Home & Garden: Page 31

There are some people out there who care so much about their yard, they'll do whatever it takes to take care of it. If you're interested in keeping your lawn nice and healthy, this next tutorial covers a method that has worked for many. It's called topdressing. It's something that is easy to do and can result in grass that is great to look at and will stay healthy for a long time.

If rain is a constant weather in your city, you should check into installing rain barrels outside. These precious storage systems are great to use for watering your plants during the long summer months. Not only does it help you save money, but it helps out the environment as well. They're easy to set up and can be done without much hassle. So check out the tutorial above from the city of Calgary, on how to use rain barrels today. Good luck and enjoy!

If you take a quick look around your home, there are many areas that can be changed to help ensure that it's energy efficient. From the fridge in your kitchen to the lights outside, there are numerous possibilities. One area that is filled with possibilities is your basement, more specifically, your home's air ducts. This is an area where you can save 5-10 percent per month on your energy bill. It takes a little bit of time to complete, but is totally worth it in the long haul. So check out...

Just like a garage, basements can become areas where you're saying hello cold air, good-bye money! This is because when cold air fills a basement, the floor above it becomes cold and can actually lower the tempature in that room. To avoid this, you need to install proper insulation at your windows. This can be an easy task.

Saving energy is as easy as 1,2,3! There are various places in your home where you can spend money on that will not only save you energy, but money as well. One of the most common and easiest places is the light fixtures. From sconces, to lamps, to the lights above your dining room table, these lights can be replaced with more energy efficient lights easily. They cost a bit more, but in the long haul will save you money and help leave a smaller footprint on this planet.

Vampire voltage may sound like the next Sci-Fi channel original movie, but it's not. It's something that lives in your very home and can be affecting your energy bill even as you read this. Basically vampire voltage is an appliance that is using electricty although it's not being used. Computers, microwaves, blu-ray disk players, etc are examples of vampires.

You may or may not have known, but mowing your lawn can actually help keep it healthy and promotes root growth. It also makes your yard look great and helps it stand out from any other bad looking yards on your block.

Owning a tractor, is just as important as owning a car. It's an expensive item that needs constant maintenance in order to ensure that it works properly. There are several things that you need to watch out for when owning one.

When owning a lawn, you want to make sure that it's as healthy as it can be. You don't want to have the ugliest yard on the block do you. There are many methods to ensure that you're yard will stand out. One way of doing this is by aeration. This involves making holes in the lawn that will allow for growth and other benefits as well.

Applying a restrictive film on your storm door is a smart and great energy saving method. During the long summer months, if any sunlight hits your storm door, it can not only damage the look of your door, but cause your home to become much hotter than you need it to be.

If you haven't made the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, what are you waiting for? These bulbs produce the same amount of light as the old bulbs, but produce less heat and zap less energy away from your home. That can lead to you saving money and doing more for the environment.

Using caulk around your home is a great tool that can help save energy in your home and money. It's easy to spread, but for some, it can be pretty difficult to spread.

If you own an old refrigerator, chances are that you have an energy zapper in your home. With some of the more newer models, they zap less energy, but can still waste a good amount.

If you don't know what a sand snake is or what it does, it's basically something that is used to help you save energy and money. It's bigger than weatherstripping and can be just as effective.

If you're wondering if your home is energy efficient, there is an easy way to check. For some cities in the U.S., you can actually call people to come over to your house and test the efficiency of your home. It's a great way to tell if you're saving energy and what you need to work on.

You may not realize it, but planting certain vegetation around your home can actually help you save energy. Plating trees is also a great way to help add some shade to your home that can bring a cool feel to an area during the hot summer days.

Is your lawn looking a little grim lately? Well, no need to reach for toxic chemicals, check out this clip instead! In this tutorial, gardening specialist, Carl Grimm, shows you how to fix your lawn naturally and avoid all that yucky stuff that harms kids and pets. Follow along and go green (literally!) with your front yard for summer!

There are many ways that you can save money and energy in your home. One of the most obvious takes place at the entrance of your home: doors. Weatherstripping a door is a smart and simple way to help ensure that the outside air stays out and the inside air stays in.

A fireplace is a great tool to use during the cold winter months. It can be used to help set a mood or just to keep you and others warm. But when the fire is out, it's important to close off the entrance to prevent any cold air from coming in and any warm air from leaving. The best, and cheapest, way to do this is by creating a fireplace insert.

It may not sound like an obvious solution, but using a humidifier during the cold winter months, can actually be more efficient and make your home more comfortable. Having low humidity levels inside your home cause several things to occur, but one being the use of your furnace. This can raise prices and cause you to waste more energy.

Using a heat pump in your home, is a great way to be energy efficient and keep your home nice and comfortable. What it does it takes heat from your home during the summer and transfers it outside, and then during the winter months, takes heat from the outdoor air and puts in your home.

Having a great storm water drainer attached to your home is not only important for preventing any damage to your home, but can be used to save on utility costs. Without a drainer, water can seep under your home and potentially damage your foundation. But it's an easy problem to fix and will make you glad you did.

This is a common problem that all homeowners have faced at some point or time: lack of air flow. There can be rooms that get way more air than others and this can be a sign of a problem. If your air system isn't working properly you can lose out on a lot of money and energy.

There are many ways that you can lose energy and heat in your home, and one of the most common ways is by the water heater. It may not seem like it, but you can lose a lot of money and energy when using your water heater. So it's important to take the necessary steps when you want to save energy and money. In this tutorial, you'll find out how to install an insulation jacket for your electric or gas water heater. Good luck, be safe, and enjoy!

When it comes to winter weather, the garage should not be neglected, especially if you have a room directly above it. Neglecting to properly insulate and seal your garage doors will create a constant rush of cold air inside, making the garage really cold, in turn making the floor upstairs really cold. This will drive up your gas or electric bill in no time during the winter months. But you can fight higher heating costs with some DIY ingenuity, and Dave Mars will show you how!

If you live in an area where it gets really cold during winter, you may or may not know the importance of protecting your pipes. Not covering them with proper insulation can result in frozen pipes that are a pain to fix and can cost you a lot of money. So in this tutorial, you'll be finding out how to properly insulate your pipes for the winter months. Good luck and enjoy!

Apartment Therapy posts a simple household hack on removing a stripped screw without an extractor. For all our WonderHowTo Home & Garden DIYers, you never know when you might accidentally strip a screw clean. Here's how to remedy the problem.

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to use a long handled saw. This type of saw is used to cut off the branches of trees. There are 2 bolts that screw the blade onto the handle. The handle is about 2 meters long when folded down and about 5 meters when extended out. When the blade is not in use, place the cover over it to prevent any accidental injury or sharpness wearing. Never use the blade near electrical wires. This video will benefit those viewers who are interested in lumber or have...

In this tutorial, we learn where to cut on plants to prune. A plant that has a woody stem can be shortened between the leaves, making sure to cut it towards a node because this is where it will heal most rapidly. If you cut it too close tot he bud it will dry out and healing will not occur. Slope the cut away from the bud so you give the plant a greater chance to heal and you can avoid infection. Pruning often gives you control over how big the plant gets, and you can also control what the size...

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to grow tomatoes. Begin by some tomatoes at a supermarket. Then extract the seeds from the tomatoes and wrap them into a paper towel. Then place the seeds in between the pages of a phone book to quickly dry them. Now plant about 8-10 seeds into a small pot with soil. The seeds should be planted 25 inches deep into the soil. As the plants grow larger, change the pots to a larger size. This video will benefit those viewers who enjoy gardening and would...

If you're trying to save some cash, as well as help the environment, there are many things that you can do around your home that will help. One thing you can do is use plastic. There are many different uses for plastic and it comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They are most commonly used in caulks and sealants and can help prevent any cold or warm air from leaving the home, saving you money and energy. If you're interested in finding out what else you can do, check out this tutorial above....

Is your house so messy that you can't recall the last time you could see the carpet? Vacuum up the tornado's mess and store things where they belong for once by learning a few organization tips from this episode of "The Martha Stewart Show."

Organizing your closet can be tough work: What do you take out, what do you toss, and what do you keep and where? It's easy to just stuff all of life's little odds and ends in your closet, but you'll achieve a much more peaceful state of mind when things are in order.

Shell-covered pots are such beautiful decorations for the summer, bringing the beach into (or directly outside of) your home even if you live inland. They add a gorgeously breezy oceanic touch to your plants.

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to maintain the guide bar of a chainsaw. Begin by removing the guide bar from the chainsaw. Unscrew the two nuts on the side of the saw and then remove the chain. Now rest the guide bar at an angle and scrape off the metal bur, using a flat file. Simply run the file down the guide bar until it is clear of any bur. Then use a tool to scrape any debris that is inside the groove of the guide bar. This video will benefit those viewers who are in the...

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to unclog a toilet in 11 seconds. Users will need a plunger. It is recommended to use a pleaded plunger, instead of the regular plunger. When clogging a toilet, the rubber of the plunger is filled up with water, pushed down and squeezes out the pressurized water. The force from the pressured water will remove the clogging of the toilet. Slowly place the plunger into the water and let it be filled with water. Align it with the toilet hole and then push...

In this video tutorial, viewers will learn how to sweat pipes. The materials required for sauntering the sweat pipes are: M-APP gas, gauge, solder, solder paste, pipe cutter, brillow and copper pipes. Begin by cutting the copper pipe to a desired size. Then brush some plumber flux onto the copper pipe and hold it in place with a clamp. Now use the M-APP gas to move the flame around the pipe to allow it to suck in the solder. This video will benefit those viewers who are interested in plumbing...

In order to build a backyard swing arbor, you will need the following: 2x4s, 1x6s, a bench swing, 4x8' sheet, a drill, carriage bolts, galvanized nails, and screws. Cut 4 2x4's to 87". Cut a notch 3.5x1.5 in each, at the corners. Cut 2 2x4s to 15" each. Lay the 87" out on a flat surface, in a parallel fashion. Lay the connectors across the top of it. Align the notches. Make sure the sides are flush. Drill holes through the connectors. Drill holes through the base and...

This video is a do it yourself project which will show viewers how to fix a leaking kitchen faucet which is leaking water from around the base of the handle. This problem is most likely caused by a broken cartridge, a Moen 1225B cartridge is used to replaced it. The first step which should be taken is to shut off the flow of water from the sink using the shutoff valves under the sink. Then, remove the handle and its adapter depending on the style of the handle which is leaking and remove the...

In order to make a make worm compost, you will need the following: plastic containers, shredded newspaper, water, food scraps, and worms. Modify the containers in order to allow air to get through, by making holes in the lid. Shred some newspaper. Moisten the paper with water. Line your beds with newspaper. Choose your worms carefully. Next, add kitchen scraps. Fruits and vegetables work best. Harvest your compost. This compost can be used in various ways. You can mix it with your...