Attic Remodels You Have to See

The Spruce / Alyssa Vela Everyone wants more room. Building an addition orbump-outis the classic way to make more interior space. But taking ona six-figure projectmay not be in everyone’s budget. The Spruce / Alyssa Vela That’s why many homeowners look inwardand upwardfor more room. Atticsare a prime opportunity for expansion. The space is already enclosed. Ree / The Pioneer Woman No foundations have to be poured. Electricity is nearby and can be tapped into....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 320 words · Angelica Perez

Attic Venting: What to Know and How to Improve It

Use this guide to learn why you need attic venting and how to improve it. From this position, air enters the attic through the intake vents. The attic ventilation system should also have exhaust vents located near the peak of the roof. IDFK303 / Getty Images These vents allow hot air to escape the attic as it rises to the peak of the roof. What Is an Ice Dam? Anice damis a large mass of ice that builds on the edge of a roof....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 284 words · Christopher Murray DDS

Attract Nesting Hummingbirds

Fun Fact Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward. It helps to be observant. Hummingbird nests are well-camouflaged and can be difficult to see. The Spruce / Bailey Mariner Food Hummingbirds have very high metabolism rates, so they are quite hungry. Let the mixture cool, then pour it into a hummingbird feeder. Do not use honey or raw sugar because they contain harmful ingredients for a hummingbird’s delicate system....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 219 words · Johnny Brown

Average Kitchen Size: a Comprehensive Guide

This square footage translates to a kitchen that’s about 13 feet by 13 feet. The average of 161 to 169 square feet applies to homes that are between 1,500 and 4,000 square feet. In homes under 1,500 square feet, the average kitchen size is 103 square feet. The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto In homes over 4,000 square feet, the average kitchen size is 238 square feet. Large, luxury homes generally have larger and moremodern kitchens....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 279 words · Eric Santiago

Average pH Level of Bleach, Borax, and Other Common Cleaning Supplies

Conversely, acids are better for removing alkaline stains such as calcium deposits, rust, and other minerals. Dish soap comes closest to being a neutral cleaner, gentle enough for use on hands and delicate items. What Does pH Level Mean? The Spruce / Taylor Nebrija The Spruce / Wenjia Tang Why Does the pH of My Cleaner Matter? Also, consider the punch in of surface that needs cleaning. So, choose an acidic cleaner when removing mineral deposits or oxidation stains....

May 4, 2025 · 3 min · 588 words · Mark Leonard

Avoid These Dishwasher Mistakes If You Want It to Last Longer, Cleaning Pros Warn

Meet the Expert Jade Piperis the operations manager for BetterCleans. Want more cleaning and organizing tips? However, if you want your dishes to come out clean, excess food must be removed. onurdongel / Getty Images Unfortunately, the short-term gain may not be worth the long-term consequences. Instead, confirm you follow the guidelines for your kitchenware and hand-wash your non-dishwasher-safe items. “This can cause them to warp or even melt, which is a nightmare!...

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 272 words · Carol Smith

Awkward Window Placements Are No Joke—Try These 7 Design Tricks

Kerrie Kelly Move over, awkwardly placed windows. “That might meanmounting the curtainssignificantly wider than the window to adjust the appearance of the window.” It will help blend everything together so the room looks cohesive throughout. Kerrie Kelly Kelly recommends installing nice window treatments to highlight the window’s placement. Design byJodi Morton/ Photo byDustin Halleck In one of Palevsky’s projects, built-ins also came to the rescue. When designing a primary bedroom, she was confronted with windows that sat at an abnormal height....

May 4, 2025 · 1 min · 139 words · Jonathan Raymond

Azaleas Are a Spring Icon—10 Companion Plants to Grow With Them for the Prettiest Blooms

Want more gardening tips? Cuba Centers Ecological Gardening Certificate Program. That means they’ll bring rich, warm interest to your evergreen azalea bushes. Getty Images / Masahiro Makino Blueberry Kativ / Getty Images Why not plant something delicious alongside your azaleas? A blueberry bush is a lovely companion to azaleas, and you’ll have a sweet spring harvest. Plant them as a border alongside azaleas in vibrant, warm colors for the most impact....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 224 words · Carol Jones

Bacopa Plants Are the Perfect Hanging Plants for Your Patio or Porch—How to Grow Them

Its stays low to the ground with a rapid growth habit also ideal asground cover. Find out how to grow this versatile flower in your garden. Bacopa Care Bacopa is nearly effortless to grow. John Caley / Getty Images It adapts to many soil types but blooms best in fertile soil kept evenly moist. Want more gardening tips? Light Bacopa thrives in full sun or part shade. When planted in full sun bacopa needs a consistent watering schedule....

May 4, 2025 · 3 min · 588 words · Zachary Mckay

Baltimore Yoga Teacher Shares His Plant Collection in Ep. 4 of 'In the Weeds'

Who are all of these people? Well, theyre actually Justins plants. He says, naming plants actually helps us better take care of them. The Spruce / Meghal Janardan It gives them a sense of identity in the space. Also it helps us kind of keep them straight too. Enter his living room and the giant windows will make you understand why this room is the main oasis. Temple takes advantage of all of that streaming light to cultivate his collection....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 227 words · Timothy Lee

Bamboo Flooring Review: Pros and Cons

Bamboo is as hard as most hardwoods and highly resistant to moisture. Tips Most bamboo flooring has a natural blonde or amber color. Darker tones are available through a process called carbonizing which subjects planks to high temperatures. The Spruce / Margot Cavin Carbonized bamboo is softer than uncarbonized forms and more susceptible to scratching. Bamboo Flooring Cost This material is priced at about the same level as most hardwood floors....

May 4, 2025 · 3 min · 453 words · Martha Lynch

Bamboo vs. Cork Flooring: Which Is Better?

Read on to learn more about cork vs. bamboo flooring. What Is Bamboo Flooring? A very rapidly renewable resource, bamboo grows much faster thanhardwoodtrees and can be harvested after about five years. Margot Cavin / The Spruce You may choose between a horizontal or vertical grain, depending on your aesthetic preferences. Bamboo flooring is a popular choice for many homeowners because it is durable, sustainable, and attractive. Bamboo is also very hard, making it suitable for use in high-traffic areas like kitchens and hallways....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 293 words · Rodney Davidson

Bamboo vs. Wood Flooring: A Comparison

And it is, in fact, often grouped together under the general category of “solid-hardwood” flooring. But amid these similarities are some key differences that set these two flooring choices apart. You might think this makes bamboo flooring impervious to water, but that’s not the case. Margot Cavin / The Spruce Unsealed bamboo can be discolored and damaged by water, just like hardwood. This includes most conifer trees with seed cones in which the seeds are fully exposed....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 265 words · Ashley Green