I laugh about it today. But when I was a second-year apprentice and my foreman handed me a wiring diagram, I briefly panicked. I saw a bunch of boxes and a lot of seemingly randomly drawn lines. It looked like a jumble of spaghetti, with square meatballs. “Sure, I’ve seen those before,” I said eagerly. Luckily, I know my limits, so my next words were: “But can you go over it with me?...
We all know smoke detectors save lives, so it’s important to keep these essential devices functioning correctly. According to a 2021 report from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), more than half of all residential fire-related deaths involved homes where smoke alarms didn’t work or weren’t installed. Luckily, smoke detector maintenance is simple. Change the batteries every six months, keep them free of obstructions and replace the unit every 10 years....
This pandemic winter, keeping mittens and gloves clean has become more important than ever. Cleaning them at home is certainly more cost-effective than bringing them to the dry cleaners. And if you’re cleaning them more frequently, it’s especially important to do it the right way, no matter the material. We talked with fabric cleaning expert Donna Smallin Kuper of Unclutter.com and consulted with glove manufacturers for the dos and don’ts of cleaning mittens and gloves at home....
Those little squishy white balls in your potting soil aren’t styrofoam. They’re actually perlite, AKA volcanic popcorn. In the building industry, perlite is used in ceiling tiles and lightweight masonry fillers. In gardening soil, it’s an inexpensive additive with a wealth of benefits. “When chosen correctly, perlite can easily help flourish a garden and become a gardener’s best friend,” says Brittany Cowan, expert gardener and inventor of the Drain Away Drain Tray....
Although rosemary is native to the Mediterranean, it thrives in my garden in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a too. By midsummer, I’ve got fresh bunches large enough to clip. Read on to learn how to grow rosemary in your containers, raised beds or in-ground garden. Types of Rosemary There are two basic types of rosemary, upright and cascading, although there are plenty of named varieties within them. There may be only a few varieties to choose from at your local nursery or box store....
Most internet service providers provide the option of renting a modem and a router (or a combination of the two) to their customers for a low monthly fee. Renting equipment from your internet company is convenient and simple, but is it a good idea? Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons, as well as some insight from tech industry experts on whether it’s worth doing. Confused about the difference between a router and a modem?...
Painted walls inevitably get scuffed, dented and stained over time, especially in high-traffic areas of your home or when active kids and pets are in the mix. If your walls are looking worn, you don’t necessarily need to repaint the entire room. A quick touch-up to cover the damaged areas is often enough to recapture that freshly-painted gleam. Here’s all you need to know for a perfect DIY paint touch-up to bring your walls from dingy to dazzling in an afternoon....
What are wire strippers? Wire strippers resemble a pair of pliers or scissors. Most wire strippers are capable of performing several different tasks, but their primary purpose is to strip the insulation off of the end of wires. This is accomplished with slotted cutting blades located in the jaws of the stripper. The cutting slots are sized to fit various gauge wires but not the wire’s insulation coating, so when a wire is pulled through the slot its insulation is left behind....
Paget Kidd/Shutterstock You want your dog to learn and follow commands, and have considered a shock collar to help you in the training process. However, shock collars have drawbacks, according to the Humane Society of the U. S. and many dog trainers. This is how much it really costs to own a dog. What is a Shock Collar? Shock collars use an electronic current that passes through metal contact points on the dog’s collar to give your pet a signal....
Most people understand that when you bring a new puppy home, accidents are likely. But what about those times a trained dog starts doing its business in your dining room? With dogs in an estimated 48 million households, the question “Why is my dog pooping in the house?” is all too common. Figuring out the cause of the sudden change and how to stop it can be a real mystery. Fortunately, our furry friends may offer a few clues with their actions to help you solve this issue in short order....
Did you know the color of the paint on the outside of a building can drastically impact the temperature inside? Engineers at Purdue University have developed a paint that is so white it may eliminate the need for air conditioning. By coating buildings in this ultra-white and highly reflective paint, researchers estimate that they can cool buildings without any mechanical air conditioning units. “If you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet, we estimate that you could get a cooling power of 10 kilowatts,” said Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering....
Melodie Yvonne UPDATE (Sept. 3, 2020) — In a recent dispute settlement, the World Trade Organization found the United States inappropriately applied countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber. A three-person panel concluded the duties put in place to counter Canadian subsidies violated global trading regulations. “Canada expects the United States to comply with its WTO obligations,” said Mary Ng, Canada’s trade minister. “U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber must not persist....
I have a little, 4 x 16-ft. raised-bed vegetable garden and a couple of big containers for veggies (top-left photo). Unfortunately, I’m often out of town (camping trips, mostly) and have had a hard time keeping up with watering. I needed some backyard irrigation. So I built this automatic drip watering system. It was simplicity itself. All the parts are off-the-shelf from a home center, and cost less than $50. I made a grid of brown supply pipe, the pipes about 8 in....
Mulch is good for your plants and a great labor saver. It reduces evaporation, slows weed growth, improves soil quality, and makes your gardens look more attractive. And more, it’s inexpensive and easy to apply. In most cases, a mulch backyard greatly simplifies your gardening chores. Mulch includes a variety of materials that you use to cover the bare soil in your gardens. Most often you think of it as organic materials such as wood chips, cedar bark mulch, and compost, but it also includes materials like stone and gravel....
Like bears and honey or cats and milk, mice and cheese just seem to go together. But do they? This classic cartoon trope is actually a common misconception. Baiting mouse traps with cheese can lessen their effectiveness in attracting and catching mice in your home. So what should you do if your mouse traps aren’t working? Read on for a look at what you should use instead to tempt the palate of these surprisingly picky pests....
There’s nothing worse than a bad smell in your house that just won’t go away, no matter how much mopping and spraying you do. One of the leading offenders is a musty smell in the basement. It’s so stubborn that you have come to believe there’s just nothing you can do about it. But don’t give up so fast! That damp scent reminiscent of a wet dog can be eliminated!...
Regular cleaning doesn’t just make your carpet look better; it makes it last longer too. Most carpet manufacturers recommend professional hot-water extraction as the primary cleaning method for synthetic carpets. The best strategy is to get a carpet cleaner hire professional every year or two and clean the carpet yourself between pro cleanings. Here are some hiring tips: Hire a pro who uses truck-mounted equipment rather than portable steam cleaning equipment....
Exterior stone, including manufactured stone, can be damaged when it absorbs water and freezes. Applying a waterproofing sealer to the stone and mortar extends their life and reduces stone chipping and mortar cracks. A silane/siloxane product is best for this because it works without changing the color of your stone or mortar and allows the mortar to breathe. Buy a pump sprayer and silane/siloxane waterproofing product (about $30 to $65 per gallon at home centers and paint stores)....
If you love spending time outdoors, you’re probably aware of the hours of enjoyment gained from a good deck, veranda or patio. These home features are especially lovely for those lucky enough to live on large rural properties, where scenery and fresh air are never in short supply. When my wife and I built a large deck on the front of our country home last summer, we were amazed at how much more time we started spending outside....
What is general liability insurance? You’ve bought general liability insurance for your business, but you’re not entirely sure what it does for you. You know that it protects your business, and shows that you are trustworthy and responsible, but you’re still a little confused about what exactly is covered. On This Page There are a few different types of business insurance, each of which covers something a little different. For example, if you’ve bought professional liability insurance, you’ll be covered in case a client accuses you of making a professional mistake or failing to deliver on promised services....
