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What is an impervious surface? An impervious surface refers to any structure that blocks rainwater from soaking into the soil and recharging the ground water. These could be houses, sheds, driveways, sidewalks, and patios. Why are impervious surfaces bad? Soil is a natural filter. In urban and suburban areas, when rainwater falls on a paved surface like a driveway, much of that water will find its way directly into lakes and rivers....

Somehow, in spite of myself, I’ve become a curmudgeon 30 years too soon. My constant disapproval of anything “fun” has become a running joke among my almost-teenage children. Yogurt tubes? Messy. Drive-throughs? Lazy. Viral cat memes? Just no. According to them, if I’m not careful, in a couple of decades, I’ll be feeding my future grandchildren hardtack and forcing them to whittle sticks all day. But six years ago, on a family vacation to Harbor Country in southwest Michigan, I discovered an indulgence even I couldn’t resist....

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. When Bella Weinstein picked up woodworking as a hobby, she had a hard time finding clothes to wear to the shop that were durable and fit well. So she decided to make some for herself, as well as for other women who work with their hands....

Traditional bidets are basin-shaped fixtures permanently installed on a bathroom floor and designed to let you wash your private parts rather than wipe them with toilet paper. Bidets are often marketed as a more economical, hygienic and environmentally-friendly alternative to toilet paper. Standard bidets are stand-alone units typically installed near the toilet. But what if you’re interested in this clean and simple toilet paper alternative, but don’t have the know-how, space or budget to add a traditional bidet to your bathroom?...

If you ever get fed up with the smell of your kitchen sponge, it harbors a lot of bacteria and you should get rid of it. But that’s only a temporary fix because your sponge is eventually going to smell at some point. So how do you get a sponge that won’t smell? One popular solution is a silicon sponge. If you’re not a fan of sponges, you can use this hack to make your own DIY scrubbie!...

Olga Miltsova/Shutterstock Nothing matches the extraordinary patina of a well-cared-for wooden bowl. In many ways, it speaks of the bowl’s history. And yet, a wood bowl is also immensely practical and surprisingly resilient. So if you’re wondering how to clean wooden bowls and how to care for them afterward, here are the do’s and don’ts. Which wood is best? New Hampshire Bowl & Board recommends woods such as cherry, maple and walnut for their innate beauty and color....

Elementary art teacher, Denise Boyd, is an avid DIYer and Family Handyman fan. Four years ago, she purchased a 1960’s ranch-style home that was exploding with charm, peach and pink baths included! Photo courtesy of Denise Boyd Before photo of the peach bathroom remodel. “I started with ideas in my head, pencil and paper in hand, and went straight to my most valuable resource, MY DAD! My dad is a man of all traits....

JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images Black Friday vs. Brown Friday What do you think of when you hear the phrase “Brown Friday”? Some might know UPS holds a large seasonal hiring event also called Brown Friday. Others who learn plumbers have dubbed the day after Thanksgiving “Brown Friday” immediately think the obvious. Brown Friday must refer to those clogged toilets — right? On This Page Plumbers insist that’s not true, though it does indicate how busy they are right after the holiday....

What was once one of the greatest technological innovations — the landline telephone — is quickly disappearing from homes, leaving unsightly evidence of its past prominence. If you’re one of the more than 50 percent of homeowners who have opted out of landline service, chances are you still have at least one ugly wall mounted phone jack. So, if you want to be rid of the wall-mounted phone jack for good: Patch it....

Cordless chain saws have come a long way in terms of power, so we wondered which kind of chain saw – gas-powered or battery-powered – would win in a cutting race. As you may have guessed, the answer isn’t exactly simple. In the test we ran, we chose two chainsaws made by the same manufacturer, roughly the same size, cutting the same logs. Going in, we thought the gas-powered chain saw was going to be a clear winner....

These days, it seems like everyone has a side hustle. Some drive for ride-share apps, others sell their art and some even offer services like dog-walking. If you’re a DIY enthusiast looking for a lucrative hobby, restoring old furniture might be the perfect match. With a few basic supplies and a little elbow grease, you’ll be rewarded not only with extra income, but also with the satisfaction of making something beautiful....

Brought to you by It’s a common image: Someone selecting a wall color paints several sheets of paper or sample boards and hangs them on the wall to compare colors. It looks artistic and even a bit hip, but it may not be the most accurate way to vet wall paint and paint samples. We talked to five pros, including painters and designers. Here’s what they suggest for paint swatches instead....

Photo courtesy of Steve Christakis The Family Handyman reader Steve Christakis came up with this great storage idea to maximize the limited space in his garage. For more ideas to organize your garage, click here. “My garage is my workshop, and space is tight, especially for squeezing two vehicles in. I used to have plywood sheets and scraps stacked against the wall, and they always had a way of creeping outward, taking up more floor space, especially as more material got added to the pile....

I’m always on the hunt for the best bath mats. We go through dozens of baths and showers each week with two adults and five kids living in my home, so finding durable bathroom accessories is a top priority. That’s why I decided to try a trendy stone bath mat. Plus, the idea of washing bath mats every other day is just overwhelming. What is a Sutera stone bath mat? Each Sutera stone bath mat is made of lightweight, sturdy diatomaceous earth that quickly absorbs moisture and wicks it away from wet feet....

via amazon.com You have all that storage space in your attic, but lifting boxes through that rough-hewn hole in the ceiling can be difficult, and dangerous, from a step ladder. It’s time to reclaim that unused area and install an attic ladder. An attic ladder is sometimes called an attic stair. It is essentially a ladder that sits in a frame in the ceiling and pulls down to allow access to the attic....

A telescoping ladder may not be perfect for every situation, but they’re extremely handy for DIYers with limited storage space or who work at multiple locations. The first time I saw a telescoping ladder, I was skeptical. But after I tried one out, it became a carry-along for maintenance runs and warranty calls. I especially loved how easy it was to transport. When fully collapsed, it fit well in my truck cab or the trunk of the family sedan....

To automate your home efficiently, you need a network that connects all your smart home devices and lets you control them from one central app. If you like Apple products, you may want to consider their smart home platform called Homekit. Here’s what you need to know about Homekit. What is Homekit? Homekit isn’t a particular product you can buy. It connects various smart devices via WiFi or Bluetooth, all controlled through Apple’s Home app and hubs....

BanksPhotos/Getty Images Is Duct Cleaning Necessary? Many wonder if they should have their heating and cooling ducts cleaned so they can improve their home’s indoor air quality. But there hasn’t been any hard evidence to show that duct cleaning improves indoor air quality or prevents health problems, so we don’t routinely recommend it. Exceptions would be if you find mold growth inside the ducts (first eliminate the moisture that caused the mold), the ducts have become home to rodents or insects, or the ducts are clogged by debris (usually from a remodeling project)....

Root Cellar How-To Wisdom “Preserve everything” is the homesteader’s mantra during the months of plenty. Traditionally, this was the only way people had food to eat during the winter. Even today, you’ll see farm women working over the stove, canning their precious peaches, dehydrating their crop of cherries in the sunshine or bundling up herbs to dry. But maybe the easiest way to put up for winter is to store the produce in a cold-storage root cellar....

Like many of the kids in my neighborhood, I spent my pre-teen years disassembling and reassembling whatever I could get my hands on. Discarded, broken down lawnmowers left on the curb and my growing horde of bicycles were my usual targets. But now and again, one of us would come across a trashed sewing machine or garden tiller and drag it back to the center of our garage floors to see what we could make of it....