Home Improvements

Have you recently moved and looking to make your space your own? Maybe you've been there a while and you're just looking for a fresh new look. Whatever the reason, we have some home décor hacks that are simple and inexpensive. 1. Turn your backy...

Spring is the perfect time to perform a complete top-to-bottom inspection of your home and take care of any necessary repairs. ...

Flies in the Home Around the House Houseflies are often called "filth flies," and for good reason. They chow down on nasty things -- garbage, manure, dead animals, and the like. These also serve as breeding and egg-laying sites. Houseflies are ...

Home Maintenance Schedule Use the Home Maintenance Checklist to make sure your home is in good repair and for more information on why each of the following steps is important. This schedule will help you decide what time of year is best for each...

Home Maintenance Checklist Water, Water Everywhere Roof Outside: Inspect for signs of water and wind damage, including curled, damaged, loose, or missing shingles. Examine edges for damage to roof sheathing. Check flashing around chimney, vent ...

Working with Contractors A Fine Mess Most states have some type of home improvement laws that protect consumers when dealing with contractors. These laws vary from state to state, so it's a good idea to know what the law is in yours. On large ...

How to Run TV Cable Through Walls Cable: It's not your father's television anymore. Cable may be bringing your Internet connection. It may be supplying the endless channels of digital cable. Or both. With everything from the next paycheck to the...

How to Spot an "Underground" Contractor A Fine Mess The old saying "there's no such thing as a free lunch" definitely applies to contractors who like to do things their way, with little or no regard to licenses, building codes, or good practice...

Battling Bats in Your Home In the Nick of Time Bat-to-human transmission of rabies is extremely rare but not entirely unheard of. If you spend a lot of time working in attics or exploring caves where bats hang out, consider being immunized agai...

Dealing with Fleas in Your Home Around the House Adult cat fleas, which are the most common fleas that infest pets (both dogs and cats), spend virtually their entire lives on their hosts and can lay as many as 30 eggs a day. A Fine Mess Fleas...

Recognizing Rodent Infestations In the Nick of Time You can often identify the kind of rodent you're dealing with by the size and shape of their droppings. Mice, being the smaller of the two types, leave behind the smallest droppings, measuring ...

Getting Rid of Bedbugs Around the House Bedbugs can carry diseases, but they're not considered a serious disease threat. However, their bites can cause itching and inflammation. Both can be treated with topical antiseptic or antibiotic creams o...

Cockroaches in the Home The stuff of urban legends, cockroach infestations are among those that homeowners fear the most. And they should. Not only are cockroaches extremely difficult to control, they're one of the leading causes of allergies, a...

Ant Infestations in the Home Ants are considered a beneficial nuisance insect for their role in reducing dead and decaying plant and animal organic matter. Their nests also help aerate the soil. Many ant species have a fondness for aphid honeyde...

Diagnosing Wood Rot A Fine Mess Virtually every homeowner has to deal with wood damage at some time or another. It's so common, in fact, that the materials for replacing and repairing damaged wood makes up an estimated 10 percent of all wood pro...

Spiders in the House A Fine Mess Spiders tend to be more problematic in homes sited in wooded areas or that have naturalized landscaping, which are both ideal spider habitats. A beneficial predator, spiders are some of the most feared househol...

Animals in the Home A Fine Mess While they can seem somewhat scary, most wild animals are harmless. However, this doesn't mean you should relax your guard around any animal that has entered your home. There's a chance the animal could be ill, an...

Reducing Rodent Numbers Once you've made your home less hospitable to your furry guests by sanitizing your house, it's time to eliminate the ones that have already taken up residence. There are several effective approaches for doing so, includin...