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On chilly winter mornings, we reach for the thermostat before getting our first cup of coffee. But like grocery bills, home heating fuel prices are on the rise just as temperatures start to drop. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates U.S. consumers will pay an average of 17.5 percent more this winter more for natural gas, electricity, heating oil and propane. Predicted colder than average temperatures combined with higher fuel prices could have a significant impact on your budget....

j.chizhe/Shutterstock Opting for the cleaning power of steam rather than harsh chemicals on your floor seems like an environmentally friendly choice. But, using steam mops on some floors can do more harm than good. So how do you decide where to use a steam mop and where to avoid it? Here’s the low-down on whether or not to use a steam mop for cleaning floors. Why Use the Power of Steam?...

Easy-Read Tape Family Handyman Since getting my hands on a FastCap ProCarpenter tape, I’ve refused to use any other tape measure. I love that it shows the fractions down to 1/16 in. right side up on both sides of the tape, which means I can pull the tape from the left or the right and not have to read numbers upside down. It has an erasable writing pad, a built-in pencil sharpener and a white blade, which I prefer to yellow....

A clean, smooth driveway enhances curb appeal, but the benefits go beyond what meets the eye. When you consider sealing a driveway costs a fraction of the price of a driveway replacement, there’s a great case to be made for adding this task to your home maintenance to-do list. Why Seal a Driveway? Soon after you lay down a driveway, the surface begins to deteriorate, according to Harlequin Driveways owner Dave Jordan....

We’ve all been there. The mountains of mail, the overstuffed closet. From tools to toys, clutter just becomes part of the background. Even the neatest among us accumulates a lot of stuff. When do we do something about it? “I think you know in your gut that it’s time to start letting go,” says Mary Cornetta, chief executive officer of Organized Overall. “[It’s time] when the clutter really starts to stress you out, you’re misplacing things more frequently, and the floors and countertops are starting to disappear....

Westend61/via getty images We hardly treat spring cleaning as a celebration to welcome warmer days, but it serves many important purposes. One of the most crucial is eliminating allergens to help us breathe easier. History of Spring Cleaning Spring cleaning is by no means a new idea. Many cultures across the world share this tradition. On This Page Jewish tradition dictates a thorough clean before Passover. Many Middle Eastern and Asian cultures celebrate the new year in the spring, on or around the vernal equinox....

Maybe you’re not feeling merry just yet, but you could be! Here at Family Handyman, we think making something is the answer to everything. Try your hand at creating a great gift or some special decor, then send us your photos and details about the project. You could win $500, too, which will definitely add a little holiday cheer. Categories Best Holiday Gift This can be something you built for a loved one or something a loved one built for you....

Because the pandemic negated our typical vacation ideas, my family needed a new way to get away. GoRVing.com reached out and offered to loan us a 25-foot travel trailer, and I borrowed a 2021 Ram 1500 pickup truck from Ram Trucks to tow it. We headed south to St. Augustine, Florida over the winter holidays, hoping to soak up some sun before settling into a dreary Ohio winter. I’d never spent any real time in an RV before this trip, so to say we learned a few things about ourselves and the RV lifestyle is an understatement....

Daniel Jedzura/Shutterstock I grew up cleaning with all different types of cleaning products that always did their purpose: Clean the house. We had window cleaners for windows, wood cleaners for wooden surfaces, and even specific sprays for the bathrooms. When I started living on my own, I continued to use these products since it was what I always knew in terms of cleaning. But when I learned how harmful these products are for your lungs, I had to reevaluate....

Tulip Time is my town’s largest festival of the year. Thousands of people flock to see more than four million tulip bulbs in bloom in our public parks, lining the city streets and at our local tulip farms. Thanks to the efforts of a team of horticulturists and volunteers who plant the bulbs each fall, we all get to enjoy a dazzling show of color each spring. Planting bulbs looks easy, but there are a few key things I’ll show you that are imperative to your success....

I doubt there’s a DIY plumber out there who hasn’t experienced the frustration making multiple trips to the hardware store to complete a repair. I know I have. Putting together a network of pipes of different diameters and materials can be like assembling a puzzle. Sometimes you don’t know exactly which fitting to buy until you reach the part of the puzzle where you need it. Plumbing fittings vary by size, purpose and material....

If you were hoping to install an above ground pool in 2020, you may well have found it impossible. Across the U.S., people stuck at home during the pandemic turned to swimming pools, as families put a lot of the money they didn’t spend on vacations into their backyards. Whether that meant an inflatable kiddie pool, a more substantial above ground pool or the in-ground pool of their dreams, the result was the same — a pool shortage....

No matter how clean you think your kitchen is, at some point you’ve probably noticed pesky little flies flitting around your trash can. I have, and if I’m not careful, they’re soon flying all around me. Fruit flies are incredible little insects. They often producing thousands of offspring during their lifespan, which can last as long as 50 days. So when you see fruit flies, it’s time to take action to get rid of them....

The Family Handyman This easy-to-build jig transforms an electric drill into a stationary edge sander for inside curves on all kinds of projects. To build one, you need scrap 3/4-in. plywood, a short 2×4, a 3/8-in.-diameter U-bolt to fit around your drill and two 3/8- in. wing nuts. Housing design and chuck length vary from drill to drill, so we won’t list exact dimensions. Use the steps below as a general guide for building a jig that fits your drill....

If the floor around your toilet stays wet long enough, it becomes spongy. Then the toilet starts to rock, mold grows and the bathroom will smell like a sewer. What’s going on? The seal between the bottom of the toilet and the waste pipe in the floor, called the wax ring, has been compromised. The wax ring works like a gasket around the base of the toilet. It attaches to the toilet flange, the opening of the waste line....

Applying spray foam can be a sticky proposition. No matter how careful you try to be, the stuff always seems to find its way onto surfaces it’s not suppose to. If you’ve created an unintentional sticky mess, clean it up with acetone. A little acetone squirted on fresh foam will dissolve it instantly. No acetone on hand? Acetone is what most nail polish removers are made of. But make sure you get to the foam before it hardens....

If you’ve ever walked out on your deck or porch and noticed an intricate squiggle pattern on the wood, you may have wondered what caused it. Look closely, and you’ll notice the tiny zig-zags are actually quite beautiful. So who exactly is this miniature artist, and why are they leaving a mark on your porch railing? What Causes This Pattern? The pattern is caused by snails! But it’s not a mucus trail from their slimy movements, as you might assume....

Marquisphoto/Shutterstock Photo: Marquisphoto/Shutterstock Removable Shutters or Panels Removable shutters or panels attached to permanently installed bolts are a durable and economical solution that works with most windows and doors. After the first use, when the shutters are cut to size and bolts are set, these types of shutters can be installed and removed very quickly. Do it smart. Shutters need to be firmly attached to the house to work well. Always bolt or screw shutters to the framing....

Gaurav Paswan/Shutterstock Before we even reveal the best time to buy a television, think about all of the important television events that happen during the year. There’s the Thanksgiving Day parade, award show season, and of course, every major sporting event championship. So, it only makes sense that the pinnacle of football season also coincides with increasing TV sales, because it seems everyone wants to watch the big game on an even bigger screen....

Sick of listening to your neighbors talking or fighting? Worried they might be judging you for binge-watching Love It or List It all day? Maybe it’s time to soundproof your walls. Typical acoustical sound absorption means hanging thick fabrics or installing ugly foam panels reminiscent of a college radio station. But what if sound reduction wall coverings could be attractive and thin? What if it’s as simple as putting up wallpaper?...