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warodom changyencham/Getty Images How Long Do Tires Last? Tire manufacturers agree that a definitive answer for the question “How long do tires last?” does not exist. Goodyear has concluded that most tires (driven a typical number of miles under normal service conditions) wear out after three or four years on the road, and quotes Federal Highway Administration data that estimates the average American drives about 13,500 miles annually. All manufacturers recommend professional inspection annually after five to six years of service and removal at 10 years regardless of condition....

Lilacs have a long, lovely history in American gardens. Their scent takes us back to the heirloom varieties in our grandparents’ gardens, or perhaps triggers memories of that famous Walt Whitman poem written in the spring of 1865, following President Lincoln’s assassination: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d. Each spring, lilacs are celebrated in annual festivals across the country, from Rochester, New York, to Mackinac Island, Michigan, to Spokane, Washington....

It’s no secret the coronavirus pandemic drastically changed many people’s relationships with their homes. The longer you’re stuck inside, the more glaringly obvious the faults and flaws of your living space can become. And once you get the itch to change things up, there are only two ways to go about it: Pack up and move, or start on some home improvement projects. In 2020 it seemed like a good chunk of people chose the former, as the housing markets boomed through most of the year....

If you’re dealing with a pest problem—namely, a mouse or two—the common solution is to set up some traditional mousetraps around your home. However, you might be surprised when you notice mousetraps not working. Sometimes, a mouse might be able to get the bait without activating the trap. Other times, the mechanism isn’t sensitive enough to react because the mouse acts too quickly. To stop playing cat and mouse (pun intended), learn these easy hacks to make your mousetraps more successful....

How NOT to Splice Beams This floating beam is so wrong! There’s no sense installing a beam that’s not supported by a post. But that’s what this deck builder did. Maybe the builder assumed that attaching the beam to the end of another beam would do the trick. NOPE! The Right Way Splices in beams should be supported by a post or structural column of some sort. The post or column should rest on a foot-ing that meets local building code requirements....

Lee Rogers/Getty Images Looking for a way to get rid of mold? Then, pick up some vinegar, which is one of the most powerful mold killers around. According to ServiceMaster Restoration and Cleaning, the mild acid in vinegar kills about 82% of known molds and can help prevent future outbreaks. You can clean small amounts of mold with vinegar yourself, but know when to call professionals. Besides a crisis, such as a flooded home, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises hiring professionals when the moldy patch covers about 10 square feet or larger....

Plan Your Fall Flower Garden Early For the best selection of annuals and perennials that shine in the fall, shop in the spring, when garden centers have the largest selection. You can always add to your landscape when other fall annuals become available. On This Page Plant Fall Flowers Together For the maximum impact, set aside an area where you can cluster fall plants. A bed of late-season blooms and colorful foliage creates a fabulous focal point in any yard....

A big enough storm can do plenty of physical damage to a house’s exterior, sometimes leaving homeowners with several major (and expensive) fixes to make once the dark clouds have passed on. But it’s also possible for a storm to create a problem on the inside of the house that is just as much of a pain and just as expensive to fix. All it takes is for one charged bolt of lightning to hit a nearby electrical pole and bang — just like that, all of your electrical devices have been fried in a power surge....

When your HVAC system isn’t functioning properly, it’s tempting to panic. Resist the urge. Whether it’s just not operating as it should or it’s not working at all, take these steps to try to identify the problem. The issue might be a simple fix. If it isn’t and you need to bring in a professional, your sleuthing hasn’t been wasted. It may help the service pro identify the problem and repair it quicker, potentially reducing your cost and returning you to comfort faster....

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Balcony Hummingbirds fly forward, backward, sideways … and up, up, up! They go where the food is, and to the colors they love most: red, orange and even rich pink. If you think about it, flowering trees such as redbud, eucalyptus and mimosa are nectar favorites, and they’re way above the ground. Hummingbirds have even been spotted checking out rooftop gardens of towering buildings in large cities, so the sky really is the limit....

When I bought a 1958 mid-century modern home in Sarasota, Florida from its second owner, it came with a bonus — the original architectural plans. That’s how I discovered the home’s historical significance. Turned out it was designed by Tim Seibert, one of the founders of the Sarasota School of Architecture. It was fascinating to see the blueprints in Seibert’s own hand, and see the modifications — for better and worse — the previous owners made over the years....

If you’ve spent much time using a hammer and nails, you’ll know that most times, modern nails are pretty reliable. Large framing nails in particular tend to be “tough as nails.” That said, they do fail occasionally in a couple of different ways. One of the most frustrating ways is when the head of a nail breaks off. In the many years that I’ve been swinging a hammer, I’ve never seen this happen when pounding a nail into wood....

When an unfinished basement becomes living space, the effect of sound from upstairs on those downstairs — and vice versa — is often overlooked. The TV sound system in an upstairs living room sounds amazing, but not if you’re trying to work in your basement office. Same if you’re trying to sleep on the first floor when there’s a big game on the basement TV. With the right materials and know-how, you can massively reduce these noise issues....

Even if you take the garbage out regularly, less-than-fragrant smells can escape and invade your house and garage. Prevent disagreeable odors from taking over with these clever tips and hacks to solve stinky garbage can problems for good. Timely Take-Outs Get in the habit of removing rotten rubbish as soon as it starts to smell bad, instead of waiting until the bin is full. The sooner you get rid of the offending stench, the better!...

via Raydoor When it comes to saving space, pocket doors are loved by designers, builders and homeowners alike. Pocket doors are hung from the top and slide along a track that is mounted inside the wall. When open, the door “disappears” into that space inside the wall. Slab doors, readily available in a variety of styles, are available at home centers, can be used as either pocket doors or swing doors....

During the pandemic, houseplants became wildly popular. It seems like everyone started softening their interior décor with ferns, succulents and cacti. In March 2021, Garden Center Magazine polled 250 garden centers and discovered houseplant sales grew by 18. percent year over year. First-time plant owners should be open to learning. “If you’re going to be a plant person, you’re going to kill plants,” says Connor Harbison, owner of Atlas Urban Farms, a hydroponic garden installer....

Family Handyman Puls, a San Francisco-based company is a nationwide network of more than 5,000 technicians spread across 50 markets in the U.S., conducted a survey on the most and least reliable appliances, the average cost of appliance repair by city, as well as a number of other consumer data. Puls used Bosch, Frigidaire, Kenmore, KitchenAid, LG, Maytag, Samsung, Sears and Whirlpool in the survey. Whirlpool and Maytag came out as the most reliable brands in the Puls survey but they trailed Kenmore and LG, among others in a Consumer Reports study....

I read a lot of online auto blogs and continually see folklore “wisdom” that copper spark plugs are a better choice than either platinum or iridium. Rubbish! The myth is based on the fact that copper is a better electrical conductor than the more expensive precious metals. That’s true, as far as it goes. But there’s far more to creating a powerful spark than just the conductivity of the electrode material....

Named for the month when they mate, you’ll usually find June bugs (aka June beetles) flittering around porch lights, rebounding off window panes and burrowing into your lawn. We asked Scott Green, a board-certified entomologist with Ehrlich Pest Control, to give us the lowdown on these warm-weather insects. What Is a June Bug? Green says June bugs are actually beetles belonging to the family Scarabaeidae and order Coleoptera. “They’re related to Scarab beetles and have around 1,100 related beetles in this order,” he says....

What Is a Fireplace Damper? A fireplace damper is a small door inside a fireplace, usually near the base of the chimney. Typically made from cast iron or other heat-resistant metal (sometimes ceramic), the damper essentially opens and closes the chimney. When someone refers to “opening the flue” of the fireplace, what they really mean is opening the damper. On This Page When a fire is lit, an open damper lets the smoke, soot and gases escape out the chimney....