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But like any machine that gets used a lot—about 30 times a season—it wears out and needs to be replaced. If it’s been a while since your last mower purchase, you might be surprised at what’s available. Those noisy, exhaust-spewing 2-cycle gas engines have been replaced by quieter, cleaner, 4-stroke machines. Mower decks have been reshaped so that mulching blades can slice and dice clippings with maximum effectiveness. Plus, you can now get no-pull-cord electric starting, one-touch height adjustment (no fiddling with each wheel), and safety controls that stop the blade but not the engine....

Ross sees a ton of similar complaints from other homeowners. Finding the issue can be tricky since you can’t see a WiFi network’s physical problem. Ross demonstrates a step-by-step approach to diagnose a WiFi problem and determine how to fix it. After checking the wiring and the modem location, Ross shows how to check the Internet speed. He finds that the WiFi signal gets weak in the basement and top floor, but he has a solution....

Heath used a plumb laser to locate the ceiling fixture, which was manufactured by PLS Laser. All of the other tools and materials for this project, including an old work fan bracket, non-metallic cabling, lineman’s pliers, and needle nose pliers are available at home centers and electrical supply shops. Expert assistance with this project was provided by Eaton and Eastman Electric. Shop Chandeliers at The Home Depot Shopping List: Light fixturePainter’s tape14 gauge non-metallic cableElectrical tapeOld work fan bracket Available at The Home Depot...

Older homes have a charm that can’t be beaten. Many folks look for design touches like stained glass, wainscot, and pocket doors. When the owner of this home, built in 1881, noticed that her neighbor was removing a pocket door that would work in her home, she couldn’t wait to salvage it and hang it in a pocket in her home. With carpenter Nathan Gilbert and his father’s help, the trio handles the project beautifully....

How to Install an Awning Resources Nathan installed an Icon awning base kit with a matte black frame and a clear finish, which is manufactured by Feeney, Inc. Nathan creates the proper-sized PVC mounting blocks by following the template of the vinyl mounting block to measure and trace where the French cleat will be cut. Then Nathan uses a miter saw to square the edges of the board and cut the boards to length for the mounting bracket....

Before getting to work, the two discuss a few methods of installing hardwood flooring, including gluing, nailing, and combining glue and nails. As the two begin installing boards, Tom shows Kevin when to nail through the board’s face and how to use a finishing nailer to install boards when a flooring nailer doesn’t fit. Tom continues to explain how to mark boards for cutting and how to tap them into place with a rubber mallet....

Wood entry doors everywhere suffer from the same assaults, and many end up in the trash, replaced by low-maintenance, mass-produced metal and fiberglass surrogates. But homeowners Belinda Chase and Scott Oja were determined to save this door—they knew the value of the antique, with its oval light of rippled, mouth-blown glass and its sturdy, all-wood construction. So they hired painting contractor John Dee to bring it back to life. Dee, who has worked on many This Old House television projects, attacked the splotchy surface with sandpaper and scrapers until the old pine door was as fresh and as fragrant as the day it was built....

Steps for Repairing a Baluster Tools How to Replace Deck Stair Balusters

This Old House General Contractor, Tom Silva ,heads out on a house call to help a homeowner solve an issue with a sagging gate. After excavating, Tom reinforces the gate’s post with some expanding foam. Then, he takes the gate and racks it back into shape before attaching custom-made brackets. Steps for Fixing a Sagging Fence Gate Multistep Gate Repair Review Resources Tom repaired the fence using some basic tools, including a post hole digger, a staple gun, and a drill driver, which can all be found at The Home Depot....

How to Replace Single Handle Shower Faucet Read More: How to Repair a Shower Valve Stem; How to Repair a Shower Valve in a Tile Wall Tools

Gasoline also has a limited useful life, so it’s important to only buy as much as you expect to use before it starts to go bad—or take steps necessary to make it last a bit longer. We’ll walk you through the essential considerations so you can safely and efficiently manage the fuel for all the gas-powered things in your life. Use It or Lose It Gasoline does degrade over time, so you should be mindful of how old the gas is in your vehicle and power-equipment fuel tanks....

If there is a chance that any of the paint being stripped was applied before 1978, it needs to be tested for lead. Lead tests can be bought at most paint supply stores and home centers. Mauro used the LeadCheck Swabs test kit, manufactured by 3M. When choosing a paint stripper, check the label closely and choose one that reads “Zero VOC.” “Low VOC” paint strippers can be misleading, since there are few regulations determining the concentration of VOCs that can be considered “low”....

The core of the project is a 1950s cast-iron sink that Hylah got at a salvage yard for $200. It’s supported by a cedar potting bench that we assembled in about an hour from a kit. Stoppered and filled with ice, the basin is great for chilling beers. You can drain wastewater into a bucket placed below the sink or, if you hook the faucet to a garden hose, it can be diverted through PVC pipe....

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The best kitchen flooring options have one or more of these attributes: Durability—Especially under the harshest conditions, from a dropped jar of pasta sauce to a soccer team’s post-game rush for snacks, you want that floor to take a licking with grace. Cost Effectiveness—Innovative ideas don’t have to break the bank. Ease of Cleaning—Floors get dirty, thoroughly and often. Cleaning them shouldn’t take too much time or effort. Attractiveness—Chances are you’re going to be looking at that kitchen floor pretty often, will your family and guests....

Jeremy: Thank you for having me. Jenn: I thought you could start by just telling everybody a little bit about Jericho Home and how you got started. Jeremy: A few years ago I started a company called Jericho Home Services. Jericho Home is the home decor side of it. As I got into furniture building, primarily, I built decks and did some remodeling. If a realtor or an inspector for a home, or if you were buying or selling a home and had a punch-out list, I would make that punch-out list come true, that was what my business was for....

In America, copper and lead roofs appeared on important public buildings beginning in the 18th century, including New York’s City Hall in 1764. By the mid-1800s, metal roofing became more common as mass-produced steel began covering ordinary homes and barns. By the 1920s, lightweight, no-rust aluminum entered the market, as did paint coatings that added color and longevity to both aluminum and steel roofs. Today, metal roofing is on the rise again: Its popularity has nearly quadrupled in the last 20 years....

Mattress Advisor, our trusted partner since 2020, helped us round up the most comfortable mattresses and mattress brands based on data from their sleep lab in Raleigh, N.C. Their sleep science expertise also helped us discern what beds are good for which sleepers, and why — and there are several key special needs to consider in the subjective world of rating mattress comfort. Here are our 10 top picks:...