Seal Your Flue Pipes: Homeowners Clinic
First, let's clarify this. Ducts carry heated or cooled air. Under normal operation, they don't carry combustion byproducts and are sealed as a matter of energy efficiency, not combustion safety. Sheetmetal flue pipes, on the other hand, carry ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal
When it comes to the value of your home, first impressions matter. And the at-a-glance attractiveness that real estate people call curb appeal is more important than ever. "These days, 70 percent of home buyers get their first look at a house ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
The DIY Guy: 10 Home-Selling Strategies
If you happen to be lovesick, you're on your own. But, if you're selling your house, there are steps you can take to ready the property--and yourself--for the sale. First, you need to prepare psychologically. Once your home is on the market, ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Cutting Tile with a Wet Saw: Homeowners Clinic
To make a cutout in a tile for, say, an outlet, support the tile on a wood block and move it slowly into the blade of the wet saw. Cut one side, flip it over and make another cut to drop out the waste piece. It definitely pays to rent a wet saw ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
How To Fight A Fire, And When Not To
The good news is that the number of people killed in residential fires is dropping. The bad news is that there are still an astonishing number of people killed or injured in residential fires and the yearly property damage from them is sickening. ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Fabric Storm Shield
I live in an area that was hard hit by a couple of recent storms. I've heard that there is a fabriclike material that can be used to protect windows. It's supposed to be similar to what's found on trampolines. Can you provide further ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Video Trailer: The Most Extreme Pumpkin Carve-Off Ever
Published on: October 23, 2006 [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Home Project: Going Out in Style
If you have a backyard deck or patio, chances are there's more than an ordinary door connecting your outdoor space with the inside of your home. In contrast to the traditional porch, decks and patios are real living spaces that extend both the ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Reader Project: Sidecar
My house is built on a concrete slab, and I thought this made it impervious to termite damage. Now I've found pinholes in the drywall surfaces of the dining room. I suspect that termites are inside the house. What do I do? You need to have a pest ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Hit the Shower
If I have a 100-watt bulb controlled by a dimmer switch, will I use less electricity if the switch is at a lower setting? If so, that would imply that the switch would pay for itself, eventually. Is that true? Yes, modern electronic dimmers save ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
The Start-to-Finish Guide To Using Concrete
While mortar had been used in stone construction by the Egyptians, Roman concrete was something new. It relied on a paste made of ground limestone, water and volcanic ash, or pozzuolana, that was poured into forms where it hardened and bound ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Soffit Rot
The soffits on the addition to our house rot out after only a few years. The soffits themselves are not vented, but there is a large gable vent. There are identical gable vents on the main part of the house. The soffits on that portion of the ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
