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If you have unusual odors emanating from your furnace, it might be trouble, or it might be nothing at all. Here are the four most common odors and what you should do about them. 1. Musty furnace smells Burdun Iliya/Shutterstock On This Page When you start up your furnace in the fall, you may notice that the furnace smells musty. Generally, it means you have some mold growing in your ductwork or on the air conditioning coil mounted above your furnace....

It is possible to join ABS to PVC, but it is only supposed to be done with a mechanical coupling, not glued. If you just came here for that answer, you can stop reading… but I think you want the whole story, so here’s that. There are two commonly used plastics for drain, waste, and vent pipes inside of homes: ABS (black) and PVC (white, mostly). These two plastics are almost all that is ever used in new residential construction here in Minnesota, and I suspect for the rest of the country as well....

Take a stroll through an antique store, and you’ll likely find some pieces of furniture that stand out from the rest. That’s often because of exotic wood or other materials embedded in the surface. This almost magical effect is known as inlay, and it always seems to elevate the finished product. The shape and style of an inlay is only limited by the imagination and skill of the woodworker. An inlay can be intricate and decorative or simple and practical....

https://www.facebook.com/JoannaStevensGaines Right on the heels of releasing her book “Homebody: A Guide to Creating Places You Never Want to Leave,” Joanna Gaines was on The Tonight Show with husband, Chip Gaines, to make a very huge announcement: The Gaines are coming back to television! Not just to HGTV, which is where their hit DIY show Fixer Upper was aired, but on a completely new network of their own. When Jimmy Fallon, host of The Tonight Show, asked the Gaines if they would ever return back to television on air, Chip Gaines ended up breaking the news of their new television network....

Peter Cade/Getty Images According to an analysis of government data by the National Association of Home Builders, the median income for payroll construction workers in the U.S. in 2019 was $49,030, nearly $10,000 higher than the national median wage of $39,810. The top 25 percent of construction workers make at least $68,690, while the top 25 percent nationally make at least $64,420. The analysis also points out construction wages are rising faster than national wages, with some specialized trades like stonemasons and roofers experiencing year-over-year wage increases of seven and five percent, respectively....

Photo: Courtesy of USG What is Setting Compound? Setting compound is a powder—primarily plaster of Paris—which, when mixed with water creates a fast-setting material used to fill gaps and cracks in drywall. There are a wide range of setting compounds available, each accompanied by a number—5, 20, 45, 90, 210, etc.—that relates to how many minutes it remains workable before it starts setting or hardening. There are “easy sand” and standard versions available....

While triexta carpet has only been around for a few years, it has quickly earned its place in homes across America. Here, we explain why and share some important information about triexta carpet. What is Triexta Carpet? Triexta is a synthetic (manufactured) material developed by DuPont. While it shares many characteristics with polyester, triexta has several important differences in its chemical makeup that makes it a subclass of polyester. You might hear triexta referred to by three other names: polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), which is its technical name; Sorona, partially made from renewable corn sugar; and SmartStrand, the brand name you’ll most often encounter at carpet and home improvement stores....

Family Handyman An increasingly popular option for homeowners concerned about their energy costs and their environmental impact, a geothermal heat pump circulates a water/anti-freeze solution through buried polyethylene tubing (called a “loop field” or “ground array”) to transfer heat between your home and the ground around it. Although this technology has only been developed in the last half century, the concept traces its roots much further back in time. Below four feet, the ground stays a consistent 50 to 55 degrees F....

Honda announced in early October that it will no longer manufacture new gas-powered lawn mowers, signaling the end of an era in lawn care. As battery technology rapidly advances, electric-powered lawn care is trending up in a major way— and its gas-powered counterparts might be on their way out. “The trend away from gas is very clear where I am,” says Jeff Cordulack, who runs the all-electric lawn care service Organic Ways and Means in Stamford, Connecticut....

StockWithMe/Shutterstock You Don’t Have to Slave Over Your Lawn to Keep it Healthy If you’re an average homeowner (and of course you’re not!), you spend almost four hours a week on yard work and mow your lawn 30 times a year. And while you may not realize it, your lawn pays you back for all this hard work. It serves as a giant air conditioner to help cool your home. It releases a tremendous amount of oxygen and captures tons of dirt and dust to help keep you and your family healthy....

Nothing disrupts traffic faster than heavy snowfall. In regions where snow is a reoccurring part of life in the winter, snowplows keep interstates and side streets passable even during the worst storms. Unfortunately, many areas across the U.S. are facing a shortage of snowplow drivers that threatens to severely impact travel conditions this winter. According to the Associated Press, several states including Pennsylvania, Montana and Washington, all report difficulties finding snowplow drivers....

Peel-and-stick wallpaper has gained popularity as a DIY-friendly way to freshen up your walls. It lacks the longevity of traditional wallpaper, which is why it’s sometimes described as “temporary.” But it’s also generally easy to reposition and remove. Christer Bechtell, owner and wallpaper installer at Macuna Wallpapering, says some peel-and-stick papers peel and stick better than others. Some peel easily, which is good when you want to remove it. However, Bechtell says, some stick too well and can damage the wall when they come off....

The portmanteau Japandi may sound new, but its design origins decidedly are not. A mix of the words Japanese and Scandinavian, Japandi style has emerged as an interior design trend in recent years, alongside the rise of minimalist interiors, Marie Kondo and a return to natural materials in interior design. These design elements have been centuries in the making. What Is Japandi Style? Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer for Trendey, says Japandi smartly blends Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian functionality....

When you notice your vehicle’s engine knocking (sometimes perceived as a pinging sound), take measures to address the problem immediately before your engine is damaged. What Is Engine Knocking? Pinging, or knocking, is audible evidence of premature combustion happening in one or more cylinders. It’s a major problem with expensive consequences if you ignore it. A well-tuned engine depends on accurate timing to provide optimum power, efficiency, and wear. The rotating crankshaft alternately drives the piston up through the cylinder and then is driven back by the force of the piston as it descends....

It seems like almost every day you hear about a smart home device being hacked. While there are no firm numbers on how common it is for hackers to gain access through home hubs, smart speakers and other internet-connected devices, it does happen. If you suspect your home has been hacked, here are the steps you can take to deal with the intruder. 1. Don’t Panic The thought of a stranger getting access to your life is scary, but don’t panic....

Unless the parking lot at work has a shady spot to put your vehicle, you’re probably dealing with an incredibly hot car on the regular. Opening up your car after it’s been baking in the sun certainly isn’t a pleasurable experience. Not only does the inside of your car feel like a sauna, but every single thing you touch feels like it was recently boiling in hot water. Dealing with a hot car in the summertime is inevitable, but there has to be a better solution (kind of like these simple tricks that will keep your house cool all summer long)....

If you’re staring at your tired, old couch and longing for a change, now is the time to make it! Apt2B, a trendy and reliable home and furniture retailer, just launched its 10th Anniversary Sale. From now until April 26, everything on the site is 15 percent off. Depending on how much you spend, you can save even more — up to 25 percent! Every item is beautiful and well-made, and the site is easy to navigate....

Dry, fluffy carpet underfoot is certainly a comfort. When there’s a mishap involving water, don’t delay taking action. Water left to linger can cause mold growth among other problems that will zap the comfort right out of your carpet. But before you act, do a quick assessment of the situation to determine the best next steps. Factors to look at include: How saturated is the carpet (damp or soaked)? Is the damp area widespread across a room, or limited to a small section of carpet?...

Natalia Klenova/Shutterstock It may not be unusual to enjoy a drink in the garden. What is unusual—or was until recently when it started to become something of a fad—is growing ingredients for your drink. Leave the specialty hops to the basement brewmasters and the grapes to the boutique wineries, we’re talking about plants used in mixed drinks. In other words, a cocktail garden. If that sounds far-fetched, consider that many of the most common suspects are grown for culinary uses....

What is a Ceiling Fan Support Brace? Want to swap out one of the light fixtures in your ceiling for a ceiling fan? It’s definitely possible, but you’re going to need a ceiling fan support brace. Standard junction boxes can’t support the full weight of a ceiling fan. Without extra support, your ceiling fan will probably fall out and rip right through the drywall. A ceiling fan support brace reinforces the structural integrity of a junction box so the fan stays in place....