Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Wouldn’t it be great to see exactly how much space a kitchen island will take up before it’s actually installed? An inexpensive way to get a realistic sense of this space is to construct a full-scale model of the island out of cardboard.

Full kitchen remodels-where you replace everything including cabinets and appliances– now cost at least $25,000 … and frequently run $50,000 or more. But many kitchens aren’t worn out or dysfunctional, they just look tired and out-of-date. The answer is a cosmetic upgrade. These are things that improve the look of your kitchen and make it more current without breaking into walls, changing cabinets, redoing plumbing and electrical, or installing new appliances.

Counter-top appliances such as coffeemakers and standing mixers are often stored pushed back under cupboards or shelves. In order to use the small appliances, you will need to pull them away from the wall. Self-adhesive felt pads, such as those used to protect floors from furniture scratches, have another handy application. To prevent marring the counter-top, stick the small felt pads to the bottom of your kitchen appliances.

This plumbing trick is an oldie but goodie and works well when you need to caulk around the top of a tub. Scrape out the old caulk and fill the tub with water to weigh it down. If there is any flexibility in the wooden framing beneath, the tub will be at its lowest point. Create a guide for the new caulking by applying masking tape both to the wall and the top of the tub. Fill the gap around the tub with silicone caulking, let it dry overnight and drain the water.

There are a variety of home remedies for clogged drains that don’t require commercial products. One of the easiest drain cleaning solutions makes use of an ordinary plunger.

Sometimes it’s just as easy to repair something as it is to replace it. A spring loaded shower rod that has fallen down is a great example. These types of shower rods work under tension, and if the mechanism inside has snapped there will be no tension to hold it. To fix the problem simply set the rod to the correct length, mark it with tape and then drill two holes through both pieces of the rod. Place stainless steel screws in the holes so that they won’t rust. This will lock the rod into position, but once it’s in place there won’t be any reason to adjust it. Instead of $10-$15 for a new rod you pay for the screws.

When you’re undertaking an extensive kitchen renovation, or any renovation project, there are several things you’ll need to keep in mind. For instance, with this 80-year old kitchen we had to look at the existing foundation for any potential problems and to make sure that it would support the additional weight of new cabinets, appliances and stone countertops.

It’s inevitable that if you store your pots and pans with the lids on them, they won’t stay that way for long and you’ll find yourself constantly searching for the right lid to the right saucepan. Organize your pot and pan lids by creating a simple storage area for them.

Often the straps that secure the pipe leading to a shower-head become loose creating an annoying rattle as the shower is pressurized. To alleviate this without tearing into the wall to re-secure the pipe, try using expandable foam.

A toilet tank lid that doesn’t fit properly is dangerous if it falls off the tank, and the noise of china scraping china is truly annoying. To solve this problem simply apply a bead of 100% silicone caulk to the top lip of the toilet tank and allow it to dry (usually overnight). Once dry, the silicone forms a gasket that keeps the lid from sliding around and eliminates that nasty grating sound.