Why this site exists
There is a how-to video for almost every home repair, and that is the problem. They are not organised by the job you need to do, the room it is in or the problem you are looking at. It is hard to compare one creator’s method with another’s, or to tell which one follows the safe order of steps, shuts off the right supply first, or mentions that the job needs a permit.
What we do about it
- Videos sorted the way you look for them. Every video is filed by job, room, problem and home system, with the skill level and tools it needs, so you can find the fix for a running toilet or a tripped outlet in a few clicks.
- Methods side by side. Videos on the same job sit together, so you can compare how different creators approach it before you pick up a tool.
- Written guides. Our guides cover the questions that come before the video: which tool to buy, which repair fits which damage, and when a job needs a licensed pro.
- Checked facts. Safety steps and requirements are checked against manufacturers’ instructions, codes and the other sources cited on the page. How we check facts explains the process.
Our guides are general information. Codes and permit rules differ from place to place, and some work (gas, main electrical panels, structural changes) belongs with a licensed professional. When that is the case, we say so.
Who writes this
Articles are published by the Renovation Videos editorial team under four house bylines. Each has its own angle: troubleshooting, safety, tools for beginners, and seasonal upkeep. They are pen names: their profiles say what each one covers and how they write, not a career.
Dana Kowalczyk
Diagnose first, then fix
Dana Kowalczyk writes the troubleshooting guides: what that noise, drip or stubborn clog is telling you, and how to check before you buy a single part. Her pieces are built around symptoms, with a quick test for each likely cause and the repair that matches it, from running toilets to humming garbage disposals and holes in drywall. She keeps the language plain, names the parts as you will see them in the store, and ends with what to try next, including when it is time to call a pro.
Priya Ramaswamy
Safety, codes and knowing your limits
Priya Ramaswamy writes about doing home projects safely: what to shut off first, what the codes ask for, and where a job stops being DIY and needs a licensed electrician, plumber or gas fitter. Her guides cover GFCI outlets, ceiling boxes, permits and emergency shut-offs, with clear numbered steps and the source behind every requirement. She is calm rather than alarming, notes where rules differ between the US and Canada or from one city to the next, and closes with the signs that it is time to call a pro.
Jesse Tran
Tools and first projects
Jesse Tran writes for people picking up a tool for the first time: which one to buy, which can wait, and how to use it without wrecking the wall. His guides compare tools side by side, explain specs like torque and voltage in plain words, and include a practice step on scrap before the real job. He covers starter tool kits, drills and drivers, and first skills such as finding a stud, and ends each piece with one simple place to start.
Hal Brennan
Seasons, maintenance and the long view
Hal Brennan writes the maintenance guides: the regular, unglamorous jobs that keep a house warm, dry and working, and the order to do them in. His pieces follow the seasons, from winterising outdoor taps to flushing a water heater, with a checklist you can print and a note on how often to repeat each job, taken from the manufacturer or another cited source. He keeps cold-climate and mild-climate advice apart, and ends each guide with what to put on the calendar.
More about how we work
Videos play from their creators’ own YouTube channels, with the channel credited on every page. This site is independent and is not affiliated with any manufacturer, retailer or video creator named on it.