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If you’re looking to add some shade to your outdoor space, a shade sail might be the perfect solution. Shade sails not only block the sun (and UV rays!) but also add a beautiful, modern design element to your yard. What Is a Shade Sail? A shade sail is a patio or deck covering made from durable outdoor fabric that provides protection from the sun. Shade sails are installed by stretching the fabric and using tension to affix the corners of the shade to mounting points (like a pergola, post, tree or wall)....

DIY Emergency Candle Every home usually has a stick of butter and extra toilet paper lying around. And coincidentally you can make an emergency candle using just those two materials. First, cut stick of butter in half, each half should burn for about four hours. (You may have to relight it a couple times.) Next, cut a toilet paper square into four squares. Now fold one square diagonally and twist....

Silicone caulk is a remarkable product. It’s water- and air-tight, extremely flexible and mold resistant, with fantastic adhesion qualities. That’s why it’s ideal for your kitchen, bathroom and other wet areas of your home. It’s no secret that, over time, silicone tends to pick up dirt and grime, especially around sinks, bathtubs and showers. When this happens, you’ll need to carefully remove the old silicone with sharp blades and putty knives, then clean and reapply a fresh bead....

The Family Handyman This simple miter saw table designed by David Radtke has some great advantages and takes less than an hour to make. Just cut a 21-in. x 96-in. piece of 3/4-in. plywood and screw it to a pair of 8-ft. 2x4s as shown for the base. Mount the miter saw to the base with screws or bolts. Next measure the height of the saw’s base and make outfeed tables to the right and left of the saw....

Smart devices are making homes smarter and smarter, and that’s plenty to get excited about. But the more tech-savvy and automated your home is, the more of a drag it can be on your Internet, reducing the lightning-fast speeds you’re used to. Keep your internet from getting bogged down with your smart home and entertainment devices by installing the best wireless routers, boosting performance and range. Casezy idea/Shutterstock Router vs. Modem?...

Brent Heath knows daffodils. As a third-generation bulb seller and daffodil hybridizer for his business, Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, he will happily regale you with fascinating stories about daffodils that have been passed down through the generations. One of my favorites is the tale of how daffodils first came to the United States. Heath describes how our nation’s first imported daffodils came from women making the ocean voyage to the U....

Have you ever wondered what happens to a tree that gets blown over by the wind or has to be removed to make way for a power line or other development project? In the not-too-distant past, that tree would have been ground up into wood chips or burned, both expensive processes with few community benefits and no regard for carbon sequestration. These days, thanks to entrepreneurs like Seth Carlson, founder and CEO of Dakota Timber Company, it’s increasingly likely to end up in your living room as furniture or on the outside of your house as siding....

Ash is a truly underrated wood. With a density and porosity similar to white oak, it’s a real workhorse. And it’s nice to work with whether you use hand tools or machines. Ash is used in everything from high-end furniture to baseball bats. I will walk you through everything you need to know about ash so you have the confidence to use it in your next woodworking project. What is Ash Wood?...

Nylon carpet remains a popular flooring option among homeowners. If you’re exploring carpet options for your home, here’s what to know about it. What is Nylon Carpet? Nylon is a synthetic (manufactured) material created in the 1930s as a substitute for more expensive silk. Manufacturers began using it for carpeting in the 1950s. Since then, it has gone on to become the most popular carpet material in the world. Types of Nylon Carpet You may hear a carpet salesperson refer to two types of nylon carpet: 6 and 6,6....

Getting hot water when you need it while also saving energy is a win-win proposition. Tankless water heaters, also known as on-demand water heaters, provide hot water only when it’s needed so they don’t suffer the energy loss associated with traditional storage water heaters. But is a tankless water heater right for your home? Here’s a look at how they work and some of the benefits. How Tankless Heaters Work Tankless water heaters take up much less space than storage water heaters because they heat the water directly....

The only plant I’m sure I’ve never overwatered is a water lily I grew in a tub of water. Aquatic plants are adapted to having their roots in water, but most other plants, both indoors and outdoors, may languish or die when overwatered. Signs You’re Overwatering Houseplants and Container Grown Plants It’s easy to overwater plants in containers, so watch for these signs and adjust your watering accordingly. On This Page...

Inflation is an ever-increasing concern in 2022. The latest U.S. Consumer Price Index shows prices increased a staggering 9.1 percent between June 2021 and June 2022. As prices rise for consumers, the impact of inflation creeps into every aspect of life, including our spending on home improvements. At this point, it’s causing some homeowners to scale back projects or even hold off altogether. This reluctance is a new development. As recently as March 2022, a study from Nationwide Insurance found “71 percent who have upcoming projects expect to proceed with them despite higher costs, delayed timelines and limited availability of the materials needed....

Family Handyman Cool Down With a Whole-House Fan Whole-house fans may seem old fashioned, but they’re enjoying renewed popularity. The idea behind them is simple. A powerful fan draws cooler early morning and evening air through open doors and windows and forces it up through the attic and out the roof vents. This sends hot air up and out, cooling your house and your attic. These fans are commonly mounted in an upstairs stairwell or hallway ceiling where there’s at least three feet of clearance above the fan....

It’s always a good idea to establish a budget for your larger do-it-yourself home improvements. One item that many DIYers forget to factor in is the cost of building permits. Permits are required for many projects, and not all building departments require permits for the same ones. But here’s a good rule of thumb: If you’re working underground or behind a wall, you’ll probably need to pull a permit. Because permit costs vary from location to location (and even from neighborhood to neighborhood), we’ll cover a range of expected costs for common projects....

Pressure treated lumber is wood that has gone through a chemical treatment process and high pressure. The treatment gives the wood prolonged use and is better resistant to rot and other decay. “The active ingredients commonly used in treated wood are alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), copper azole (CA) or micronized copper azole (MCA),” according to the Home Depot. “These compounds react with the wood fibers to slow natural decay and have properties to resist termites, fungus, moisture and other elements that promote rot and cause structural degradation....

Streamline your workshop with this rolling five-drawer mechanic’s cart from Harbor Freight. It’s similar to the Snap-on four-drawer service cart in style but not price—the Harbor Freight version will save you more than $700. The built-in toolbox and five drawers make this heavy duty service cart the perfect rolling workstation. Here’s what you need to know about this sale ASAP. Shop Now Plus, whether your garage is small or simply cluttered, these cheap garage storage projects will save the day!...

In 1992 Karen Pryor and Gary Wilkes created clicker training, a specific form of positive reinforcement dog training. A trainer sounds a clicker at the precise moment a dog does what the trainer wants, then immediately rewards that behavior with a treat. Clicker training can be used for puppies and senior dogs. When used correctly, clicker training can help trainers and dogs pull off all kinds of tricks! Luckily, using clicker training correctly is a breeze once you understand how a clicker works and some basic rules....

Chain link fencing combines ruggedness and visibility. It’s a secure and sturdy barrier you can still easily see through, making it a practical fencing choice for lots of spaces. The design is so simple and effective it’s gone virtually unchanged for decades. According to Vince Christofora, owner of Woodstock Hardware, chain link fences are also “one of the most affordable fences you can install.” What Is a Chain Link Fence? According to Christofora, a chain link fence features woven metal mesh usually made from galvanized wire....

William_Potter/Getty Images Even in normal conditions, bed sheets collect a staggering amount of germs and bacteria and should be washed at least once a week. But once they come into contact with a sick person, that laundering needs to be handled with an even higher level care and attention. How to Handle Contaminated Bed Sheets That extra care starts with how the bed sheets are handled, even before they make it into the washing machine....

Nosebleeds, cuts, broken scabs happen. Bloodstains in your carpet are unfortunate, but they aren’t the end of the world. We have you covered whether the stain is still fresh and wet or if the blood has set into the carpet for a couple of hours or more. Remove Blood from Carpet: Fresh Bloodstains Family Handyman The ideal situation is to remove blood from carpet right away. Don’t let the stain set in if you have the option....