Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 119)

A home security camera is featured front and center, with a smart phone screen in the foreground.
Exterior

Airbnb Hosts: These Are the 10 Security Gadgets Criminals Don’t Want You to Have

These essential security gadgets can be an attractive part of your Airbnb listing, making criminals (both intruders and bad renters) think twice about targeting your short-term rental.

eco friendly bioclimatic aluminum pergola shade structure, awning and patio shades
Deck, Patio & Porch

The Best Patio Shades for Protecting Your Outdoor Space from the Sun

Spruce up, cool down, and add welcome sun protection to an outdoor space with one of these useful patio shades.

A person using a Bostitch finish nailer attached to the Bostitch Air Compressor during testing.
Building & Installing

Bostitch Air Compressor: Tested Review of the Popular Pancake Model

Portable pancake air compressors are popular with DIYers, but are they worth the investment? Find out what happened when I put a best-selling model to the test.

Female plumber with toolbox open troubleshooting water pressure at the kitchen sink.
DIY

Solved! What Is Water Hammer, and How Can I Fix It?  

Hear a loud banging in your pipes? The culprit is likely water hammer. Here’s how to stop the racket and save your pipes along the way.

A row of circuit breakers and red and blue wires on the best circuit breaker.
Electrical and Plumbing Work

The Best Circuit Breakers for Homes, Businesses, RVs, and Boats

These simple devices are the cornerstone of electrical safety. We explain how to choose the right type for almost any application.

A woman gardening in her backyard xeriscape with native wildflowers.
Landscaping

18 Native Plants to Grow in Xeriscape Gardens (By Region)

Growing perennial flowers has never been this easy! These xeriscaping plants will grow and bloom even if you forget to water them.

The Rejuvenate All Floors Cleaner next to a mop during testing to clean a wood floor.
Cleaning

Rejuvenate All Floors Cleaner Review: Does This Gentle Formula Work?

This floor cleaner is effective on most hard floor types and is safe around kids and pets. A simple spray bottle dispenser allows for quick and efficient floor cleaning.

11 “Zero Dollar” Ways to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets
Interior

11 “Zero Dollar” Ways to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets

You don’t need unlimited funds to put a stopper on overflowing kitchen cabinets. These 11 DIYs can transform even the most cluttered cupboard into an organizational oasis—all with near zero cost, time, or effort.

9 Handy Uses for Your Cordless Drill/Driver
DIY

9 Handy Uses for Your Cordless Drill/Driver

Some folks swear by their wet saws for cutting tile, while others couldn’t bear to part with their trim router. But there's at least one power tool that any DIYer worth his salt keeps within reach and uses at least weekly—the cordless drill and driver. It’s portable and can be used for everything from hanging pictures to framing a house. But to those in the know, a cordless drill can help out with plenty of other tasks as well. Its rotating motor and adjustable chuck mean you can insert all kinds of things and make them spin—and this flexibility, it turns out, can be quite handy. Here are 9 new ways to use a cordless drill/driver.

The 20 Best (and Most Unusual) B&Bs in America
Design

The 20 Best (and Most Unusual) B&Bs in America

Planning your next escape? Venture beyond the familiar hotels to uncover the best-kept secrets in vacation destinations. These 20 bed-and-breakfasts around the country offer luxurious lodgings, warm hospitality, and daring style and character that promise to make your stay a memorable one.

Flowering common chickweed growing outdoors.
Lawn & Garden

How to Get Rid of Chickweed Naturally

Stop chickweed from taking over your lawn—and keep it away—using these natural methods.

Lowe's SpringFest Deals
Lawn & Garden

Take Up to 50% Off Lawn and Garden Essentials During Lowe’s SpringFest

Get ready for incredible deals on mulch, gardening beds , power tools, and more.

Lowe’s store associates went door-to-door in Little Rock, Arkansas, to pass out supplies and help residents clean up.
Backup Generators

How Lowe’s Helps You Prepare for Natural Disasters

Lowe’s offers online resources, installation and repair support, and other services that can help you get ready before disaster strikes—and clean up after a major weather event.

A person uses a voltage meter reading "235" on the back of an unscrewed, but connected, wall outlet.
Interior

What’s the Difference Between Amps, Volts, and Watts?

Learn how to differentiate between these common electrical terms, as well as how to calculate each one.

Vintage home being remodeled.
DIY

Fixing a Flip: 9 Hidden Problems a Flipped Home Might Be Covering Up

If you're buying a flip house, don't just be dazzled by the gleaming new countertops and gold-plated fixtures. Look at what lies beneath the surface, too.

A-black-and-white-sign-with-the-word-Auction-sits-along-a-street-in-a-treed-neighborhood.
Building & Installing

Demolition Auction Sales: Deals to Jump On—and Steer Clear Of

One of the best places to find affordable hidden gems for your home is an auction estate sale. However, make sure you come prepared.

Climbing yellow roses growing near a brick house.
Lawn & Garden

Incredible Types of Roses to Consider Planting in Your Home Landscape

Though “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” you’ll still want to know the correct category and class names of your rose types to give them the proper care.

A person pours hydrogen peroxide into a garden watering can.
Lawn & Garden

How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Plants (Hint: Experts Say Sparingly)

Can the “boil and bubble” of hydrogen peroxide on plants eliminate plant problems as if by magic, or is that just a bewitching fantasy?

Open storm cellar door. Horizontal.
Interior

Is Your Basement Tornado-Ready? How to Prep the Space—And What to Keep on Hand

Which part of the basement offers the best shelter from a tornado? What emergency supplies should you keep in the basement? An American Red Cross expert explains how to prep your home's lowest level.

Home destroyed by a tornado
Interior

How to Stay Safe in a Tornado—and What to Do in the Aftermath

What are the signs that a tornado might be headed your way, and where's the safest place to shelter? An American Red Cross expert offers tips for weathering the storm.