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

How to Find Your Variable Speed Pool Pump's Most Efficient Speed Without a Flow Meter

How to calculate total dynamic head (TDH) to find your variable speed pool pump's optimal GPM and RPM settings — no flow meter required.