs
Air conditioners that keep you and your wallet cool
What you don't know about energy can cost you
Five easy ways to cut your home energy costs
Guide to a greener kitchen

Find Ratings

Flooring

Flooring Ratings

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Toilets Ratings

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Toilets Buying Advice

Types of Toilets
Toilets Brands
Toilets Features

Home windows

Home windows Ratings

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Home windows Buying Advice

Types of Home windows
Home windows Brands
Home windows Features

Roofing

Roofing Ratings

View and compare all Roofing ratings.

Roofing Buying Advice

Types of Roofing
Roofing Brands
Roofing Features

Siding

Siding Ratings

View and compare all Siding ratings.

Siding Buying Advice

Types of Siding
Siding Brands
Siding Features

Paints

Paints Ratings

View and compare all Paints ratings.

Paints Buying Advice

Types of Paints
Paints Brands
Paints Features

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