Traditional images of the family gathered around a fireplace sipping drinks and basking in the cozy atmosphere are certainly heartwarming. Turns out, though, fireplaces aren’t that great for warming the rest of the body. Just ask my friend who owns a big 1950s-era home in California’s Marin County. When she did use her fireplace — which wasn’t often — she had to huddle close to it because the burning logs created an updraft that made the rest of the house colder....
Homeowner’s insurance, like any preventative measures we take to protect our family health and property, is a necessary expense for those who own their own home. If you’re a homeowner, you’ve probably noticed that your homeowner’s insurance rate has climbed consistently over the last several years. According to The Washington Post, since 2017 homeowner’s insurance rates have risen 11.4 percent, which is faster than the rate of inflation. These increases are mostly based on two factors:...
Billd, a material financing service for subcontractors, recently announced it has secured $30 million in Series B funding for lending and expansion. Billd is considered one of the leading providers of subcontractor financing, having worked with more than 2,000 suppliers on projects with a cumulative value of more than $14 billion. “Supply chain finance in the construction industry is terribly broken and has been for decades,” Billd CEO Chris Doyle said in a statement....
If a type of car is easy to break into, it only makes sense that it would be targeted by thieves across the country—especially when social media makes it incredibly easy to learn how. While some vehicles have the proper technology that makes it impossible to use the car without the proper key, some don’t—including a few select Kias and Hyundais (the parent company for Kia, even though the two work independently)....
Save or Splurge? With lumber prices still high and taking awhile to come down, you may have to cut some corners on your remodeling project. Here at the Getaway, we chose to save money by DIYing our trim. On This Page We needed about 200 linear feet of 5-1/4-in. baseboard and 200 linear feet of 3-1/2-in. door casing. The retail cost would have been between $600 and $700. With a little bit of time and sweat equity, we made almost 500 linear feet of trim for $150....
It’s finally December, which for many means hosting parties for family and friends, removing snow from driveways and serving platters stacked high with sweets. While all of these can be wonderful aspects of the season, avid gardeners may find themselves counting down the minutes till spring, eager to return to their beloved beds. Sure, determined gardeners can keep houseplants and start seeds indoors, but for those with limited square footage, finding enough space for all their flowers can be challenging....
Bankiras/Shutterstock Planting hostas offers a wide range of great benefits, from their popular looks to their low maintenance. If you’re thinking about adding hostas to your garden, make sure you’re setting the plant up for success with the right growing conditions. Best Regions and Zones for Growing Hostas Most hostas grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8, with some varieties suitable for Zone 9. Those zones include almost all of the U....
The amount of water your lawn actually needs depends on a mix of factors including grass type(s), sun and shade conditions, soil composition and the time of year. Strike the right balance for your personal green space by factoring in your yard’s special considerations. When Should I Water My Grass? Timing is important when it comes to watering your grass. You’ll save water (and money) and have a better looking lawn if you water at the right times....
How’s this for a sobering statistic? According to the American Red Cross, fires in the U.S. claim more than 500 lives and cause more than 2,200 injuries during a typical winter holiday season. Collectively, these fires also cause more than $554 million in property damage. Not surprisingly, Christmas trees and candles are responsible for much of the damage. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reports that between 2014 and 2018, fire departments across the U....
saravutvanset/Getty Images Last week, Virginia became the first state to enforce emergency workplace safety standards in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The new standards, which were approved on July 15th and went into effect on July 27th, are designed “to control, prevent, and mitigate the spread of [COVID-19]” in the workplace. The announced standards have already been questioned by a prominent construction safety coalition. The Construction Industry Safety Coalition said in a statement they are concerned the new standards are too broad to be enforced....
If you’re a parent looking for ways to entice your little kids off the couch and out into the backyard, a sandbox may be just the thing. Although sort of an old school idea, a simple sandbox helps toddlers develop motor skills by encouraging them to dig, pour, lift and measure. When kids play together in a sandbox, they learn about sharing. And it can be an environment in which their creativity runs wild, as they create farms, cities, racetracks or whatever they can imagine....
While some might mock our society’s reliance on cell phones, it cannot be understated how useful of a tool a modern smartphone can be during an emergency. The cell phone is pretty much technology’s answer to the Swiss army knife. Just one phone with a data plan can give you access to local emergency updates and cutting-edge weather-tracking apps. Crucially, they also allow you to communicate with the outside world when other methods fail....
Some cats can’t resist the allure of houseplants. They’ll chew the leaves, dig in the dirt, knock over the pots and generally make a disaster of an indoor garden. And while pet-safe plants do exist, eating potting soil isn’t healthy, and cleaning it up isn’t much fun either. If this sounds like your cat, there are some tricks to try before giving up on houseplants altogether. Dr. Jamie Richardson, medical chief of staff at Small Door Veterinary, and Diana Ludwiczak, certified pet trainer and CEO of Wolfie’s Place, explain how to keep cats out of plants....
What Is Broadleaf Herbicide? There are two major types of weeds: broadleaf and grassy. Broadleaf weeds have leaves, like dandelions and creeping Charlie. Grassy weeds, such as crabgrass and quack grass, look more like clumps of grass. How to kill those weeds depends on which type you’re dealing with. On This Page Broadleaf herbicide is a type of weed killer that targets leafy plants, not grasses. It’s an effective way to get rid of weeds, but it will kill landscape plants, too — so take care to keep it off the plants you like....
Aleksey Exanov/Shutterstock What would you do if you happened upon a 20 lb. rodent? What if that thing came out of your toilet? Well, that’s what has happened to residents in New Orleans as Southern states struggle to control populations of a large rodent known as nutria, according to USA Today. These are the 10 best-reviewed rodent repellents. What Are Nutria? Nutria, also known as coypu or swamp rats, are large aquatic rodents that almost look like a cross between a rat and a beaver....
Family Handyman This simple trick will make scraping ice off of your windshield so much easier Sick of freezing your tail off while you’re scraping the rock-hard ice off your windshield? Try this cool tip. Just mix two parts water with one part isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in a spray bottle and spray it on your windshield. The will help you remove ice almost instantly. The alcohol won’t harm your car’s paint, but it will remove car wax, so try to keep it off waxed surfaces....
Innovative vehicle technologies make our cars and trucks safer to drive. As many as 20 on-board computers monitor and analyze data to prevent accidents before they happen, and help protect the driver and passengers from serious injury if an accident does occur. Here are some of the vehicle technologies making driving safer. Brake/Stability Systems Anti-lock brakes have been around for decades. They allow a driver to maintain control of the vehicle during emergency/panic braking....
Traeger grills have been popular pellet-fueled options for years, combining the slow cooking and signature flavor of a smoker with high enough heat to grill burgers and more. The newest models in their Timberline series build nicely on that foundation with innovations to improve maintenance and use. The nearly $4,000 price tag might be a dealbreaker. But if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line pellet grill and price is no object, a new Traeger Timberline grill could be the crown jewel of your backyard cooking setup....
For most automobile owners, the purchase of tires represents the most expensive recurring cost they face. With the continuing trend to larger vehicles, average tire sizes and prices have risen sharply. Being an educated consumer saves you time and money while keeping your car, crossover, SUV or truck performing the way it was designed to. The Parts of a Car Tire Tires have a lot more engineering in them than you might expect....
If you’re not hooked up to a municipal sewer system, chances are you’re using a septic system for all of your wastewater. When you flush the toilet, or water runs down the drain from sinks or the laundry, it flows into your septic tank. There are various types of residential septic systems, but generally all consist of a septic tank, where wastewater flows for treatment, and the drainfield, where wastewater evaporates or drains into the soil....
