Home & Garden

There’s no place like home—especially when it’s in tip-top shape. We’ve rounded up the best cleaning and organizing tricks, affordable decor ideas, DIY hacks, and more. Warning: Once you’ve got everything just the way you want it, you may never want to leave!

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Bits

Spade bits feature center locating point and two sharp flat cutting edges which work, with a scraping action, to bore


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Standard Electric Hand Drill

Select a reversible model so you can back out bits or loosen screws.


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Profile Gauge

Duplicates and transfers an irregular design to a template or piece of stock.


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Retractable Tape

Stores a spring-loaded metal rule in a small case.


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Torpedo Level

Short, 20 cm (8 in.) version of the longer carpenter's level.


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Electronic Stud Finder

Locates studs behind wall coverings by measuring changes in the wall's density.


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Chalk Line

A case, filled with chalk and 15 m to 30 m (50­100 ft) of line on a reel, marks a...


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Electrician Screwdriver

Made with a long shank to reach deep in electrical boxes, this screwdriver is perfect for electrical work.

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Screwdrivers

Robertson screwdriver, usually color-coded according to size, can reach screws that are sunk below the surface in furniture. The square


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Deadbolt Locks

Do I need a locksmith to install a deadbolt lock or is it something that I can do myself?


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Weather Stripping

I installed weather stripping on the door frame in the entrance of my house three weeks ago. The stripping on...


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Caulking Windows

Last winter my heating bills were considerably high. I noticed that there was a draft coming from my living room...


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Removing Caulking

In order to eliminate a draft, I caulked the edges of my bedroom window. Unfortunately, I caulked the window shut....


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Window-Frame Protection

I am building a new house. What is the best way to protect the tops of the outside window frames...


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Sweating Window Frames

I have a single-pane window with a metal frame in my basement. The window is fine, but the metal frame...


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Condensation and Windows

The windows at my cottage are double-paned. I have discovered condensation in between the two panes. What can I do...


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Ceiling Hot-Air Fans

I live in a two-story house that sits on concrete and does not have a basement. The living room is...

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Weather Stripping

There is a cold-air draft that comes through the front door of my house on cold winter days. The previous...


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Cold-Air Drafts

A bedroom above my garage becomes extremely cold during the winter. Is there anything that can be done to improve...


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Exhaust-Fan Condensation

I have an exhaust fan in my second-floor bathroom. The system runs through the ceiling and then turns at a...


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Checking an Exhaust Fan

An exhaust fan was installed in the bathroom last year. I heard that they should be periodically checked for efficiency....


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Attic Renovation

I want to finish a room in my attic, but the bathroom fan from below obstructs the floor. Do I...


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Bathroom Mildew

The bathroom in my house has neither a window nor an exhaust fan. As a result, a considerable amount of...

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Wall-Mounted Exhaust Fans

I want to install an exhaust fan in my bathroom. Can I buy a fan that will attach to the...


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Attic Condensation

There are condensation spots on the ceiling of the addition to my house. The addition is ventilated with a turbine...


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Ventilation Systems

I need to improve the air quality in my house. Why are there so many different ventilation systems to choose...


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Gas or Electric?

I installed an electric furnace at the cottage and added a heat pump to provide air conditioning. I want to...


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Removing Walls and Ventilation

I plan to remove a wall in my living room. I am concerned about my ventilation system because there is...


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Mold

I have mold in my windows and in the corners of some of the rooms of my house. How dangerous...