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Exposure to temperatures below 20 degrees can cause pipes to freeze and break. A few simple steps can help protect pipes from freezing or defrost them when they do.

Replacing an outdoor lighting fixture with a motion activated spotlight can conserve energy and increase home security.

Installing a new ceiling light fixture can greatly improve a room's aesthetics and illumination.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Drywall has been the wall finishing material of choice for most of a century because it s so easy to install and finish. Another of its virtues is that when it s damaged, it s easy to repair. For scratches or small dents, a quick swipe of joint compound with a 3- or 4-inch putty knife and a bit of sanding before priming and painting will do fine. For small holes up to 3 inches, self-adhesive plastic mesh tape and then a coat or two of patching compound will work. For medium-sized holes between 4 and 6 inches, try a drywall bandage. Check to make sure there s no electrical wiring in the area first, then use a keyhole saw to cut the hole into a neat square or rectangle. Transfer that shape onto a piece of new drywall, add 2-inch margins and cut out the larger patch piece. Trim off the back and gypsum in the 2-inch margin but leave the face paper uncut. Spread patching compound around the outside edges of the hole and press the bandage into it, feathering the edges. Let it dry. Then sand and re-coat with compound. Finally, sand again, prime and paint. For really big holes, you can use the tie and twist bracing method. Cut a piece of drywall or a length of 2x4 a few inches larger than the hole. Drill two small holes in the center and loop a 2-foot string through it like a button. Tie the ends around the middle of a stick. Apply adhesive to the back edges of the hole inside the wall. Adhere the patch piece and twist the stick from your side of the wall until it holds tight. Then, fill the remaining space with drywall patch pieces and mesh tape. Finish with compound as usual, cutting the string and pulling it out just before it dries. For super-large holes bigger than a foot wide, cut the drywall back to the two nearest studs and expose them halfway. Cut a new panel of drywall to fit and attach it as you normally would with drywall screws, joint compound and tape. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Interior painting is one of the all-time favorite do-it-yourself jobs, but like everything else, there is a right and wrong way to paint a room. Make it easy on yourself and do it like the pros. Start by emptying the room or at least giving yourself access to all of the walls by grouping and covering furniture in the center. Mask off the floor carefully with tape and dropcloths, rosin paper or painter s plastic. Shut off the power to the room and remove lighting fixtures and electrical plates. Remove the window hardware as well. Some skip these steps and wind up spending more time cleaning up drips and spills or replacing ruined items. Prep is as important as paint. Fill and patch nail holes and imperfections and clean the woodwork. Prime any bare wood, new drywall or stained areas. Paint the room from the top down. Start with the ceiling, cutting in from the edges with a brush and rolling the rest in long, even strokes with a roller on an extension rod. Wait between steps for the paint to dry. Cut in for the walls next using a brush or paint pad to follow the line of the ceiling. Don t worry too much about neatness around the trim since you ll paint that last. Actually, a good thick layer between the wall and trim will help fill any gaps for a uniform look. The walls need at least two coats with a roller: the first will hide any imperfections in the wall, the second will even out the finish. Use an extension roller here to keep your strokes and pressure even and to save your back. Once the walls are dry, tackle the trim from the top down with a good 3- or 4-inch brush. If your hand isn t steady, you can mask window panes with tape and stick-on corners. A small paint pad made especially for sash will help you stay inside the lines, and a good sharp razor blade will get rid of any mistakes after the paint is dry. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. There s nothing more frustrating than having to detangle a mess of extension cords before you can get started with your project. Check out these tips from the pros on proper storage. Tempting though it may be, wrapping an extension cord around your arm to coil it back up quickly will twist and strain the cable inside. That ll cause it to tangle in an instant and will shorten the life of the cord. When you buy a new cord, pay attention to how it s coiled. That s how it wants to stay. There s a certain amount of finesse to it, but try to follow the direction the cord wants to go. A short length of clothesline or hook-and-loop tape at the end will give you a permanent way to tie the coiled cable up and hang it neatly. If you ve got a really long cable you don t want to re-coil each time, use the old bucket trick. Find an old 5-gallon paint bucket and drill a hole near the bottom. Let the female plug hang a couple of feet out of the hole, then coil the rest of the cable around the inside of the bucket. Keep the male end at the top, ready to pull out when you need it. For cords you use frequently in the same place, install a wall-mounted cord reel near an outlet. Try a portable spring-rewind wheel or even a hose reel for long cords. You need a cord that, when fully extended, is the right gauge and length for your job. A cord that s still coiled can start to act like a transformer under heavy loads and can dangerously overheat. This is especially common with smaller-gauge cords. Look for grounded cables that are labeled UL- and OSHA-approved so you can be sure they ve been tested and found to be safe. And although it s more expensive, go for a thicker gauge. Twelve-gauge cable is okay if you re only using one power tool, but for multiple tools or for outdoors, 10-gauge is best. Electrical power dissipates after the first 100 feet and insufficient amperage can burn out your tools. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com