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The Raspberry Pi is an affordable DIY-friendly mini-computer that can be used to run home automation software, if you are somewhat technically inclined. If you’re researching the best options for starting or expanding your smart home system, it’s a capable and flexible ecosystem to consider alongside more mainstream products. Find the answers to your Raspberry Pi home automation questions here. What Is Raspberry Pi Home Automation? The Raspberry Pi Foundation sums up its Raspberry Pi device as a “low-cost, credit-card-sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse....

seksan Mongkhonkhamsao/Getty Images The coronavirus pandemic and the shutdowns it caused did significant financial harm to many small businesses across the United States. The economic stimulus programs offered in the months that followed presented a lifeline to many business owners. Unfortunately, it also created an opportunity for scammers. Concerned that scammers might be taking advantage of people in this time of financial crisis, the Small Business Administration issued a set of tips for anyone looking to detect loan fraud before it happens....

The National Association of Landscaping Professionals (NALP) kicked off its annual National Lawn Care Month last week by announcing climate change education as the focus of this year’s initiative. “We want to show people that their backyards, public parks, and other green spaces are not just places to relax and have fun,” said Lisa Stryker, NALP vice president of marketing and communications. “But they should also feel good about the yard’s ability to help fight climate change....

Taking care of your car is an essential aspect of maintaining its performance and longevity. Along with keeping your tires in shape, changing the oil and checking the fluids, checking your air filter and regular maintenance, regular car washing preserves your vehicle’s value as well. Knowing the best weather to wash your car in can impact your vehicle for better or for worse. Get started with these car maintenance and cleaning tips and tricks....

If you spend a big part of your leisure time wearing a BBQ apron with grilling tongs in hand, it might be time for a built-in grill. For many grilling aficionados, a built-in grill is the limousine of backyard grills — a showpiece for your outdoor living area, a pleasure to cook on and large enough to cook for a crowd. In 2019, Americans spent nearly $1 billion on grills and grilling accessories....

BMJ/Shutterstock Every season brings tasks that backyard birders can do to encourage more birds to visit. Read on for easy projects you can do before the snow starts falling to ensure great bird-watching in the months ahead. Double the number of seed and suet feeders around your yard, as birds are currently flocking and there are many more mouths to feed. Switch to hopper-style feeders, which are more practical than tray feeders at times when the moisture from rain and snow can ruin food....

Code requirements for adding fire blocking and draft stopping apply mainly to new construction. But if you’re finishing a basement, putting on an addition, remodeling a room, or just running pipes or wires through a plate, you’ll need to include fire blocking. We’ll show you the most common fire blocking applications on the following pages so you can apply the principles to your project. Check out our expert guide for how to prevent home fires....

Greg McGill/Shutterstock There are few things more uncomfortable than a hot car on a humid day. As summer reaches full swing and temperatures rise, you’ll invariably crank up your car air conditioner more and more. But if you’re trying to save fuel and money, you may want to reconsider turning the car air conditioner on. Do Car Air Conditioners Burn More Gas? There have been multiple debates on which method of vehicle cooling is more fuel efficient: air conditioning or driving with the windows down....

This shelving system was inexpensive and easy to build, and it looks much better than some store-bought, plastic contraption. The design doesn’t require a lot of materials: four oak boards, twelve 1/2-in. dowels, one 1/8-in. dowel and an oak 1×2. I started out using 3/4-in. divider boards, but the proportions looked a little goofy, so I ripped them down with my band saw to about 3/8 in. I think 1/4-in. plywood would work fine, but you might want to cap the ends with solid wood if you go that route....

When most of your outdoor flowers are gone for the season and you want something to add a splash of color indoors, a vibrant Thanksgiving cactus, also known as Schlumbergera truncata, can come to the rescue. These flowering cacti produce flat green segments tipped with blooms of white, pink, salmon, fuchsia, red and yellow. Thanksgiving vs. Christmas Cactus First things first: Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti get mixed up all the time....

The front-yard laser light displays that have grown in popularity over the last few years spread a lot of cheer. But did you know that if they’re mis-aimed, they’re dangerous to airplane pilots and their passengers? “The extremely concentrated beams of laser lights reach much farther than you might realize,” stated the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a recent warning. This problem reached an all-time high in 2021. As of November 22, the FAA received 8,550 laser strike reports, up from 6,852 in 2020....

Nearly one-quarter of Americans have taken out a personal loan since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March 2020, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos for Forbes Advisor, with home improvement projects the leading reason why. Approximately 25 percent of survey responders said they used their personal loans to fund home improvement projects. Forbes also said 70 percent of Americans tackled a home improvement project during the pandemic. After home improvement, the next most common responses were to pay medical bills (21 percent), debt consolidation (20 percent), financing a vehicle (20 percent) and auto repairs (20 percent)....

If you own a wireless router and your home is on the larger side, chances are you have areas with a strong signal and fast speeds, and some where you can’t connect to the internet at all. That’s especially true of sprawling homes. We’ll show you how to make WiFi faster in your home with a few small adjustments. You can fix some WiFi coverage and speed problems by tweaking router settings, relocating the router or adding an expander device....

In a blindfolded taste test, many people would be surprised to discover a homegrown cucumber isn’t like the cucumbers they’ve been buying in the grocery store. The homegrown cucumber will beat the store-bought cuke for taste every time. Plus, homegrown cucumbers are less watery and won’t be coated with that wax slapped on store-bought varieties to protect them when shipping. Makes you want to grow your own, doesn’t it? Types of Cucumbers When growing your own, you’l’ find many more varieties than in the grocery store....

Darn Tough is a family-owned sock business with some bold claims. Namely, that it makes the most comfortable, durable and best-fitting socks in the world. Because I’m continuously trying to find the best gear for long hikes with my dog, Henry, I was eager to put those assertions to the test. While Darn Tough was officially founded as a business in 2004, three generations behind the brand have been knitting socks in the Green Mountains of Vermont for nearly 40 years....

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock When it comes to design trends, I’ve always liked to follow the latest obsessions. I thoroughly enjoy scrolling through Pinterest for hours, learning about what types of home design, foods, or even fashions are the talk of the town. I think trends are creative, and it’s fun to see someone else’s take on a popular idea. However, as I continue to get older, I’ve come to realize that I don’t actually have to follow the trends myself....

What Is the Janka Hardness Scale? We’ve all been there. A young woodworker making their first big project. Most often, it’s a table of some kind. Coffee or dining, it doesn’t matter. What you’ve made is magnificent and you’re beaming with pride as you bring it into its new home. On This Page You set it in place, and within hours your child, dog or overly excited friend puts a nice dent in the top....

gregsleeper/Shutterstock While renovating an old home, some have uncovered this strange scenario: a beehive attached on a wall of the home! It may at first seem like a totally alarming occurrence, but these hives and their placement once had an important role. Back in 2007, Robert Brackley Jr. was dismantling what was known as the Thomas House on the campus of the University of Maine at Farmington when he stumbled upon a beehive, built between wall studs, near a chimney....

Jorge Villalba/Getty Images When you see corrosion, it’s a sign of a chemical action causing something to gradually disintegrate. In the case of corrosion on your vehicle’s battery, acid from inside is reacting with the metal on the outside. What Causes Battery Corrosion If you periodically pop open your vehicle’s hood to check the oil, washer fluid, transmission fluid or anything else, chances are you’ll eventually will see a whitish-blue, granular substance around the battery terminals....

imagedepotpro/Getty Images Air conditioning offers a welcome respite from the dog days of summer. It makes your home feel more comfortable when the mercury spikes. However, central AC isn’t an option for some living in older homes or in parts of the country where it hasn’t traditionally been included in residential buildings. It’s also an expensive, impractical addition to houses without it. That’s why you may want to consider a window AC unit to help keep your house, or parts of it, cool when the heat makes things uncomfortable....