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In the Midwestern, Western and Southern U.S., central air conditioning is by far the the most popular AC system in homes. Central air conditioners (AKA whole-house air conditioners) offer a quiet, energy-efficient way to keep a home cool. However, unlike window air conditioners, they are not the most DIY-friendly to install. Choose the Right Type There are two main types of central air conditioning units. The most common is a split system, where the condensing unit is outdoors while the evaporator coil and air handler are indoors....

Think water filtration is a recent invention? Think again. The idea of treating drinking water to improve its safety and taste has been around for centuries. The Water Quality Association (WQA), an international non-profit group, has been tracking residential drinking-water trends for 40 years. According to Eric Yeggy, their technical affairs director, “We know that ancient cultures used carbon to remove impurities from water as far back as 400 B.C.”...

Energy Use Under Control There is a growing consensus that lower energy consumption equates to a healthier planet and environment. Most of us have a general idea why our energy bill is so high but don’t always act to reduce it. Good habits are really the only way to cut your energy costs. Now you can better inform those habits with an increasing variety of energy monitors. The Sense Energy Monitor shown here enables you to track various devices in your home and gives detailed usage data on each....

From a fishing or hunting lodge to a quiet retreat surrounded by nature, vacation homes provide a wonderful escape from the everyday hustle. The pandemic year of 2020 spurred more people to make those homes away from home a reality. According to the National Association of Realtors, vacation home sales increased 16 percent during 2020, far outpacing the 5.6 percent rise of traditional home sales in that same period. If you’re planning on building or renovating a vacation home or cabin, you’ve probably already realized the impact heating and cooling will have on your cabin experience....

Family Handyman Welding Tools & Gear Whether you’d like to build custom cars or just fix a cracked lawn mower deck, learning to weld gives your DIY game a serious boost. Check out this expert welder’s recommended tools and gear: Auto-darkening helmet ($40 to $100). These helmets let you see normally through the face shield until the gun sparks. As soon as the spark is detected, the face shield darkens to protect your eyes....

The Family Handyman Seal off paint or dust particles in your shop with this low-cost roll-down shield. Center and drill 3/16-in. holes in the PVC caps for the eye bolt axles. With a hacksaw, cut one of the corner braces in half to create two metal straps. Assemble the eye bolts, caps, straps, nuts and washers as shown. Snug the nuts against the caps. Screw the assembled caps and braces to the ceiling joists so a corner is created when the poly unrolls....

Many gorgeous, low-maintenance gardens flourishing in spring owe plenty to the soil preparations done the previous winter. Here’s how to improve garden soil in winter. These tips will help you make the most of this less lush yet still important time of year. Grow Cover Crops Winter cover crops are plants grown to protect the soil from erosion and nutrient-leaching caused by the cold, harsh elements. These plants also prevent weed infestation and “fix” nitrogen that’s been depleted during the growing season....

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock Most of us do multiple loads of laundry each week without ever thinking about how much money we’re throwing away or our impact on the environment. And, if you use dryer sheets, you could be exposing yourself and the environment to some unwanted chemicals. That’s why some people are choosing to fight static cling with homemade dryer sheets. Homemade dryer sheets save money and keep disposable dryer sheets out of landfills....

May is National Home Remodeling Month, and there’s a lot going on around the remodeling industry worthy of celebration. After some rough months in early 2020, remodeling activity began to normalize later in the year and is now booming heading into summer 2021. “The remodeling market took a hit last year at the start of the pandemic, but it’s completely turned around now,” said Steve Cunningham, the Remodelers chair for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)....

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has announced it will host “COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction” from April 19-23. The initiative, based on a request from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is meant to educate construction industry professionals on the safety and effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines and encourage individuals to sign up for vaccinations in their area. “The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) asked NAHB for help in reaching out to residential construction professionals to help meet the CDC goal of getting every eligible American vaccinated to protect against COVID-19,” the NAHB announcement says....

At first glance, ceramic and porcelain tiles look and feel similar. It’s easy to find many examples of each in home centers and tile stores. But the history of one dates back at least 5,500 years earlier than the other. The earliest version of ceramic tiles that we know of comes from ancient Egypt, where simple, bluish glazed bricks were used to decorate houses. Porcelain tiles didn’t come on the scene until much later, in Chinese towers around the 15th century A....

Spring is here. But before you fire up your outdoor power equipment after a long winter, here’s what you need to do. Inspect Your Equipment This should be your first step. Check for loose belts and broken parts. If your outdoor power equipment has tires or brakes, examine these for wear. Top off tire pressure and replace or adjust belts. If you’re not comfortable doing this work yourself, take it to a small engine repair shop for servicing....

iStock/Highwaystarz-Photography Are you fed up with opening your dishwasher to plastic bowls filled with greasy water and a heap of small stuff at the bottom? The issues might not require machine maintenance. You probably have something already at home that will resolve them. Dig out your mesh laundry bag, or buy a couple if you don’t already own some. Light Items Plastic items can fly around, often landing upside-down or on the bottom of the dishwasher....

via Rejuvinate If your hardwood floors are looking tired and dull, there’s an easy way to bring them back to life. A revitalizer, such as Rejuvenate’s wood floor restorer, fills in scratches and restores the glossy shine of your hardwood floors, while also protecting them from everyday wear and tear. How to Revitalize Floors You can revitalize your hardwood floors in just a day. Here’s how: First, give your floor a good cleaning....

Adam Bonine, a professional duct cleaner and owner of Fresh Air Vents, used an extra-large vacuum hose to suck all the dust and dirt from my home’s ductwork. I hired him recently because the air ducts in my 15-year-old house had never been cleaned. Here’s how he tackled the job. Family Handyman Should You Clean Your Home’s Air Ducts? “Yes. If your house gets dirty, then your ducts get dirty too,” Bonine says....

Once upon a time, household solid flooring consisted of three options: wood, vinyl or ceramic tile. And the standard method of treating and maintaining these flooring types was with floor wax and lots of elbow grease. Early floor wax came in paste form and had to be applied the hard way — on hands and knees, rubbing it into the floor and then buffing to a lustrous finish. Although paste floor wax is still available, today’s homeowners have a lot more options for giving their floors a shine....

Kitchens are the heart of the home — and whether you like it or not, the place where everyone gathers. Color sets the tone. Whether you’re going for airy or dramatic, a kitchen should feel warm, welcoming and thought-out. Here are some perennial picks for kitchen paint colors that work, chosen by interior designers. Johner Images/Getty Images Versatile Whites Nothing beats the versatility of white. And although many homes are veering away from all-white interiors, it will continue to be a classic choice as a blank canvas....

Skill and talent are critical skills in your commercial painting business, but they can’t keep you afloat if you’re constantly running over time and over budget. Staying within your budget and time are crucial components of running a successful commercial painting business. Follow these five tips to keep your painting company on time and on budget. Involve the Right Employees Don’t make the mistake of bidding on a project by yourself....

An in-ground pool is the dream of many homeowners — a backyard beauty spot to cool off and spend quality time with family and friends. But for all that dreaming of a hot weather haven, many would-be pool owners run up against the weighty realities of an in-ground pool — practicality, price and maintenance. To help you decide whether you’re ready to take the plunge, read our homeowner’s guide to in-ground pools for answers to basic questions about planning, installation, costs and care....

Over the last couple of years, I’ve used portable stoves far more than my kitchen range! First, my husband and I renovated an abandoned house, and it took months before we had the power and propane lines hooked up. During that time we cooked on our two-burner portable propane camping stove and mini boat grill. Now, when we’re not at home, we’re either camping in our van or staying at a studio in town that lacks a kitchen....