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Photo: Courtesy of Tom Dvorak It’s believed that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, and that’s what Tom Dvorak does for local Indiana homeowners with the help of Tomcat Glue Boards. Here’s how to get rid of snakes, according to Tom. “This snake was trapped in a basement with a rock foundation,” Tom says. “The best method I’ve ever done for how to get rid of snakes is placing the sticky boards are placed inside the basement around the perimeter, up against the base of the walls....

Plants can’t talk but they sure know how to communicate. It’s all visual with them, like when they’re not getting enough light. Adequate sun or light is crucial to plant health. It powers photosynthesis, the process plants use to synthesize food. Here are the signs your plant might not be getting enough light and what you can do about it. How to Tell If Your Plant Needs More Sun It’s Leggy Lack of adequate light can cause plant stems to stretch to extremes as they seek light, resulting in the plant’s version of a lanky teen....

I confess, I don’t do much to prepare my hydrangeas for winter. Most bloom on new wood, which means flower buds form in the spring and don’t need to overwinter. Or they’re the re-blooming types of hydrangeas, which form flower buds on old and new wood. That means if flower buds are killed off over the winter, ones form on the new wood. So I’ll still get some blooms, just later in the year....

During an exceptionally hot or cold day, you’ve probably thought about escaping the outside elements by sitting in your temperature-controlled car while fueling up at the gas station. Well, running your car engine while fueling might give you some temporary comfort, but it is not the safest idea. Is There a Fire Risk? Can you pump gas with your engine running? Yes. But should you? Probably not. While there is a minimal chance of a fire occurring, leaving the engine running increases the chance of gas vapors igniting if they come in contact with static electricity....

In space, no one can hear you scream— because there’s no air. But down here inside the Earth’s atmosphere, there’s plenty of air. And as long as there’s air in your home, it’s probably impossible to completely exclude noise. It is possible, though, to significantly reduce the noise entering your home, although it could be an expensive project. I used to work in a recording studio. During construction, workers packed the walls with dense material and uncoupled the drywall with resilient channel....

I use a coat hanger to fish electrical cable through walls, and for longer runs, bare copper wire. Cut your cable at an angle so its end is tapered instead of blunt. Leave the wire nearest the point of the angle cut about 3 in. longer than the other two wires. Straighten the coat hanger and make a small loop at the end. Feed the wire through the loop and wrap it around the coat hanger....

Family Handyman Woodworkers, like anglers, are notorious suckers for the latest can’t-miss widget to make them more successful. And if you hang out at woodworking stores, you know there’s no shortage of weird gadgets to blow money on. Well, here’s one that really works. Best Fence Clamps It’s a pair of Universal Fence Clamps from Rockler Woodworking. They’re a great substitute for other clamps because they’re totally out of the way....

The Family Handyman This jig firmly holds your belt sander upside down for easier sanding of handheld project parts. Each sander has a different shape, so custom-cut the plywood sides with a jigsaw to fit yours. Work for a tight fit so the sander is rock steady while you’re working. Use clamps to hold small pieces and don’t wear loose clothing. Many thanks to reader Scott Miller for this tip....

The Family Handyman What is a 3-way switch? A 3-way switch is one that allows you to control a ceiling light (or other electrical fixture) from two separate locations. Common scenarios would be 3-way switches located at both the top and bottom of a stairway, or having 3-way switches next to doors in a room with two entry points. If you look at a 3-way switch you’ll notice it looks different from a standard “single pole” switch....

Vehicles shaking or vibrating while accelerating, driving down the highway, braking or idling are among the most frustrating and common automotive complaints. A shaking car is scary, especially if you don’t know why it’s shaking. Understanding and recognizing the causes and what you can do to fix it are critical to your safety and the overall health of your car. Why Do Cars Shake? Many things can cause a car to shake because vehicles contain lots of parts that spin (tires, wheels, axles) and move (brakes, suspension, transmission, engine)....

Dogs are great burglar alarms. But if yours sleeps through an intrusion, like mine did, it might be time for an upgrade to your home security. (Sorry, Frank.) Enter smart tech and the constantly-evolving Internet of Things (IoT). The number of smart home devices that leverage IoT technology has skyrocketed in the last ten years, says Courtney Klosterman, a consumer trends expert for Hippo. “What used to be considered advanced technology not seen in most homes is now available at every hardware store,” she says....

It never fails: You make a big grocery run, fill up the fridge and that’s when the power goes out. Or you stock up before a storm just to lose power. While you can’t plan for a power outage, you can be prepared and take steps to keep your food safe. Here are five power outage food safety tips to keep food from spoiling when you’re left in the dark....

Family Handyman Bring Universal Power to Your Shop With a retractable extension cord in the shop, there’s no more searching for the extension cord, no more tripping over cords on the floor, and no more constantly bending over to plug in whatever you need. But stay away from wimpy 16- to 18-gauge corded models. They don’t carry enough current for many tools. The Husky 14-3, 50-ft. model ($70 at Home Depot) works great, but any 14-3 model with a 13-amp rating will do fine....

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) has announced its annual GIE+EXPO will be held in-person at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. this October. This announcement marks a return to normalcy for the event after last year’s GIE+EXPO was hosted online because of COVID-19 concerns. “Despite the pandemic, business never stopped for those who design, install, and maintain living landscapes,” said Kris Kiser, president of the OPEI and managing partner of GIE+EXPO....

Does the average homeowner know how much it costs to pull off a successful remodeling project? According to one survey, the answer might be ‘yes’. ImproveNet, a home improvement service website and subsidiary of CraftJack, conducted a survey of 1,000 people, showing them before and after photos of two different home renovation projects and asking them to estimate the costs of both materials and labor for the project. Surprising results The surveyed group was, on average, able to accurately guess the cost of materials within two percent, and they vastly overestimated the cost of labor (estimating that costs were 36 percent higher than the actual cost)....

Going to the movies? That’s so 2019. In today’s current climate, more people than ever are looking to bring the movie theater experience into the comfort and safety of their own homes. Thanks to modern technology, it’s actually relatively simple to turn a spare room into a cutting-edge home theater without breaking the bank. All you really need is some comfy seating, a nice set of speakers, and a quality projector....

If you’re the kind of person who’s always looking for a different way to decorate for the holidays, this upside down Christmas tree is for you. It’s an alternative Christmas tree that’s sure to “wow” your guests and thrill your family. What is an Upside Down Christmas Tree? An upside down Christmas tree is exactly what it sounds like: The top of the tree faces the floor and the bottom faces the ceiling....

Imagine you just got 5-plus inches of snow and slush, and shortly you will be heading out with your family to an event that you need to attend. I don’t know about you, but my first worry would be: How are my tires going to do on the slick roads? Well, with my experience I can tell you that the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 winter tires will perform amazingly. Bridgestone has developed a perfect winter tire that will perform really well in extreme conditions with its Blizzak snow tires....

When family and friends visit this holiday season, it’s the perfect time to have a movie night with the whole crew. Queue up It’s a Wonderful Life or another favorite flick, slip into matching Christmas pajamas and fire up the projector for a perfect movie night in. What is the GooDee HD movie projector? From playing Christmas movies for holiday parties to watching your favorite films during backyard movie nights, TV projectors have a range of creative uses for the whole family....

Plumbing projects are rarely planned. That was certainly the case when I stopped by my mother’s 1930s bungalow to find a four-foot-wide puddle of standing water surrounding the basement floor drain. I spoke to her retired plumber cousin over the phone, and he diagnosed the problem as a clog in the floor drain pipe rather than something more serious. But before she called another plumber for a quick $100+ cleanout, I brought over my recently acquired Cobra Tools Pistol-Grip Power Drum Auger to see if I could break up the clog myself....