While spring storms are notorious for damaging roofs, winter can be hard on the top layer of your house too. Ice damns are one of the main concerns you have to watch out for when the temperatures drop and the snow starts flying. Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent ice dams and extend the life of your roof. What Is an Ice Dam? Ice dams and icicles form when the snow melts, runs down your roof and refreezes near the edge....
Hostas are a popular gardening plant for a wide range of reasons, and many are easy to grow. They even attract humming birds. Dividing or splitting them works great to keep the plant from spreading. But if you’re unfamiliar with hostas, you’ll want to know what season is best for dividing, how frequently you should be splitting the plant and more. Should Hostas be Divided? Yes. It is smart to split hostas to propagate new plants....
What is the 2020 Color of the Year? Pantone just announced its “Color of the Year” for 2020, and it’s already a classic—”Classic Blue,” that is. Pantone 19-4052 “Classic Blue” is officially the 2020 Color of the Year, replacing 2019’s color, 16-1546 “Living Coral”. Pantone gave many reasons for the color’s selection, citing its “deep resonance,” “elegance” and “timelessness.” “Classic Blue” offers a stable foundation for home decoration that can be “easily applied across so many different materials, textures and finishes....
anueing/Shutterstock All gardeners have insider secrets to make their flower beds look beautiful and elegant with less cost and maintenance, and one of those secrets? A pea gravel flower bed. This hardscaping stone is low in long-term cost and high in aesthetics and function, but its not without its flaws. Here’s everything you need to know before adding pea gravel to your flower beds. Is pea gravel right for you? The Pros and Cons: Pea gravel is aptly named because the small, smooth stones are roughly the size and shape of peas....
Crafty, cute squirrels provide hours of entertainment, but they damage homes and tear up yards, too. If they get inside your house, you could be looking at a major disaster. Prevention is the best defense, but what if you’re past that point? Keep your expectations realistic. Clever squirrels won’t vacate your property easily. The University of Georgia Extension says to ask yourself: Are squirrels merely annoying, or are they costing you money?...
What is marking chalk? Chalk is a form of limestone and is mined, crushed and processed into a dry powder. A dye is added to create marking chalk. Marking chalk is used with chalk lines to mark straight lines on flat surfaces between two points. Chalk lines were first known to be used by the ancient Egyptians. How is marking chalk used? A chalk-covered string is stretched the desired distance and pulled taut....
When I was first learning to grow food, I wandered through a nursery stacked high with pallets of brightly-colored bags of soil and compost. That made me wonder: Which would give my garden plants the best chance of survival? When I got to the composted manure row, I suddenly had a lot of other questions. Is it safe? Will it smell? Are there actual pieces of sheep poop in that bag?...
Is your home or cottage in need of an interior design makeover? Consider limewash paint. Significantly different than the regular stuff you can find on the shelves of any hardware store, limewash has a unique look dating back to the 7th century BCE. Limewash gives walls a mottled, antique look, and a unique texture some say reminds them of suede. Limewash walls are pretty rare here in North America, but they are commonplace in many older buildings across Europe....
If you’ve never waxed your car before but are interested in giving it a try, here’s what you need to know. Why Wax Your Car? There are hundreds of car waxing products available, but ultimately they all have the same purposes: enhancing your car’s appearance and protecting its painted surfaces from the elements. For those who want to give their vehicles some extra shine beyond what factory applied paint and clear coat delivers, waxing is just the thing....
If you’re thinking about installing a backyard swimming pool but have limited space or a modest budget, or if you’re torn between a pool for exercising and a hot tub for relaxing, it’s time to consider a spool pool. What Is a Spool? A spool pool is a small swimming pool and a spa or hot tub rolled into one — so, a spool. Versatile and space-saving, spools are a compact solution for backyard fun and relaxation....
Remember when the Evil Queen in Snow White talked to her Magic Mirror? While they may not be magic per se, smart mirrors will still make you feel like you’re living in a fairy tale, as these cool, high-tech devices can answer your questions and provide you with information — all while you apply your makeup or brush your teeth. What Is a Smart Mirror? Smart mirrors feature a digital display behind the glass and connect to your phone via Bluetooth or WiFi....
Shutterstock/ Konrad Weiss Why You Should Not Throw Out Your Christmas Tree Christmas trees are a wonderful holiday tradition, but they only last for about a month before they start to fade and lose their usefulness. Once the holiday season has passed and the needles start to fall more frequently from your tree, the inevitable question pops up: What do you do with a Christmas tree after Christmas has come and gone?...
Late last week, Lowe’s announced in a press release that it would become the exclusive dealer of EGO outdoor power equipment starting this December. EGO products will be available on the Lowe’s website this fall, and are expected to be stocked in stores across the United States by February 2021. “We are relentless in bringing the best quality, innovation and brands to our consumers, and today’s announcement is another bold step forward in our pursuit of bringing the best outdoor power equipment offering to our stores,” said Bill Boltz, Lowe’s executive vice president of merchandising....
If you’ve ever encountered a mouse skittering across your kitchen floor or a squirrel nesting among the boxes in your attic, you’re not alone. Nearly one-third of Americans have had to deal with a rodent infestation, based on a survey by the National Pest Management Association. Incessant gnawers, rapid reproducers and carriers of more than 35 diseases, rodents are particularly destructive and dangerous pests. A dozen types can potentially take up residence in your home or yard....
Family Handyman What’s a Dome Home? Family Handyman launched in 1951, so 2021 marks our 70th anniversary. We’re celebrating with some of our favorite content from over the years. This project about creating a dome home ran in our May/June 1982 issue. As the article says, “Many people believe that the dome home is a new concept. In fact, the dome design is much older. Ancient peoples build dome homes: The Eskimo called his dome an igloo, the African thatched hut was called an indlu....
During the height of the pandemic, one of the little joys of normal life that I missed was a proper breakfast from a local diner — all grilled on a flat top. Many other foods traveled fine in a takeout box, but not fried eggs and hash browns. Those do best fresh from the griddle, delivered with a piping hot cup of coffee. We made a point of sitting down to one of our first post-vaccination restaurant meals at a diner for that very reason....
Real estate listings often tout “good bones” as a selling point, especially when a house lacks curb appeal or needs a significant update. Ugly shag carpet? Outdated appliances? Pastel pink bathroom fixtures? No worries! The house has good bones. In reality, though, there’s no correlation between good bones and carpet, appliances, fixtures or anything else you can easily swap out or update. So before you get too excited about a listing that hypes good bones, find out what that really means....
Let’s face it: It’s pretty easy to take concrete patios, sidewalks, driveways and basement and garage floors for granted. After all, they seem pretty darn invincible as you walk and drive all over them, day after day, month after month, year after year. And concrete is strong and durable—until it’s suddenly not. Like a weight-lifter who stops working out, an unmaintained concrete slab can slowly deteriorate. Couple that with the fact that concrete isn’t cheap (one recent survey pegged the average nationwide cost of installing a concrete patio at about $2,630), it’s clearly in your best interests to protect this seemingly invulnerable investment with a little TLC....
The Fourth of July Weekend is all about celebrating America’s independence with family, friends, fireworks and barbecue — but be sure to save some time for shopping! The sales this holiday are too good to pass up — and some are already going on. Retailers are slashing prices on just about everything: furniture, tools, outdoor essentials, appliances and more. Some of the best Fourth of July sales events are happening at Wayfair, The Home Depot and Lowe’s, with major savings to spruce up your home and yard this summer....
Ice dams occur when snow on a roof melts, but freezes before getting fully clear of the roof. As more snow melts it will also refreeze when it hits the new ice, slowly building up a frozen wall that pushes backward up the roof, raising shingles and sliding into unprotected roof sheathing. When a true thaw finally comes, the watery remnants of the ice dam will invade the home, damaging walls, ceilings, and whatever else it touches....
