We’re all spending a lot more time inside these days, so it’s no surprise that concerns about maintaining good indoor air quality are top of mind for many families. While outdoor air may be smoggy or hazy with environmental impurities, the air we breathe inside our homes is just as important to our health and safety. Today, filtration, air purification and sterilization advancements seem to be rolling out at breakneck speed....
If you’re just starting to use an outdoor pizza oven, there are bound to be some burnt pizzas in your future. But that’s okay! Trial and error comes with learning to cook with a wood-fired oven, which can be more challenging than cooking with gas. To help you get warmed up, we’ve compiled eight tips and techniques to get the most out of your wood-fired pizza oven. Pizza Oven Tips for Choosing Wood Use seasoned (meaning air-dried) hardwoods for your fires — never pine or other conifers....
This show isn’t the only one to profit from security camera footage. People on TikTok and other media platforms have been sharing funny, scary, and puzzling security cam footage with a worldwide audience for some time. This has many people thinking: can my neighbor point their security camera at my backyard and capture embarrassing footage? We consulted with Justin Lovely, an attorney with experience in privacy law, to find out....
The year 2023 may be the best for homeowners buying a new heat pump. The new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes incentives for upgrading a home’s energy efficiency, including tax rebates and discounted purchasing. What Is a Heat Pump? While traditional furnaces generate warmth via flames or a heating element, a heat pump pushes existing heat into a colder region. Heat pumps channel excess heat out of your home during the summer and into it during the winter....
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring is a popular and durable option, but it must be cleaned properly to prevent unsightly cosmetic or permanent damage. Friends of mine found this out when they used a heavy-duty industrial string mop on their LVP floors. They unknowingly soaked the subfloor underneath, resulting in permanent damage. I interviewed two professional house cleaning experts — Alessandro Gazzo of Emily’s Maids in Dallas, and Alex Varela, general manager of Dallas Maids of Frisco in Frisco, Texas — to learn the best ways to clean LVP floors....
Minneapolis upholsterer Nate Van Hofwegen orders more fake leather than real leather for his projects. Fake is cheaper, he says, and less fussy to work with. Plus, he says, fake fares better when moisture is a factor, as with boats and motorcycle seats. And yet, real leather has always been in demand because it means quality. “There is nothing like the feel and smell of real leather,” says Van Hofwegen, owner of Nate’s Custom Sewing....
Travel can be stressful. Packing cubes are a simple and affordable way to alleviate some of the pressure. Whether you’re headed out on a solo adventure or a family vacation, packing cubes can keep you organized. Let’s take a look at what they are, how they work, and how to choose and using them. What Are Packing Cubes? Packing cubes are flexible, zip-closure containers that fit inside luggage to keep the contents organized....
It’s one of those classic holiday moments when you hold your breath and cross your fingers—plugging in the Christmas lights you carefully packed away last year. That was back when every light turned on without fail, and as luck would have it, now there are a couple of pesky ones that won’t comply. But before you turn into the Grinch, save the day (and save yourself a headache!) by fixing it right on the spot, thanks to this Christmas lights repair tool: the LightKeeper Pro....
Do you want endless style choices without the high price? Peel and stick flooring might be worth a try. It’s a quick, easy and low-commitment way to give your floors a makeover. Since it’s inexpensive and temporary, it’s ideal for rental units and low-budget remodels. Here’s what experts say you need to know about this flooring alternative. What Is Peel and Stick Flooring? Peel and stick flooring is exactly what it sounds like....
Here at The Family Handyman, the only power tool I use is a Mac computer. The real editors fire up their tools, build the projects, generate the dust and write their stories. As the copy editor, I fire up my Mac and—on a good day—succeed at translating their articles from Constructionese into something resembling real English. I confess that I’m also “tool phobic,” convinced that if I actually pick up, say, a circular saw, as soon as I squeeze the trigger, I’ll either ruin something expensive (“sorry about the cherry cabinets, dear!...
In the late 1980s, I carved out space for my first vegetable garden from a one-foot-wide strip of soil between my apartment patio and a small fence. I had never heard of mini vegetable plants or the idea of growing vegetables in containers, so I did my best to squeeze some green beans and a few tomato plants into that little space. There wasn’t room for much else. Today, someone with that same limited space can choose from dozens of mini vegetable varieties....
A Saw For The Ages: DeWalt 60-Volt MAX Circular Saw When I was a framing carpenter in Denver back in the day, pulling a mammoth “worm-drive” saw out of your truck and going to work was the sign you’d reached the big leagues. These monsters required Popeye forearms and a diet of canned spinach to operate, but they could cut through anything and were virtually indestructible. DeWalt 60-Volt MAX Circular Saw Details The DeWalt 60-volt MAX circular saw (model DCS575T2) is the cordless equivalent of these vintage brutes....
Few home projects are more rewarding to a DIYer than turning an unfinished basement or attic into comfortable, finished living space. Some attics provide a great spot for an additional living room, guest bedroom or activity area. One of the main considerations when finishing your attic is flooring. Choosing the right attic flooring — that is, if your attic can be finished at all — depends on structural elements and layout....
Saving money on vehicle tires doesn’t mean buying the cheapest model. Because today’s tires last longer, over time you’ll save money buying better, higher quality tires. Unfortunately, tires are one of the most expensive vehicle maintenance items. But there are several ways to save hundreds of dollars on them. Tires are one of your vehicle’s most critical systems, and they take a lot of abuse. Good tires are important to your car’s overall safety and driving comfort....
Tim Hogan, owner and president of WallpaperProPainting.com in Kansas, says plenty of his customers order the correct amount of wallpaper after doing their own measuring. However, he also says 30 to 40 percent of them get it wrong. Measuring for wallpaper is a completely DIY-friendly task. Hogan has a method he says delivers more accurate results than measuring square footage. And that’s what you want, right? How Much Wallpaper Do I Need?...
We are nearing salt season, the time of the year when municipalities and state transportation departments throughout the country work to make roads passable no matter the weather. For many locales, that means spreading road salt. Why Salt? Salt (sodium chloride, specifically) lowers the freezing temperature of water. Normally, water freezes at 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C. In many locations in the U.S., temperatures drop below these in the winter months....
Family Handyman Do you have a shed or other outbuilding that could use light and/or power? In many cases, running an underground cable from your house to the building is the most economical way to go. But if the building is a fair distance from the house, so that wiring it would be a hassle or a large expense, consider a solar-powered system. If you just need some light for putting away yard tools, you can get by with a simple system costing $100 or less....
You probably didn’t decide to break ground on a new home or cabin overnight. More likely, you’ve been dreaming about building for months (or years), bookmarking eye-catching designs and creating inspiration boards for everything from the kitchen to the kids’ rooms. Sure, it’s fun to browse images for style inspiration. But eventually you’ll need an actual design plan/blueprint that covers more mundane details, like where the mechanical systems, plumbing fixtures and electrical outlets will go....
Family Handyman DIY Terra-Cotta Planters To make these terra-cotta chimney flue planters, go to a brick supplier and buy 3-ft. lengths of clay chimney flue liner ($15 each). Cut the chimney tile to different heights using a circular saw fitted with an abrasive cutting wheel. You can put them on a deck or patio, or accent your yard wherever you like—just pick your spots and bury the ends in the soil a little....
So what do you do with a 30-year old cedar deck and a sagging dining room table? If you are Dennis Dever, you salvage the wood and build this behemoth woodworking bench. “Virtually all of the material used below the table top is from the old cedar decking. I used two 5/4” planks laminated together for framing. Smaller internal pieces like the drawer guides are cedar ripped down to desired thickness....
