I’m into lighting. Good or bad, it’s the first thing I notice in every space I set foot in. I’d even go as far as to say that if I could start my career over, I’d love to get into the lighting design field. When chatting with friends on a recent outing, someone mentioned a bladeless ceiling fan. Bladeless? How could that be? Intrigued, I looked it up and found the modern and sleek Orren Ellis Integrated LED Bladeless Ceiling Fan....
Le Panda/Shutterstock Shamrocks have been a national symbol of Ireland for centuries and while every March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day revelers in the U.S. dress up in their green garb to watch parades and sip green drinks, too often they’re donning four-leaf clovers instead of shamrocks. We want to clear up any confusion about the difference between the two so you can celebrate the holiday accurately! The History and The Legend The old tale goes like this: St....
Wicker furniture was good enough for King Tut — archeologists found a woven bed in his tomb! And he wasn’t the only one. Turns out wicker holds up, as a material and a stylish choice for indoor and outdoor living. Our grandparents bought wicker furniture for its durability and distinct artisan style. Today’s interior designers like it for the same reasons. But can you confidently define wicker? Read on — you may be surprised....
A combination of rising energy prices and predictions of a colder winter are squeezing American families trying to save on energy costs. In response, the federal government is stepping in with $4.5 billion in assistance for those who are struggling to pay their utility bills, the White House announced this week. Additionally, the Department of Energy announced nearly $9 billion under the Inflation Reduction Act to fund home efficiency programs. A new rebate program could support up to 1....
Alphabet is constantly changing its signature mapping technology, Google Maps. The biggest news from 2019 was Google’s cannibalization of a feature previously only found on Waze: Crowdsourced road diversions. (It’s worth noting that Waze was bought by Alphabet Inc.’s Google in 2013 for just under $1 billion). And here’s a twist: Some officers seem to even like the idea of a speed-trap reporting function. As Sergeant Kerry Bates, a traffic cop in Edmonton, Canada, told the National Post in March: “If it [Google Maps] slows people down and they know it’s there, that’s good,” he said....
John Deere has taken the mess out of changing the oil on your lawn tractor with its easy-change oil filter. No More Draining the Oil The real change with John Deere’s Easy Change Oil Filter is that you no longer have to drain the oil to replace the filter. Instead the John Deere Easy Change oil filter gets the job done in 30 seconds with a quarter turn of the filter....
When it’s time to cut the grass, you want your lawn mower to start easily and run well. Maintaining your mower’s spark plug is an important and simple part of responsible gas-powered lawn mower ownership. Lawn Mower Spark Plug Function Spark plugs are an essential lawn mower component that ignite the fuel-and-air mixture inside the cylinder of the mower engine. High-voltage electricity jumps the gap at the tip of every spark plug at just the right moment to trigger fuel combustion....
Family Handyman Choosing the right pipe First of all, don’t use PVC pipe. If it breaks under pressure, the plastic will shatter and send pieces flying like shrapnel. Use copper instead. It’s available at most hardware stores and home centers. Solder it using the same fittings as you would for water supply lines. If you don’t want to solder, use galvanized or black steel pipe. Measure the pipe runs and buy exact lengths; hardware stores will cut and thread the ends for you....
Sponsored by Cargill If your water is high in iron, buy pellets formulated for iron removal, like the type shown. Don’t skimp by buying cheap rock salt. In the end, the money you save will be far offset by the cost of softener repairs or replacement. At our house, we have a lot of iron in our well water. We know immediately when our water softener is out of salt because the water tastes horrible, and we instantly notice rust stains beneath every faucet or spout....
When I built my greenhouse ten years ago, I thought it would be simple to keep the temperature just right. I soon discovered it wasn’t so easy. One winter, when we were out of town, my son opened the greenhouse to water the plants and the door didn’t catch properly. A storm came through and blew open the door, killing half the plants inside. This was a good lesson to keep my greenhouse at the optimal temperature— and buy an automatic door closer....
In the early days of plumbing, the bathroom faucet was often simply a spigot mounted to the wall. The introduction of deck-mounted faucets changed all that. Adam Horwitz, from faucet manufacturer Speakman, says that despite the sophisticated look, only a small number of faucets sold today are wall mounts. Simone Bumpus, a design specialist for Kitchens by Good Guys in Scottsdale, Arizona, says their difficult (and expensive) installation makes wall mounts rare....
Furnace filters are invaluable for keeping your home’s heating system operating smoothly. However, there are plenty of misconceptions when it comes to using them properly. Here we’ll dispel some common myths you shouldn’t believe. Fiberglass Filters are Fine if You Change Them Regularly There’s a reason you can almost see through fiberglass filters—they don’t filter very well. That’s why they last so much longer than pleated filters. Because they don’t capture the finer debris, they don’t clog as fast as higher quality filters....
What You Need to Know Counter-depth refrigerators have been on the market for a few years and continue to grow in popularity, with more models and options being introduced every year. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of counter-depth refrigerators, and whether one is right for your kitchen. What Is a Counter-Depth Refrigerator? A counter-depth refrigerator is exactly what it sounds like — a refrigerator that is only as deep as a standard kitchen counter, about 25 to 29 inches....
Ana Anderson/Shutterstock It’s time to take a shower, so you hop in! You’re under that warm water, enjoying your short time alone in your nice clean bathtub (which yes, you should clean every week, here’s why), and all of a sudden you feel something cling to your leg. You look down, only to realize that it’s the shower curtain—again. Is this a reoccurring problem for you? If so, maybe it’s time to find a solution!...
Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you can keep on enjoying evenings outside. An outdoor patio heater is a popular accessory that helps make your outdoor living area more comfortable in colder weather. Like any appliance, patio heaters aren’t perfect; they’re prone to some common problems that can prevent them from working. Fortunately, the most common problems you may encounter are easy enough to fix yourself. Whether you have an electric or gas (propane or natural) patio heater, read on to discover six DIY patio heater repairs....
The biggest mistake people make when doing laundry? Using too much detergent. It doesn’t get our clothes cleaner, and we flush money down the drain with every wasteful pour. (It doesn’t help that the bottle’s handy measuring cap holds 10 times the amount needed!) “Oh my gosh, it’s crazy,” says Patric Richardson, the Laundry Evangelist and author of Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore. “People use way too much....
Looking for a mess-free way to turn a plain wall into a statement piece? Look no further than removable wallpaper, also known as peel-and-stick wallpaper. “Peel-and-stick is less intimidating for DIYers than traditional wallpaper because you don’t need many tools or materials to hang it,” says Gina Shaw, vice president of product development of York Wallcoverings, which makes the peel-and-stick brands York and RoomMates Decor. “They don’t have the mess with water and paste … You take it out of your package and put it on your wall....
No one is happy to discover mold indoors. If you find some, it’s important to remove it quickly and thoroughly. And yet, some molds can be useful. Learn all about a variety of mold called Penicillium, how to get rid of it when it’s a problem, and how it helps us when it’s not. What Is Penicillium Mold? This family of molds was first identified in 1809 in a book by German naturalist Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link....
If you’re longing for a walk-in shower, you have lots of company. “They’re super popular right now,” says Chuck Khiel, vice president of Fred Home Improvement in Bethesda, Maryland. Why? While there’s an environmental advantage to showering — it uses a lot less water than bathing, according to the EPA — most people simply prefer showering. Adding a walk-in shower improves the experience, from making it easier to get in and out (helpful for anyone with mobility issues) to providing a more enjoyable shower....
In residential construction, it’s important to understand the basic rules, regulations and restrictions. Whether you’re doing the work yourself or hiring professionals, failing to obtain the right permits and approvals can make or break a remodel or a rebuild. It could stop work dead in its tracks, or at least halt it for a while. Whether you’re renovating an existing home or tearing down and constructing a new house on the same lot, here are some terms you should know....
