From the category archives:

Feature Articles

The St. Louis 35th Annual Builders Home & Garden Show returns to America’s Center and Edward Jones Dome Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26. The Home & Garden Show is the place to see, learn about and buy the latest home products and services from reputable companies you can trust. The show is produced [...]

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Margarita pizza is very popular in Italy and has its roots in Naples Did you know pizza did not become popular in America until after WWII? When soldiers who were stationed in Italy came back home from their service, they spilled the beans on a little unknown secret the Italians gave away. It was the [...]

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When you are remodelling a room, one of the big challenges is deciding which window treatments will suit it best. There are a huge number of options out there but the first question you need to answer is whether you would prefer blinds or curtains. The answer will depend a lot upon the purpose of [...]

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If you have any elderly or disabled living with you or are regularly visited by someone who is, then making your home easily accessible will make their life safer and easier. Whilst accessibility might seem to only be an issue for people suffering serious disabilities, you will be surprised at how much of a difference [...]

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Estimating Pond Volume

by Michael OLoughlin on January 12, 2012

It is important to know the volume of water in your backyard pond for a couple of reasons. When you are constructing your water feature, you will need to know the volume it will hold in order to get the correct size pump to recirculate the water effectively. Poor water circulation will result in a [...]

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Home Heating System Repairs

by admin on January 6, 2012

 …and How to Stay Warm While You Wait!   Inevitably, the heating system in your home won’t fail on a crisp, October morning, but on the coldest, harshest day of the year! If the failure occurs in the morning on a weekday, you may be fortunate enough to have a repair professional available that day [...]

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Home Improvement projects often show up high on homeowner’s list of New Year’s resolutions.  But without proper planning it’s easy to spend too much or hire a disreputable contractor.  Then the home improvement project that should bring you joy turns into a home improvement nightmare. Here’s a list of five New Year’s resolutions that will [...]

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Infrared Saunas

by admin on December 23, 2011

Infrared vs. Traditional Saunas Saunas and their relatives (like the Native American sweat lodge and the Japanese onsen) have been in use for thousands of years, offering health benefits and relaxation to users.  Traditional saunas are wood or electrically heated. Steam is created by pouring water over heated rocks. In the 1900s a new type [...]

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With the arrival of December and the holiday season, most of us are pulling out the Christmas decorations and getting ready to deck out every last corner in order to ensure that our houses are “holiday ready” in every way from the last touch of tinsel to the last dusting of powdered snow. But as [...]

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So You Need to Hire a Plumber

by admin on November 24, 2011

Help! I Have a Plumbing Emergency. If you stumbled across this page because you are frantically looking for information while water is gushing into your home, there is one thing you should do before proceeding. Turn off the water! If you can, turn off the water directly to the offending fixture. Most toilets and sinks [...]

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When to Prune Evergreens

by admin on November 21, 2011

Loosely defined, evergreens are trees and shrubs that do not lose their leaves all at once in the fall. They do shed leaves or needles, but do so a little at a time throughout the year. Pruning evergreen trees and shrubs accomplishes several things: It helps control size and shape of the plant. It helps [...]

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Winter Kitchen Gardening

by Barbara Simonson on November 14, 2011

Interesting activities for children’s garden clubs, cub scouts, brownies or your own children and grandchildren are often difficult to find during the winter months. But there are lots of planting projects right in your own kitchen! Children can learn about Mother Nature by planting the seeds they find in the fruits they have just eaten. [...]

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The Accessible Bathroom Design

by admin on October 31, 2011

An accessible bathroom design can make life much easier for some people. The classic bathroom layout creates barriers for many people, especially those who are disabled, ill, injured, elderly, or very young. The goal of universal design is to make the bathroom usable by anyone. Even if no one in your family currently requires special [...]

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The hot sticky days of summer gardening are behind us. The glory of fall and the bite of winter are on their way. Here are some helpful tips for your yard and garden for the fall and winter months. October Garden Tips • Squirrels can’t climb the pole if you use a staple gun and [...]

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Even if you have a large vegetable or flower garden, you may be able to start your own winter vegetables in a cold frame. You will save money, raise superior plants, get plants that are directly acclimatized to your locality, and you can produce a far greater variety of plants. A great advantage of starting [...]

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Remodel, Replace, Repair or Move?

by admin on October 20, 2011

Today, more than ever, folks are struggling with the above question. There are many things that need to be considered before you find the answer. Let’s start with remodel. Should you go to the expense of remodeling your home, whether it is a new kitchen, bathroom, family room, windows or a new roof? The first [...]

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Cloche Gardening

by admin on October 17, 2011

Very few gardeners in the United States, other than Martha Stewart use the English method of cloche gardening.  However, it is interesting to study the process and perhaps adapt some aspects of this gardening technique in our own home gardens.  A cloche looks like a tall glass water bottle with the bottom cut out.  The [...]

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Upgrading Your Garage Floor

by admin on October 13, 2011

  Garage floors take a beating. Concrete often cracks as the building settles. Fluids from cars and lawn mowers leave nasty stains. Paint spills dot the surface. After a few years all this can add up to an unsightly mess. Fortunately, there are more options than ever for renewing your garage floor surface. Garage Floor [...]

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Ground Covers Add Impact to a Yard

by admin on October 10, 2011

Almost every yard has a spot that could use a ground cover for one reason or another.  It’s a good idea to look over a comprehensive list of ground covers to help select just the right one.  Ground covers are a practical addition to the yard and an important asset to the overall landscape theme. [...]

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Putting Style in your Bathroom

by admin on October 6, 2011

Most homeowners agree that a neutral scheme is the practical place to begin decorating a bathroom. But today’s bathrooms have style and personality. Even if your starting point is with white or off-white fixtures and flooring, you can put a lot of pizzazz into the bathroom with details that are easy and relatively inexpensive to [...]

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