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There’s a grand array of scents that plants may impart, from a familiar sweetness to spicy, fruity, fresh, even candy-like qualities. The lineup here offers details on a dozen delightful possibilities that can amp up your garden’s aroma—and that’s nothing to sniff at! Tips for Purchasing and Planting Fragrant Flowers Before dashing off to the nursery, keep the following in mind: Don’t assume about scents. Not all varieties of plants—even among those commonly known for scent—emit much noticeable aroma....

Kevin O’Connor, Richard Trethewey, Tom Silva, Jenn Nawada, Heath Eastman, Mark McCullough, Ross Trethewey, Nathan Gilbert, Charlie Silva, Mauro Henrique, Norm Abram, Roger Cook, Bob Vila and Steve Thomas will be recognized with this honor for their immeasurable contributions over the years. When This Old House first premiered in 1979 as a one-time, 13-part local public television series, it wasn’t just a new show. It represented a new idea of what television could be....

Half-baths are extremely convenient. They can fit in tight places and give the home an extra powder room for guests. However, they’re often very small and require compact, low-profile lavatory sinks, and plumbing the drain becomes an issue. P-traps are typically too long, and tweaking them around never looks right. But who needs a trap, right? How a Plumbing Trap Can Lose Water We all do. Traps Are Required by Code All sink drains need to have traps....

When a home appraisal comes back lower than anticipated, it can throw a wrench into your plans. However, there are a few tricks you can use to offset the impact of a low home appraisal. Why Do Home Appraisals Matter? For the vast majority of home sales that involve a mortgage, a home appraisal is required by the lender before they’ll approve financing for the buyer. If the appraisal value comes back significantly lower than the offer price, the lender often won’t issue a loan....

What is a Chimney Flue? Chimneys are built to promote the upward progress of smoke, and among their many parts is the flue—a smooth secondary layer on the chimney’s inner walls that eases the smoke’s passage, protects the masonry from deteriorating effects of acids in smoke and prevents any smoke or gases from entering the house through cracks in the masonry. Signs Your Chimney Needs a Checkup In the case of a chimney fire (more on that in a bit), flues also help stop flames from spreading to the rest of the house....

Here are 10 tips—most costing less than $25—that will keep you comfortable and cut the typical $1,000 cooling bill by as much as half. What’s needed to get the temperature to drop? Only a little time and a few changes in your routine. How to Set Your Thermostat to the Right Setting Typical air-conditioning settings for a programmable thermostat at different times of day: Smart Tips to Keep Cool Indoors This Summer 6 a....

These rivets were thick iron plugs with mushroom-shaped heads that were heated until they were red-hot and placed into holes in the steel. While one worker applied pressure to the head, another worker then peened over the tail protruding from the steel with a manual or pneumatic hammer. Common Types of Rivets These days, the rivet you will most likely encounter is a smaller, lighter-duty version called a blind or “pop” rivet....

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Whether you have old windows that need replacing or newer ones that have some wear, these easy fixes for drafty windows and doors will have you warm and toasty, and your heating bill lower, in no time. How to Keep Cold Air From Coming Through Your Windows and Doors Some areas of the country are prone to fickle winter weather. One day it’s 15 degrees with howling winds and two days later you’re outside in just a sweater....

But to effect this kind of leisure-time loyalty, you need some sophisticated games. We’re not talking about staid badminton or weak-willed Wiffle ball. You need games of skill and strategy, games once played by warriors and kings—games like bocce, horseshoes, and croquet. Working from a design by landscape architect Elliott Brundage, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook took one backyard, overgrown with bittersweet and poison ivy, and turned it into a sports lovers’ heaven, squeezing in a croquet lawn, a horseshoe pit, and a bocce court....

When speed of application is paramount, pro painters go for an airless paint sprayer. These sprayers work by pumping coatings through a tiny opening in the gun’s tip. The pressures are so high—up to 3,000 psi—that the paint explodes from the tip into a fine mist. Such pressures also allow these sprayers to work with coatings of any type, from thin stains to pudding-thick latexes, without any need to adjust their consistency....

Electric Vehicles Need Chargers Electric vehicles run on power stored in their batteries. As they drive the power depletes, and most vehicle owners use overnight charging to boost their stores. To do so, they use an electric vehicle charger which plugs into the vehicle and transfers power from the energy grid to the vehicle. By morning, the owner unplugs the vehicle, wraps the cord, and goes about their day. Types of Chargers There are three types of vehicle chargers; Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3....

What is the Best Landscape Lighting? Most landscape lighting today is low voltage, and with good reason. Unlike 120-volt systems, it’s safer to work with and less costly to install. And though low-voltage lights receive one-tenth the power, thanks to a step-down transformer, there’s no limit to the effects they can achieve, from ethereal moonlight beamed down from a tree canopy to a subtle glow that washes over a low garden wall....

Top 5 Carpet Steamers Best Lightweight Steamer: Light ‘N’ Easy Floor Steamer Best Accessories: Costway Steam Cleaner Fastest Preheat: Moolan Steam Mop Best Steamer Head: Steam & Go Electric Carpet Steamer Best Design: Reliable Steam Floor Mop Best Lightweight Steamer: Light ‘N’ Easy Floor Steamer This carpet steamer has a large flexible head that’s effective at removing stains and grime from carpet, hardwood, laminate, and tile. With a 20-foot power cord and a 3....

Top 5 Desk Decorations Best Pad: Aothia Leather Desk Pad Protector Best Organizer: SimpleHouseware Mesh Desk Organizer Best Footrest: Comfilife Under-Desk Footrest Best Clock: Sharper Image Light-Up Electronic Word Clock Best Fountain: HoMedics Indoor Three-Tier Relaxation Fountain Best Pad: Aothia Leather Desk Pad Protector This desk pad has multiple purposes, providing padding for your wrists and preventing the top of your desk from getting scratched. Its leather material also gives it an attractive look....