Here’s our guide to improving, maintaining, and enjoying your house. With information on everything from home technology and reducing energy costs to outdoor living and working from home, these articles will help you care for your house and get the most out of living there.
If you live in a home built before 1980, you may be able to slash your energy costs by increasing your home’s insulation. Here’s what you need to know. How to know if you have enough insulation Energy awareness began rising in the 1970s. By 1980, homebuilders began increasing the amount of insulation in houses,… Read more »
Mosquitoes aren’t just the source of an irritating itch — they can also carry diseases such as the West Nile virus. Eradicating mosquitoes on your property is an important health exercise, as well as a way to make time spent outdoors more enjoyable. Read on for tips about getting rid of these pests. Prevention is… Read more »
No one likes emergency repairs, so ongoing home maintenance is important for preserving your property and keeping life peaceful. Water in the wrong places can be disastrous, so it’s vital to check on your plumbing regularly. Keep your pipes flowing — not flooding — with this guide to plumbing maintenance. Ongoing care Once a month,… Read more »
We’re kicking 2020 to the curb and showing some love for 2021 with a January to-do list to help you launch a successful new year. Here are 10 tips to a healthy home and a healthy you. When packing up the holiday decor, resist the urge to quickly toss everything into tubs and haul it… Read more »
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, scammers are preying upon people’s fear of the virus to steal their money and personal information. One way fraudsters do this is through contact tracing scams. Contact tracing is a legitimate method for limiting the spread of disease, but scammers are posing as contract tracers to rip people off…. Read more »
We all shut down our computers sometimes, if for no other reason than software updates require it. But what about your home server, modem, and router? Does your home network need to stay on all the time? Or are there advantages to shutting it down periodically? Advantages of shutting down The best time to shut… Read more »
Now that many Americans are working from home, we rely on our home computers more than ever. It may seem that as the world of information moves faster, your laptop’s performance seems slower than ever. You may be noticing that processing tasks take seconds or even minutes longer than they once did. What can you… Read more »
Safety needs to be the first element in a child’s bathroom design, but don’t forget to add a splash of fun. Knowing how quickly children grow, keep versatility in mind, allowing for quick and easy changes. From babies to teens, here are some ideas for creating bathrooms kids will love. Let them have a say… Read more »
Numerous options exist at every price point, but what’s the difference in pillows? Keep reading for a breakdown of sizes, shapes, and materials and how they affect your sleep quality. Why does a pillow matter? Believe it or not, your pillow can benefit your health and enhance your quality of life, not just improve your… Read more »
Outdoor plants take a beating during extreme conditions such as drought. How do you keep plants flourishing, despite the weather? Here are some survival tips on how to care for plants during a drought. Drought tolerant plant selection If you live in an area that tends to have long hot and dry summers, choose plants… Read more »
Faux finish painting became popular in the late 1990s as a way to break the monotony of flat wall colors. Sponge or rag painting, the “dry brush” technique, Venetian plaster, glazes…options are varied! But are faux paint finishes in or out? Most interior designers would agree, it is based on the application technique used and… Read more »
A living wall consists of plants hung vertically on a wall instead of on horizontal surfaces like tables, shelves, or the floor. Whether indoors or outdoors, living walls benefit your health and the ecosystem. If you want to include more green living in your home, here’s how to install a living wall. Where to begin?… Read more »
When it comes time to clean an area rug, particularly an oriental or antique one, can your carpet cleaner do the job? The answer is probably not. Here are the key differences between carpet and area rug care. Area rug and carpet differences More than 90 percent of wall-to-wall carpet is made of nylon fibers…. Read more »
Swimming pools can provide lots of relaxing family fun, but maintaining them requires time and money. Homeowners with children may find that when the kids grow up, interest in, and use of a backyard pool wanes. It’s possible to fill in or even remove an in-ground pool, and you may have good reasons for doing… Read more »
In today’s world of prolific online hackers, we all need to exercise due diligence to protect our personal information. The last few years have seen several massive hacks, including the Equifax data breach announced in September 2017. What can you do to protect yourself from hackers? And if your information was taken from Equifax several… Read more »
Pocket walls and doors, floating plumbing fixtures, mirrors that talk to you — all of these trends and more are new and creative ways to live large in limited space. Let’s take a peek at some fashionable home design trends that create space. Space-enhancing doors and walls An alternative to traditional swinging doors that take… Read more »
If your vacuum cleaner has a hose, it has attachments that work with that hose. But many vacuum owners don’t really know how to effectively use these tools, or in some cases, even where the tools have been stashed! Here’s how to use your vacuum’s attachments to clean up like a boss. The right tool… Read more »
If you’re a homeowner, the more you know about your house and its components, the better you can care for your investment. A roof provides one of humanity’s most basic needs: shelter. Here’s a quick primer on roof structure, styles, and materials. Basic roof structure The framing boards that form the pitch of a roof… Read more »
Dormer windows are a ubiquitous feature of American homes. You have seen these windows set into sloping roofs many times, but perhaps haven’t known what they are called. If you are building a new home or want to add dormers as part of a renovation, here’s what you need to know. The purpose of dormers… Read more »
In recent years, once-popular brass has taken a back seat to brushed nickel, stainless steel and oiled bronze when it comes to interior design. But brass is now shining once again. Read on to learn how brass is back! Home colors are getting warmer The return of brass comes on the heels of a return… Read more »
