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ADT home security has been around for almost 150 years. The company created the first security system, which was based on a button that could alert authorities when a homeowner needed help. This simple button has grown into a business with more than six million customers. While ADT is inveterate, there are many other home security companies to consider. Here’s how they compare to ADT. ADT vs. SimpliSafe One of the biggest differences between ADT and SimpliSafe is that ADT requires customers to have a contract, while SimpliSafe does not....

Before I used a lathe for woodturning, I always looked at the machine and process with a sense of wonder. Watching a woodturner at a craft fair, with a part spinning at full speed and chips flying, filled me with a sense of romance. When I finally used one, I was not disappointed. My first pieces weren’t works of art. But they were perfectly round, and this little tase of lathe work whetted my appetite for more....

I’m the proud owner of a hydrangea that is more than six feet tall and peaks out over my privacy fence so everyone can see its big football-shaped blooms. It’s a commonly grown kind, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight.’ My neighbors often comment in late summer about how big and beautiful the flowers are. Several have asked for my secret for growing such a big, free-flowering hydrangea. My secret is, I rarely prune it....

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are 220,000,000 shower heads installed in homes across the United States. They also estimate that about 10 percent of those shower heads are replaced each year due to wear and tear, bathroom remodeling and other reasons. Here’s what to know about buying and replacing a shower head if you’re in the market for a new one. What to Know About Shower Heads Your shower head, along with your shower faucets, are part of your overall shower system....

You may think this plant would be a great addition to your garden as the flowers are plentiful and unique but looks can be deceiving. Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) looks a bit like Queen Anne’s lace on a much bigger scale. The plant, which can grow up to 10-feet tall, is a dangerous invasive species from eastern Europe and has been showing up in the United States for the last few years....

Get to know the gooseneck paintbrush, an innovative new paint applicator with a distinctive handle that offers advantages to the standard straight version. What Is a Gooseneck Paintbrush? The gooseneck paintbrush features a flexible handle designed to firmly hold whatever position you choose, ideal for cutting in edges in hard-to-reach places. Richard Tools introduced the gooseneck paintbrush to the market. On This Page Other Features of a Gooseneck Paintbrush The gooseneck paintbrush has a threaded handle tip that accepts an extension pole, transforming it into a handy tool for cutting in wall edges along the ceiling or other hard-to-reach places right from the floor....

Family Handyman Ready to hunker down for winter? Not yet. There are a handful of important winterization tasks to perform around the house, inside and outside. One thing on your list should be prepping the driveway, sidewalks and other concrete or asphalt surfaces before the snow starts flying. Snow, ice and freezing temperatures can do serious damage to concrete and asphalt, leading to large cracks, potholes and accelerating their deterioration. But it’s easy enough to protect those surfaces....

Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock In her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo shares practical tips on getting you organized for good. Here are some of her top points. Before moving from one city to another, I decided to pick up Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book explains “the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing,’ and has evidently been a top seller for many years. After reading through book and completely organizing my life before my big move, I can see why it’s so popular....

Gas prices have steadily increased since the start of the new year, and nationally are approaching pre-pandemic levels, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). As of Jan. 26, the national average for regular unleaded was $2.40 per gallon, the highest in 11 months. California at $3.382 topped the list of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, with Mississippi the lowest at $2.01. Curiously, according to AAA gas prices in the U....

Sponsored by UGL Deck Before I have a 20 year old deck at a rental property. The treated lumber has long ago lost its luster, and now is dirty and dingy. It really shows its age. I was anxious to get to work with NuDECK by UGL to not only restore the aesthetic appeal of my deck, but also to seal the wood and prolong its service life. I went online to the NuDeck site to study the prep and application instructions....

Family Handyman Plastic PEX fittings are OK If you’re concerned about using plastic fittings instead of metal for PEX, worry no more. Professional plumbers are buying three times more plastic than brass. Brass fittings cost about five times as much, which likely has something to do with it. And pros don’t want a callback to fix their own work on their dime. So obviously, pros trust the plastic fittings. Manufacturers trust them as well; the warranties for plastic fittings are similar if not identical to those for their metal counterparts....

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States, retailers couldn’t keep a wide range of products in stock, particularly food, household supplies and personal protective equipment. That increased demand set the stage for some retailers and online resellers to raise prices and potentially profit unfairly from the emergency. So what’s fair and what’s not? And when do sudden, large increases become illegal? What Is Price Gouging? Raising prices excessively during an extreme shortage, commonly referred to as price gouging, takes the law of supply and demand to the extreme....

When you just can’t wash the car yourself, there are plenty of ways to get your car washed. Whether it needs the spa treatment or a quick bath, learn about the pros and cons of the different car cleaning services. It’s also important to note the thoroughness of a car wash varies, depending on the car model and the method. So use your best judgement when deciding which car wash is best for your car....

Ken Wolter/Shutterstock Calling all Harbor Freight fans! If you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to splurge on some pricier tools, this weekend is the weekend you want to make the splurge. Between Mar. 15 and Mar. 17, Harbor Freight is holding a huge parking lot sale. This sale is an extension from last weekend’s parking lot sale, giving customers another opportunity to snag the goods they’ve been waiting to grab....

If your home is powered all or in part by electricity, you probably view your monthly electric bill with at least a sliver of dread. Depending on where you live, the price for electricity can vary widely. According to this chart from the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), consumers in New England pay an average of 22 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity, almost twice as much as those in Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee....

Summer is over, and you’re just starting to see the first hints of fall in the air. With the change in seasons, it’s natural to assume that you can stop mowing your lawn and hold off on watering it again until next year, but that’s not the case. According to certified lawn care technician and House Grail consultant Emilly Barbosa Fernandes, some lawns actually need more water in the fall than they do in the summer....

If you have upholstered car seats like me, they’re probably sporting a few stains. (I’m splurging on leather for my next car!) Plus, I have three kids, so you can imagine what my seats look like. From spilled Gatorade during a road trip to transporting sweaty flag football players after a game, my car has seen it all. And while it’s great to get your car detailed, it’s an expense I rarely indulge in....

For the tech savvy who want to maximize garage space, the LiftMaster 8500W ranks at the top of the list for garage door openers. This is the Cadillac of garage door openers because of its features and quiet design. LiftMaster 8500W Pros The LiftMaster 8500W is a wall-mounted garage door opener that runs on DC power. Because the LiftMaster 8500W is wall mounted, there is a tremendous reduction in noise and vibration....

The costs of building a new house can quickly add up to exceed your budget, making the decision to break ground on a new home build more stressful than exciting. “There are three main factors when building a new home: budget, time and quality,” says architect Ibrahim Greenidge of BOLT Architecture in Brooklyn, N.Y. “To prioritize the budget consideration, leverage time and quality by being creative and flexible.” Here are some real-life tips to keep costs in check while maximizing safety and quality, so you end up with the home of your dreams without breaking the bank....

via amazon.com Think about all the things you sweep up on a regular basis: Food debris, pet fur, hair, dirt, bits of paper and dead skin. As a result, your broom can get pretty gross, so cleaning it regularly guaranties you’re not just pushing all that filth around your home. Here’s how to take it from filthy to filth-free! These 10 cleaning mistakes are making your home dirtier. How to Clean a Broom You should regularly give your broom a light cleaning, according to Maids by Trade, a professional home cleaning company....