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File this under “What are they going to come up with next?” Because the umbrella ShadeCraft Robotics just unveiled is mind blowing in a lot of ways. The features are out of this world because this things does just about everything except your laundry. It’ll fit in nicely among the top 50 home tech products you need to add. The Blossom uses solar power and is even functional on cloudy days because it will store power while you play music through its Bluetooth enabled audio system....

For most homeowners, peeling paint is a mystery. All the DIY and how-to shows online and on TV typically focus on starting from scratch, or at least with a good foundation. So, what do you do if you encounter failing paint in your home, especially if your home was supposedly “professionally” painted? Aesthetic Failure If you’re dealing with failing paint, you’ll notice one of two types of frustrating flaws: On This Page...

In 2007 I got a call that changed my whole perspective on lumber. I’d been designing and building furniture for five years, buying wood from a great lumberyard. Then my pal from grade school called me. He had a healthy red oak that needed to come down and was wondering if I could use the wood for furniture. Before then, I hadn’t thought of milling my own lumber from a tree....

Stefan Holm/Shutterstock You won’t believe some of the lengths people will go to prevent squirrels from reaching bird feeders. Twirl-a-Squirrel Droll Yankee’s squirrel-proof bird feeder has provided plenty of material for YouTube, and it’s an interesting contraption. It holds a battery powered motor that gets activated when a squirrel hops on and starts spinning. Check out this sure-fire method to prevent squirrels from digging in your potted plants. Mission Impossible Someone got creative to build a Mission Impossible-inspired obstacle course to keep squirrels from reaching their bird feeders....

Family Handyman When you think of unwanted plants, weeds like dandelions, quack grass and others that bully their way into your yard and garden probably come to mind. But occasionally a seedy character appears that takes over the garden, triggers itching, or causes a whopper of a stomachache (or worse) if eaten. So how do you know what plants to avoid in your landscape? Start by identifying what’s already growing and make sure none of them made this blacklist....

For someone who rarely camps, I own too much camping equipment. But I feel no guilt; this gear is so darn functional. Camping lanterns may be the best example of that. If you’ve ever lost power in your home or apartment, you’d appreciate owning at least one of these emergency lights. They’re safer than candles, easier to use and store, and much more versatile. I tried out four brands and styles of LED camping lanterns....

bellena/Shutterstock Nothing is more relaxing than a Saturday stroll to the local farmer’s market. While you’re picking up some heirloom tomatoes, treat yourself to a bouquet of farmer’s market flowers. Grown locally and often free of pesticides, you can’t beat their freshness, fragrance and variety. So how do you pick the best stems, and make them last once you’re home? Here’s everything you need to know about farmer’s market flowers....

An outdoor bench can be a place to read, relax and reflect, or it can be ornamental. How much you pay for it depends on function. “Customers spend more on outdoor benches they use and less on benches that are decorative,” says Jill Jacobson, senior buyer at Bachman’s Floral, Gift and Garden in Minneapolis, Minnesota. People may like the notion of unwinding on an outdoor bench, but Jacobson says it often ends up a decoration....

For as long as I can remember, a reciprocating saw with a demo blade has been the go-to combination for teardowns or demolition tasks. The makeup of these blades make them ideal for cutting through all kinds of materials — siding, laminated panels, PVC and nail embedded lumber — without quickly dulling or tearing apart. In the last few years I’ve started seeing circular saw blades hit the market with this same demolition purpose in mind....

What is Flux? Flux is part of a dynamic duo of products that allows you to connect copper pipe and fittings by “sweating” or “soldering.” Flux is an acidic paste that comes in a little round tin. The soldering process begins by cleaning the inside (or female portion) of the fitting and the outside (or male portion) of the pipe with a stiff brush and fine grit emery paper. The paste is then applied to the fitting and pipe with a small brush and then the two parts are fitted together....

Hill Street Studios/Getty Images The Department of Labor recently announced a rule proposal that would clarify the definition of an independent contractor. The proposed rule would, among other things, adopt an “economic reality” test to determine a worker’s status. The test would consider whether a worker is in business for themselves (making them an independent contractor) or is economically dependent on an employer (making them an employee). “The Department’s proposal aims to bring clarity and consistency to the determination of who’s an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” said Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia....

If you are wondering whether cockroaches fly, the answer is yes — for some species. While not all cockroaches have wings, many do, and they use their wings for safety and travel. When dealing with flying cockroaches, the search for a strong pest control solution becomes more difficult. What are Flying Cockroaches Many species of cockroaches have wings, but quite a few are poor fliers or don’t fly at all. Some will use their wings to glide from high locations to lower ones, while others lean primarily on their legs....

Furnace filters designed to act as whole-house air filters add stress to the blower in an HVAC system by impeding airflow. Two design adjustments at installation can resolve this issue and potentially prevent an off-hours call from an unhappy customer. The Filter Effect The blower filter in a typical HVAC installation has one job: to protect the blower from damage caused by dirt and debris entering the system. Furnace-filter manufacturers, capitalizing on tighter home construction and homeowners’ desire for clean indoor air, market filters labeled “Better” and “Best” which focus on indoor air quality....

Intense summer heat can shrivel up a garden in no time. And rain is not always timely. These tips will help keep your home landscape looking fresh and lively. Test the Soil Amending soil is key to plant health, particularly the amount of nutrients and moisture it holds. Use a soil test kit to determine what your soil is like. Specifically, you want to know the pH and whether the soil is lacking key nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium....

Construction Pro Tips Starting a new job in any trade can be a nerve-wracking experience. There is a lot to know, and unless you went to trade school or technical college, most of what you need to know will be learned on the job. To help out, we talked to a former lead carpenter and current Family Handyman set-builder Josh Risberg to find out what five things he wished he had known when starting out as a rookie carpenter....

Did you know mold in your basement can affect the upstairs living areas of your home? It can. Should you be concerned? What can you do about mold in your basement? I talked with Michael Rubino, author of The Mold Medic: an Expert’s Guide on Mold Removal and founder of HomeCleanse, to answer these important questions. Should I Worry About Mold in the Basement? Yes. Molds can cause health problems and damage property, so it’s important to take care of it quickly....

When it’s frigid outside and you have to drive to some sort of destination, there’s only one solution to fighting the ridiculous cold: Warm up the car. Just start it up a few minutes before hopping in, giving your cabin and your engine time to warm up before hitting the road. Plus, it’s supposed to be good for the life of your engine, right? Wrong! Warming up your car in winter before driving it is actually terrible for your engine....

In most parts of the U.S., winter means the end of outdoor pool enjoyment. Proper pool winterization involves testing and balancing pool chemicals. You’ll also need to clean your filters as part of periodic winter maintenance. Baking soda is a common agent used to maintain the pool. There are three main types of pool filtration systems: sand, dichotomous earth (DE) and cartridge. While all have their pros and cons, cartridge filtration systems are generally regarded as effective and easy to maintain with minimal technical know-how....

Salamanders hold a mythical place in human history. Long associated with fire, salamanders show up in writings from Aristotle to Ray Bradbury, who used a salamander motif for his firefighter protagonist in Fahrenheit 451. Why fire? Imagine an ancient traveler, stopping in the woods to build a fire for the night. Salamanders live in dead logs and forest debris, and if their home gets tossed into a fire, they’ll run. An early fire-builder might conclude salamanders “came from” the fire, or were fireproof....

Students starting the academic year at U.S. colleges and universities are living through strange times indeed. Life, work and education must go on, but the risk of contracting COVID-19 on campus simply can’t be overlooked. So whether you’re returning to school or just starting your journey in higher education, you need to know how to stay safe and healthy in college. From skipping most social activities to sanitizing your dorm room, here are our tips for managing the pandemic....