|
Home >  Home & Garden  >  Home Improvement Guide

Home Improvement Guide

The best materials and practices for your remodeling project

Published: May 2013

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

painting

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
CR072K12-Armstrong_Flooring

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
CR102k12-Thermostats-Honeywell-0023

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 blob logo

Flooring image
Flooring 57 rated down arrow

Flooring Ratings

View and compare all Flooring ratings.
Countertops image
Countertops 28 rated down arrow

Countertops Ratings

View and compare all Countertops ratings.
Sinks image
Sinks 14 rated down arrow

Sinks Ratings

View and compare all Sinks ratings.
Toilets image
Toilets 32 rated down arrow

Toilets Ratings

View and compare all Toilets ratings.
Home windows image
Home windows 25 rated down arrow

Home windows Ratings

View and compare all Home windows ratings.
Roofing image
Roofing 26 rated down arrow

Roofing Ratings

View and compare all Roofing ratings.
Siding image
Siding 30 rated down arrow

Siding Ratings

View and compare all Siding ratings.
Paints image
Paints 59 rated down arrow

Paints Ratings

View and compare all Paints ratings.

E-mail Newsletters

FREE e-mail Newsletters! Choose from cars, safety, health, and more!
Already signed-up?
Manage your newsletters here too.

Latest From Consumer Reports

CR022K14-TV-Panasonic-0107-V2
 TV REVIEWS
6 simple steps to set up a new TV for watching sportsVideo Shop, install, and watch the best TV for upcoming bowl games in just 3 hours.
NEW CAR REVIEWS
Ring in 2015 with serious savings on your next car These cars perform well in our tests and have average or better reliability.
SMART PHONE REVIEWS
Year in review: The best electronics of 2014 From computers to TVs, these 13 products were the best we've tested.
HOLIDAY GUIDE
5 simple rules for happy holiday gift returns Learn how to avoid problems when you return a less-than-perfect present.
WASHING MACHINE REVIEWS
Washers that cleaned up in our tests this year Find the right front-loader or top-loader for your budget and needs.
NEW CAR REVIEWS
Head of the pack: Cars that topped our Ratings in 2014Video These models outscored and outgunned all the others in our tests this year.
More Articles & News

Connect

Discuss products
and safety with
subscribers and fans

Follow us on:

Mobile

Mobile Get Ratings on the go and compare
while you shop

Learn more