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Things to Know Labor-Intense: Compared to replacing your hardwood floors, which entails significant labor and materials costs, sanding your hardwood floors is relatively cheap; it’s primarily labor you’re paying for. DIY sanding: Another great aspect of floor-sanding is that anyone with enough motivation and a credit card can rent a professional-quality drum or orbital sander from a local rental yard. Solid hardwood vs. engineered flooring: Keep in mind that if you have engineered wood flooring, you can easily sand all the way through the veneer....

These guides will help you stay organized while you move your bedroom, including moving heavy furniture and ensuring that children’s rooms are properly packed. Roll up those sleeves and get ready to sort, pack, and move everything in your bedroom closets. 

In fact, some act within 1/30 of a second, which is quick enough to prevent an electric shock from reaching your heart. GFCI outlets are required to be installed anywhere moisture is present including bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and wet bars, although they can be used anywhere in the home as they function as normal outlets. GFCI outlets typically work reliably for many years, but they can fail and lose their primary safety function....

The good news is that this is easy for most homeowners to do on their own. In fact, testing an electric outlet can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Methods range from easy and free (by using a working lamp) to an extremely expensive device that uses radar waves. Safety Considerations Shutting off a circuit breaker is no guarantee that you will not receive a shock. Circuit breakers are frequently mislabelled....

How Flexible Drain Parts Function Flexible drain parts can flex to one side or the other and from back to front or even extend to help make up the difference that is missing to make the drain trap or other drain parts line up. There are fittings for a bigger trap swing, couplings to put between two pipes that are not lined up all the way, and flexible extension couplings for vertical or horizontal adjustments on one side of the pipe....

Mirrors themselves embody the element of water. The water element cultivates wisdom and introspection. The feeling of water is cooling. Water is formless and takes the shape of whatever container it’s in. Because of this yielding quality, mirrors are used in feng shui for they can reflect without judgment or obscurations. They can expand your view as well as focus energies. Mirrors can invite energy into a space, especially near a window or front door....

If you don’t plan to use a diaper service, keep these essentials on hand to make laundering easier: a diaper pail with a coverboraxbaking sodaoxygen bleachwhite distilled vinegar If you don’t already do laundry every day, it is best to wash diapers at least every other day. If you want to store diapers for a time in anticipation of another baby, be sure they are clean and packed away properly....

These nutrients are divided into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are those that plants need in large amounts, including carbon, phosphorous, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Micronutrients are needed in tiny amounts but are essential. These include zinc, nickel, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, boron, and chlorine. Without these essential elements, plants are unable to build molecules, undergo enzymatic reactions, and complete their life cycle. For hydroponic gardeners, this means that without proper nutrients, the plants cannot produce quality fruit or vegetables or strong plants for transferring to a soil environment....

Hypertufa was invented for use in alpine gardens, where gardeners originally used antique animal watering troughs, which became rare and expensive. Hypertufa looks very similar to tufa and is easy to make yourself at home. Although it can be messy, it’s also a lot of fun and the list of things you can make from it are quite varied. Hypertufa troughs are a classic and one of the simplest uses of hypertufa....

Over the years, people have had mixed feelings about ceilings and how they should look. Should they fade into the background? Stand out? Be bright or neutral? Be ’textured’ like popcorn? While there are, of course, many options when it comes to ceilings, the popcorn style ranks high on the list, despite other changes to design trends over the years. Here’s the what, the why, and the reasons popcorn ceilings are still a preferred choice by some when it comes to contemporary home design....

How You Rake Leaves Makes a Difference There are several reasons why the way you rake leaves does make a difference: Using the right gear and the right form can help you avoid physical problems associated with raking.Timing the raking to remove leaves off the grass at the right time is critical to having a healthy lawn.Proper raking can remove lawn thatch at the same time.Repurposing the leaves after raking can enhance the soil and save money....

It’s key to keep the soil evenly moist, especially for young trees as they establish their roots. Also, regularly weed around your jackfruit tree to prevent other plants from competing for nutrients and moisture in the soil. Mulch around the tree both can help to suppress weeds and to retain soil moisture. Plus, it can keep the roots warm if the temperatures happen to dip. The jackfruit tree doesn’t have many serious problems with pests or diseases, though wildlife might be attracted to its fruit....

Problems With Mice Mice are a natural part of the ecosystem, but that doesn’t mean they’re always welcome visitors, particularly to bird feeders. While mice rarely pose any threat to humans, musophobia—fear of mice—is one of the most common phobias, and many people are simply squeamish around these furry pests. More than just annoying, however, mice can cause problems at bird feeders, such as: Consuming seed and other foods intended for birdsFrightening away skittish bird speciesContaminating seed or feeder surfaces with feces or urineDamaging feeders in order to access the seedCarrying diseases that can be transmitted to birdsIrritating neighbors who notice the rodents’ presence...

Picking out the right tree stand can be just as important as choosing the perfect Christmas tree. With its innovative foot pump, which allows you to crank the claws firmly around the trunk without using your hands, the Krinner Christmas Tree Genie eliminates the dicey, under-the-tree, bolt-tightening dance we all dread. I tested the highly acclaimed Christmas tree stand to see if it measured up to its reputation. Setup: Foot-powered For those who want to skip crawling under the tree to tighten bolts while family members bark instructions, the Krinner Christmas Tree Genie may feel like a Christmas miracle....

But simply knowing these terms (or only vaguely hearing them in passing) isn’t super helpful when it comes to actually applying them to your living spaces. To get a better understanding of what lagom is, and how it can be worked into your home this year, we spoke with Niki Brantmark, an expert on the subject and the author of “Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life....