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Dog smells stink. Worse, some of these temporarily unpleasant odors can seep into your furniture, carpet and flooring, resulting in long-term issues. Sometimes it can be tough to notice these smells in your home if you’ve gotten used to them. But your guests will, and so will potential buyers if you decide to sell your home. By nature, dogs can be messy creatures. They play outside and sometimes have accidents in the house, especially as puppies....

Bad for butterflies, no. Bad for the local ecosystem, maybe. But there are steps you can take to offset potential problems. The fact is, butterflies love butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), which reliably produces nectar-rich flowers for a long period of time. Gardeners love it, too, because it’s tough, undemanding and offers plenty of those aforementioned flowers. The Problem With Butterfly Bush Problem is, those flowers eventually turn to seed. And before you know it, butterfly bush is on the march....

Karin Jaehne/Shutterstock Putting a bucket outside to catch water while it rains may not seem like a huge deal. But in more than a dozen states, it actually is. State legislatures established rules on catching rainwater, and what you can or can’t use the water for. So if you’ve built a rain barrel for your home, be sure to review local laws to make sure you’re in compliance. Why Is Water Collection a Big Deal?...

If your home is suffering from moisture issues or your allergies are suddenly acting up, it may be time to bring home a dehumidifier. Humidifiers have gained a lot of popularity in the last few years by making homes less dry in the winter, but there are times when we prefer a dry indoor atmosphere—especially when it comes to mold prevention. Luckily, dehumidifier sales make it easy to score an air-quality must-have for less....

Woodworking encompasses many different tasks. What may be an essential tool for one woodworker may go dusty and unused in another’s shop. To a newbie, all these tool choices can be overwhelming. But no matter what type of woodworking you’re interested in, there are some basic skills universal to all. Every woodworker needs to cut, drill, shape, fasten, measure and finish, and requires the right tools to accomplish each task....

via amazon.com From a cost, look and home automation standpoint, there is little difference but a more in-depth look shows a disparity in philosophy and growth. On This Page What Do They Do? Is There a Price Difference? So, What ARE the Differences Between the Two? Google Home relies on its comprehensive knowledge to get you to where you want to go. For the Google Home, think about your search terms on google....

Family Handyman Window condensation is a nuisance, but worse yet it can cause damage to your window and wood trim finishes, and may be a warning of an even more destructive problem. What causes window condensation Fog or frost on your windows is caused by condensation. Condensation happens when the temperature of the glass is at or below the dew point of the air in your house. If the glass temperature in below freezing, then frost will form on your windows....

Family Handyman Cleaning Baseboards Baseboards often get overlooked and only get noticed when they’re looking particularly dirty. Left without cleaning, baseboards can get pretty dusty and grimy, so you definitely want to include them in your spring cleaning routine. Fortunately, cleaning baseboards is easy. We’ll show you how to clean baseboards quickly and efficiently. This is how often your should be cleaning everything in your house. Here’s how to clean baseboards: Tools Needed for Cleaning Baseboards Dish soap Water Bucket Microfiber cloth Cotton swabs Bath towel or yoga mat How to Clean Baseboards Easily: To begin, move all furniture away from the walls....

In recent years, smokeless fire pits have gone from a niche item favored by outdoor enthusiasts to popular must-haves. If you’ve seen a smokeless fire pit in action, this surge in popularity will come as no surprise. Campfires are far more enjoyable without shuffling around to avoid a face full of smoke! But smokeless fire pits take slightly more maintenance than conventional designs. And because they’re not cheap, you may be wondering how to keep one clean and functional to ensure years of enjoyable, smoke-free gatherings....

Retractable Ratchet Straps via homedepot.com Get these straps today. Deck Fastening Made Easy via amazon.com This new deck fastening system features a drive attachment you can use with a drill you already own, while standing. The Camo Drive drill attachment uses collated strip screws that automatically advance so you’re ready for the next screw right away. The tool comes with three fastening guides to fasten deck boards in three different ways: For solid wood decking, the edge guide hides fasteners on the edge of the board....

Cars typically require a tire pressure of 30 to 35 psi (pounds of force per square inch). The recommended psi for your car is the ideal tire pressure year-round; there aren’t different numbers for summer or winter. The temperature does affect tire pressure, however. So when the temperature drops, you might be inflating your tires more often to maintain ideal tire pressure in cold weather. How Does Cold Weather Affect Tire Pressure?...

Due to the potential health and climate issues associated with natural gas, some U.S. cities are banning gas-powered appliances in new construction projects or phasing them out with incentive programs. At the same time, electric dryers are becoming more popular. Electric dryers produce heat in a different way. Instead of a gas jet, electric dryers employ a heating element and blower to generate and dispense the hot air to dry your clothes....

skynesher/getty images It pays to be connected, perhaps now more so than ever before. Most construction pros, especially those running a small business or those actively courting clients amid uncertain times, cannot afford to be stuck in an area without access to the internet. Missing important updates and communications through email and texts is bad for business. Having access to reliable and fast internet can be the difference between securing a bid and missing out on a project....

One of the worst things about working on your car or motorcycle after work is showing up to the office the next day with dirt and grime still in every crevice of your hands. I’ve tried many of the degreasing hand soaps out there, but they often leave my hands feeling chemical-ridden and dry. Recently, a friend and fellow Family Handyman editor told me about an all-natural degreasing hand soap called Grime....

Last Friday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will no longer require employers to record instances of COVID-19 vaccination side effects among their employees. “OSHA does not wish to have any appearance of discouraging workers from receiving COVID-19 vaccination, and also does not wish to disincentivize employers’ vaccination efforts,” read the updated OSHA guidelines. “As a result, OSHA will not enforce 29 CFR 1904’s recording requirements to require any employers to record worker side effects from COVID-19 vaccination through May 2022....

Storm windows, installed on the exterior or interior of existing windows, are a relatively inexpensive way to insulate your home and prolong window life. So, what is a storm window? And why do people use them? Decide if storm windows are right for you with this storm window buying guide. What Is a Storm Windows? What is a storm window? It’s not all that different from a regular window. Storm windows, with frames made of wood, aluminum or PVC (vinyl) and glass or acrylic sheet glazing, are inserted in the interior or exterior frame of existing windows....

Outdoor cooking is great, especially in summer, when folks fire up their grills to produce flavorful meats, veggies, even pizza. Gas grills offer a fast and convenient way to make delicious meals and cool memories for yourself and family. Learn all about gas grills right here. What Is a Gas Grill? Gas grills are the outdoor cooking appliances fueled by propane or natural gas. Most come with a lidded cook box mounted in a wheeled cart for portability....

Home builders need to complete many soil tests before building on a new plot of land. One of the most common tests is a percolation (perc) test. Percolation tests provide necessary information about the ground you’re building on, and they’re even required by some municipalities. So what is a perc test? Here, we’ll discuss the details. What Is a Percolation Test? A perc test is a soil test that measures water absorption....

Even if you’ve never heard the term, you’ve probably seen a gabion wall. The word gabion comes from the Italian gabbione, or “big cage,” and gabion walls are just that — wire mesh cages filled with loose stone (also called riprap), gravel, or other masonry material. We know — you’re now saying to yourself, “So that’s what they’re called!” Read on to learn more. What Is a Gabion Wall? Gabion walls are most frequently used as retaining walls or as tall, vertical walls in industrial settings, such as bridges, embankments and seawalls....

fstop123/Getty Images Has your central air conditioner suddenly stopped blowing cool air? Here are some simple steps to help you troubleshoot the problem if your central air conditioner isn’t cooling properly. Terminology Before we begin, let’s have a quick refresher course on central AC. On This Page Air conditioners work by compressing a fluid refrigerant, causing it to move between two sets of metal coils. Air is drawn across the cold coils (the evaporator coils) and then blown back into the home through a series of ducts and dampers....