Posts

Leaf blowers are a necessity in the fall when dead leaves are cluttering your yard. If you want the ease and mobility of a cordless model, read our review on the best cordless leaf blowers that’ll keep your yard, porch, and driveway leaf-free all year round. Top 5 Cordless Leaf Blowers In a hurry? Here are the 5 highest rated blowers for your yard: Best For Big Yards: EGO Power+ Cordless Leaf Blower Best Fan Design: DEWALT Leaf Blower Best Adjustable Tube: SnapFresh Leaf Blower Best Value: BLACK+DECKER Lithium Sweeper Best Precision Nozzle: Greenworks Cordless Leaf Blower Looking for more information?...

WATER-BASED BEST FOR Preparing previously finished surfaces, including drywall, concrete, fiber cement, stucco, metals, fiberglass, and PVC. PROS Low odor; fast drying; cleans up with soap and water; adheres well without sanding; blocks oily stains. CONS Water will rough up raw wood and MDF, and cause cedar and redwood to bleed. ONE TO LOOK FORKILZ Premium Interior/Exterior Multi-purpose Water-based Wall and Ceiling Primer, $23 per gallon; Lowe’s OIL-BASED BEST FOR Coating raw wood, MDF, spackled spots, and rust-prone steel or wrought iron....

As one of the most culturally diverse and financially influential cities in the world, New York City is an exciting place to live. Many renters and homeowners in the city spend hours researching home security systems and aren’t able to obtain the information they need to make an informed decision. In our guide to the best home security systems in New York City, the This Old House Reviews Team shares the information you need to know to make a decision....

According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, heating accounts for about 45% of the average home’s total energy cost. That expense dwarfs other energy costs like lighting (6%) and cooking (4%). So, the type of heating system you choose for your home can have a major impact on your energy savings. One of the frequently asked questions about home heating is: “Which is better—a heat pump or furnace?” The answer depends on a number of factors....

Steps on How to Fix a Chipped Wood Floor You don’t have to replace an entire floorboard to fix a small chip or gouge. Instead, re-patch it with the chipped piece of wood, or as Tom demonstrates here, patch it by making a Dutchman from a new piece. Follow his advice and you’ll get expert results. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time 1. Select the Patch Material Find a scrap of wood of the same species as the flooring—in this case, Tom used a leftover piece of unstained pine flooring....

Steps for installing under-cabinet lighting Go to the main electrical panel and turn off the power to the existing under cabinet lights and outlets. Unscrew the old light fixtures from the underside of the cabinets. Use a jigsaw to cut a hole in the cabinet back for an old-work junction box. Cut a similar hole in the wall directly above the cabinets. Push two nonmetallic electrical cables through the upper hole and down into the hole cut inside the cabinet....

Host Kevin O’Connor and paint expert Mauro Henrique talk about the process of cutting in without painter’s tape. After explaining that there is no shame in using painter’s tape, Mauro shows Kevin his preferred method for cutting in using a putty knife and paintbrush. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How To Paint a Straight Edge Without Tape Understand that there is no shame in using tape to achieve a perfectly straight edge....

Think of nailing a shingle like hitting a ball: the larger the ball, the easier it is to hit. That’s why GAF designed their new Timberline® HDZ™ Shingles with the industry’s largest, high-visibility nailing target—accuracy saves time, and it will get your crew off the roof quicker. Let’s take a closer look at how it works. Anatomy of a Timberline® HDZ™ Shingle StrikeZone™ Nailing Area: The StrikeZone™ Nailing Area provides an up to 600% larger nailing target¹ for improved accuracy, and up to 30% faster nail fastening....

Landscaping rocks might not be your first thought when it comes redesigning your yard, but these versatile materials are worth considering. Between their durability, variation, and utility, landscaping rocks can turn a ho-hum backyard into a paradise while also reducing the homeowner’s maintenance commitment. The trick is figuring out which landscaping rocks will be the best choice for your space. Read on to explore the different types and the projects that they work well for....

In a region where January temperatures consistently hover below freezing, you really don’t want to be living in a house with no insulation. But Christine Flynn and Liz Bagley, aunt-and-niece owners of the 1916 two-family house that covered in Season 28 of This Old House, were facing just that—until TOH general contractor Tom Silva came along. “People in houses built before WWII think there’s nothing they can do to protect against the cold,” says Tom....

Steps for Installing a Chandelier in a Dining Room: Start by turning off the power to the room. Next, identify the location for the light. In most cases, this will be in the center of the room, but consider the placement of the dining room table and if it should be centered over that (if the table is not in the center of the room). To get the light perfectly centered in the room or over the table, measure the width and height of the area and mark the center point from both directions....

Kids can spend hours digging in the sandbox, especially if they’re searching for something cool at the bottom of all that sand. Here’s a simple way to make some “fossils” that you can bury and dig up over and over. Steps for Making Fossils Start by filling a couple of buckets with damp sand. Related How to Label a Metal Toolbox with Chalkboard Paint Select some objects with detailed shapes and outlines to serve as the models for the fossils....

Compare Top Chainsaws Top 5 Best Chainsaws Best Kit: Makita XCU03PT1 Chainsaw Kit Best For Small Tasks: BLACK+DECKER LCS1020B Cordless Chainsaw Most Lightweight Chainsaw: Greenworks 20262 Cordless Chainsaw Best Handle: BLACK+DECKER LCS1240 Cordless Chainsaw Most Heavy-Duty Chainsaw: Husqvarna 460 Rancher Gas Chainsaw Best Kit: Makita XCU03PT1 Chainsaw Kit This electric chainsaw kit from Makita comes with four lithium-ion batteries. It requires two batteries to run, so if the first two die, you can use the remaining two while the others recharge....

RENEW THE FUEL. When engines won’t start, old gasoline is a likely culprit. So fill your gas can with fresh gas (no more than 10 percent ethanol) and add fuel stabilizer. Then top up the snow thrower’s fuel tank with this gas all winter and when you put it to bed in the spring. FIRE IT UP OUTSIDE. If the engine doesn’t start after a couple of pulls, take it to a dealer for service....

Q: Replacing my older water heater isn’t in the budget right now. What can be done to make it run efficiently? Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time —David Tichy, Fairfield, Conn. Lance Marques, HVAC contractor, Swezey Fuel Co., replies: There are several easy and inexpensive ways to increase a water heater’s operating efficiency and longevity. Some things—adding insulation and setting the temperature—have to be done only once. Others, such as flushing the tank and checking the anode rod, should be done annually....

Here’s a quick tutorial on drip edge installation and why it plays an important role in your roofing system. How far should a drip edge be from fascia? The lower edge of a roof should extend beyond the fascia board by about 3/4 inch so that runoff drains into the gutters. If this slight overhang is too short, water will drip behind the gutters, leading to rotted roof sheathing and fascia, stained siding, and even soil erosion and a flooded basement....

What does This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert take great pride in? Yes, his woodworking projects—but his other love is keeping his work truck in tip-top shape and highly organized. Watch to learn tips and tricks for keeping his workshop-on-wheels an orderly space. While he wishes everything in his life was as organized as his truck, This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert takes pride in having a clean truck ready to tackle any project at any job site....

When it comes to installing trim around windows, doors, baseboards, crown molding, assembling cabinet parts or installing stair treads and risers, as you can see, one nail gun does not fit all. Each of these nailers covers a range of applications. In some cases there’s overlap, but more often than not—you’re not going to get the results you want by using one when the other is the better option. The difference between them is the gauge nail that they shoot....

Best For Keys: CampTek Carabiner Clips Offered in numerous colors, this six-pack of three-inch carabiners is meant for light use. Each carabiner comes with a keyring and supports 50 pounds. If you don’t need six clips to hold all of your keys, you can use the spare ones to hang a lantern above your campsite, secure a water bottle to your backpack, or perform other tasks. Key Features Six carabiners Three-inch size Made of aluminum 50-pound load capacity Non-locking gate What Customers Are Saying Although most customers agreed that these light-duty carabiners weren’t suitable for climbing or mountaineering, they did find them useful around the house....

Top 5 Latte Machines Easiest Cleanup: Keurig K-Cafe Latte Maker Easiest To Use: Mr. Coffee Espresso Maker Best for Small Kitchens: Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine Most Versatile: Philips Automatic Espresso Machine Best Value: DeLonghi Espresso and Cappuccino Machine Easiest Cleanup: Keurig K-Cafe Latte Maker Key Features Can brew up to six cups before refilling Can make hot or iced lattes and cappuccinos Heats and brews in one single process—no need to wait for it to heat up before use Has simple button controls What Customers Are Saying Those who gave this product a positive review said that it was simple to use, liked that it had multiple size options, and brewed quickly and consistently....