Tile design looks easy. But as the saying goes, looks are deceiving. After all, isn't it just a matter of laying out these square things on top of some mortar? How hard can it be?

One stumbling point is that it is hard to lay out all the tiles for a "dry run." It's just not practical, it doesn't include the all-important defning element of grout, and it does not take into consideration cut tiles and other tiles that run around obstructions. The best you can do with a dry-run is to lay out a section here and there. Even then...

The advice of a good tile designer can replace a lot of those false starts and botched installations. Free tile designers are available at some of the better independent tile stores. While you can probably get advice from anyone in the store, you're better off if you can find the actual designer (or at least the person who is the implied "designer," if you get the drift). Will they give advice in the absence of a big contract? Certainly, the store pays the designer's paycheck by securing tile order or installation contracts...but it would be remiss of them not to allow the designer to give out verbal advice.

Image Public Domain: State of CA

Refinish you cabinets while still on the wall? Well, why not?

But think about it. When you apply liquid strippers to a vertical surface, those liquids will drip. Even gels and pastes are prone to sliding down. Some cabinets are relatively simple to remove. Look behind the plates and bowls, and you may clearly see four screws (more or less) per cabinet, where those cabinet are attached to the wall.

Is that it? Remarkably, yes. It doesn't take a whole heck of a lot to hold up kitchen cabinets, if those fasteners are planted right into studs. Even with all of the weight of casseroles, pots, and what-have-you. Of course, life is never that easy, right? You would like to turn out those 4 screws and have the thing lift easily to the ground.

You may encounter a "paint seal" where cabinet and wall meet. This happens if the wall is painted after cabinets are installed, and the paint is brought up too close to the cabinet. In this case, score the "seal" with a straight razor.

Around a year ago, one of my fellow About.com guides related to me a story of Building Permit Officer Gone Wild in her home. If you have ever seen the movie Brazil (1984) by insanely talented Terry Gilliam, you will get a good sense of what it is like to have a petty, power-hungry city-level bureaucrat create havoc in your life...for no good reason at all.

Which leads many homeowners to wonder: Can I just make a query to the permit office...anonymously? Sure you can. While it will not help you further down the road (i.e., after they have been officially apprised of what you are doing), you most certainly can make blind calls to your local permit office. In fact, I encourage you to do this.

One topical note: lately, due to economic conditions, many building permit offices have been so quiet that cobwebs are practically growing over them. This is not necessarily a good thing for you. While it means that someone will answer your call, it also means that they have more time and leisure to potentially track you down for that fence you built without permitting. It probably will not happen, but the potential is there.

Image Public Domain: City of Rochester NY

Reader asks, "What the heck is a hardwired smoke detector? Do I need one? Can I install it myself?"

I was close to writing up a reply to the reader in the negative with something like, "Forget it. Call an electrician." At the last moment, I thought to check our Electrical Guide Timothy Thiele, and saw his clear tutorial on how to install hardwired smoke detectors. Yes you can! My bad.

I need to save face one way or another, so I will add that it is not a walk in the park. But Tim makes this difficult task as clear as can be.