In my new garden, with fast-draining sandy soils, I like to try any and every soil amendment available to improve it. I visited a farm and picked up fresh chicken manure for my compost pile. What a stink. I heard alpaca manure doesn’t need to be composted before use, so I tracked down an alpaca farmer and offered to clean out his stalls. Within a week, weed seeds exploded from this fresh manure....
One visit to a car tire retailer, whether in person or online, can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Fortunately, a little knowledge of tire basics is all you need to get you back on the road. Types of Car Tires With all the different types of vehicles out there, it’s no surprise there are lots of different tire brands, types, and styles to choose from. Here are the basic types of tires....
Family Handyman Label remover trick Here’s a slick way to remove those pesky labels from boards and plywood. Heat the label with a hair dryer and peel it off with a putty knife or sharp chisel. Go slow and tug gently and it’ll come off in one piece and leave no scraps behind to tease away. Even though the spot will look clean, there will be a little adhesive left on the wood, and the label footprint will reappear the second you put a finish over it....
According to industry magazine Hearth & Home, sales of gas fireplaces far outpace those of traditional wood-burning fireplaces. U.S. homeowners appear to appreciate fireplaces that run on natural gas are a cleaner choice and healthier for the environment. Including materials and installation, a gas fireplace can cost from $2,000 to $4,500 and up. So be sure to protect your investment by getting your gas fireplace serviced regularly. Why Get a Gas Fireplace Serviced?...
Dog Kennel Plans Step 1: Plan the size of your outside dog kennel For sound guidance and tips for building first-class outdoor dog kennels, we contacted Lisa Peterson, director of communications for the American Kennel Club. She gave us dog kennel design advice and also mentioned some of the most common mistakes for dog kennel plans. We were hoping to get a sizing formula. But it turns out there’s no such thing....
No more wedging a board or a brick under the short leg. Adjustable and lightweight levelers are a fast and easy way to stabilize ladders for painting over staircases or when a flat spot is nowhere to be found. Stay safe on your ladder even when the ground is uneven. What is a Ladder Leveler? A ladder leveler is a must-have device designed to make sure your ladder can be used safely on slanted surfaces, stairways, uneven pavement and sloping hillsides....
Last Friday, lumber prices in the U.S. dropped below $500 per thousand board feet for the first time in nearly a year. That marked a 67 percent decrease from this year’s peak in January, when the cost climbed above $1,300 per thousand board feet. This long-awaited decline is mainly the result of the housing market steadily returning to normal following the housing boom in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 and through most of 2021, unprecedented demand for housing and sawmill closures put major pressure on the lumber supply....
As you’re checking off your fall shopping list for organizing products and school supplies, The Home Depot is probably not the first store that comes to mind. But it’s actually an untapped resource with some fantastic back to school deals, especially if you have a child starting college! The Home Depot Back to Class sale going on now until September 8 to save you cash on furniture, mattress toppers, wall decor and everything else you need to set up the dorm room of their dreams!...
The concept of the “high-efficiency furnace” in popular consciousness dates back to the 1980s. That’s when the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 required all new furnaces be 78 percent efficient, meaning 78 percent of the heat went into the home. Before then, many furnaces released up to 40 percent of their heat outside through the vent! Today, standard furnaces are 80 percent efficient, while those with a rating of 90 percent or more are considered high-efficiency....
via Paul Williams Roofing Ever notice a steady stream of water coming down outside your window on a rainy day? That probably means a joint in your gutter system has a leak. Left unchecked, this leak allows water to land too close to your foundation and creates a divot in your landscaping. Fortunately, the average DIYer will have no trouble with easy gutter fixes. But, if you had seamless gutters, there would be no joint and therefore, no leak....
Meet The Expert: Sara Heger is an instructor and researcher in the Onsite Sewage Treatment Program at the University of Minnesota. She offered Family Handyman the following information about installing and maintaining a septic system. How to Hire a Septic Contractor Contact your county zoning or septic permitting department. They’ll have a list of licensed contractors. Get a referral from someone you know, and get references. If possible, hire an installer who does both soil testing and septic installation....
If you see a dainty white butterfly with black markings fluttering around in your yard this spring and summer, you might want to head over to your garden and check on your cabbage. Wait, my cabbage? Yes, because the tiny offspring of these butterflies are called cabbage white caterpillars. They like to feed on cabbage leaves, along with the leaves of all vegetables in the Brassicaceae (or Mustard) family, like broccoli, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts....
Once the pandemic hit and remote work became a norm, ditching the city and the ‘burbs for a simple country life turned into a reality for some Americans — including my husband and I. In 2020 we moved back to my home state of Colorado, with the idea of buying a rural fixer-upper and building some sweat equity. Even though I grew up in the country and knew some of the tangles to avoid, we nearly closed on several homes that would have been horrible mistakes....
When I built my first chicken coop, I had no idea how much I didn’t know. Over many years and many coops, however, I’ve learned that the basic principles are straightforward. Your chicken coop should be spacious, sturdy and safe, protecting your hens from predators and diseases. It should be easy for you to access, repair and clean. Make sure your chicken coop plan meets these specifications, along with the ones below, to ensure your first flock has a secure home....
Author: Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections Home flippers buy dilapidated houses, fix them up, then sell them again as quickly as possible with the intention of making a tidy profit. Flipped houses look shiny and new inside, but what’s going on underneath all the new drywall, carpet, and paint? Very few home buyers seem to trust flippers, and with the cheesy ‘repairs’ or ‘cover-ups’ I’ve seen over the years, it’s easy to understand why....
Your pet needs a good grooming but you can’t get into your favorite pet salon. What can you do at home to keep your dog or cat clean and happy? We asked some grooming experts for advice on at-home grooming. Give Them the Brush Off Consistent brushing and combing is key for cat and dog health. Gracee Owen, owner of Upstate Meow in Greer, S.C. says a human comb will break easily, so a cat grooming comb is a wise investment....
Family Handyman When you need to hang something in a spot without a stud, drywall anchors are the way to go. But can they be trusted to bear the rated weight? We were skeptical. So we picked up some drywall anchors at a local home center and a few others online to subject them to a stress test. Here’s what we found. The HomeLAB Test: We installed each anchor in one-half in....
Family Handyman Winterizing Paint? Paint doesn’t handle extreme temperatures very well. So, if you live in a cold climate, add this to your fall chore list: On This Page Bring the latex/acrylic paint into the house. And while you’re at it, don’t forget the latex caulk. Freezing ruins both latex paint and caulk. Plus, use these expert tips to make your painting projects go faster and smoother. How To Tell If the Frozen Paint Is Bad: Check the paint after thawing....
Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease in the U.S. They estimate that up to 10 times as many cases go unreported in the same time period. Lyme disease is serious business, causing joint pain and inflammation, loss of movement in parts of the face, severe headaches, shooting pains in the limbs and occasionally heart palpitations. What causes Lyme disease? A 3-millimeter arachnid called ixodes scapularis, also known as the deer tick, is the main carrier and spreader of Lyme disease in North America....
If you’ve perused any magazines or shopped a local boutique in the last year, you probably noticed houseplants are popping up anywhere and everywhere. What do geraniums have to do with houseplants? You might be surprised to learn that scented geraniums were one of the very first houseplants ever grown in the United States, as early as the 1820s. It was very in vogue to collect and display potted geraniums along windowsills, where the sun would warm their scented leaves and perfume the air....
