Whether you’re taking on a quick DIY project at home or recruiting a team of contractors to build out your dream home remodel, there are some excellent free tools out there that can help. These are some of the best. Each offers various features to help you make informed decisions and get connected with contractors. Here we’ve rounded up the top remodeling estimators, with highlights, so you can find the best one for your project....
Hugely popular since the 1970s, pothos plants are an indoor-loving (and sometimes outdoor-dwelling) vine you’ll see practically everywhere. They’re at home cascading down bookshelves, spreading out on window sills or crawling up a moss pole or other plant support, like in this viral TikTok hack. Relatively easy to grow, a pothos plant is a perfect choice for rookie plant owners. What Is a Pothos? A pothos is one of 15 species of plants in the arum (Araceae) family....
When I was a kid, my dad often planted a row of dahlias along the edge of our vegetable garden. As the garden faded in late summer, the dahlias took over with big blooms, often measuring more than six inches across. What Are Dahlias? Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a variety of answers. Dahlias are the national flower of Mexico, where native species grow high up in the mountains....
After months of soaring highs, the price of lumber in the U.S. is finally coming down. Lumber prices plummeted more than 40 percent in June to $710 per thousand board feet. According to CNBC, this marks the largest monthly drop in lumber prices on record. The price of wood has fallen drastically since hitting all-time highs in early May, and experts predict that this downward trend will continue throughout the back half of the year....
The 2018 International Residential Code is a comprehensive, all-encompassing book containing practically every rule and regulation pertaining to building homes. While that thoroughness makes the 2018 IRC an invaluable resource to contractors, it also makes the book a bit dense. Being 962 pages long means that the IRC has an answer to every question a home builder might have—if they have time to do some serious page flipping. With that in mind, the International Code Council has partnered with the National Association of Home Builders to publish “2018 Home Builders’ Jobsite Codes: A Quick Guide to the 2018 International Residential Code....
I had to cut down a big elm tree in my yard last year because of Dutch elm disease. I don’t have room to cut and stack it, so the majority of it went to the transfer station. But I just couldn’t bring myself to part with all of it. The grain is lovely, and the tracks left by the bark beetles is really visually interesting. I still have the tree’s trunk sitting in the garage waiting to get cut into slabs....
If you start your car and hear a low, loud rumble, one of the first things you should check is whether your catalytic converter has been stolen. Catalytic converters are the part of a vehicle’s exhaust system that helps lower emissions and reduce the negative impact automobile traffic has on the environment. They also tend to pop up in the news every late winter and early spring as thefts of these unassuming little devices surge in some areas....
If you’re thinking of adding a swimming pool to your backyard, you’ll quickly discover there are three main types of pool filters. They’re not interchangeable; each operates differently, and with different equipment. When you shop around for a pool contractor, each professional is likely to present their preferred filter system. So as a consumer, knowing your options will help you make the best choice. Family Handyman contacted Brian Wells, an expert at Leslie’s Pools, who described the most common types of pool filters — DE, sand, and cartridge — and the pros and cons of each....
“Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 28 percent of what we throw away,” according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But there is a greener, more cost-effective alternative to traditional yard waste disposal methods. Instead of tossing your post-pruning piles, take the greenscaping approach and recycle yard waste at home. These three simple steps will give you the lush, healthy yard of your dreams in a sustainable, chemical-free way....
Many of us keep appliances we rarely use plugged in out of convenience. You might be wondering, does unplugging appliances actually matter? Yes, absolutely it does. Unplugging unused appliances can save you from $100 to $200 annually in the U.S., according to Shipley Energy. Large household appliances alone, even when not in use, can eat up a lot of energy. A common phrase for appliances that suck energy in the background is phantom power....
Touchless and sensor-operated plumbing fixtures have been around since the 1970s. But it wasn’t until the 1980s, when they began turning up in airport restrooms, that most Americans became familiar with them. Turning on water without touching the faucet or handle offers many benefits — conserving water, preventing germ transmission and increasing user accessibility. Today, touchless faucets are affordable for homeowners and widely available at home improvement retailers nationwide. How Do Touchless Faucets Work?...
Any DIYer on almost any project would be wise to follow the traditional carpenter’s advice: “Measure twice; cut once.” Even seasoned pros remind themselves to do this. For new DIYers, it means learning the ins and outs of a tape measure, that skinny strip of metal covered with tiny lines and numbers. A few quick tips can help you get comfortable with this all-important DIY tool and ensure you always cut just once....
Africa Studio/Shutterstock Package theft, also known as “porch pirates,” have been all over the news recently. Especially during the holidays, these thieves travel around to different houses scouting out boxes sitting outside. According to CNBC, residents of rural areas are more likely to experience package theft—especially those in North Dakota, Vermont, Alaska, and New Mexico. Since a whopping 83 percent of people shop for holiday gifts online, it makes sense that this type of thievery has become “popular” over the years....
Portable generators are extremely useful for many situations, but can occasionally be dangerous, too. On Nov. 10, 2022, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of over 320,000 Generac and DR brand portable generators sold between 2013 and 2021 due to consumer injury from a dangerous handle design. This was the second announcement of the recall of these units—the first recall came in July 2021. Additional injuries after the first recall caused the CPSC to re-announce the recall....
Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock Ever get a whiff of fresh skunk spray? That “skunky” smell wafting through your car vent on a country road can’t compare to the potency of fresh skunk spray — which is overwhelming, to say the least. The smell from skunk spray can linger for two to three weeks, so if you’re the unfortunate recipient you need to act fast. Skunk spray is pungent, oily and hard to remove....
Courtesy of Lowes Lowe’s recently announced that they are planning on installing pick-up lockers in Lowe’s stores across the country in order to provide “contactless” services to their customer. This initiative will include the installation of self-service lockers at more than 1,700 Lowe’s locations and is expected to be fully realized by the end of March 2021. “Our No. 1 priority is making sure we are keeping things safe for our associates and customers while continuing to provide additional options to make it even easier to shop with us,” said Joe McFarland, Lowe’s executive vice president of stores....
Family Handyman DIY Bottle Gnat Trap Wonder how to get rid of annoying gnats around your home? Wash a plastic beverage bottle and cut off the top. Mark the center of the bottle with a permanent marker. This will serve as a “fill to” line. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of vinegar in 1/4 cup of vinegar and pour it into the bottle. Add water up to the fill line. Place the cutoff top upside down in the bottle....
Radiators could easily be called gentle giants. They heat a home quietly without fans. But they can be big and bulky, and their industrial look isn’t always a match with style preferences. The solution? Hide them partially or fully with something that better fits your style. And there are a number of ways to do that, from ready-made to custom. Just make sure that the cover doesn’t prevent the radiator from doing its job....
This was a fun project where I could involve my wife in some DIY remodeling. I took new 1″ x 5″ pine boards and ripped them down to 3/8″ x 5″ on the table saw to get twice the yield, save weight, and not take up too much space over the bar top. I distressed one side using a wire wheel brush in my electric drill, then further marked them up with an awl, 1″ chisel, and hammer (you can use whatever distressing tools you prefer to make them look “worn”)....
Wallpaper accent walls are all the rage at the moment, and there’s a good reason. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is easy to install, easy to remove (goodbye goopy remover and clunky steamers) and can add a touch of personalization to a flat space. Tempaper has launched its newest collaboration with She She, featuring colorful illustrations for a home office, bedroom or kid’s room. This premium peel-and-stick wallpaper, thick and durable, comes with a slick application squeegee tool....
