Sal Vaglica
Contributor
A former editor at This Old House magazine, Sal Vaglica has been writing about home improvement for 15 years. When he's not working on his own home, you can find him at the hardware store geeking out about tools, gardening gear, and warning anyone who will listen that drywall screws are really just for drywall.
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Metal Roof Styles: Colors, Paint, & Accents
From smooth and seamed to deeply embossed, and in a range of colors, there’s a metal-roofing profile to suit virtually every architectural style.
All About Fire Pits
From lightweight metal bowls that set up anywhere to fixed masonry wells that are a gather-round feature on a patio or a patch of grass, fire pits extend the outdoor-living season in style. Here’s how to choose one for your own space.
Inside Interior Doors
Shopping for a paint-ready interior door can be confusing, since you can’t see what’s underneath the primer. If a traditional wood door (generally pine or poplar) is what you’re after, you’ll have to special-order it—and expect it to expand and contract with changes in humidity. Here’s how other interior doors are built today.
How to Install Easy DIY Wainscoting
This Old House general contractor Tom Silva helps homeowners dress up their dining room walls using stock molding from the home center
Bonus Uses for Masonry “Glue”
Mark McCullough has some solutions that don’t require mortar
How to Install Undercabinet LED Lighting
Help make meal prep easier and add mood lighting with peel-and-stick tape lined with LEDs
Build It | How to Build a Chicken Coop
Use pressure-treated lumber and PVC trim to create a shelter designed by Tom Silva to keep predators at bay—and provide a source of fresh eggs right out your back door.
Read This Before You Redo Your Roof
Four out of five homeowners opt for asphalt shingles—here’s the lowdown on choosing the right ones for your own roof.
How to Build a Fire Pit Patio
On their own, handsome stone pavers expand a home’s entertaining space, but add a fire pit and your yard becomes a destination
All About Picket Fences
These barriers went from basic wood slats to an iconic element of the American curbside. Here's what you need to know to find the right style for your house