If you have excessive moisture entering your basement through the walls or floor, it’s likely a groundwater issue. The first step in remedying this situation should be examining your gutters, downspouts and soil grading. They’re an easy, affordable fix. But if those elements are in good shape, you should look into a drain tile system. This lesser-known feature is a powerful defensive barrier that directs water away from your home and keeps your basement dry....
Installing an in-ground pool costs upward of $30,000. It’s an eye-catching addition to your landscaping, and it makes your house the go-to hangout spot among friends and family. But is it worth the investment? Will a pool add value to your home? Like any home improvement, a well-designed pool should increase your property value, but the reality depends on several factors. Here, experts explain four things that affect the monetary worth of a backyard pool....
Average Lifespan of Your Appliances Healthy appliances contribute to a smoothly operating household — that is, until they don’t. People often take these big-ticket workhorses for granted, ignoring routine maintenance and the time that has passed since installation. This can shorten appliance lifespan and require you to spring for a new one, perhaps before you’re financially ready. On This Page It’s also worth noting that lifespans for most major appliances have decreased significantly over the past 25 years, mainly due to the additional bells and whistles in today’s electronically-controlled models....
Amco Pest Solutions, Inc. House pests such as termites or ants are no fun. Termites are one of the most infamous, with an infestation easy to spot by a swarm of flying insects. But not all swarming insects are termites, however. Have you considered flying ants? The two differ, so let’s help you decipher difference between flying ants and termites. Flying Ants Flying ants, also called carpenter ants, are winged swarmers with elbowed antennae, pinched waists and hind wings smaller than their front wings....
Corner tubs have been around for awhile, but they aren’t exactly common. However, with more people wanting to create a spa-like bathroom in their home, a corner tub might be the best choice if space is limited. A corner tub is a great way to get the most out of your bathroom’s square footage. What Is a Corner Tub Like the name implies, a corner tub is a bathing vessel that fits into corners, angles or oddly-shaped spaces....
A strong economy with low interest rates fueled expectations for a hot housing market in the spring and summer of 2020. Then the COVID-19 virus reached the United States, and things changed. Stay-at-home orders, virus transmission concerns and mass layoffs not seen in nearly a century turned the economy upside down. Conditions were primed for a recurrence of a housing collapse resembling the Great Recession, but surprisingly, that didn’t happen....
If you own your home, you know homeowners insurance is a must. From fires to weather-related damages, take a look at the five most common homeowners insurance claims. Wind and Hail Damage Wind and hail damage caused the most insurance claims between the years 2014 and 2018, according to the Insurance Information Institute. In addition to damage caused by hurricanes and tornadoes, thunderstorms created widespread wind-related claims. The average claim came in at $11,200....
dontree_m/Getty Images The impact of the coronavirus is being felt around the world. The disease has affected global markets, complicated international travel and may even lead to the cancellation of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. Despite the coronavirus’ prevalence on an international level, the disease has yet to make as much of an impression on daily life in the United States. There is one area, though, in which it has already made a significant mark on several American industries, including the construction industry....
I first became fascinated with wood carving at age seven when my mother told me the story of how my father proposed. They were driving along a quiet country road in my dad’s 1968 Ford Mercury in the mid 1980s. During a natural break in the conversation, my dad reached under the seat and produced a lemon-sized object wrapped in cloth. Handing it to my mother, he asked her to unwrap it as he drove....
Responsible ownership of outdoor power equipment involves regular maintenance, and winterizing is one of the most important maintenance steps. The process varies depending on the kind of equipment and how it’s powered. Why Winterize Outdoor Equipment? Preventing internal engine corrosion and deterioration is the main reason to winterize gas-powered outdoor equipment, but the work also provides a good chance to deal with dirt, wear and damage that may have occurred over the summer season....
There’s no denying traditional wooden decks are beautiful, especially when they’re well-built and meticulously maintained. Trouble is, warding off mold, mildew and keeping the finish looking like new is a big pain. That’s where plastic decking and deck tiles come in. First appearing on the construction scene in the early 2000s, PVC plastic decking is slowly growing in popularity. Back in 2010, it made up only 10 percent of the decking market....
panuwat phimpha/Shutterstock Learn about the top Alexa voice commands you need to know. But there’s a vast smart home rabbit hole beyond, where refrigerators send low-milk alerts and solicitors stand idly on porch stoops, having been quickly identified by the security camera out front. Looking for a great smart security camera? We have a few ideas. If you’re ready to push your smart home boundaries, you’ll need a working knowledge of wireless standards, also known as smart home networking protocols....
Spray foam and foam board insulation are staples in the building trades for climate-proofing homes, so it’s ironic that a climate event caused a disruption in supplies. You may have noticed it’s hard to find foam insulation products these days. Given increasingly uncertainty in global trade, it’s probably wise to have alternatives in mind. Spray foam can be used for lots of things besides insulation, and you might need alternatives for these as well....
You know the feeling. You’re sweeping your basement or cleaning your garage and a big spider scurries out from under your broom. What is it? Do you need to do anything except jump and maybe give a little shriek? If it’s a wolf spider, there’s no reason for concern. That’s according to Michael Thome, an associate certified entomologist with Western Exterminator. “They’re scary looking, but they really won’t bother you unless you bother them,” he says....
If you’ve ever stayed at a rustic cabin or roadside motel, do you remember the sound the mattress made? It’s somewhere between a high-pitched squeak and a creak, and it didn’t take much to generate it. These old mattresses almost always had box springs that contributed to the noise. If you’ve heard of box springs but never really knew what they were, here’s what you need to know. What Is a Box Spring?...
Monstera deliciosa: The name sounds like something out of Harry Potter’s spellbook. You’ve probably heard it referred to by its more common name, Swiss cheese plant, which gives a better description of this striking houseplant with holes and deep cuts in its massive leaves. Those holes are technically called fenestration, also used in reference to windows — which is probably why it’s also called window leaf plant. You’ll also hear it called split-leaf philodendron....
As we’ve heard consistently over the past three years, air purifiers can help protect against the spread of COVID-19. And as we enter into the fourth year of the pandemic, with new variants on the rise, many households are more concerned than ever about the cleanliness of their air. Unfortunately, CDC-approved portable high-efficacy particulate air (HEPA) cleaners can be expensive at $300 to $600 each. While you can certainly buy cheaper options, they may not be as effective....
Millennial homebuyers are becoming a “dominant force” in the high-end housing market, according to a report by Bloomberg. Millennials buying their first home will pay 39 percent more than baby boomers did in the 1980s, according to a study by Student Loan Hero. That’s causing many millennials to wait longer to buy homes, so they can save up for a down payment and pay off debt. However, wealthy millennials are bucking the trending of first purchasing a “starter home....
Extend the life of your outdoor furniture, planters and other items made of wood with this simple tip: Mix up a batch of epoxy and spread it on the parts of, in this case, a wood bench that come in contact with the ground—especially end-grain pieces. The epoxy will create a tight seal, keeping out moisture, dirt and other elements that can weather the wood quickly. It also forms a hard, durable surface, similar to furniture pads but for the outdoors....
Whether you’ve considered them or not, there are practical reasons for doing household cleaning chores in a certain order. Take vacuuming vs. dusting. The goal of both is to get rid of dust and dirt, but each can stir up more of both. So, should you vacuum first or dust first? We spoke to cleaning experts to illuminate the debate. Should You Vacuum First? Maybe a parent taught you to vacuum first, because the machine kicks up dust from the floor that you can later capture by dusting....
