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sturti How Does a Hydronic System Work? Unlike forced-air heating, which works by blowing warm air through large ducts, a hydronic system uses a dedicated water heater or a boiler (or even your existing water heater) as a heat source. A circulating pump moves the hot water through the PEX tubing and back to the heater. Because there can be no joints in the PEX tubing in the floor, uncut lengths of tubing snake through the floor, starting and ending at a manifold....

Moving is always an adventure. It has its exciting moments, like finally getting your hands on those new keys, plotting out where to put all your furniture, and that first night sleeping in a new space. It’s not all fun, of course — the packing, the lifting, the king-size-bed assembly. But there’s one part of moving that’s neither exciting nor all that painful, but still needs to be done. You’ll need power and water and other services in your new home, and sadly, they’re not just going to transfer themselves....

Family Handyman Roll-around stool keeps tools at your fingertips I really like my trusty rolling mechanic’s stool because it saves my knees when I work on cars and small engines. But I’m going to give it up for this new rolling Sidekick stool/tool chest from Mychanic because it has all the features my current stool lacks. I love the two large drawers with the ball-bearing slides—they hold all my most-used tools and spray cans....

Westend61/Getty Images March 2021 marks the seventh annual National Ladder Safety Month, a U.S.-based initiative to promote the safe use and proper maintenance of ladders among industry professionals and DIYers. As part of that, the manufacturing company Werner is offering weekly webinars throughout March that will focus on topics like ladder inspection and safety while climbing. The American Ladder Institute started National Ladder Safety Month in 2015. It’s meant to raise awareness of ladder safety procedures, create interest in ladder safety certification programs, and lower the number of ladder-related injuries and fatalities across all industries....

Mamphoto/Shutterstock Overheating is a common source of problems in all parts of your disc brake system. It makes sense: the entire purpose of a brake system is to convert kinetic energy into heat through friction. Familiarize yourself with the various potential problems so you can troubleshoot from the road, ask the right questions when a mechanic hands you an estimate or maybe just do the work yourself. The basics of disc brakes: What you need to know....

Because they live underground most of their lives, moles have poor eyesight. But they aren’t blind. They’re good at detecting light, which helps them know the time of day and seasons of the year. What they lack in eyesight, they gain in snout and claw sensitivity. According to researchers at Vanderbilt University, moles can smell in stereo, meaning each nostril smells independent of the other! What Moles Look Like Though moles resemble rodents, they’re more closely related to hedgehogs and shrews....

The rabbet joint goes back at least as far as medieval Europe. Its name derives from the French word “rabat,” which refers to a recess in a wall. Woodworkers use this common joint, also known as a “rebate joint” in Great Britain, to form corners in boxes, cabinets, shelving and other items with long, straight workpieces. If you look inside one of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, you’ll probably see rabbet joints....

A new series of lightbulbs requiring significantly less energy may last as long as 50 years, according to a release by Signify, the company that developed the bulbs. The Philips LED A-class bulbs, available in 40W and 60W equivalents, went on the market in Europe on Sept. 1. The bulbs, in “white” or “cool white,” reduce energy consumption by 60 percent compared to standard Philips LED bulbs, according to the release....

It’s time to finally start that home improvement project you’ve been putting off. Whether it’s a bathroom update, new flooring or painting the nursery, The Home Depot has you covered. As one of the largest home improvement stores in most markets, there are deals to be had at the big-box chain, you just need to know when to go. The Best Time to Shop The best time to shop at The Home Depot is during the week as weekends can get super-busy....

Energy meters first appeared on homes in the late 19th century, when early pioneers like Thomas Edison needed a way to charge customers for electricity usage. The original pricing was per outlet, while the electricity itself was free. Sadly, those days are long gone! Before long, electro-mechanical meters became the norm. Those devices with spinning dials would eventually be attached to the side of almost every home in the U.S. Every month or so, a meter reader came by to note just how much energy — in the form of electricity, water or natural gas — that household used....

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are essential in every home, but don’t let the fact that you dutifully installed one in every room on every floor give you a false sense of security. Even with smoke alarms and CO detectors on site, fire still takes lives and destroys property. Between 2015 and 2019, home fires averaged 2,620 fatalities and $7.3 billion in property damage annually in the U.S. alone, the National Fire Protection Association reports....

Carhartt’s latest addition to their winter workwear collection is the hottest innovation to hit the heated workwear market in years. The Carhartt X-1 Smart Heated Vest, a novel release from the company known for some of the best workwear on the market, isn’t your average fleece vest. This tech-forward workwear includes—drumroll—built-in artificial intelligence. Say goodbye to the need for bulky cold-weather accessories and hello to durable workwear that offers regulated heat both on and off the job....

Family Handyman How to remove slime from carpet If you or your little one love slime, you’re bound to make a few messes with it. And it creates a wreck in your carpet fibers. But don’t worry, slime is primarily made up of glue and the majority of glue is washable. Plain old white vinegar will get slime out of just about everything. It might take some elbow grease and patience, but you can get slime out of your carpet!...

One of my earliest memories is of a bear. My family was staying at the Climber’s Ranch in Wyoming’s Teton Mountains. It was night, and from my spot on the front porch I could see a pair of eyes glowing at the edge of the woods. I was thrilled! Over the years I’ve had other bear encounters, usually while backpacking. But last month, while on a walk with my mom, I inadvertently came close to a large black bear in, of all places, a neighbor’s yard....

Choosing between Lowe’s vs. The Home Depot can be daunting because the two mega-retailers share many similarities. Both offer an exceptional variety of home improvement products and are in constant competition over pricing and perks. What’s the Difference Between Lowe’s and The Home Depot? Both Lowe’s and The Home Depot offer just about everything one might need to improve, beautify or fix up their home. And both provide skilled tradespeople and staff experts to guide customers needing extra help and information....

Nearly invisible to the naked eye, mites are a category of scavenger or parasitic arachnids (related to spiders and ticks) that attach themselves to a living host — plants, insects, pets and people. They feed off sloughing skin cells, animal dander and blood. Not every adverse reaction from exposure to mites is due to biting; rashes and itching are also by-products of contact. The Mayo Clinic defines the resulting allergic skin irritation as contact dermatitis....

While it used to be common practice to use staples to attach asphalt shingles to a roof, this has been a prohibited method of attachment in Minnesota since 2003. Today, staples are considered an inferior method of attaching shingles to a roof, but it’s easy to understand why roofers like staples. Staple guns are smaller and better balanced. Coil nail guns are literally fed with a coil of nails, and the holder for the nails makes the gun much bulkier....

If you are lucky enough to have a lakeside cottage or a cabin in the woods, you probably worry about it, at least a little, every time you close up for the season. Snowstorms, wildfires, fallen trees, hungry bears or law-breaking humans are just some of the risks to your vacation home when you’re not around. Cottage or cabin insurance, usually referred to as seasonal home insurance, can provide peace of mind and keep you covered in the event of a natural or man-made disaster....

How often does a tool makes its way into popular culture? There was the sledgehammer wielded by the comedian Gallagher at his watermelons. And horror films, of course, gave us different types of saws. But the tool currently finding a place in pop culture is definitely the pressure washer. I see videos of people power washing all kinds of items, from clothing to patios, on every social media outlet there is....

I wish I had known about rigid core flooring before redoing my kitchen floor. After laying two-inch oak hardwood flooring, a painstaking task that required a lot of nailing, the refrigerator icemaker line started leaking. Water seeped between the subfloor and the floor covering, resulting in severe cupping. So I had to replace the floor (after fixing the leak, of course). Replacement probably wouldn’t have been necessary had I chosen rigid core flooring, and I wouldn’t have worked so hard to install it....