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It’s time to deck the halls for the holidays and you’re trying to decide if it’s time to switch over to LED Christmas lights. But are LEDs right for you? Which Christmas Lights Are Right for You? Unlike traditional Christmas lights, which utilize a filament to produce their holiday glow, LED Christmas lights use light-emitting diodes. This makes the lights more efficient and longer-lasting than your old-school Christmas lights. On This Page...

If you’re not regularly cleaning your air conditioner, then you are probably wasting your money. Cleaning your air conditioner is vital for the longevity of the machine, which is why you should keep it on a regular chore rotation. However, we understand having to clean all of those grids can be quite time-consuming. But don’t worry, we found a very simple solution for a spotless air conditioner every clean. After removing the filter from your air conditioning unit, you are going to want to rinse it under warm water....

No matter where you look — trim, flooring, cabinetry, built-ins, beams, wall paneling — wood is an integral part of most homes. And the color of that wood matters. Whether you’re buying new, undertaking a renovation or simply updating a room, we asked experts to share their tips for choosing wood colors for your décor. Know Your Species You’ve probably seen plenty of oak (usually in honey tones or dark brown), clear blonde maple or deep red cherry in homes built a few decades ago....

No Christmas tree is complete without Christmas ornaments, whether they’re treasured family keepsakes, simple colored balls or color-coordinated sets fit for the cover of a magazine. Since Christmas trees first appeared in Northern Europe in the 1500s, ornaments have been a big, beautiful part of the story. Why Are There Ornaments on Christmas Trees? While the Christmas trees we now associate with the holiday originated in 16th-century Germany, the tradition of decorating trees or evergreen boughs goes back much further, possibly to the ancient Romans and Egyptians....

Walmart Walmart’s Competitively Priced Tool Line: HART Walmart has not traditionally been the first place you would consider going when you need to purchase the tools for your next big DIY project. That’s changed recently, with Walmart steadily providing more and more pro-quality tools in their stores. Now, the superstore has made it clear it wants to be a destination for tool-seeking DIYers with the launch of HART, a new competitively priced tool line that is exclusive to Walmart....

Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, mosquitos and ticks go hand-in-hand with hot summer weather. Beyond being annoying, they’re also dangerous. Mosquitos can carry West Nile Virus and a host of other things you don’t want. Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. contract tick-borne Lyme disease every year. Chemical-based insecticides can keep these summer pests at bay, but many have an aversion to the odor and potentially harmful chemicals insect repellents contain....

via amazon.com When you’re making a showcase-quality cabinet with doors or crafting a special wooden box, you want all eyes on the design, the wood and the craftsmanship. That’s where barrel hinges come in. They function so discretely and out of sight, you could very well call them the true hidden gems of your project. What Are Barrel Hinges? They’re small barrel-shaped hinges typically made of solid brass, including brass links....

Stay-at-home orders concentrate the wear and tear of daily living on your home, instead of dispersing it among schools and workplaces. Unfortunately, many of your appliances bear the brunt. We talked to Brent Wasieleski, lead technician at Watson Appliance in Stillwater, Minn., about how the extra time at home affects each appliance’s lifespan. Refrigerator Opening, closing. Opening, closing. Opening, closing. All the extra in-and-outs allows more cool air to escape, and your refrigerator must work harder to compensate, potentially shortening its projected seven-year lifespan....

SUSAN LEGGETT/Shutterstock Restoring Your Memories If you have print photos that have not aged well, you may be wondering how to restore them. Back when all photos were taken with film in a camera, you took your roll of film in for processing and printing. Then you picked up your photos and stored them in photo albums. But these printed photos have a shelf life, since the quality of the photo paper and ink wasn’t nearly as good as it is today according to Adorama Learning Center....

Family Handyman Easy Way to Disinfect Legos Children’s toys are a breeding ground for germs. A dishwasher makes quick work of disinfecting toys that are washable, like Legos. To quickly clean Legos: Drop the Legos in a laundry bag to keep them contained. Run your dishwasher as usual. But, remove the Legos before the drying cycle, letting them air dry completely on a towel. This method also works well for other treasures like seashells, dish brushes, rags and sponges....

Walls get the attention they deserve whenever you’re refreshing a room, but what about your ceilings? You’re probably not a stranger to adding a fresh coat of paint or an accent wall to a room in your home, but there’s one social media decor fad that’s taking over, and it’s above your head. If you like the idea of refreshing your room, there’s nothing quite like going the extra mile and painting your ceiling....

Have you ever thought about what irreplaceable items in your home might be damaged or destroyed in a severe storm or flood? Of course, people and pets are the main concern, But after that, many people consider their printed photo collection something that would be devastating to lose. On the bright side, you can ensure that doesn’t happen by digitizing your photos. And while the magnitude of that project may sound intimidating, it’s really not....

What is a HVLP paint sprayer? A HVLP paint sprayer is a gun-style paint application system for painters. HVLP stands for high volume low pressure, which means that it sprays a large volume of paint with very low pressure. These systems are different than spray guns that might attach to a compressor and usually come with their own motor and fan system. Depending on the number of stages (number of turbines that drive the paint) a HVLP paint prayer system can be used to spray anything from thin clear coats to thicker latex paints with little to no dilutions....

Construction Pro Tips What is a paint roller frame? A paint roller frame is a reusable paint application tool that resembles a “?.” They are most often used to quickly and evenly cover large areas with paint, stain or other finishes. Paint roller frames are designed to be used with a roller covers which fit over a cage that spins independently of the frame and handle. These are the parts of a paint roller frame:...

You water, fertilize and do all the right things, but your lawn doesn’t respond to your nurturing. There may be a simple solution to your problem — lime. What Is Lime? Lime is an inert mineral made up of calcium and sometimes magnesium, two critical nutrients important for healthy turf growth. It is mined from the ground as limestone and then processed into a form that is easy to apply as a soil amendment....

The true promise of a “smart home” centers around convenience. Smart devices are supposed to make your day-to-day life easier through simple tech solutions. Unfortunately, today’s smart technology is anything but simple. There are so many smart brands and smart hubs that it seems nearly impossible to make every device in your home communicate and work together. That might be about to change in 2022 thanks to a new technological innovation called “Matter....

Lingering cat smells can be a headache for homeowners. Even if residents of the home become so used to the smells they no longer notice, you can bet guests and potential buyers will. Plus, cat smells can be offensive to cats themselves. Cats mark territory with their urine. And a cat smelling the scent of another cat, particularly one from a different household, may develop behavioral issues such as aggression, agitation or urinating in inappropriate places, such as peeing outside the litter box....

Old campers like this 1972 Avion always present challenges for those looking to rehab or refurbish them. In this instance, we focused our upgrade efforts on making sure our beverages stayed cool and were always nearby. The Challenge We replaced the Avion’s old stock refrigerator with a smaller, more efficient version and installed it on the opposite side of the living space. But with the camper’s old refrigerator gone, its access and venting door left us with a big, empty hole on the side of the unit....

Is your old bucket and mop no longer keeping your floors squeaky clean? Do you need something with a little more power to remove caked on dirt and grime? A steam mop is a great tool to add to your cleaning repertoire, and we recently tested the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806 to see how it fared. Its cleaning power and easy setup were just as good as advertised, and we’ll go into detail why it gets the Family Handyman seal of approval....

Your toaster gets a lot of use, especially if you’re a regular breakfast person or like to make a toasted sandwich for lunch. But does anyone think about cleaning their toaster? And if so, how often should you clean it? Think about the last time you cleaned your toaster. Was it last year? Two years ago? Last month? Believe it or not, cleaning this kitchen appliance regularly is important to avoid build-up....