Your cabin is your warm-weather oasis. But when the snow and ice come, you prefer staying closer to civilization and plowed roads. It feels like just a few months ago that you were opening up the cabin at the start of the season, so all you need to do to shut it down is clean and lock up, right? Not exactly. Taking out the trash is just the start of getting your cabin ready for a long, lonely winter....
As romantic as the idea of an off-grid cabin is for many, this lifestyle would quickly lose its luster without a reliable source of water. Unlike homes in towns and cities, getting water to a remote cabin isn’t as simple as hooking up to a nearby underground pipe. Learn all about off-grid cabin water systems, how they work and the different options for satisfying this basic need. What Are Off-Grid Water Sources?...
Filling up a large pot with potting mix is expensive and makes for a really heavy planter. What’s more, the weight of so much soil can cause it to become compacted, which reduces drainage, waterlogs the soil and stunts root growth. So it’s a good idea to create a false bottom or place something lightweight in the bottom one-quarter to one-third of the pot to keep it easier to move, save on soil and maintain the health of your plant....
When a winter storm rolls in, some motorists will inevitably be trapped in their cars, whether on an isolated country road or an interstate highway with dozens of other vehicles. “Being stranded in a snow event can be scary,” says Andrew Hogle, a public information officer with Winter Wise. “While no one expects it to happen to them, every year it happens to someone. Being prepared is key to riding out this stressful situation with minimal worry and discomfort....
anderm/Shutterstock Microwaves offer efficiency that’s impossible to ignore. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore cleaning them! In fact, as easy as it is to heat up your leftovers or cook up some veggies, it’s pretty quick to wipe it down after every use. But there’s an even bigger reason to clean this kitchen appliance after every use than to keep it sparkling to the naked eye. And your health will thank you too!...
It’s inevitable. In the life of tile floors, baths and showers and other tile-covered spaces, chips or cracks occur. Maybe something heavy fell on the tile floor and chipped a piece. Maybe the tile substrate behind the bathroom wall shifted and hairline cracks opened in the tile. Maybe the tile was never installed correctly to begin with. Or maybe you’ve got vintage tile that’s difficult to replace. Unless the damage is extensive, it’s usually not worth the hassle and expense to replace an entire area of tile....
Courtesy of Milwaukee Tool Last week Milwaukee Tool released the fourth and final episode of Milwaukee PIPELINE, the company’s virtual trade show highlighting the new product releases planned for the coming year. PIPELINE Episode Four had plenty to showcase, focusing on new personal protective equipment and lighting solutions. For recaps of the previous three PIPELINE episodes, check out these links: Episode One: Cordless System Overview and New Cordless Tools Episode Two: New Laser Level and PACKOUT Storage Solutions Episode Three: SAWZALL Upgrade and M12 and M18 Battery Platforms Without further ado, here is everything Milwaukee Tool brought to the table in the last episode of PIPELINE....
If you’re like most people, your first exposure to staples was probably binding together the pages of a homework project. Paper staples are, ahem, a staple in every school and office in the world. Lots of products apply staples, from mini-staplers to heavy-duty implements that can bind 130 sheets of paper at once. Staples aren’t just for paper, though. Woodworkers, electricians, builders, flooring installers and upholsterers all use them, and they aren’t the staples you remember from high school....
If you want potential customers to know who you are, you must decal your vehicle and trailer. Both travel with you to every job, every day. It’s basically a mobile billboard for anyone curious about the people working in their neighborhood. A big plain white box on wheels, even one kept pristinely clean, does nothing to land you that next job. Here’s a guide to turning your truck and trailer into a rolling advertisement for your small business....
In the painting business, callbacks are profit killers. The good news is that most callbacks can be avoided by using the best products, building trust with your clients through better communication, and always trying to exceed expectations. Remember the contractors golden rule: “Happy customers are repeat customers.” Here are some great tips to keep your customers happy and avoid callbacks. Shutterstock Educate Customers Through Communication Communication leads to trust, so open the dialog as soon as possible and continue it as the project progresses, the more information the better....
How to Celebrate Christmas in a Pandemic Family gatherings and holiday parties have been different in 2020, but there are still ways to celebrate Christmas when your loved ones can’t make it home. Some of your 2020 adjustments might even become regular traditions. And embracing technology may allow more family members to join in on the festive fun. On This Page Zoom and Online Christmas Celebrations Throughout this pandemic, we’ve been advised to avoid face to face contact as much as possible, but you can still see your niece’s newly brace-free smile this holiday season....
Your hot tub may have fallen into disuse because of disinterest or disrepair. Or it may have come as an unwanted fixture in an otherwise exciting new home. Regardless, once you decide to remove it, you need to know your options. Note: However you decide to dispose of your indoor or outdoor hot tub, be sure to shut off power and water to the tub before starting. And if you’re not comfortable closing up the exposed wiring and plumbing yourself, make sure to hire licensed tradespeople to do the work....
Family Handyman One Less Thing to Remember If you forget to empty the tank on your dehumidifier, it’ll either overflow or shut off. That defeats the whole purpose of running a dehumidifier in damp areas. I didn’t have a floor drain in that part of the basement, so I bought a condensate pump ($40 to $100 at home centers) and tubing and rigged it to my dehumidifier. Then I ran the tubing up to the ceiling, through the joist areas and down to the laundry tub....
Increasingly popular with homeowners, geothermal heating and cooling systems deliver environmentally friendly performance at a fraction of traditional HVAC operating costs. Whether you’re planning a new build or upgrading an existing HVAC unit, it’s worth your time to take a look at your geothermal options. How Does it Work? Geothermal cooling systems work much like a traditional heat pump. But instead of drawing on the ambient air temperature, they use the constant temperatures below ground to shed excess heat or cold from your home....
Climbing into a tub or standing in a shower. Simple acts, right? Not if you have mobility challenges. A safer alternative is the walk-in bathtub. Introduced in the 1940s, walk-in tubs make the bathroom more accessible to those who can’t easily step into a traditional tub. Today’s walk-in tubs also include therapeutic features. Here’s how they work and what to consider before buying. What is a Walk-In Tub? Taller than a traditional tub, walk-ins are like a box with a door on one side....
My faux leather office chair was structurally in good shape, but the fabric looked awful. It was cracked, flaking and worn down to the faux leather backing in several spots. I learned the basics of reupholstering a chair when I re-covered my dining set’s chair seats, and I’m an intermediate sewer. I decided to take the next step and reupholster my office chair instead of tossing out the perfectly good frame....
Andy Ryan/Getty Images The latest Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) dropped 42 points from the month before, plummeting from 72 in March to 30 in April. That’s the largest fall in the history of the index, which dates to 1985. Every month, the NAHB asks home builders to “take the pulse” of the single-family housing market, rating present market conditions and how they believe things will be in six months....
Family Handyman Do you know how to clean a dryer vent? When’s the last time you checked yours? A lack of routine maintenance could put your home at risk for a fire if you don’t regularly clean your lint filter and dryer vent. In fact, the U.S. Fire Administration reports that every year clothes dryers are the cause of more than 2,900 home fires. And, aside from being a fire hazard, a dirty dryer vent can increase drying time and spike energy costs....
You don’t have to go to a fancy, expensive resort to get the spa treatment. With a few small additions and alterations, you can transform an ordinary bathroom into a retreat. Showers Family Handyman On This Page Without a doubt, remodeling your shower can give your bathroom the spa look. It’s also one of the most expensive parts of your bathroom to remodel. However, there are ways to improve your shower without spending a fortune....
Sundays Photography/Shutterstock Pets can bring joy to you and your family, but they can also bring infections if you’re not careful. Those with weakened immune systems, young children, seniors and pregnant women can be especially vulnerable. Here are 14 cleaning tips every dog or cat owner should know. Dogs, cats, reptiles, rodents and amphibians can all transmit salmonella to humans. These animals can also spread multidrug-resistant bacteria, parasites and fungal diseases, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal....
