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What Does Varnish Do? Varnish cures into a hard, glossy, and transparent film, although you can purchase versions tinted in various sheens and hues. Its main purpose is to seal and protect wood products while showing off the wood’s distinctive grain and natural beauty. Varnish vs. Polyurethane Polyurethane was created as a synthetic version of varnish. It’s basically plastic in liquid form, although in some versions it’s blended with resin. It’s available in two formats: water-based and oil-based....

How to Install a Whole-House Dehumidifier How to Install a Dehumidifier Pump How to Install a Whole-House Ductless Humidifier

Roger also pointed out that he’s been a fan of using organic weed killers and mentioned Avenger Weed Killer, which kills everything including the grass, and PureDefense Weed Shield, which is a selective herbicide that is manufactured by Purely Organic Products and is available at The Home Depot. Expert assistance with this segment was provided by Nawada Landscape Design.

Here’s a gallery of the visually appealing styles and patterns you can produce within each of the three application categories. Spray Textures Popcorn Popular in the mid-20th century, the popcorn texture consists of knobby, unevenly distributed bumps that resemble popcorn or cottage cheese. It’s a mixture of stucco and Styrofoam that’s sprayed on ceilings to hide imperfections and serve as a sound insulator between floors—but it can also evoke a fun, retro vibe....

In this Episode: Jared is always keeping up with the latest technology and is excited to see a one-of-a-kind solar shingle system installed at their Mountain Modern project. Amber meets with Kyle and James to review some unique design selections. Meanwhile, Jesse is managing some issues with the septic system. Jared does a walk-through before inspections, and Best Buy installs the laundry room.

5 of the Best Chemical-Free Household Cleaners These solutions recall a time when Grandma dusted with old socks and clucked her tongue at wasting pennies. Her remedies might help keep our rivers a little cleaner, too. Clean Copper with Hot Sauce Rub it on dulled copper, rinse with water, and polish clean with a soft rag. Olive Oil Brightens Up Wood Use a thin coat of olive oil to hydrate worn, dried-out wood, as long as it was origin­ally treated with an oil finish....

Top 6 Asbestos Test Kits Most Convenient: Schneider Labs Asbestos Home Test Kit Best Starter Option: Seeml Labs Asbestos Inspector in Box Fastest Turnaround: Nirtue Labs Asbestos Test Kit Best For Multiple Samples: ProLab Asbestos Test Kit Best All-Inclusive Kit: LABPRO Asbestos Test Kit Best Protection: Asbestos-Sampling.com Asbestos Testing Kit Most Convenient: Schneider Labs Asbestos Home Test Kit Pros and Cons ✔ Sends results via a PDF attachment✔ Covers shipping costs✔ Comes with easy-to-understand directions ✘ Slower to produce results than other kits✘ Can sometimes deliver false positives...

More time at home has meant more deliveries, and fuller households have led to fuller recycling bins, increasing the confusion about what exactly goes in them. What to do with all the plastic bags? Do bottle caps stay on? What if there’s a bit of peanut butter left in the jar? Ultimately, your local government decides whether an item is recyclable (check its website for a list). Private haulers can also provide this information....

Consider Your Home’s Energy Efficiency Energy efficient homes began catching people’s attention in the 1970s, when building science was in its infancy. Many of those original energy efficient houses failed, and the green home of today is light-years ahead of those early models. Building science is far better understood, even if applying it hasn’t quite become mainstream. For example, it’s become understood that controlling air movement through a house (air sealing) is at least as important as insulation....

Start with Basic Painting Tools The basic painting tool is a brush. A good-quality brush distributes an even coat of paint, won’t shed bristles into the paint, and with proper care, should last years. Nylon bristles are usually specified for acrylic paints, while natural bristles are meant for oil- or shellac-based finishes. Sizes range from 1-in. to 6-in. wide, but a 3 in.-wide brush will handle most tasks. Brushes with angled tips are good for controlling paint when cutting or for windows....

In-floor radiant heat is produced either with a hydronic system that pumps hot water through plastic tubing or with an electric system, where the heat is created with cables, similar to a heating pad. In a house that already has a boiler, hydronic tubing can often tie into existing equipment; it can heat a whole floor or even an entire house. Electric radiant can connect to any household’s service panel but can be costly to run, so it’s usually con#ned to discrete spaces, like a bathroom or mudroom....

Blades Come in Various Sizes Most stock blades with new miter saws in the box are general-purpose blades. These blades are fine for cutting a wide variety of materials, but they might not be as accurate or easy to use as a material- or project-specific blade. Having the right blade for a particular saw can significantly impact the quality of the cuts you make and your safety while performing those cuts....

Without walls though, your house won’t stand up. Obviously, outside walls keep out the weather and support the roof and floors. But interior walls serve many purposes as well, including supporting floor and ceiling loads, providing chases for running pipes, wires, and ducts, as well as making baths and bedrooms private places. Wall Structure Interior or exterior, most walls are built in a similar way from 2x4s or 2x6s (used in exterior walls to allow for more insulation)....

The first thing to understand about fertilizer is the formula, which is represented by three numbers, such as the common 5-10-5. The first number represents nitrogen, which promotes lawn blade and foliage growth; the second number stands for phosphorus, which helps root growth; and the third for potassium, which promotes cell function and absorption of trace elements. But what do you fertilize? When? And with what? Let’s start with your lawn....