Improve Your Home and Garden
From the category archives:
If you’re like many homeowners these days, the struggling real estate market may be keeping you in your starter home. If your dreams of moving to a larger or better-appointed house have been put on hold, creative landscaping can help you make the best of a bad situation while putting you in a position to [...]
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Humidity levels vary from place to place. Humidity levels at or around 50%, apart from being uncomfortable, lead to growth of fungus and mold in homes which increase health risks, such as asthma and allergies. Additionally, high humidity is an ideal breeding environment for moths, fleas, cockroaches and termites, all of which can wreak havoc [...]
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In the Pacific Northwest, early spring is often a time of grey skies and rain with the occasional warm day. And on those warm days there is nothing like the smell of Daphne wafting through an open window. Daphne odora is one of those white bloomers that add sparkle to an otherwise monochromatic pallet. Below [...]
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As warm weather approaches, you may wish to make a checklist of things that need to be done outside your home and in the garden. Not only does this help you prepare for spring, it provides a perfect chance for you to begin enjoying the beautiful weather. Start by cleaning and preparing your [...]
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It’s only October, and already it feels like winter is in too much of a hurry to get here. That means millions of us are about to start sharing our living quarters with some unwanted guests – those “snowbirds”–the mice–who move indoors as outdoor temperatures drop. I think the little darlings are perfectly adorable–in cartoon [...]
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A damp, leaking, or flooded basement can be a big headache for homeowners. Any water in a basement can lead to mold and mildew growth, which can cause health problems and property damage to your home and its contents. Water can also cause foundation damage. In addition, a wet basement can substantially reduce the resale [...]
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Whether you are looking for a way to cut down your monthly bills or to better the environment, there are a few things you can do in your home to make a big impact on both. It’s simple as flipping a switch or cutting back; here are a few other easy ways to make your [...]
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Most gardeners that have ornamental grasses leave them standing during the cold months for winter interest. It’s a personal choice, but gardens in the winter need structure and the gracefulness of ornamental grasses adds this element much like evergreen do. Come late winter, before the new growth appears, though, you should cut them back to [...]
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I’m old enough to remember seeing (and being fascinated by) old wind mills here and there on farms in the Midwest where I grew up. In earlier years, before electricity reached parts of the rural Midwest, it was not uncommon to see these home wind turbines whirling away, generating electricity for rural families that otherwise [...]
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Most of don’t give much thought to our roof, until it starts to leak. Live in a house long enough, however, and sooner or later you will have to consider roof repair or replacement. When the time does come for a new roof, it pays to give this decision some thought. After all, in addition [...]
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Andrew Koyaanisqatsi is passionate about solar energy. You could say he was raised on it. Growing up in the 1970′s, his family home used solar energy to heat their water. His environmental awareness, which began at a young age, has shaped his adult life. Seeking to marry his love of the environment with his more [...]
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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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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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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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…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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When there’s a bumper crop of fresh herbs, the best way to preserve them is in oil. Here’s a great recipe to do this. Pluck leaves from the stems and pack them down in a measuring cup. Place two hard-packed cups of herbs in a blender or food processor. Add 1 cup of good-quality cooking [...]
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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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