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

Painting is one of those chores that many homeowners take on themselves, but the mess of clean up can really tempt one to consider hiring it out. Here are a couple of tips to simplify the use and clean up of paint rollers for your next project.

Painting the upper reaches of a stairwell can be a difficult chore. It’s usually fairly high and there’s no good place to set the ladder. Try this. Set an extension ladder on one of the lower steps and lean the top against the wall opposite the top of the stairs. Set a small stepladder (six-foot size) on the landing at the top of the stairs.

Painting six panel doors with a brush is a chore, but it can be made easier by removing them from their hinges and laying them horizontally. This can be time consuming though if you have to wait for one side to dry before flipping the door over to paint the other side.

Spray paint is a great solution for lots of small projects around the house, but lots of folks find it difficult to use the cans more than once because the tips clog with paint.

Extension ladders are a must for painting on higher areas of the home. But where do you put the paint? Create your own hanging device from a wooden dowel purchased at the home center. Choose the largest dowel that will fit inside the hollow rungs of the ladder (usually 5/8″ to 1″).

Refinishing a wonderful piece of furniture that has seen better days can be an extremely rewarding task - especially if the piece has been in your family for a long time or could not be easily replaced. For a reasonable cost you can restore a dresser, table or other piece of furniture that can add charm and function to any room.

Sanding walls or ceilings can be a tiring job without a pole sander. But if this isn’t a job you perform often, the expense of buying the tool may be hard to justify. Here’s an idea to create a substitute using an ordinary sponge mop.

Sometimes homeowners want more than just a plain, painted wall. Adding texture or a decorative finish to your walls is an excellent way to add interest and personality to a room. In the past, many people thought that these designer looks could only be created by a professional. Here are several very DIY friendly approaches that can achieve the same results.

While nothing brightens up a room like a fresh coat of paint, you may occasionally feel a little adventurous and wish to try something different. There is an almost endless list of alternatives for plain, solid painted walls, and Danny has a few suggestions on how you can breathe life into your home, make a statement or simply add a touch of elegance to a room with a few simple techniques.

Life seemed much simpler when the hardware store carried only three kinds of caulk. Now, home centers dedicate an entire aisle to caulk. As a result, confusion reigns when it’s time to do a very simple job, but caulking doesn’t need to be complicated.