DRAINHOUSE
Home improvement, renovation tips, and comfortable living guides.
From estimating the paint and wallpaper for a room to sizing heating and cooling, pricing what an appliance costs to run, planning a move, and measuring a space, DrainHouse pairs free hands-on home-improvement calculators with practical guides and a richly illustrated museum. Fix it, finish it, live better.
Home Improvement Calculators
Free tools for homeowners and DIYers — wallpaper calculator, paint calculator, moving checklist, energy cost calculator, cleaning schedule, BTU calculator, room size calculator, and mortgage calculator.
Wallpaper Calculator
Work out how many rolls of wallpaper a room needs from its dimensions and your roll size — accounting for wall height, doors and windows, pattern repeat, and waste
Paint Calculator
Estimate the gallons (and liters) of paint for a room from wall area and number of coats, minus doors and windows, using a standard coverage per gallon
Moving Checklist
Generate a week-by-week moving checklist tailored to your timeline and home size, with extra tasks added when you're moving with pets or kids
Energy Cost Calculator
Find what an appliance or device costs to run — enter its wattage, hours per day, and your electricity rate for the daily, monthly, and yearly cost
Cleaning Schedule
Build a home cleaning routine — daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal tasks scaled to your bedrooms and bathrooms, with extra jobs for pets and kids
BTU Calculator
Size heating and cooling for a room from its area, ceiling height, climate, sun exposure, and occupants — with the BTUs and a recommended unit size
Room Size Calculator
Find a room's floor area, wall area, and volume from length, width, and ceiling height — plus the flooring boxes and paint gallons you'll need to buy
Mortgage Calculator
Estimate your full monthly payment from home price, down payment, rate, and term — principal and interest plus property tax and insurance, with total interest and total of payments
Home & Plumbing Museum
Wander an immersive museum of the systems that keep a home running — the plumbing and drainage that move water in and waste out, the heating, cooling, and electrical systems behind the walls, the fixtures and fittings you use every day, and the materials and tools of home improvement, each in its own gallery, so you can get to know how a home really works: how each part comes together, what keeps it running, and the craft of keeping a house in good repair.
Tour the museum →From the Journal
Fresh guides on plumbing and drainage, home repairs and maintenance, heating and cooling, renovation, and DIY projects, plus practical tips for keeping every part of your home running smoothly.
How to Choose Floor Drains: Expert Guide
How to Choose Floor Drains: Expert Guide Floor drains are essential components in any building, serving as critical points where water is directed away from interior spaces. Whether you’re renovating…
Best Floor Drains Tips and Strategies
The Ultimate Guide to Understanding and Choosing the Right Floor Drains for Your Space Floor drains are essential components of any building’s plumbing system, serving as critical points where water…
Floor Drains for Beginners: Getting Started
The Ultimate Floor Drain Handbook: From Basics to Installation Floor drains are often overlooked yet essential components of any building’s plumbing system. Whether you’re a homeowner dealing with a leaky…
Basement Waterproofing: Essential Tools and Resources
The Science Behind Basement Water Intrusion Water seeps into basements primarily due to three forces: hydrostatic pres Hydrostatic pressure occurs when groundwater accumulates against foundation walls, pushing moisture inward. Capillary…
Quick Basement Waterproofing Solutions Under 30 Minutes
Quick Basement Waterproofing Solutions Under 30 Minutes Basements are often overlooked spaces that can quickly become problematic when water seepage occurs. Whether you’re dealing with damp walls, mold growth, or…
Basement Waterproofing Best Practices 2025
Basement Waterproofing Best Practices 2025 Basement waterproofing is a critical aspect of home maintenance, often overlooked until costly problems arise. From structural damage to health hazards caused by mold, neglecting…
Keep Learning
Practical know-how on plumbing, drainage, and home systems, plain-language explainers on repairs, HVAC, and water heating, and pro and DIY tips, plus a beginner-friendly home-improvement glossary — everything you need to dig deeper and fix it yourself.
Visit the Learn hub →