By Jan Soults Walker: Nationally published home improvement writer Jan Soults Walker and her husband, Dave, once built a window seat with flanking bookcases into a kitchen. It remains one of their favorite storage projects to date.  Not all shady deals are bad. These patio shade projects are each under $300. If you hop-skip like a [...]
For many, barbecues are American cuisine at its finest. Whether you're a grill chef extraordinaire or just don't want to heat up the kitchen for tonight's dinner, the route to, and proximity of, your grilling area from the kitchen is a prime consideration. This has given rise to the dedicated grilling porch. Typically both visually and [...]
One of the most significant trends to emerge out of the housing recession of the late 2000's was the increased popularity of multiple generations under the same roof. Certainly, for some it was out of economic necessity, but basic demographics predicted this shift as well. As the baby boomers are mostly "empty nesters", there has [...]
Laundry closets were once a part of many kitchens or relegated to basements. Then in the later part of the 20th century, main floor laundry locations became widely popular. Utilitarian in nature, laundry closets and small laundry rooms gave way to larger spaces, big enough for a laundry sink and/or folding counter. The Belmont home [...]
Did you know that old propane tanks, regardless of size, should not be placed in your recycling bin? While the tank is metal, placing them in your recycling bin causes issues for recycling centers. So – what do you do with your old propane tank? If you have made the choice to refill the tank, [...]
By Julie Sturgeon who has written about residential pools for nearly a decade. Her family was clueless when they bought a home with an in-ground pool, but they have avoided making a major mistake with it yet.  Follow these HouseLogic tips to learn how swimming pools affect home value, and get advice on construction and maintenance [...]
...getting the entire family out the door on time in the morning with everything in tow. Whew! If you would rather not hear "Mom...Dad...have you seen my homework/backpack/lunch/science project" at 7:15 in the morning, consider designing in lockers for your children. They've learned that their stuff goes in their lockers at school, now de-stress your [...]
Check out our Monroe Manor community offering an easy life style of living. If you are thinking of downsizing your home and are tired of the endless hours of taking care of the yard in the summer and the snow shoveling in the winter, then it may be time for a different lifestyle. In the [...]
Okay, okay, we're becoming a nation of packrats. We just don't want to throw our stuff away. But where are you going to keep it all? For some of us extra room in the garage has "storage" written all over it. Thankfully, most of today's newer homes have larger garages, due at least in part [...]
A simple solution of mild soap and a pressure washer will help clean your deck or porch of surface mold and dirt. Keep the pressure low and use a 45-degree fan movement and keep the wand moving so you don't damage the surface. There are also specific wood or treated wood products at your local [...]
