Explore 1,000+ articles designed to guide you through every stage of your home improvement project.
Solar
Issues that May Arise with a Solar Hot Water Heater and How to Address Them
Once you saw the savings from your solar hot water heater, you started singing its praises from the rooftop. But like any appliance, your system needs a little regular TLC to perform its very best — and to avoid problems down the line. Issues with solar hot water heaters can have some grave consequences indeed…
Other Home Projects
Warning: Learn These Home Heating Fire Hazards
Heating your home with poorly maintained equipment is like playing with fire—sometimes quite literally! Even if you don’t have a fireplace with an open flame, you could be putting the safety of your home and family at risk. Especially if you slack off on monitoring the condition and performance of your heating systems. While heating…
Other Home Projects
What Are Your Best Eco-Friendly De-icing Options?
What’s the most eco-friendly way to deal with wintry ice on sidewalks, driveways, porches and steps? Most people stock up on bags of salty de-icer, and then start throwing handfuls of it around when snow starts falling, thinking “More is better.” There are two problems with this approach. First, many common de-icers are loaded with potent…
Siding
How to Maintain Fiber Cement Siding
There’s a reason you spent a little extra for fiber cement. After all, this high-quality material requires little input from you to keep it looking great and performing throughout the years. Of course, “low-maintenance” doesn’t mean “maintenance-free,” so you do need to perform some fiber cement siding maintenance now and then. The biggest thing is…
HVAC
Does My HVAC Need a Screen or Cover?
How often do you think about your HVAC system? If it’s working well, the answer is probably “rarely”—aside from the blissful moment you savor after entering your cool home on a scorching day. With the cooler months upon us, you’re getting close to shutting down your HVAC system for the winter, and you have plenty to…
HVAC
Now that the long days of summer are over and the seasons are changing, it’s officially time to start thinking about getting your home ready for the fall. While we’re sure you have a mile-long list of home improvement projects that need to be finished before the weather gets cooler, there is one thing we want…
Roofing
How Do You Fix a Roof That Has a Tree in It?
It’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare. In the middle of a truly savage storm, you hear a giant crash and realize with a sick feeling that a tree branch has come down on your roof. While that kind of damage can leave you feeling vulnerable and shaken, it’s actually not the catastrophic crisis it seems to…
HVAC
Pros and Cons of Reusable, Washable Air Filters
“Change your air filters.” It’s the number one piece of advice we hear from HVAC professionals. Clean filters extend the life of your system and improve its overall efficiency, since your unit doesn’t have to work as hard to regulate temperatures throughout your home. But what about the environmental impact of all those thrown-away filters?…