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Magnolia trees are ancient, with fossilized specimens as old as 20 million years. They’re so ancient in fact that they predate bees and other winged pollinators and relied on pollination from beetles. In more recent times, magnolia trees have been valued for their large, fragrant, gorgeous flowers, but also for their culinary and medicinal uses in some cultures. They’re low maintenance, resistant to most pests and diseases and offer year-round beauty....

The first electric arc light bulbs were made in the 1830s, before the inventors Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were born. And although light bulbs would change the world, it took a while for them to become commonplace. A century ago, only half of the homes in the United States had electricity. From then until the 1980s, choosing which bulb to buy for your lamp was simple, because there was only one choice — the traditional incandescent bulb....

Family Handyman Why you should use a stainer strain The first step to a perfect, dust-free finish using previously opened cans of varnish or polyurethane is to filter the liquid. The finish in a can you opened last week or last year is bound to have a little debris floating in it. After you pry open that crusty lid, be sure to stir the contents thoroughly. It’s important to get all of the solids off the bottom and dissolved completely for the finish to perform properly....

According to new research from the Associated Builders and Contractors of America (ABC), the U.S. construction industry will need to add 430,000 new workers to keep up with the increased demand for construction services in 2021. That estimate is based on data from Markestein Advisors, an economic consulting firm. It projects overall construction spending will increase by 1.3 percent in 2021 to $1.45 trillion. According to the ABC study, every $1 billion in additional construction spending creates an average of 5,700 jobs in the industry....

Handyman Pro Many of the tools we use for fabricating sheet metal are manually operated. Cordless tools are now replacing some of those old-school hand tools. Here is the first of three new-school tools that will make the task of snipping and slicing through metal much easier and much more efficient. Check out more on these latest Milwaukee tools below. Also, be sure to check out our reviews of more Milwaukee metal cutting tools....

mirzamlk/Shutterstock There are a lot of anecdotes that tout the benefits of organic bug repellents but their actual effectiveness varies greatly. So what really works as a natural bug repellent? It turns out neem oil has proven to be one of the best natural bug repellants out there. What is Neem Oil? Why Does Neem Oil Work to Keep Bugs Away? Neem oil contains Azadirachtin, which is the active agent that repels and kills bugs....

Iurii Garmash/Getty Images The basic components of electricity are relatively easy and logical to understand. Most electrical terms relate and get along with each other like a harmonious family. Before you tackle any electrical or home wiring project, familiarize yourself with the following terms so you can go about them smarter, safer and without apprehension. What Is a Watt? Watts are units of electric power. Think of wattage as electricity at work when heating or illuminating a room in your home....

My family and I love outdoor cooking and enjoy gathering around a fire. But admittedly, my husband and I aren’t always wild about hauling out the grill, cleaning it after we’re done and going to bed with our clothes and hair smelling like smoke. And a grill doesn’t usually make a good fire pit, or vice versa. So when I got a chance to test out the BioLite FirePit and Cooking Kit, I was hoping for a product that was versatile and convenient....

via konmari.com Do you keep every item in your home in its own special place? Is there nothing more satisfying to you than an impeccably organized drawer? Are you obsessed with decluttering queen Marie Kondo and her Netflix show “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”? If so, here are some of her tips on how to declutter your kitchen. The tidying revolution If you answered yes to the questions above, then you might be suited for a career as a certified KonMari Consultant....

Handsaws, as the name suggests, are steel-toothed manual cutting tools. Though tool technology has advanced to a point where dozens of power saws of every shape and size are readily available, having at least one good handsaw in your workshop still makes sense. One reason is convenience. It’s often faster and easier to grab your handsaw for a quick cut rather than dig out batteries or extension cords, hearing protection and safety glasses to make that same cut with a power saw....

Bathrooms are, by definition, dripping wet places that can be a breeding ground for musty mold and mildew. Damp painted surfaces can also be susceptible to peeling and chipping — especially if walls aren’t properly prepped and maintained. When deciding which bathroom paint to buy, there are several factors to consider: Ventilation: Whether or not the bath or shower room is well-ventilated (has a bathroom fan and/or windows that open); and Mold and Mildew: If the bathroom has (or has had) problems with mold or mildew in the past....

My husband and I dread closing up our pool for the winter. Not because it’s particularly complicated, but because it signals the end of those relaxing, carefree summer days. And while cold temperatures might be a shock to our systems, it turns out a shock is just what a pool needs before winter. Shocking a pool is a routine part of pool care and essential to pool winterization if you’re closing it down for the season....

If you’re not a fan of harsh overhead lighting (and who is?), you’ll be thrilled to learn that one, it’s possible to light a living space without it, and two, there are multiple fixes you can try. To successfully create a home that simultaneously feels intimate and bright, you can make use of some innovative no-overhead lighting solutions. How to Light a Room Without Overhead Lights If you love lighting ideas that are easy to hide, you’re going to love this hack....

Francesco Scatena/Shutterstock Radon gas is a dangerous colorless, odorless radioactive gas that’s produced by decaying uranium in the soil. It can seep into your home through a crawlspace, your basement floor and walls or even a ground level concrete slab. High radon gas levels are the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer for everyone else. If you’re thinking about selling, determine if radon testing is required to sell your home before you list it....

While seemingly simple on paper, a lot of time and energy goes into staining a fence. You need to choose a stain, gather tools, do the prep work and monitor the weather, all before the actual staining takes place. But this is one project that’s almost always worth it. It helps prolong the life of the fence and gives it a clean, fresh look. These tips for staining a fence will help anyone who has a similar project in their future....

Living in a cold climate, I love the coziness of my natural gas furnace. I also adore cooking on a range with gas burners. Nothing warms a fresh tortilla like an open flame. But burning natural gas is not so great for our health or the health of our planet. Inside our homes, our gas stoves, water heaters and furnaces give off dangerous levels of particulates and other air pollutants. Across our country, those fossil-fuel-powered systems and appliances emit nearly 15 percent of all greenhouse gases....

Buying a home for the first time is a big deal. It’s exciting and, at times, frustrating, particularly because many people face significant financial hurdles. With saving up a down payment, getting approved for a mortgage and covering closing costs, there’s a lot to plan for and a lot that can hold someone back. There are many first-time home buyer programs to help. We’ll go into detail for the most well-known federal first-time home buyer programs here, but there are plenty of local, state and private options as well....

via amazon.com Cleaning gutters is a daunting, unpleasant, yet important, task. In spring, you have to trudge up the ladder and get to work. And then, before you know it, it’s fall, and you’re back at it. Plus, if you have messy trees that are taller than your house, expect to clean those gutters even more frequently. Have you considered having a gutter cleaning robot do this work for you?...

antoniodiaz/Shutterstock The bathroom is a private place, and as such, most people feel best when their bathroom looks clean and smells fresh. A stinky bathroom, on the other hand, can be a nightmare. If you’ve narrowed it down to the toilet as the source of the foul odor, here’s what could be causing the smell and what you can do to fix it. Closing the toilet lid mid flush may not seem like a big deal…until you learn about the harm that it’s causing your health....

Gas furnaces offer lots of advantages. They’re easy to use, there’s no need to gather fuel and they feature fine temperature control. That’s why about half of U.S. households heat their homes with natural gas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But gas furnaces do have some downsides. For one thing, they have a lot of complex parts. Knowing which parts need cleaning and maintenance can be difficult for homeowners....