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Upright freezers store frozen food, such as meat, vegetables, and ice cream. However, they can vary in terms of size, temperature, and more. Here are our top recommendations. Compare Top Upright Freezers Top 5 Upright Freezers Best Capacity: Frigidaire Upright Freezer Most Customizable: Kismile Compact Upright Freezer Quietest Freezer: Northair Adaptable Mini Upright Freezer Best Retro Styling: R.W.FLAME Upright Compact Freezer Best Interior Lighting: RCA Upright Freezer Best Capacity: Frigidaire Upright Freezer Pros and Cons ✔ Features a temperature alarm that goes off if the door is left open✔ Has an EvenTemp cooling system✔ Can adjust the height of the shelves...

Rustic treehouses have always been great playrooms for the kids, but the old scrap-lumber-platform construction just won’t do for adults. When it comes to grown-up getaways, it has to be luxe. Running water, fairytale views, and Swiss Family Robinson architecture are practically required. To show you what we mean, This Old House has assembled a few outdoor escapes that prove that when your home among the limbs is this fancy, climbing up a tree doesn’t have to mean roughing it....

Home technology expert Ross Tretheway discusses the new age of home heat pumps in a Future House feature. Ross takes us through the four different types: water to water, water to air, air to air, and air to water. He details how those systems work and how they pull warmth from the ground. Ross talks to his father, plumbing and heating expert Richard Tretheway, about how heat pumps have evolved....

Backsplashes are the decorative focal point of your kitchen, adding visual flair, exuding personal style, and setting the mood for the heart of your home. But what’s regarded as a distinctive design element today began as a purely functional one—backsplashes were first installed as a way to protect the wall over the stove or sink from splashes of water, grease, and food spatter. The first backsplashes stood only 4 inches tall for this utilitarian purpose and were made of inexpensive ceramic tile....

Shown: TOH plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey replaces the old valve on a hot-water radiator with an orange-capped thermostatic valve that allows homeowners to fine-tune the heat output of an individual radiator. Add an outdoor reset control. This device signals the boiler to gradually heat up or cool down, based on changes in temperature outdoors. That can save about 15 percent on fuel and eliminate the big swings typical of thermostat-controlled systems....

Jeff Sweenor has been building houses for nearly 30 years, though he says, “in the construction business, 30 years is young!” Specializing in high-end, custom residential construction, Sweenor Builders Incorporated (sweenorbuilders.com) has grown from a two-man operation to a thriving firm with about 50 employees. Sweenor was recently named the Best Custom Home Builder in Rhode Island, and has been nominated for Custom Home Builder of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders....

It turns out that your dishwasher-loading habits aren’t as efficient as you think. David Coll, product-line manager of dish care at Electrolux Major Appliances, divulged some noteworthy—and occasionally, downright weird—secrets that will make each wash cycle a bigger, better payload. Dishwasher Hacks to Try Out 1. Skip the liquid detergent. An economy-size bargain liquid detergent may beckon you during your next shopping trip. But Coll points out that powder detergents and tablets remove food gunk more efficiently....

Garage doors continue to reside at the top of the list of home improvement projects that offer high return on investment, and with good reason—it’s an affordable, easy project, with the ability to exponentially enhance your curb appeal, and increase the resale value of your home. And when it comes to style, “Homeowners can’t get enough of the look of wood, but they are often deterred by the daunting upkeep,” says Christina Carlson, award-winning architect of Union Studio Architecture and Design, and architect of the TOH 2020 Idea House on Cape Cod, MA....

Official Rules: NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sponsor: The This Old House Season Home Depot Gift Card Giveaway is sponsored by This Old House Ventures, LLC, 262 Harbor Drive, Stamford, CT 06902 (“Sponsor”). Sweepstakes Entry Period: The Sweepstakes starts at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Time (ET) each Friday until Thursday at 3 p.m. ET until further notice. ends at 12:00:00 AM ET (“Sweepstakes Period”). Eligibility: Sweepstakes open only to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) 18 years of age or older at time of entry....

Host Kevin O’Connor and general contractor Tom Silva visit a local school and realize it’s sorely lacking in one area: It doesn’t have a Little Free Library. The pair enlist the help of Tom’s daughter, Kate, to build an awesome Little Free Library that will drive the students wild. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time All they need is a design, some of Tom’s handy templates, and some help from their friends at Brookside Elementary....

If you want to give your cabinets an instant update, a new paint color is an easy and cost-effective weekend DIY option. To make the project go a little faster, you can get by without sanding the cabinets first. It just takes a little advance planning. Can You Paint Over Cabinets Without Sanding? Skipping the sanding step is OK if you’re making a change from one newly painted surface to another, or painting raw, unvarnished wood cabinets....

Everyone knows that the simplest way to rejuvenate a tired surface is to put on a fresh coat of paint. Eventually, however, all new paint becomes old paint. Whether it cracks and blisters or just forms a lumpy blanket of pigments and binders, it begs to come off. The ideal way to start over is to strip furniture of the old stuff and begin with a baby-smooth, bare wood surface....

In most urban environments, when you flush the toilet, the waste is piped out to a sewage treatment plant. That plant treats and separates the waste into water that’s clean enough to be discharged into a river and into solids called residual waste. The residual waste gets landfilled or used as fertilizer. In some areas where there aren’t sewage treatment plants, septic systems do largely the same thing, but on a much smaller scale....

Sawhorses are a DIY must-have. This workshop staple is versatile in both its design and its capabilities. These sturdy frames can be lightweight or heavy-duty and help perform a variety of tasks from sawing to painting to scaffolding. You can build one of these work surfaces yourself or purchase one from a home improvement retailer, and since most jobs require you to utilize a pair, most DIY plans and market sawhorses are packaged in two’s....

Best Speed Settings: Whirlpool Whispure Air Purifier With four fan speeds and one sleep mode, this air purifier is customizable to match how much purification your air needs. It has a useful display that shows you the settings as well as the life of the carbon pre-filter and true filter. Key Features Offers four fan speeds, a sleep mode, and a timer Purifies up to 490 square feet Runs at 43–44 decibels Comes with a five-year warranty What Customers Are Saying Customers had this air purifier set up in minutes....

Top 5 Bean Bag Chairs Best For Sharing: Sofa Sack Plush Ultrasoft Bean Bag Best Multipurpose: CordaRoy’s Chenille Bean Bag Chair Best Lumbar Support: Big Joe Smartmax Milano Bean Bag Chair Best For Children: Sofa Sack Plush Ultrasoft Bean Bag Most Customizable: Chill Sack Bean Bag Chair Best For Sharing: Sofa Sack Plush Ultrasoft Bean Bag This large bean bag is great for families, as it can fit two children or one child and one adult at once....

Eastham, MA, JULY 14, 2020—With large, in-person gatherings on hold this summer, This Old House is hosting a virtual tour to celebrate the completion of its 2020 Cottage on the Cape Idea House. And the public is invited! This Old House’s 6th annual Idea House is a sweet-looking cottage with coastal charm that addresses two of the biggest challenges homeowners face today: affordability and flexibility. The 2,495-square-foot-house was designed by Union Studio Architecture & Community Design for a contest that sought accessible, year-round housing solutions for young professionals and their families....

Versatility Wood is an extraordinarily versatile material to build and design with; it’s used for all kinds of outdoor applications, from decks and pergolas to gazebos and playhouses. Aesthetically speaking, wood naturally offers a variety of grain patterns and colors, but it can also be stained, giving you the ability to retain the texture of the wood grain while achieving a hue that will complement your home. Availability One reason why so many professionals and DIYer’s alike love working with pressure-treated wood is that it’s so readily available; you can easily find a wide range in lumberyards and big box stores across the country....

Lighted garland looks great draped over a mantle, hung above a headboard, traced around the perimeter of the ceiling, and more – the options are unlimited. Below are ten string light ideas from creatives that you can recreate for an added glow in your room or on a patio. Tips: Use LED lights as they save energy and are safer because they generate less heat. Adhesive clips will help keep your DIY string lights hanging without leaving any holes or marks on the walls....

Though fun and exciting, a kitchen renovation is bound to be a time-consuming and pricey proposition—so you’ll want results that you’ll love right now and down the road. That may mean choosing classic cabinets. As the literally in-your-face aesthetic statement of your kitchen, cabinets shouldn’t make you wonder “What were we thinking!?” when you grab your coffee mug each morning. In your research stage, as you peruse ornate millwork, unique textures, and bold colors, take a breath and consider the options here, all likely to retain their appeal for a good while....