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At-home mushroom growing kits typically include a substrate—such as a log, sawdust, or a block of wood and compost—th...
Wet/dry vacs are the underappreciated heroes of any well-stocked workshop. They can handle messes like sawdust and di...
Air conditioners have a tough life. Outdoor units are constantly exposed to the elements, while window and wall units...
Lawn clippings, dead leaves, and other organic matter are important fuel for a yard, fertilizing it naturally and ens...
Slowly draining bathtubs and sinks, gurgling noises coming from the drain, toilets that regularly back up—though thes...
Mushroom-growing kits contain everything one needs to grow their own mushrooms at home. Growing kits include differen...
Even the best-tended lawn can develop a fungal problem, which can show up as visible brown patches, rusty-looking or ...
Most hardwood flooring endures a lot of wear and tear, not only from people walking on them, but also from kids and p...
Hornets are a vital part of any garden ecosystem, but that doesn’t mean they are welcome buzzing around the patio or ...
There comes an unfortunate time in the life of a deck owner when it becomes apparent that a beloved backyard party sp...
Although concrete surfaces are largely utilitarian features of a home, they can be an eyesore when they become cracke...
Q. I’ve seen a neighbor mow the lawn in the morning shortly after the sprinklers were turned off, but I thought this ...
The chirping of crickets may be a pleasant sound of summer, but these insects can become a real nuisance, especially ...
To have a lush, green lawn of which you can be proud can often take a lot of hard work and attention to detail. If yo...
Like other creepy crawlies, fire ants can wreak havoc on a yard and home. But unlike merely annoying insects, fire an...
At the park, on a walking trail, and even in your yard, birdwatching is a fascinating hobby. However, you may not wan...
Beyond traditional mops, spin mops are designed to take the “ick” factor out of wet mopping, eliminating the chore of...
For many, nothing quite says “Christmas” like a real tree. With it comes the tradition of picking one out with loved ...
Having a set of dull kitchen knives isn’t just inconvenient; it can also be very dangerous. A good sharpening stone k...
While some home repairs certainly require a pro, these home hiccups can be resolved on your own. Easy to do and only requiring a few minutes of your time, knock o...
Employ these fall landscaping hacks, so you have more time to enjoy better autumn activities, like watching football and apple picking.
Although they can't really harm you, gnats are certainly annoying. The mere presence of these pesky insects in your h...
Q: We just moved across the country, and it’s pretty dry out here. I’d love to collect rainwater for my garden but I’...
A full, green lawn creates curb appeal and makes you feel like sipping an iced tea on the back patio. But if bare spo...
Small home annoyances are sometimes indicators of a bigger structural problem. Learn to recognize the signs of these maintenance issues that need to get addressed...
Of all the plants, trees, and shrubs in your landscape, the lawn is the most demanding feature, requiring constant ma...
Mulch is any material laid over the surface of the soil to retain moisture, suppress weeds, regulate temperature, an...
Q: For the past several months, I've found frost in the freezer compartment of my six-year-old refrigerator. Even aft...
The much-anticipated arrival of spring also brings a plethora of insects. Some, like ladybugs and honeybees, are bene...
Q: In winter, the central heating in our home makes the air very dry. I also suspect that the lower temperatures and ...
Workshop and DIY projects create piles of sawdust, sanding dust, and all sorts of tiny bits of debris that add to gen...
Stop for a moment and consider the number of appliances in the home that run on gas. These days, many stoves, furnac...
Q: I was alarmed to see smoke enter the living room when I last used my fireplace. Why was my fireplace smoking, and ...
Your house is only as safe as its weakest entry point, and for many, that point is an overhead garage door. While hom...
Q: We love to watch the birds in our backyard, and have installed several feeders that have successfully attracted th...
Q: I turned on my furnace for the first time this year, and it made the whole house smell musty. I checked the filter...
Q: When should I repot a plant? And how do I ensure success?A: Plants don’t stay little for long, especially if they ...
Q: I thought the washing machine at our new house was on the fritz because the laundry still came out with dirt and s...
If you take these steps to safeguard your plumbing system now, you could reduce the risk of future plumbing problems and even increase the useful life of some of ...
Q: Eek! I woke up last night to use the bathroom and when I turned on the light, a bug with many legs scurried under ...
Save cash and protect the environment by doing the right thing with your outmoded cell phone, tablet, and other gadgets.
This content has been brought you by SupplyHouse. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. Q: This is our fi...
Q: The brown grass in my yard seems to indicate that I’m under-watering it. How long should I run my sprinklers when ...
Cracked or stained driveways detract from curb appeal, so keeping your driveway looking its best can help protect the...
Q: Until this year, my tall fescue lawn has always been plush and green, but a few weeks ago, some yellow spots devel...
Creeping Charlie—Glechoma hederacea, also commonly known as ground ivy—is an insidious weed that is both resilient an...
Q: I recently moved down south from the Northeast and want to keep my new lawn healthy. When is the best time to aera...
Q: My dishwasher is only two years old, and until recently, it’s done a great job. For the past month or so, it’s bee...
No one likes to think about the possibility of fire, flood, storm damage, or theft. But should such a disaster occur,...
If your goal is indoor air that’s as fresh and healthy as possible, you may think about hiring a firm to clean your h...
Along with colorful falling leaves, tailgate parties, and family gatherings, autumn’s crisp air brings a reminder of ...
After a long winter, the return of songbirds and colorful splashes of early blooming bulbs are welcome signs of sprin...
Caulking windows—to give them a finished look (inside and out) and seal out leaks and drafts—is a fairly common DIY t...
Q: My 9-year-old fridge is on the fritz, but it seems premature to replace it if it’s still functioning. How long do ...
From time to time, homeowners forget to shut off the water supply to an outdoor faucet when they're winter-proofing t...
First introduced in the 1970s, laminate flooring is comprised of layers of synthetic material engineered to look like...
Winter doesn’t just bring colder temperatures outdoors; in most areas, it also means bone-dry air inside your home, a...
Q: Every time I open the fridge, I get a whiff of sourness that I can’t identify. I’ve already cleaned out all the ol...
Changing your antifreeze is an important part of preparing your car for cold weather. Antifreeze (also known as coola...
Want to recycle more, but don't know what—and what not—to toss in the green bin? Recycling symbols have been imprinte...
In nature, wood rot is a vital decomposition process, turning fallen logs into nutritious soil. But few things send h...
If you don’t have room for it, stick it in the basement, right? Well, maybe not. Basements are prone to dampness, mold, and temperature swings, which can adversel...
Wood floors bring beauty and value to a home—as long as they are well-maintained. Natural wood is at constant risk of...
Marble—a white or uniquely variegated type of limestone that has been exposed to extreme heat and pressure—has a long...
You woke up shivering in a cold house. Your morning shower, instead of a warm and pleasant wakeup call, was spent fut...
Your bathroom is the wettest room in your home. Steamy showers, flushing toilets, running sinks, and occasional drips...
Surely one of the cuter rodents you’ll ever counter, chipmunks are also among the most destructive. These small, stri...
Q: Every few hours—sometimes minutes!—my living room and one side of my kitchen lose electrical power. Lamps won’t co...
Because they’re built below grade, basements tend to take on water. You may notice moist basement walls from time to ...
Rake, rake, repeat! That activity seems to sum up many homeowners’ autumn weekends, and just when you think you’re of...
Ask any group of gardeners about their least favorite task, and you’re bound to hear a chorus of “Weeding!” Rampant w...
Q: Yesterday I spotted a tick on my bathroom floor, and last week I found one on my clothing. Is it possible that I h...
Q: There’s been a mysterious, slightly moldy smell in my home all summer, and this morning, when our window air condi...
Low-growing greenery that reproduces by means of spores, moss can be a lovely velvety addition to your landscape if g...
Concrete driveways, patios, and garage floors may take a beating, but that doesn’t mean they must show the signs. Whi...
Landing on the food at your backyard barbecue. Buzzing around your face as you do yard work. Zipping through your fro...
Q: My bathroom sink isn’t draining very well, and it’s driving me crazy. While the water does eventually drain out, i...
Whether it's blocking your view, is diseased or damaged, or is taking up space you'd rather use for something else, f...
If mice, voles, or spiders have taken up residence on your lawn or in your garden, consider befriending their enemy: ...
Hardwood floors add classic elegance to your home, but not when they’re dull, dinted, or dingy. The good news is that...
Ever wondered how those striking stripes wound up on the turf of your favorite ballpark or golf course? They aren’t t...
Think about the beating your wood floors endure on a daily basis: high heels, pet nails, children’s toys, and shiftin...
Any plastic—windows, headlights, patio furniture, and more—is susceptible to scratches as a result of normal wear and...
Q: I just moved into an apartment that has a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, but I’m not sure if it still works. So...
Shellac is a versatile, non-toxic wood finish that enhances the natural grain while adding smoothness without the pla...
Solidified carbon dioxide—better known as dry ice—is commonly used to freeze food or keep it cold longer than regular...
Have you ever walked into a bathroom and wrinkled your nose because the space was so musty? It’s not news that damp q...
A homeowner's to-do list can seem endless, especially come spring. Paint the exterior. Mow the lawn (again and again ...
Americans may think they know all there is to know about cars—after all, the automobile is deeply ingrained in our culture—but when it comes to conserving fuel, m...
If you recently set out to upgrade your home with more energy-efficient light bulbs, you've likely seen there's a big...
Q: After our first snow of the season, I got the snow blower out of the shed but the darn thing wouldn’t start. It ra...
Preventive maintenance is key to keeping your car working well, but it's important to do it right. Here are 7 common car care mistakes you’re probably making and ...
If you’re a homeowner in the process of winterizing your property, by late fall you’ve probably already replaced the ...
When severe winter weather threatens your home, one of the most important preventative measures you need to familiari...
Q: For the first time in my life, I have mice. I had thought that I dreamed the scratching and skittering sounds I he...
Though made from one of the most durable construction materials around, even once-strong concrete sidewalks can deter...
There are more than 25,000 chimney fires incurring $125 million-plus in property damage every year in the United Stat...
Though unwelcome on gardening tools and patio furnishings, rust isn't always something to remove. In fact, with rusti...
Whether you're a green thumb or not, you probably already know that all plants need water to thrive—after all, that b...
Composting is an affordable way to nab food for your plants while reducing waste in your home or apartment and in loc...
While closed doors do a decent job of muffling the noise outside a room, cracks between a door and its casing or thre...
Concrete is durable, dependable—and, naturally, a bit cold in tone. If this steely neutral isn't your style, you can ...
Flying ants may seem more formidable than their tiny ant counterparts. Interestingly, though, flying ants—also known ...
Q: My lawn was so lush and green last year but this year it’s full of unsightly brown patches that won’t green up no ...
Your beautiful garden and potted indoor greenery are equally vulnerable to mealybugs, tiny yet destructive pests that...
Your lawn and garden need a variety of nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Soil is an important source of key nutrien...
The zipper keeps everything from jeans and jackets to duffel bags and lunch boxes closed tight. Still, for all its si...
Are your garden plants stunted, shriveled, yellowing, or curling at the leaves, despite your best efforts to keep the...
Summer is upon us, and with it come visions of long lazy days relaxing in the sunshine. This summer weather, however,...
A yard with lumps and bumps is not only unattractive but also a potential safety hazard with ample opportunity to cau...
Q: I started seeing brown patches on my lawn at the end of spring. They seem to have grown in size and number since t...
Q: I’ve just turned on the air conditioner for the summer, but I just can't get get comfortable. The appliance circul...
When you’re starting out in a new home or renovating the kitchen in your current one, the time may come when you must...
With iridescent wings that catch the light as they flit between flowers, hummingbirds have earned their nickname of “...
Deer are delightful romping through the forest but can wreak havoc in a garden, decimating vegetables, fruit trees, l...
While children love big-eared Bugs Bunny chomping on a carrot, gardeners can identify closely with his cartoon nemesi...
Q. We’ve just moved into our new home, and the previous owners left behind some bathroom wallpaper that has got to go...
If you have a gorgeous granite countertop in your kitchen and want to keep it in “model home” shape, you may need to ...
No horror movie can match the terror of a mouse skitter across the living room floor at night—because where there’s o...
Not to scare you into ordering takeout more often, but more home fires are caused by cooking mishaps than anything el...
A dirty, grimy windshield is bad enough, but nothing will slow you down more than one covered in ice and snow. Using ...
For a century, the naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral asbestos was a mainstay of the building industry, use...
Do-it-yourselfers live by the rule of “the right tool for the job,” but just as important is maintaining those tools ...
Though in wintertime a window seat affords postcard-perfect views of snow-covered tree branches, it's not necessarily...
Tiny, sap-sucking arachnids known as spider mites can be a problem any time of year, not only in your garden but plag...
We used to frequent brick-and-mortar shops and keep hard copies of every document; today, we buy our groceries online, stream our favorite videos, and store every...
Sprinklers keep your lawn looking great most of the year, but when autumn rolls along, take some time to empty and in...
Beautifully mowing a lawn without edging the perimeter and beds is like getting an amazing haircut but leaving an ove...
Trees add great beauty to your landscape and their shade can help keep cooling costs low. But when a tree outgrows it...
If you see an ant or two, chances are you’ll see more—many more—especially if there's something tasty lying around ne...
You work hard on your garden, so the last thing you want is gnarly weeds littering your lawn or popping up smack dab ...
A love of gardening often goes hand in hand with a hatred toward the pests that pervade the fruits of your labor, bot...
Q: Parts of my concrete driveway are flaky, cracked, and pitted. How do I halt the deterioration and return the surfa...
Q: After every rain shower, I find mushrooms popping up all over the lawn. What can I do to get rid of them and keep ...
Nocturnal and relatively shy, skunks aren’t often seen—but they certainly are smelled! Though the black-and-white cre...
Walls framed by baseboards and crown molding exude unmistakable character and polish, most notably in historical home...
The bald eagle may be our national symbol, but virtually every American has encountered the crow. These highly intell...
They don’t care who you are or where you live. You won’t see them coming, and by the time they make their presence kn...
Although metal patio furniture is elegant and durable, it can over time become a rust-coated symbol of neglect. Inste...
If you’ve never actually seen a vole, that’s not surprising. The 7-inch-long rodent also known as a meadow mouse is r...
A deck is a plein-air addition to your home. Like the space inside your residence, it needs regular cleaning and main...
We don’t give tub drains much thought until they give us trouble. Over time, tub drains clog and sometimes even corro...
There’s nothing quite like the joy of living in a home with character, craftsmanship, and history within its walls. Y...
Q: Help! Last year, our lawn was brown and not as healthy-looking as it could have been. When should I fertilize the ...
Though far from pleasant to think about, there’s a good chance your home is ridden with dust mites—microscopic organi...
At the start of growing season, part of the necessary prep every homeowner with hopes of a greener yard tacks (or sho...
Notice an inexplicable mass destruction, yellowing, or defoliation in your evergreens? A close and careful look throu...
Few outdoor chores are as inherently hazardous as cutting down trees or chopping up wood, especially when your axe is...
Sure, there are plenty of intimidatingly complex bathroom repairs for which you would be wise to hire a plumber. This...
Now that the temperature is falling, you may have cranked up the heat in your house only to find that one (or more) o...
Looking to reupholster your dining room chairs in a beautiful print without having to worry about future damage from ...
No matter whether you prefer heart-warming classics or heart-pounding thrillers, your personal library of paperbacks ...
Known for its impressive strength and ultraquick dry time, super glue plays a vital role in many household fixes. But...
A microfiber suede sofa is a cozy centerpiece for any room. Known for being soft and stylish, this popular seating ch...
Admit it: You invest a great deal of time and energy in keeping your stainless steel appliances fingerprint-free, shi...
Even the smallest slugs play a big role in the ecosystem, feeding on decomposing matter and in turn providing protein...
Though young children love dandelions for their bright yellow flowers and their irresistibly entertaining, fluffy see...
A house full of creaks, squeaks, buzzing, and bumps can keep you up at night and make you crazy all day. Check this list of quick fixes that will restore peace an...
Grass stains are souvenirs of outdoor sports and other messy fun—as well as battle scars from labor-intensive rounds ...
Air conditioners are our saving grace during sticky summers—there’s nothing quite like the relief of walking into a r...
Drain flies, also known as moth flies, are a common nuisance in many homes. These pests live and breed inside your pl...
Concrete is porous, which means that it readily absorbs liquids like paint. With this ease of penetration, paint can ...
The best-laid DIY project plans can hit a snag if a stripped screw turns up. Though stripped screws can certainly slo...
