Radon is a radioactive, cancer-causing gas that is thought to cause around 21,000 deaths per year, mostly due to lung cancer. The gas is odorless and tasteless and thus cannot be detected without special instruments. It results from the natural breakdown of substances in the soil, and it can get into the basements of all types of buildings all around the world. Thus, it is crucial for all households to undergo radon testing and to take steps to ensure that it doesn’t get inside. Here’s what you can do.
There are two types of tests that homeowners can use:
- Short-term tests: Short-term testing kits check radon for a Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re not familiar with caulk, it’s that material that is used to seal the seams in tubs, showers, and bathroom walls. When a shower or tub is not properly caulked, it can cause seepage into the walls and beneath the floors, which can have catastrophic effects in the long run. Caulking does wear down over time due to mold or simple wear and tear, so it needs to be replaced every few years. If you think that your tub or shower is in need of re-caulking, follow these steps.
Step 1: First, you’ll want to get rid of the old caulk. You can do this simply by using a razor blade or knife and peeling it out. Stubborn sections of caulk can be gotten rid of with some caulk remover, which can be found at the hardware store. Read the rest of this entry »
There are a lot of misconceptions going around about how to protect against power surges in the home. Many people think that all they need to do is use power strips around the home for their computers and appliances, and that this will protect against all potential problems. But the fact is that surge protectors cannot protect against most types of electrical events, and particularly powerful surges can threaten all of the electrified elements in the home, including lights and even phone and cable lines. Thus, it’s important for every home to be protected against surges not just on the level of individual appliances, but over the whole household.
Two types of protection
Protecting against power surges requires Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re not familiar with wainscoting, it’s that wood paneling that you often see covering the lower portion of walls. It’s particularly popular in Victorian homes as well as New England Classic interiors, and it gives the home a sort of antique vibe, plus some interesting visual variety. Installing luxurious wainscoting is usually the job of carpenters, but it can be done by anyone who has a moderate degree of skill with woodworking and home-improvement tasks. If you’re interested in taking on this job yourself, here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Measure the total length of wall that you will need to cover, and choose a pattern of wainscoting from your Read the rest of this entry »
Even more than other kitchen appliances, garbage disposals require frequent maintenance in order to keep them working properly, and even the best disposals tend to have problems from time to time. Whatever type of garbage disposal you have, the most important point is to make sure that the power is off when you’re working with the disposal. Just to be safe, completely shut down the power to the kitchen. You don’t want to mess around with those sharp garbage disposal blades.
Here are the solutions to the most common garbage disposal problems:
Blockage in the disposal
If something goes into the disposal that causes it to Read the rest of this entry »
Installing storm windows comes with multiple benefits for the home. The windows help contain the internal environment of the home while keeping the external heat and cold out, and this can help reduce utility bills. Plus, as their name suggests, storm windows can help protect against catastrophic events to a certain extent. In short, installing storm windows is a valuable investment to benefit your bank account and your family’s safety. If you’re interested in installing them yourself, follow these steps.
- Step 1: Measure your windows to determine exactly what size storm windows you’ll use. Be sure to measure the windows from edge to edge, rather than just the glass part. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re new to homeownership or are just sick of not being able to accomplish even the most menial home-improvement tasks, it’s time to teach yourself some new skills. Over time, it can begin to feel a little pathetic when you have to keep calling in help for jobs that should be easy enough for a moderately skilled adult to handle. But instead of fretting about it, it’s time to take action. There are some home-improvement tasks that take quite a bit of skill and experience, but 90% of the jobs you could ever be required to do around the home are simple and require no expertise. Get yourself up to speed by following these tips.
1. Take classes: Check your local hardware store to see if they have any instructional sessions on basic tasks. If not, go online and look for classes in your area. You should be able to find some simple classes that are not very expensive. Read the rest of this entry »
While cooking is among the most fun and rewarding hobbies in the world, it’s not as fun when your kitchen isn’t user-friendly. When it’s full of clutter, when your set-up makes it hard to multitask, or when you have to search every time you need to find utensil, it’s enough to make cooking seem like a chore rather than a fun hobby. Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes for making a kitchen more chef-friendly, but if you take an afternoon to enact these tips, your cooking hobby will suddenly seem much more enjoyable.
1. Reduce unneeded items: Many amateur chefs go through cyclical stages—first they try to fill their kitchens with everything they could ever possibly need, and then they get sick of all the stuff and go on a purging rampage. But the key is to end this cycle is to really think about what you want to have and to get rid of what you’ll never use. Read the rest of this entry »
If you live in an old apartment that still uses steam heating, then a noisy radiator is likely just a fact of life. If you rent, this can be frustrating because the problem isn’t usually considered serious enough to warrant your landlord’s attention. Your radiator could be banging up a storm every night, but because it’s a natural side effect of the old heating system, there’s really nothing that can be done about it. Nevertheless, if you just can’t stand that noise any longer, you might want to consider these possible solutions. If they don’t work, perhaps it’s time to find a new apartment.
Step 1: Try to figure out the source of the noise. It could be that the steam valve is not opening or closing all the way, causing excessive water condensation to build up, or it could be that the radiator is slightly tilted in a way that prevents the water from draining. In these cases, then the sound could be anything from a heavy hissing, to a sloshing, to loud banging, depending on where the problem lies. Read the rest of this entry »
These days, even the suburbs are filled with abundant, high-speed traffic and its accompanying noise. Neighborhoods that used to be peaceful and quiet are now crisscrossed with huge freeways or high-capacity city streets. As a result, yard noise reduction is growing in popularity as a landscaping strategy and a way to bring peace and quiet to the home. There are many highly effective ways to reduce noise, but if you don’t feel like erecting a huge concrete wall, try these solutions.
Build a fence. First, you’re going to need a well-made fence. If you already have a fence, take a close look at it. If it’s thin, in a poor state of repair, or has lots of gaps between the boards, then you may want to consider giving it an update. In any case, the best noise-reduction fences should be a couple of inches thick and have no clearance between the boards. Read the rest of this entry »
