“How much snow is safe for my roof?” The record-setting snowfall that we’ve received here in Minnesota raised concerns about how much snow a roof can hold. Should you remove snow from your roof to prevent a collapse? I have good news for you; there’s probably nothing to worry about. The required roof snow loads for Minnesota aren’t clearly spelled out anywhere, but the numbers can be found by using Table R301....
Alan Kidd/Shutterstock Do you really need to aerate your lawn? Aerating is one of the best things you can do for your lawn. The heavier the soil and the more traffic it gets, the more important lawn aeration is. Aerating breaks through thatch, the thick layer of dead plant material that can accumulate at the base of grass blades. It also breaks up the soil surface, allowing water and fertilizer to penetrate the ground and get to grass roots....
Courtesy of Milwaukee Tool Milwaukee Tool is all in on the construction trades. That message was made abundantly clear early on in the first episode of the tool company’s virtual trade show, Milwaukee Pipeline. Serving as a virtual stand-in for Milwaukee’s traditional annual new product symposium, the first of four Pipeline episodes highlighted all the company’s upcoming product releases, with a clear focus on helping construction professionals in their day-to-day lives....
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced it’s reexamining safety standards for working in the heat and expanding its efforts to protect workers from heat-related illnesses. As part of this initiative, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will work to ensure workplace heat standards are being enforced while developing new standards based on current climate science. “Throughout the nation, millions of workers face serious hazards from high temperatures both outdoors and indoors,” U....
What is a Wheeled Pipe Cutter? A wheeled pipe cutter (also called tubing cutter) looks similar to the letter “C” with a handle or knob extending from the side. Wheeled pipe cutters are used to cut pipes made from copper, brass, plastic and thin-walled electrical metal tubing (EMT). Unlike a saw, this tool makes a clean uniformed cut using a sharp metal wheel. Plumbers, electricians, HVAC workers, and use wheeled pipe cutters....
When you think of germs in your home, you might imagine the usual suspects: the toilet seat, the well-used cutting board, or the refrigerator drawer where you store your meat and poultry. But bacteria can live on some household objects that you’d never suspect. We’ve rounded up six of the dirtiest items in your home, along with tips on how to clean them. And let’s just say, you’ll probably be shopping for a new toothbrush by the time you finish reading this....
Via @5min.crafts/Facebook.com (3) Improvising appeals to many of us. Time-honored tricks like hanging a tennis ball in the garage so it hits the windshield before the car goes through the wall, or slipping rubber bands around a cutting board to keep it from sliding around the counter, make everyday life better. In that vein, attempting to restore a decayed or broken top battery post with a zucchini may sound ridiculous. But does it work?...
sunfe/Shutterstock In every group of friends, there’s at least one person who loves sparkle. When it’s their birthday, you wrap their gift in a shimmering bag and decorate with glittery balloons…which likely means you’ll also be finding glitter in your hair and on your clothes for days. If you are this sparkle lover or if you live with one, then maybe it’s time to take that affection to the next level with glitter paint!...
Spring is right around the corner, and if your family is like many in the U.S., you might be planning to enjoy the upcoming pleasant weather close to home. For families with young children, a backyard swing set provides a way for kids to burn off some energy while staying safe and socially distanced. So many kids are spending so much more time at home that swing set sales are booming....
Home improvement has surged in popularity since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and many homeowners are looking at ways they can better function in their space. While you may want to knock out that wall between the kitchen and dining room, or maybe add another bathroom, funding those huge home projects becomes, well, a project in itself. Major renovations or additions can cost tens of thousands or more, making a loan option likely for many homeowners....
Family Handyman Easy-Clean Carpet It’s no fun trying to clean a dirty carpet. Even with frequent vacuuming, it’s hard to remove dirt deeply embedded into the matted fibers. Recently I came across Mohawk Air.o hypoallergenic carpet, flooring that claims to release more dust and dirt with each vacuuming, thanks to its unique design with better airflow. This sounded like a great concept to test. So I bought a two-yard sample of the Air....
Start your discount shopping engines. Labor Day Weekend is fast approaching, and retailers from The Home Depot to Best Buy already have slashed prices on big ticket items like appliances, lawn mowers, grills and mattresses. Of course, the Lowe’s Labor Day Sale jumps in with the season’s best deals on must-haves such as patio furniture, home security devices, power tools and more — all at amazingly low prices. All About the Lowe’s Labor Day Sale With rollbacks that will knock your DIY socks off, Lowe’s Labor Day Sale event is the place to shop for everything you need to complete projects around the house and yard....
LUIS PADILLA-Fotografia/Shutterstock What Happens When You Flush a Goldfish Down the Toilet If you think you’re releasing your goldfish back into the wild when you flush it down the toilet, think again. You’re most likely killing it within a couple of minutes because of the way city water is treated. That’s if they make it that far. Typically the cold water of the toilet puts the fish into shock. These are 15 things you should never flush down the toilet....
If you like the idea of wood heat but aren’t keen on maintaining a wood pile or cleaning and loading wood into a stove, you may be a good candidate for a pellet stove. My friends live in a cold valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, and they’ve had a pellet stove for years. Whenever I visit in the winter, I find them comfortably lounging in front of it, enjoying the heat and the flames....
Francesco Scatena/Shutterstock Your home is your safe haven—a place where you can relax, put your feet up and enjoy time with family. However, your home can harbor hidden threats in the air you breathe. Here are four reasons you should do a home air quality test. Find Allergy and Asthma Triggers A home air quality test will determine if your home’s air has mold and mildew, which can cause breathing issues, along with skin irritation....
Aging gets absolutely all of us at some point. The only part of aging that has really affected my furniture making is my grip while I’m clamping; particularly when I use clamps with small-diameter, round wooden handles. I make a lot of live-edge tables that need some creative—and fast—clamping so that all my joints are snug before the glue dries. My solution takes a little time but once it’s done, clamping is a breeze....
Two 18th-century inventions made it possible for every household to have clean, sanitary plumbing, and you probably won’t guess what they are. Yes, toilets and pressurized water systems were perfected around that time. But we’re talking about P-traps and drain venting, which really revolutionized plumbing. As important as they are to a functioning plumbing system, they’re also responsible for many of the clogs homeowners face today. A P-trap holds a pool of water that blocks sewer gases from entering the home, while the inverted “P” is a magnet for food waste, grease, hair and soap....
Even on well plowed roads, winter driving is a prepare your car for winter business. If your vehicle is only equipped with all-season tires and you’re braving deep snow or smooth ice, it’s fairly likely you’ll get stuck or slide off the road. Even snow tires, although definitely better than all-season ones at dealing with wintry roads, won’t help you much once the snow becomes more than a couple inches deep....
Family Handyman What to do with half-used caulk tubes Don’t discard half-used caulk tubes just because the nozzle is plugged up with dried caulk. Slit the nozzle on both sides and pry out the plug. Then tape the nozzle halves back together with electrical tape and get back to work. Thanks to Larry Stewart for this salvager’s delight. Clean the Spout With a Screw Tape Before Caulking Choose the Right Caulk for the Job Siding, windows and doors: Polyurethane is best....
Robot vacuums have only been around since 2002, but they’ve quickly gained legions of fans. And their popularity continues to grow. A California-based research firm predicts a 17.7 percent compound annual growth rate in robot vacuum market size between now and 2027 as more and more households purchase them. That’s hardly a surprise when you consider that robot vacuums essentially eliminate vacuuming as a household chore. But while robot vacuums are super low maintenance, it does help to choose the right robot vacuum for your unique needs....
