Featured Story

The Internet Kitchen: Expand Counter Space for Plugs, TV & More

Counter space is always at a premium, and one of the best ways to make the most of it is to install recessed receptacle boxes. These allow you to push small countertop appliances against the wall, gaining extra inches of space.

Previous Home How-To Central Stories

Feature-Filled Vacuums: Are They Worth It? Today’s high-powered vacuums claim to do a lot more than just suck dust. We put the latest batch of feature-filled vacs to the test to see if they really beat the competition on germs, dog dander and nasty smells. (Published in the February 2008 issue)
5 Rugged Utility Vehicles: Comparison Test and Buyer's Guide They have always been fun, hop-and-go transport for hunting, fishing and exploring, but these days, utility vehicles are also rugged workers. We put five of these expensive ($10,000 and up) four-wheel-drive machines to work running a farm—and they earned their keep. (Published in the January 2008 issue)
How to Beat the Storm With a DIY Anti-Ice Salt Blaster Still slowly spreading rock salt by hand? Tsk, tsk. I designed this blaster to cover yards of icy pavement in seconds. (Published in the January 2007 issue)
8 Smart Tips for Fixing Flooded Basements To protect against future flooding, check with a plumber to have a backwater valve installed, because it sounds like your home currently does not have one. (Published in the December 2007 issue)
Recycle in Style With BMW's $300 Garbage Can (Published in the December 2007 issue)
Save Money and Reduce Waste by Salvaging Building Materials (Published in the December 2007 issue)
Why Refurbishing Your Computer Like a Car Can Save the World To extend your computer’s life, keep it clean and perform basic upgrades such as increasing memory. (Published in the December 2007 issue)
Top 3 Ways to Cut Your Inorganic Waste Before hiring a contractor to do a renovation, salvage expert Kevin Brooks recommends asking, “‘What do you plan to do with this stuff?’ If enough people ask that question, that will change how it’s done.” (Published in the December 2007 issue)
How to Remove Wood Flooring in 3 Easy Steps Old-growth wood—typically, Douglas fir, oak and maple—has higher density and fewer defects than new wood, and often comes in lengths of 12 ft. or more, which you won’t find at a big-box store. (Published in the December 2007 issue)
Top 2 Ways to Compost Smart and Cut Your Organic Waste As a first step, pare down on paper products—the largest single category of garbage. Then plan meals more carefully: Every year, Americans throw out 25 percent of their food—96 billion pounds of leftovers. Composting will help take care of the rest. (Published in the December 2007 issue)
View Full Home Journal: Home How-To Central Archive

Worst-Case Scenarios

Surviving in Myanmar

As many as 22,500 are feared dead after a massive cyclone hit. PM's guide offers tips and skills to Survive Anything:

Digital Hollywood

Debunking Lost's Science

As the show returns, its creators reveal the making of high-tech mythology—and let slip a few secrets about the island’s future.

Reviews

Ultimate GPS Test

700 miles, 5 new nav units, no manuals. We pick the best mapping devices for summer road trips on the road and in the lab.

PLUS: Gadget Reviews

Drive Green

Top 10 X Prize Cars

The most comprehensive, up-to-date scouting report on the field for the 100-mpg car of tomorrow.

Special Report

Rebuilding America

PM's report on fixing U.S. infrastructure examines new plans for bridges and beyond.

Tool Spotlight

Porter Cable 4212 Dovetail Jig

• Watch How-To Videos
• More Jig Information
• More PORTER-CABLE products

Reader Projects Wanted

Extreme Mailbox Showcase

Whether you've reinforced that little red flagpole for drive-by bashers or just gone all Rube Goldberg on your lawn, show us!

Lawn Care

Natural Lawn Care

Natural lawn care used to be a novelty. Now it includes effective techniques for any gardener's arsenal of tricks.

PM Ad Partner Links

• Experience perfect air with Trane

• myBike, PM's New User-Powered Motorcycle Community, Brought to You by Kawasaki

Current Issue

Infrastructure Report

America's concrete-and-steel underpinnings are in trouble, and PM examines promising solutions.

Reviews

New PM Book: The Boy Mechanic Makes Toys

This project-stocked read takes play time—indoors and out, for young and old—from the hum-drum of store-bought amusements to the thrill of home-spun invention, all with the honest nostalgia of diagrams and explanations reproduced from original Popular Mechanics pages circa the early 1900s.