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We recommend reading your service contract to see which of your luxury appliances can be added to your home warranty. Pay extra attention to the fine print regarding coverage caps, which may stipulate that high-end appliances are not subject to the same reimbursement rates as lower-end appliances. If your replacement exceeds the coverage cap or reimbursement rate determined by your provider, you will be responsible for the difference. You’ll want to confirm that the coverage caps on appliances make sense for your budget....

Looking for the best mattress for side sleepers? Side sleeping is considered one of the healthiest sleep positions for your back and spine, but the wrong mattress can leave you waking up with aches and pains. Because the hips and shoulders press deeply into the mattress, hip and shoulder pain can arise on the wrong bed. The best way to avoid this is by choosing a mattress that excels in spine alignment and pressure relief so that your back is supported while the hips and shoulders are softly uplifted....

How to Attract Birds to a Birdhouse Site it right Birds that like to lay their eggs in nesting boxes prefer ones that get morning sun and have entrance holes sheltered from prevailing winds. Having a freshwater source nearby is another plus. How to Build a Birdhouse Place it high To protect nesters from marauders, including raccoons, squirrels, snakes, and house sparrows, Kress suggests installing houses on metal poles about 5 feet above the ground and 10 feet from branches or buildings....

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Steps for Building a Birdhouse: 1. Size the Pieces Using a miter saw and the provided cut list, cut the 1x6 board and ¼-inch plywood pieces to size. Mark the center point along the top edge of the front and back walls. From the center point, clip each top corner at a 45-degree miter to create a peak. 2. Drill an Opening On the front board, make a mark centered on the width of the board 3½-inches from its peak....

Follow along as This Old House contributor Christopher Beidel, owner of Pernt, a handmade-furniture company in Brooklyn, shows you how to make this piece—as practical as it is pretty. Overview of How to Build a Compost Bench Timeline Day 1: Build the base and seat (Steps 2-10). Day 2: Make and install the backrest and arms (Steps 11-18). Steps for Making a DIY Compost Bench Step 1: Make the right-angle cuts On your miter saw, make the straight cuts for all the parts, according to the cut list....

Steps for Building Granite Front Steps Tools and Materials How to Build Steps with Landscape Timbers

Tips for choosing and using birdfeeders

Remove the handles, escutcheons, and cover plate for the shower valve. a. This will vary, depending on the manufacturer. In general, look for small circles that could be concealing screws that are holding the handles in place. These can usually be removed with an Allen wrench. b. Be careful to loosen only the handles and not actually turn them; otherwise, the water will turn on. Shut the hot and cold water lines off....

After donning some safety gear, Mauro shows Kevin how to soak the brush in the chemical solution and explains how to tell when it’s ready. The two then remove the paint using a soft-bristled brush and careful strokes before rinsing the brush with clean water. Finally, Mauro straightens out the bristles to get them ready for the next paint project. How to Clean a Dried Paintbrush Can You Put a Paint Brush in a Plastic Bag?...

Expert assistance with this segment was provided by the Laramie County Conservation District, the University of Wyoming Extension, Nawada Landscape Design, and Wanda Manley. Tools

Our shelf was built for a standard 24-inch-deep by 33-inch-wide base cabinet, but its design is adaptable to virtually any size cabinet. It has a 1x4 pine frame and 3/4-inch birch plywood bottom. If you’re only building one or two shelves, you can save some money by going to a home center or lumberyard that sells quarter or half sheets of plywood. And in most cases, they’ll even cut the plywood to your dimensions....

Lower in several hardy waterlilies, and the perennials will send up shoots that keep you in daily blooms of pink, red, white, and yellow from June through August. Come fall, just shear off the shoots and they’ll come back bigger and bolder next spring. As long as the water doesn’t freeze solid in winter, these lilies will survive in place. Follow along as This Old House contributor Christopher Beidel, owner of Pernt, a handmade-furniture store in Brooklyn, New York, walks you through the step-by-step of building this aqua-gardener’s starter project....

Large barriers can interfere with migration and even upset ecosystems. And as development continues unabated—be it for housing, commercial uses, or infrastructure—the more likely it is for animals to venture closer to our backyards. Homeowners, however, can make conscious choices when it comes to fence materials and dimensions without causing undue harm to our neighbors in nature. Here’s how. Learn About Local Wildlife First up, research what types of animals are in your area and gain a basic understanding of their food sources, mating/breeding seasons, movement patterns, and if/when they migrate....

How to Paint MDF Step-by-Step What to Use When Painting MDF To prevent water from damaging the MDF, Mauro recommends using an oil-based primer, since it repels water. For this bench, Mauro used BIN shellac base primer, manufactured by Zinsser. For the top coat, Mauro used Benjamin Moore Advanced in “Simply White” with a semi-gloss finish. The top coat is a water-based paint. The other painting materials Mauro used, including the wood filler, paint brushes, and rollers, can all be found at home centers and paint supply stores....

The sink hole cover the Richard used to seal the hole from the old shower head is manufactured by Danco and can be found at home centers. The other materials Richard used to complete the valve replacement, including the copper pipes, copper fittings, solder and flux can all be found at home centers and plumbing supply houses. Shopping List Pressure balanced shower valve Retrofit cover plate for valve ½-inch copper pipe and fittings Solder Flux Tub spout Shower head 2x4 dimensional lumber Pipe hangers...

How to Vault a Ceiling