Books - Home & Garden

Geez...Water Heater on the Fritz?

If your water heater is on the fritz and you're not sure what to do, then Troubleshooting a Tank Type Water Heater is what you want to read. From problems such as not enough hot water to a leaking water heater, it's covered.

Hot water virtually on-demand is a luxury we've come to take for granted. But like anything else, it takes energy to run. So in the tutorial Water Heater Tips for Saving Energy and Operating Costs I'll explain how to easily save water, energy and money in your monthly utility bills.

And when it's time to replace that old water heater with a nice new, energy efficient unit, you'll just love it. And it's really not that hard to do. In the tutorial Replacing a Water Heater I'll walk you through the process, step-by-step. Doesn't matter if it's a gas or electric water heater. I'll show you how.

Geez...Water Heater on the Fritz? originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 13:14:58.

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Weed Control Without Chemicals

The snow is pretty much goen around my house and the first thing that seems to be greening up is the creeping ivy. Or maybe it's the rosettes of garlic mustard. I haven't gotten close enough to check, but I'm finding it very frustrating that my two nemeses are back already. Clearly those bags of pullings I left to fry in the sun last summer didn't do the trick. Can the dandelions be far behind?

Is your idea of weed control getting down on your hands and knees and pulling? There are easier ways and they don't have to be nasty, harsh chemicals. About's Landscaping Guide, David Beaulieu, gives us 5 kinder gentler ways to get rid of unwanted plants in Weed Control Without Chemicals.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Weed Control Without Chemicals originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 01:01:29.

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Small Trees: Which Are Your Favorites?

I recently posted about dwarf trees, an extreme example of which is mugo pine. The popular mugo pine tree is such a dwarf that it acts as a ground cover. Talk about an odd juxtaposition of terms: We don't often speak of a "tree" as a "ground cover"!

Today I want to broaden the topic of conversation a bit. A tree can be considered a "small tree" without qualifying as a "dwarf." For example, I consider Kwanzan cherry trees to be small trees: they're small in comparison with a mature red oak tree. But they're not dwarf trees: You wouldn't plant a Kwanzan cherry tree in a foundation planting.

So with that distinction out of the way, let me ask you: Which are the best small trees? Click the link below to inform us of your favorites.

Let us know: Which Are Your Favorite Small Trees?

Small Trees: Which Are Your Favorites? originally appeared on About.com Landscaping on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 08:25:27.

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Home Remodeling: What Comes First?

Q: A reader asks:

"I was reading your very helpful article about how to organize your home for a remodel, but had a question about when to do the ceilings?

"We are considering buying a home that has asbestos popcorn ceilings in some of the rooms. When should those be done?

"Just to give you an idea of what we are thinking:

"We initially had been planning to tackle the ceiling, paint, then floors because we figured those would be quick jobs and the house would look a million times better, and then we would do the kitchen (budget permitting) and eventually the master. The more we thought about it though, we realized we would have to refloor the kitchen and master when we remodelled those..."

Name Withheld

A: That's the funny thing about home remodeling, isn't it?  Ceiling before floor, floor before ceiling?  One person strongly advocates one thing and another person strongly feels otherwise.

Personally, I would do:

But then again, that's just me.

Home Remodeling: What Comes First? originally appeared on About.com Home Renovations on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 03:12:25.

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