Freshen up the centerpiece of your living room. A tiled fireplace hearth will stand strong for years to come. The hearth is the area in front of a fireplace, usually tiled and raised. Credit:Adam Albright However, it has more important things to do than look pretty. Below, we show you how to tile your ownfireplace hearthand include tips on tiling over an already-finished surface. You may even have to take out a permit before you do the work....
Give your shower or tub a tile makeover with this weekend DIY project. All you need are a few basic skills, the right tools, and this step-by-step guide. Use felt roofing paper with cement backerboard but not with greenboard or waterproofed gypsum board. Credit: David A Land Tiling around a bathtub introduces additional challenges. If the tub is level, set a full tile at its top edge. For a shower enclosure, extend the tile and the backerboard at least 6 inches above the showerhead....
Tiling around a window recess adds a whole new feeling to the design scheme of a room. Choose the color first, then the texture (most often they go hand in hand). A neutral color will cause the window to recede or blend in with the wall. Credit: Nicole LaMotte If you want to call attention to the architecture of the window, use decorative tiles but design judiciously. Too many bright colors and designs can overwhelm a room and defeat the purpose....
And why you really should. The first thing to know is that you dont necessarily need to change your bedding four times a year. To update seasonally, take a twice-yearly approach (think: spring/summer and fall/winter). Credit:Better Homes & Gardens / David Tsay So what exactly are the benefits ofswapping your linensfor the season? The first and most obvious reason to change bedding when the weather starts to cool down is for warmth....
A professional organizer shares her proven process for storing off-season clothes for a tidier, more efficient closet. Why Do a Seasonal Swap? But first, let’s talk about why removing off-season clothes from your closet makes sense. Credit: Brie Williams It takes some effort but there are some big payoffs. Your future self will thank you. In a pinch, anatticorbasementshould be okay for this relatively short-term storage. This is to prevent damaged from flooding or exposure to moths and dust mites....
Sticky ficus leaves can be a sign of pests or overwatering. Here’s how to identify the cause and bring your ficus back to health. Dean Schoeppner Sticky leaves on yourficuscan be alarmingespecially when they’re accompanied by more leaf drop than usual. Credit:Dean Schoeppner Here are the common causes and treatment plans for sticky ficus leaves. The plant’s natural sugars make this moisture sticky. Because the moisture releases from the leaves, it will often drip onto the floor too....
Our Test Kitchen walks you through the three steps to ensure even cooking. Plus, an alternative if youre not on Team Truss." Food Styling: Holly Dreesman. Credit:Jason Donnelly. Food Styling: Holly Dreesman. Prop Styling: Joseph Wanek One that is often questioned is, Why truss a turkey? Then our Test Kitchen expert dishes up an alternative method if you dont want to fuss over the truss. More often than not, in the Test Kitchen, Brekke and her fellow recipe developers truss their turkeys....
Create a one-of-a-kind pieceand save money in the processby making this DIY cushioned headboard in just a few hours. When you walk into a bedroom, what’s the first thing you notice? you’re free to make one yourself. Before you dive in, decide the feeling you want your headboard to bring to the space. This will determine which fabric you choose. For example,velvet materialscreams luxury, while tweed exudes a midcentury-modern feel....
If you have an older home, you may have a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker. Here’s how to turn off the power. Test the machine to confirm the power is off before doing any work. If a fuse has blown, replace it with a new one. It is usually located at the top of the panel. Tug hard and straight out on the handle. Use caution; the metal parts may be hot....
It should be easily accessible but away from the main traffic flow in the house. The panel may bein the garageor basement. In warm climates, it may be on the outside of the house. Credit: Jacob Fox In an apartment or condo, it may be recessed into the wall in a closet orlaundry area. The service panel is likely a gray metal box or door unless it’s been painted. Turn off the power on these like you would a fuse or breaker in the main service panel....
Use these tips to locate the main water shut-off valve and stop the flow of water to your home. However, emergencies arent the only time a homeowner might need to turn off the water. The home infrastructure can provide clues to the valves location. Credit:Tomasz Zajda / Adobe Stock Use these tips to locate your homes main water shut-off valve. However, residential buildings typically only use two types of shut-off valves: gate valves and ball valves....
Peter Krumhardt Creating a backyard wildlife habitat can be quite simple. Start creating a wildlife garden with the tips and ideas in this guide. Mix Up Flower Shapes Andrew Drake Different types of pollinators prefer different shapes of flowers. Credit:Peter Krumhardt Some like flat clusters of tiny flowers, and others seed out trumpet-shaped blossoms, for example. Coneflower,Russian sage, sedum,salvia,hyssop, phlox, andhydrangeawere chosen for their pollinator potential. Plus,native plantsrequire less maintenance than non-native species because they are better suited to the soil and climate....
If water rises as you shower, rather than running down the drain, you likely have a clog. Here are 5 tried-and-true methods you’ll need to unclog a shower drain. Shine a flashlight into the pipe to see if you could see the shower drain clog. Credit:BHG / Danielle Moore A plumbers snake is a portable auger of sorts. A hand crank operates a cable that reaches far into pipes to snag distant shower drain clogs....
