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Mileniumphoto/Shutterstock No one likes to see weeds sprouting in their flower beds. After all, you plant flowers to enjoy a profusion of beautiful, colorful blooms. But if weeds are ruining your flower beds, here’s what you need to do. Check out our ultimate guide to a weed-free landscape. Prevent Weeds in Flower Beds in 5 Steps 1. Dig judiciously. Weed seeds are everywhere. If you disturb a large patch of soil when you only need to dig in a small area, you’ll simply be spreading around a lot of weed seeds that will burst into life....

According to a new report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), housing affordability in the United States in the second quarter of 2021 fell to its lowest point since 2012. Just 56 percent of the new and existing homes sold from April to June were affordable to families making at least $79,900, the U.S. median family income. This marks a steep drop from the first quarter of 2021, when 63 percent were deemed affordable....

Stay Informed Watch the news if hurricane conditions threaten within 24 to 36 hours. On This Page Listen to radio or watch TV for weather updates. Locate your storm readiness kit. Click here to learn what a kit should include and how to prepare your own. Gas up your vehicle in case of an evacuation notice. Fill gas containers for your generator and store in a safe place. Learn more about emergency generators here....

I grew up in rural northern Michigan. With every heavy snowstorm, my dad spent hours clearing the driveway with his snow shovel. When he finally caved and purchased a snow blower, everything changed! These dad-approved snow blower deals minimize chore time and allot more hours for merrymaking. Top Snow Blower Deals Yardmax Gas Snow Blower via merchant The Yardmax gas snow blower uses gas to plow its way through snow with six different speeds and two backwards blowing options....

This FH series introduces readers to a few of the women who make up 11 percent of the construction workforce in the U.S., spotlighting stories of their careers in the field. Know someone we should feature? Email us here. Ever since she was a teenager in St. Paul, Minnesota, Belick Pha wanted to be an engineer. “I saw Iron Man and Batman, and I wanted to design really cool stuff,” she says....

Although there are various oils and fluids in modern vehicles, most people who talk about an oil change are referring specifically to engine oil. Designed to lubricate and cool fast-moving engine parts such as pistons, bearings, valves and cylinder walls, engine oil is vital to a vehicle’s ability to run. If a car ever springs a serious oil leak while driving and all the oil is lost, the entire engine would be ruined in a few minutes....

It’s common knowledge that a good night’s sleep is vitally important to our overall well-being. As consumers become more attuned to what they can do to improve their sleep habits, they’re increasingly turning towards luxury bedding. High on the list is silk. The precious fabric, largely manufactured in the same way for millennia, is considered a premium material for bedding. It takes the work — and sacrifice — of 3,000 silkworms just to make one yard of silk....

Trick or treating is a beloved Halloween tradition. For one night each year, neighbors get dressed up, say hello and share their favorite sweets. And that candy somehow tastes better than the stuff you have at home. Whether you’re a new parent going door to door for the first time or you’re sitting in the kitchen with a Halloween candy bowl, you need to know what time the fun begins....

Planning your 2023 projects, but last year’s schedule lagged during the holidays? Now is the best time to hammer in those final nails before moving on to bigger and better ideas. Retailers expect new innovations this year, which means DIY deals with deep discounts on essential tools, adhesives and hardware. As Family Handyman’s Sales Editor, it’s my full-time job to report the best savings available on all things do-it-yourself. Thanks to these deep discounts, you can pick up where you left off and get ready for new opportunities without sacrificing your wallet....

When the weather is nice, people start looking for ways to get outside and enjoy it. Camping is one of the most immersive outdoor activities. If you’re thinking about getting into camping, there are a few things you should know before heading into the woods for a weekend of fresh air and sunshine. Here is our guide to camping for beginners, informed by experts. Meet the experts: Alison Watta, creator and owner of explorationsolo....

via Graham&Brown What happens when your trendy wallpaper gets dirty? Well, you don’t have to panic. Cleaning wallpaper is a fairly simple process that, when done correctly, can completely rejuvenate your wall’s shimmer and shine. Make a Wallpaper Cleaning Solution You can clean washable wallpaper with a few simple ingredients and a little light elbow grease. If you’re just doing a light maintenance clean, use this simple cleaning solution: One gallon of warm water A good squeeze of any clear dishwashing liquid For heavily-stained walls, try this mixture:...

Why is My Grass Brown? Recent fertilizer use could be one explanation. If you over-applied fertilizer, brown spots can appear, or your grass can turn a little brown. How to Fix Brown Grass If this is the case, the best fix for brown grass is to soak the damaged area with water to dilute the chemical. Then be on the lookout for new crabgrass sprouts because they’ll require more herbicide treatment....

Most ornamental trees are valued for their spring and fall foliage displays, but offer little aesthetic value during the winter. Not the river birch tree. The river birch’s beautiful bark offers year-round beauty along with gorgeous foliage spring through autumn. While these features apply to most birch trees, the river birch has an advantage as one of the hardiest varieties. It can grow in most regions of the U.S. What Is a River Birch Tree?...

Expanding foam, also called spray foam, is a type of thermal insulation. It goes on as a thin liquid foam, then expands to 30 to 60 times its original volume before fully hardening. Most often used in walls, it’s also good for insulating floors and roofs and eliminate air leakage. It even works for pest control! Spray foam insulation products fall into two categories: closed-cell and open-cell. The difference is in the small bubbles or “cells” that make up the foam....

Don Mason/Getty Images September 14-18 is Construction Safety Week, a initiative between construction companies and associations to bring safety resources and training to people working on jobsites across the U.S. Safety Week began in 2014 and has since grown into a formally-branded campaign with the goal of creating a safer construction industry. “In our industry, safety is a value and belief we all share,” reads a statement on the official Construction Safety Week website....

Why is Coolant Different Colors? Were you paying attention the last time you topped off the antifreeze in your vehicle? Do you remember what color it was? While all antifreeze has the same end goal (mixing with water to regulate engines during extreme temperatures), the different colors can sometimes tell you a lot about what specifically went into your antifreeze’s formula. On This Page Keep in mind, though, that as coolant formulas have developed over the years and new technologies have been introduced to the market, the clearly defined differences between coolant colors have been blurred....

Lighting trends are ever-evolving to our modern tastes. So while 2022 saw people flocking to lamps shaped like mushrooms, oversized statement lamps and some natural, eco-friendly options, 2023 is lighting the way with something a bit different. The latest trending home item is another sculptural look that demands attention. This time, instead of fungi-inspired lamps, you’ll soon be seeing doughnut lamps—and yes, they are shaped like the sweet pastries. Doughnut lamps, also known as donut lamps, bring an unexpected look to rooms and can fit many decor aesthetics from mid-century modern to industrial and anywhere in-between....

Ari N/Shutterstock Don’t Let Your Old Computer Collect Dust If you have a few outdated laptops collecting dust in your home, you’re not the only one. In a survey conducted in the spring of 2016 by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, more than half of the subscribers who purchased laptops since 2012 confessed to letting them linger around the house long after they’d been replaced. This is called the “pile of denial....

If you’re in the market for a new heat pump, finding one that’s as energy efficient as possible is an important consideration, especially when you factor in that heating and cooling account for around 48 percent of the energy used in a typical household. To do that, look to the heat pump’s Heating Seasonal Performance (HSPF) rating. Inspired by the oil crisis of 1973, the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) developed the HSPF for measuring the energy efficiency of heat pumps....

For homeowners interested in minimizing their heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) usage to reduce utility bills and their carbon footprint, movement sensor air conditioning is an attractive option. Here’s a quick recap of what movement sensor air conditioning is, how it works, and whether it’s right for you! What Is Movement Sensor Air Conditioning? Movement sensor air conditioning uses electronic tracking to determine the number and location of occupants in a building and adjusts the thermostat accordingly....