When it is clean and given the chance to shine, aluminum can be stunning. There are a ton of retail products out there that claim to be able to polish the surfaces of aluminum items, but there are some caveats.

Backflow preventers are necessary because they prevent contamination and pollutants from entering your home’s water supply. The last thing that you need is for waste and pesticides to flow backward and contaminate your water. However, it can be just as frustrating and confusing if your backflow preventer leaks, so what causes it?

A screened porch can make for a wonderful hangout spot in the summertime. It allows you to get those rays of sun without having to worry about constantly swatting bugs and critters that make their way into your area.

When we think of a circuit breaker that keeps tripping, common wisdom would be that you’re dealing with a home that’s using up too much energy. So, if it’s happening to you, you might unplug some stuff. But, sometimes, the breaker just will keep tripping regardless of how much stuff you unplug. Clearly, it’s not energy consumption anymore. So, what gives?

It doesn’t matter if you are working on a home improvement project or in the middle of a plumbing emergency. When the shut-off valve isn’t working the way that it is supposed to work, it can be a real pain to the rear end. So what do you do if the water won’t shut off with the under sink shut off valve? What causes this?

You use your shower to get clean, so if any part of it’s gross, it feels icky instead of relaxing, and you say, “eww” more than “aah.”. If the shower floor starts to get scummy or grimy, it boosts the ick factor because you feel like you’re standing in filth. So what’s the best way to clean the shower floor so you’re not cringing while you’re washing up?

Many of us instantly recognize the beautiful blue and white coloration and patterns on a piece of Corningware cookware. Not only are these dishes practical and easy to use, but they are beautiful too. Whether you have recently purchased your own Corningware or inherited some vintage Corningware from your family, you may be curious about the best way to clean your Corningware pieces after use.

While in the middle of preparing dinner, you suddenly had to step out to handle an emergency at work. Because of that, you had to leave some raw chicken inside the refrigerator. After getting home, you’re left wondering if you can still cook the thawed chicken.

If you would like to give your home some dimension and added curb appeal, putting a few awnings up over your windows and doors would do the job. But if you make them yourself, they will be even better. Custom awnings that fit your home like a glove will make your home unique as well as beautiful.

Selling a house is a stressful process, so it helps to do everything you can do to ensure it goes smoothly. It’s no secret that pets are messy and can even be destructive, and that’s a concern for many homeowners when they sell their houses. Does having a pet decrease house value?

Are you having trouble with your Heat & Glo fireplace turning on and off? This can be a bit of a mystery, however, we’ve got a few answers, that might solve your problems.

A plumbing trap, or P-trap, is a portion of a plumbing pipe that looks like a loop, “J,” or “C.” P-traps are extremely important as they keep gas sewer odors from escaping plumbing fixtures such as sinks, toilets, and drains. When designing a house, it can be hard to determine how far below the drain a P-trap should be.

While ironing might not be everyone’s favorite chore, it’s sometimes part of the laundry process. Maintaining your ironing board and washing your ironing board cover are essential to keep your clothes from getting dirty all over again.

Pumpkin is usually associated with the fall season, but it remains a delicious treat all throughout the year. Even if fresh pumpkins aren’t available in your area currently, you can still get your fix by purchasing some canned puree. But what should you do if you have leftovers; how long does canned pumpkin last in the fridge?

There are a variety of materials out there that present different advantages. We tend to like leather not only for its stylish look but for the fact that it is also quite durable. There is a substance known as Nubuck that is quite similar in nature to not only leather but suede as well.

Renting out a basement is complicated. The first step is to make sure your basement is legal for occupancy. If your basement does not meet living standards, and you decide to rent it out anyway, you could face serious legal ramifications. Though basement apartments seem like a convenient situation for landlords and renters, the reality is that many issues can arise if you handle the situation carelessly. 

As a New Jersey citizen, I have learned to take pasta sauce seriously. There are few things that are as upsetting as Italian gravy that’s gone bad, especially in the fridge. If you are like me and have a fondness for some good sauce, you’re wondering how long you can keep it in the fridge before it goes bad. As it turns out, the answer might surprise you…

Just like most household appliances, using a microwave oven for several years often leads to wear and tear inside the cavity walls. Due to consistent usage, the inner walls start to rust, resulting in the interior paint peeling.

There are a ton of different attic and roof vents to choose from. When you’re looking to improve your home, it’s critical to use high-quality products that get the job done. 

Having children in the home means that there are bound to be some accidents; in fact, accidents become a part of your daily life. Chalk and markers have been loved by children throughout the decades and are still highly used by children today! This means that you will find yourself trying to get ink or chalk out of your carpet at some time or another. You may already know the remedies for ink, so what about chalk?

Sliding glass doors are a beautiful addition to any home; however, they can be a problem in the cold weather. These large windows can harbor all sorts of air leaks. These leaks make it harder to heat your home and will end up costing you a lot of money. Even if you have brand new sliding doors, there are several maintenance steps you should take before the cold weather hits. 

Having candles on hand is a good idea for a few reasons. If you like infusing a different scent into your home, a variety of candles can make it so that you have a new scent whenever you want it. Candles can also come in handy in the event of a power outage. So long as there are candles in your home, you will never be in the dark.

Sliding glass doors are a wonderful addition to any home. Sliding glass doors are typically characterized as a large glass window opening that provides door access. This door leads to the outdoors, it provides fresh air and natural light. Sliding glass doors are typically made as one single unit with two panels, and a screen running along one side. 

Furnaces are integral to the overall comfort of a home. During even the coldest of winter months, we can remain nice and warm thanks to our furnace. But the furnace has a lot of components to it that can break or need replacing, such as the  flame sensor unit, for instance.

Instant Pot’s multi-cookers have grown more and more popular over the years. More homeowners have started turning to them as they have sought faster, more versatile, and more convenient cooking appliances. Does that convenience extend to maintenance though? Can you count on your dishwasher to handle your Instant Pot or do you have to hand wash it?

Working with screws is a must for numerous home improvement or workshop projects. You work with them so often that you may sometimes neglect proper technique while removing or inserting them. That carelessness can lead to the screw being stripped.

Vinyl plank flooring is an excellent way to get the look of hardwood floors at an affordable price. They’re also durable, many types of vinyl floors are waterproof, and they’re easy to maintain. But if you don’t take care of them, they can get dull over time. Luckily, it’s easy to make vinyl plank floors shine like new.

Anyone who has ever done laundry knows the frustration of opening the dryer door to still-wet clothes. Maybe you run it again, or maybe you don’t mind putting them out to air dry for a little while. Either way, unless you plan on doing this forever, that dryer needs to be fixed. So what gives?

There could be many reasons for needing or wanting to drain your Keurig coffee maker. It could be a move, or perhaps it’s being sold, or maybe it just hasn’t been used for a while and needs refreshing. Perhaps it is even that new shiny Keurig model that goes so well with your new kitchen remodel? Whatever the reason is, it inevitably leads to one question above all others, and that question is about how to drain a Keurig B60.

The range hood of your kitchen is one of the most important parts of your appliances. Whether you are cooking and there is a lot of smoke, or there are huge amounts of steam coming from your pot, range hoods help to filter and clear this away. They’re also great for lighting so that you can see what you’re doing. So, what type of lightbulb do you put in a range hood?

Apartment living can be fraught with issues. Noise is perhaps the greatest source of friction between apartment neighbors across the globe. Luckily, there are ways to soundproof your apartment door and many are relatively inexpensive.

It is quite rewarding to look at your fish tank, especially when the fish are healthy. The only downside of having a fish tank is that it requires lots of maintenance. Changing the water isn't fun, but it's necessary. So, how often should you change the water in a fish tank?

Patios are a great opportunity to extend the aesthetic and feel of your home to the outside while adding space. Outdoor spaces, such as patios, add value to a home, but they also are exposed to the elements which can do them harm. Because of that, many homeowners choose to install a patio cover over their patio to protect it and add visual flair.

It can be extremely frustrating to see a stranger’s car parked in front of your house. Things only get more annoying the longer that the car stays there, and it can feel like a violation. So, is it legal for them to park there and can you have their car towed?

Leaks from your hot water heater can be an expensive problem to fix when the water damages your floor. Besides that, it can also mean that something’s wrong with your water heater. 

When it comes to keeping your home warm, oil remains one of the most reliable options on the market. It doesn’t short out during lightning storms, it is easy to operate, and it also is guaranteed to keep you toasty. However, when you first get a home with an oil tank, there can be a little bit of a learning curve. This is especially true if you aren’t sure what size heating oil tank you have.

It is ideal to know exactly what you’re doing when you buy or fill a propane tank. That is especially true for a large, 100-pound propane tank which is quite useful but can be tricky to understand. So, how many gallons are in a 100-pound propane tank?

When moving into a new home, one of the first things most people do is change the locks. You want to feel secure in your new home and changing the locks helps with that. This is the time when a lot of people make a common mistake.

Zboxing remains a popular sport with many people actively engaged in boxing training and competition. Even training often involved sparring with an opponent. Frequent contact with sweat and other fluids can leave your boxing gloves dirty. Many boxers wonder if their boxing gloves can go in the washer for a quick and easy cleaning?

In today’s world, very few homes can get by without a trustworthy refrigerator. Refrigerators are no longer thought of as cold boxes to store your food inside. Kitchen appliances have come a long way, none more so than modern refrigerators. One of these modern refrigerator brands that people have come to love is Insignia.

If you want to park in front of your house or have your guests do the same, that’s your prerogative. More than likely, you keep the area in front of your house clear for mail delivery, garbage pick-up, and similar events. But what do you do when your neighbors keep parking in front of your house?

The pacific northwest is one of the most unique corners of America, and it boasts views you won’t find elsewhere. Washington state is one of the most expensive states, but 7.61 million residents are lucky to call it home. There are countless options of places to live in Washington state that vary in cost and opportunities.

There are many reasons why a garment can only be washed by hand. It might be the fabric, the colors, or even how the garment was made. Washing duffel bags and backpacks often needs to be done by hand as well. Whatever the reason, if the tag says 'hand wash only,' make sure you wash the garment by hand, and use the tips below.

For those of us who like to change things up every so often, Pottery Barn offers a variety of couch slipcovers. They have a wide range of materials, colors, and textures to suit any style. And here’s some great news: Pottery Barn couch covers are so easy to wash and maintain!

It really is incredible to think how far something as simple as laundry has come. Thanks to washing machines, we can now handle a week’s worth of dirty clothes in just a few hours. Moreover, modern washing machines have made it easier than ever to simply start a load and go back to our day.

Appliances, like refrigerators and ice makers, have become a necessity, in the world we live in today. It can be frustrating when they break or stop working. We know that pain all too well, so we have come up with some common solutions, for a Samsung ice maker that is not filling with water.

Repairing or installing water lines within your home typically requires that you use crimpers, adhesives, or solder. However, adhesives can smell awful and be a very messy undertaking. Also, crimpers are pricey, can be challenging to install in smaller areas, and solder requires that you use an open flame to heat the pipes.

We rely on them every day, and many of us return to these magic dispensers of one cup of java goodness many times a day. These are our beloved Keurig coffee machines, a staple of our  kitchen decor, but what happens when they stop working, malfunction, or simply stop feeding us that dark liquid gold? We freak out! No, (okay, maybe for a brief moment of panic) we calmly assess the situation and take action.

A wood-burning stove is great to have, especially if you’re living in an area where the winter feels like an arctic freeze. However, operating a wood-burning stove and getting it to heat your entire house is far different than the standard electric heater that people use today. But it can do just as good of a job, if not better. The question is, how do you heat your house with one?

Baseboard heaters are a great convenience, which is why many builder owners choose them for their homes. They are highly energy-efficient and give you control over the temperature of each room of your house. However, it can be quite unsettling when you go to turn off your baseboard heater and nothing happens.

A washer and dryer combo is an essential in any homes. Stacking a washer and dryer takes up less space than having them side by side, and it is quite common.

Porches are a great addition to any home, especially if you love seeing life outside your home without the elements hitting you. Many people enjoy having indoor furniture on their porches, but the truth is that this can cause problems with your furniture if the rain keeps blowing on your porch.

Most homes will have at least one fan in them. Like with all appliances, fans will require some maintenance once they start getting used regularly. This includes doing things like lubricating their motors to ensure that they still are up and running. Of course, you can’t just use bacon grease on a good fan. So, what can you use, anyway?

If you are looking to build or repair something, then liquid nails are a fantastic tool to use. When using real nails, you have the possibility of hurting your hands by hitting them with a hammer. This can be tiring, cause pain, and be all-around frustrating. There are also times when a space is too tight to get into with a hammer and a nail. In cases like these, we recommend using liquid nails!

Being a new mom is arguably one of the important jobs in the world. Without mothers, life simply does not exist!  It’s safe to say being a new mom is also one of the most demanding jobs in the world. Yet, nearly 87% of women become mothers. Thanks to the many women that came before, modern mothers just seem to know how to maximize each free second. What’s sleep? More importantly, can this go in the dishwasher?

Whether you’re an avid home cook, a busy parent, or just love to snack, a disorganized fridge can put a damper on your kitchen habits. French door refrigerators are one of the most popular styles of this appliance. Knowing how to organize a French door refrigerator will go a long way to keeping your life calmer and more productive (and you won’t waste food).

Honeywell has been a mainstay in the HVAC world for ages thanks to their world-class workmanship. This is especially true when you take a look at their thermostats. They last for ages without even needing so much as a battery change for months, if not years. But eventually, you will need to change their batteries if you want to keep your thermostat going. But how do you do that?

A lot of people still use mothballs to control moths and other pests like snakes and rodents. But having that mothball smell is not pleasant for us humans either. In fact, the chemicals in mothballs are actually dangerous to humans and pets.

Having a porch is one of the fastest ways to add value to a home, but only if it looks nice. The easiest way to give a porch a facelift is to add a fresh new coat of paint to it. Of course, that means that you will need to know how to paint your porch properly. If you have an aluminum screened porch, it quickly becomes an “easier said than done” matter.

Dealing with a neighbor’s dangerous dog is a tricky, stressful situation. No one should have to feel threatened on their property, or anywhere in their neighborhood.