Tried the foam inserts a couple years back—honestly, they just became another spot for debris to pile up. Pulled them out after one season because the...
Honestly, “seasonal” gutter cleaning is kind of a myth if you’ve got maples and pines hanging over your roof. I’ve seen pine needles pile up in the mi...
I’ve run into the same thing with old galvanized and cast iron—sometimes you just can’t get ahead of the buildup, no matter how many times you snake i...
Title: Dealing with city red tape for building approvals I hear you on the city staff inconsistency—it’s maddening. I once had a plan rejected for “e...
Mesh covers are a mixed bag in my experience. They do a decent job with leaves, but pine needles and those little seed pods still find their way in or...
Honestly, I’d push back a bit on the baking soda and vinegar trick—seen mixed results with that one, especially if you’ve got older pipes. Sometimes i...
Honestly, for outdoors, I lean toward smart switches. Less hassle with compatibility, and you can use whatever bulbs you want—especially if you're usi...
Natural Cleaners Only Go So Far That haze drives me nuts, too. I’ll admit, sometimes I reach for a store-bought glass cleaner just to skip the endles...
Twice a year is reasonable, but I'd suggest paying extra attention after any big storms or heavy rainfall. Even sustainably treated wood can surprise ...
I get your point about nylon rollers and lubrication—they definitely help—but in my experience, the belt drive made a bigger difference than you're su...
Smart thermostats are definitely one of the better investments when it comes to home tech, at least from my experience. I've installed quite a few of ...
Good call on the landscaping fabric—definitely helps. Another thing is using larger gravel around the pipe instead of finer stuff; it lets water throu...
That's a solid idea, but personally, I've found lockboxes can sometimes attract unwanted attention, even if discreetly placed. Instead, I've opted for...
Couldn't agree more. Foam strips are solid for basic sealing, but they're not exactly a one-size-fits-all solution. I've found that weatherproof tape ...