DIY Home Upgrades

Hands-on guides for DIY home upgrades with real-world results. Coverage spans solar-powered air conditioning, garage improvements, door locks, and energy efficiency projects — with an emphasis on what actually works in practice, not just what looks good on paper.

Topics include:

Solar-powered air conditioning and mini split installation
Solar panel array setup
Garage improvements — insulation, cooling, and organization
Energy efficiency — pool pump savings and solar

4 articles

March 31, 2026

DIY Garage Door Insulation: Does EPS Foam Actually Work? (FLIR Proof)

Added a $138 EPS foam insulation kit to my Florida garage door and tested it with a FLIR thermal camera. Real before-and-after results, weight and spring considerations, and how it changed my mini-split's performance year-round.

March 20, 2026

DIY Solar Panel Ground Mount Installation: IntegraRack IR-15 Review (South Florida, 1 Year Later)

Step-by-step DIY solar ground mount installation using the IntegraRack IR-15 and AnchorSpike system — no concrete pad required. Real-world review from South Florida one year later, including wiring in series, shading lessons learned, and hurricane prep.

March 18, 2026

DIY Solar AC Installation: Garage Mini Split Review (South Florida, 1 Year Later)

Airspool mini-split solar AC review from a South Florida garage gym install. Full DIY solar AC installation guide, real performance data, financial payback math, and how it held up a year later.

March 29, 2021

Best Variable Pump Speed for Pool Energy Savings

Learn how to calculate the best speed to run your variable speed pool pump at to efficiently keep your smart home's pool clean while saving energy and money by determining your gpm flow rate by calculating the total dynamic head without a flow meter.