A nasty sting from a fire ant is nothing to trifle with, but there are other reasons you don’t want these pests anywhere near your home or garden. It’s estimated that the costs associated with fire ants can run into the billions annually, from medical treatment to structural damage (they can eat through electrical wires) to infestation control. And that’s not counting the loss of livestock and crops. What Is a Fire Ant?...
The chop saw (AKA a miter saw) is a motorized woodworking power tool designed to accurately and precisely complete square and angled cuts in wood. It works by spinning a circular steel saw blade at high speed. The blade cuts through the wood, laid on the support table, when you push the handle downward. There are different styles of chop saws on the market with different features. Which you choose depends on your budget and cutting needs....
Pro3DArtt/Shutterstock You might not think too much about your range until it breaks down or you’re planning a remodel, and when either time comes, you’re left with a big question: What to get next? Your range is an essential kitchen appliance, which means you want to get the most out of it. You also want to make sure you get the most for your money. So what’s better, a gas or electric range?...
A common household pest, the cockroach infects homes, businesses and yards all over the world. If spotted, move quickly to get them out of your house and prevent their return. How To Identify Cockroaches Social and nocturnal, the cockroach is not a friendly pest to have in and around the house. With leathery backs, large antennas, and a propensity to leave around droppings, knowing when and why you have cockroaches in the home can help lead to removing one of the oldest living pest....
The Family Handyman What is Teflon Tape? When most of us hear the word ‘Teflon,’ we think of frying pans. But in the world of plumbing, it’s usually used in reference to Teflon tape. Teflon tape—generically called PTFE or pipe thread tape—is a thin, “stretchy,” tape you wrap around male pipe threads before screwing them to their female counterparts. It doesn’t have a sticky side, but rather clings to the pipe and itself as you wrap it tightly around the threads....
If you have lakeshore property but don’t yet own a dock, consider investing in one. There’s nothing quite like walking right out over a lake, untying your boat and going for an early morning spin before tying back up and returning for breakfast. Understanding the many types of docks available is the first step. Once you’re familiar with each dock type and their pros and cons, you can make an informed decision about which dock arrangement works best for your situation....
A sump pump is a wise investment for anyone who owns a home with a basement. For some, it’s a necessity. Water can enter your basement occasionally during a heavy rain, or chronically due to compacted soil conditions, a high water table, drainage issues or condensation from poor ventilation. Whatever the cause, it’s a serious problem that can undermine the foundation, damage whatever’s in your basement and promote toxic mold growth....
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Thanksgiving to look a little different than normal. But just because many of us won’t be hosting or attending a big Thanksgiving meal doesn’t mean we can’t have a festive day. Check out these tips for how to celebrate Thanksgiving virtually. How to Safely Celebrate Thanksgiving In this year when so many of us haven’t seen friends and loved ones for ages, it’s especially tempting to connect with them at Thanksgiving....
Just because you don’t have a grill brush doesn’t mean you can’t clean your grill. You can clean your grill using aluminum foil, or even cleaning with an onion will do the trick! But did you know that there’s another popular pantry item that can clean your grill fast? Coffee! That’s right. If you let your grill grate sit in coffee for a bit, the acidity from the coffee will make it easy to wipe off the caked-on gunk from last summer that you just weren’t able to clean off....
Richard Day/Day Break Imagery Q: Is it necessary to boil the sugar-water mixture for hummingbird feeders? I just stir until the sugar is dissolved. — Amy Kernes, Brea, California Kenn and Kimberly: Opinions differ on the importance of boiling the mixture. We always do it to neutralize some impurities that might be in the water or sugar. Besides, sugar dissolves more easily in hot water. But as soon as the feeder is outdoors, contaminants will get into the water anyway, brought by hummingbirds, insects or just a breeze....
Carpenters who have been around awhile probably remember a time when a chop saw was a new, time-saving innovation on the jobsite. By performing one simple function — crosscutting trim and framing lumber — it streamlined the workflow on construction sites as well as the home woodshop. It didn’t take manufacturers long to introduce one basic feature — the ability to rotate the saw — that greatly increased the chop saw’s usefulness....
Purino/Shutterstock Recently scorch a pan while cooking? By the looks of your burnt pan or pot, it may seem like a complete lost cause. However, there’s a nifty trick that can help you fix that pan as soon as possible. All it takes is a little vinegar, a little baking soda, and a little bit of elbow grease. Coming from personal experience, I found this process incredibly easy. My husband bought me a beautiful set of stainless steel pots and pans for Christmas....
Dory F/Shutterstock Can You Burn Leaves? We get it. Sometimes you can reach a point in the fall where the amount of leaves in your yard is overwhelming, and it seems like the best idea is to just push them all into a pile and let them burn. Unfortunately, there are a few very good reasons why burning leaves is a very bad idea. Burning leaves can be bad for your health, it can potentially spread and it might even be illegal in your area....
Supavadee butradee/Shutterstock Your grandparents probably used it every day, but should we still be reaching for bleach to clean our homes? With all the different household cleaning products available now, bleach might not be as common as it once was—but that doesn’t mean it should be avoided. When used correctly, bleach is an effective way to sanitize and clean certain areas of the house. Here’s a few tips on how to clean with bleach in the bathroom....
Emily Pilloton was born to build things. She grew up in a house where both grandfathers were engineers and both grandmothers were librarians. She credits them for providing the sparks of curiosity and creativity she would eventually use to build Girls Garage, a nonprofit design-and-build program and dedicated workspace for girls and female-identifying youths ages nine to 18. Through after-school and summer programs, Girls Garage provides free and low-cost programs in carpentry, welding, architecture, engineering and activist art to about 200 girls per year....
HomeLAB Showdown: Smart Dimmer Switches Old dimmer switches are great for mood lighting but have control limitations. Smart models improve on the old, giving you more control. Several have hit the market, but which one is the best? Here’s what we found and what you need to know about smart dimmer switches. Check out these other products that will make your home smarter: Dim The Lights By Voice Program For Night and Day With smart dimmer switches, you can program your lights for any time of day....
Your lease is up at the end of the month and the keys to your new digs are in your hands. You’re ready to pack up your belongings, move out, collect your security deposit and get settled into your new place. Don’t get ahead of yourself, though. Before you vacate a rented living space, you need to take care of a few things, like cleaning and replacing lightbulbs. Otherwise, that returned security deposit you were banking on?...
FlorinRO/Shutterstock Toilet seats have come a long way. The toilet seat dates back 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty in China, when it was simply made of stone. In ancient times, a toilet seat was a luxury. Latrines featuring just a hole in the ground could be found lined up in public places. The toilet seats were nothing more than a part of the communal bench where the holes for doing your business were cut out....
It’s a well-established question and one that we’ve been too afraid to ask our mothers: Should we use the shiny or the dull side of aluminum foil when we cook? And have we been doing it wrong this entire time?! Concerned cooks, you can breathe a sigh of relief: As it turns out, there’s no “correct” side of aluminum foil to use when cooking. Both sides are equally effective at heating your food, though you might want to choose another option when storing leftovers....
The privacy of a dwelling within acres of woodland drew us to purchase our house in the woods. We imagined ourselves sitting on the deck, looking out into what seemed like miles of trees while deer grazed and colorful birds flew by. Make no mistake, that is what it’s like living in the woods — when you’re not blowing leaves, trimming branches or climbing on the roof to clear the gutters....
