News (Page 8)

The scoop on what's happening in the world of home improvement.

Latest in News

Bob Vila’s 75 Best Tips for Homeowners

Bob Vila’s 75 Best Tips for Homeowners

By BobVila.com Staff

A woman lays marble contact paper onto a kitchen counter.

Updating Kitchen Countertops With Contact Paper: What to Know

By Savannah Sher, Updated by Paul Rankin

A girl paints a wall with white paint hand with roller for painting close up.

Painting & Finishing

Can You Paint Over Mold?

By Katie Flannery, Evelyn Auer, Updated by Paul Rankin

7 Things to Know About Hugelkultur Gardening

By Nicole Shein

Wood stain and materials needed to stain pressure treated wood.

How to Stain Pressure-Treated Wood

Person holds a trowel that contains granules of plant fertilizer.

What Do Fertilizer Numbers Mean?

By Mark Wolfe, Teresa Odle

A white interior door is ajar.

4 Fixes for a Door That Won’t Latch

By Timothy Dale

Why Is My House So Humid

Why Is My House so Humid?

By Melissa Maynard de Kerch, Evelyn Auer, Updated by Teresa Odle

Illustrated map of United States labeled with color coded plant hardiness zones.

Understanding USDA Plant Hardiness Zones

By Glenda Taylor, Gretchen Heber

A man squats to collect pine mulch and put it in a bucket.

Guide to Using Pine Straw Mulch

By Mark Wolfe, Updated by Gretchen Heber

Grill on the garden, close-up.

Outdoor Kitchens

How to Start a Charcoal Grill

By Kat Hodgins, Tom Scalisi

Woman uses spray bottle of vinegar solution to spray weeds in a crack in driveway.

Does Vinegar Really Kill Weeds?

By Meghan Wentland

13 Ideas for a Vegetable Garden With Serious Curb Appeal

13 Ideas for a Vegetable Garden With Serious Curb Appeal

By Savannah Sher

Balcony deck with patio furniture and metal railings.

Deck, Patio & Porch

Deck Railing Height and Code Requirements

By Nicole Fallon-Peek, Updated by Theresa Clement

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Why You Should Take Down Your Backyard Bird Feeder—at Least for Now

By Stacey L. Nash

Man from waist down using a pump sprayer to apply herbicide to a yard.

When to Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide to Prevent Weeds in Your Lawn

By Glenda Taylor

You’re Probably Harvesting Your Herbs Wrong—Here’s How to Do it Correctly for Maximum Yield

You’re Probably Harvesting Your Herbs Wrong—Here’s How to Do it Correctly for Maximum Yield

A white wall with bubbling paint.

Painting & Finishing

What Causes Paint Bubbling on a Wall—and How You Can Fix It

By Bob Vila, Updated by Evelyn Auer

Four air filters still in packaging, some of which display MERV filter ratings.

Heating & Cooling

MERV Ratings: What Do They Mean?

By Jennifer Noonan, Bob Vila

A boho living room scene with a basket of laundry, striped rug, dehumidifier, and couch with pillows.

Repair & Maintenance

Why is My Dehumidifier Not Working?

By Glenda Taylor

Woman pulls a smoke detector off its bracket, which is positioned above a doorframe.

Repair & Maintenance

Why Is My Smoke Detector Beeping?

By Tom Scalisi, Bob Vila

Finch on a white window sill looking toward house.

What to Do If a Bird Flies Into Your House

By Marisa Villarreal, Bob Vila

Woman uses grout float to apply new matching grout to existing grout and tile.

Grout Repair: A Step-By-Step Guide for DIYers

By Katie Flannery

A collage of the best solar flagpole lights illuminating the American flag.

Holiday Decorations

The Best Solar Flagpole Lights for 24/7 Flag Display, Tested

By Glenda Taylor, Timothy Dale

Close up view of a cricket on a wood table.

How to Get Rid of Crickets

By Brenda Silva, BobVila.com Staff

Bird's eye view of a person wearing blue shoes and khakis standing on a clover lawn.

How to Get Rid of Clover

Top view of spotted lanternfly, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Spotted Lanternfly Eggs Are Hatching Soon—Here’s What You Should Do

By Debbie Wolfe, Teresa Odle

A white house with pillars has a front door painted with BEHR Adirondack Blue paint. The door is surrounded by plants.

What Is the Best Paint for Front Doors?

By Manasa Reddigari, Updated by Theresa Clement

A young woman places container of food into black microwave in a kitchen.

Repair & Maintenance

Microwave Not Heating? 6 Common Causes and Solutions

By Brie Greenhalgh, Updated by Margaret Foley

Burpee’s New ‘Armageddon’ Pepper is Only for the Bravest of Vegetable Gardeners

Burpee’s New ‘Armageddon’ Pepper is Only for the Bravest of Vegetable Gardeners

By Audrey Stallsmith

A person cleaning house windows from outside using a homemade window cleaner recipe.

Cleaning & Organizing

How to Make Homemade Window Cleaner

By Donna Boyle Schwartz, Deirdre Mundorf

A freshly wet backyard deck has a house plant and puddles of water on it.

Deck, Patio & Porch

How to Make a Homemade Deck Cleaner That Works Like a Charm

By Glenda Taylor

Side by side image of a cultivator and a tiller.

Cultivator vs. Tiller: Which Is Best for Your Garden?

rodents chew pex pipe

The One Drawback of PEX Pipe Even Plumbers Didn’t See Coming

By Glenda Taylor

Woman shines a large flashlight into the mechanics of a furnace, whose door is open.

Heating & Cooling

How to Fix a Furnace That’s Not Turning On

By Gretchen Heber, Ana Chevalier

A gray home with a front porch and shutters on a sunny, snowy winter day.

Why It Matters Whether Your Home Faces North, South, East, or West

By Megan Devine, Reviewed by Bob Vila

Woman uses a hammer and screwdriver to recess a drywall anchor into the wall.

Walls & Ceilings

How to Remove Drywall Anchors

By Theresa Clement

An intruder with a ski bask breaks into a dimly lit kitchen.

38 Easy Ways to Protect Your Home From Break-Ins

By Manasa Reddigari, Updated by Paul Rankin

39 Plants You’ll Love If You Hate Fall Yard Work

39 Plants You’ll Love If You Hate Fall Yard Work

By Heather Blackmore

A home basement with boxes and other disorganized items.

How to Get Rid of the Musty Smell in Your Basement

By Michelle Ullman, Bob Vila, Updated by Gretchen Heber

Mechanic uses a torque wrench on a car wheel.

8 Types of Torque Wrenches for Your Tool Collection

By Desiree Homer, Updated by Theresa Clement

A brushed nickel faucet and a chrome faucet side by side.

Interior Design

Brushed Nickel vs. Chrome: What’s the Difference?

By Kristen Mosier, Updated by Margaret Foley

13 Low-Cost Solutions for an Ugly Lawn

Lawn, Garden & Pool

13 Low-Cost Solutions for an Ugly Lawn

Person's hand turns the handle on the toilet shut-off valve.

How to Replace a Toilet Shut-Off Valve

By Tony Carrick, Bob Vila

The Best Work Lights

The Best Work Lights for the Workshop or Jobsite, Tested

By Tom Scalisi, Mark Wolfe

The Dos and Don'ts of Sprinkler Repair and Maintenance

Repair & Maintenance

The Dos and Don’ts of Sprinkler Repair and Maintenance

By Jeanne Petrizzo, Bob Vila

10 Tips for Soundproofing Your Home Office

Building & Installing

10 Tips for Soundproofing Your Home Office

By Glenda Taylor

Solved! Does Grass Seed Go Bad?

Does Grass Seed Go Bad?

By Alisa Martin, Bob Vila

11 Things You Should Never Do During a Hurricane

11 Things You Should Never Do During a Hurricane

By Stacey L. Nash

Why Go Out? 12 Bars You Can Build at Home

Building & Installing

Why Go Out? 12 Bars You Can Build at Home

By Michelle Ullman

16 Charming Towns Where You Can Live on a Houseboat

People & Places

16 Charming Towns Where You Can Live on a Houseboat

By Manasa Reddigari

13 Breathtaking Ideas for Backyard String Lights

13 Breathtaking Ideas for Backyard String Lights

By Andreana Lefton

Close up view of grass seeds coming out of a handheld seed spreader.

How to Overseed a Lawn

By Teresa Odle, Stacey L. Nash

12 Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Upgrade Your Home’s Exterior

Deck, Patio & Porch

12 Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Upgrade Your Home’s Exterior

By Debbie Wolfe

11 of the Best Backyard Swimming Pools We’ve Ever Seen

Pools & Water Features

11 of the Best Backyard Swimming Pools We’ve Ever Seen

By Andreana Lefton

Ripe red tomatoes hanging on a tomato plant.

11 Common Tomato Plant Problems and How to Fix Them

By Debbie Wolfe

9 Ways You’re Ruining Your Mattress

9 Ways You’re Ruining Your Mattress

By Glenda Taylor

10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting a Garden

10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting a Garden

By Heather Blackmore

15 Little Signs Your House Has a Big Problem

15 Little Signs Your House Has a Big Problem

By Glenda Taylor

10 Rooms You Wouldn’t Suspect Were Actually Sheds

10 Rooms You Wouldn’t Suspect Were Actually Sheds

By Michelle Ullman

Beware of These 14 Pests That Only Come Out at Night

Beware of These 14 Pests That Only Come Out at Night

By Nicole Shein, Steph Coelho

The Most Beautiful Chicken Coops We’ve Ever Seen

The Most Beautiful Chicken Coops We’ve Ever Seen

By Andreana Lefton

The Most Popular House Styles Through the Decades

The Most Popular House Styles Through the Decades

By Timothy Dale

11 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Kitchen Sponge

11 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Kitchen Sponge

By BobVila.com Staff