House & Garden 2024, November

An icy sidewalk is a danger to your safety, that of your family and neighbors. In some areas, citizens are required to clean the sidewalk section adjacent to their property; it is therefore advisable to know how to clear the ice quickly, safely and efficiently.

You can plant strawberries indoors in any season, to keep them away from the cold and to treat yourself to this fresh and tasty fruit all year round. Here is the easy to follow process. Steps Part 1 of 3: Getting the Seeds Step 1.

Indoor plants make rooms much more beautiful, purify the air in the house and, being natural elements, they revive aseptic spaces, such as those in offices. Plants grow and change, in fact some people enjoy their "company". It is very easy to grow them!

Do you have a brand new lawn or a lawn full of junk? Growing the lawn is useful in protecting the soil from erosion as well as giving the home a touch of natural beauty. Learn how to choose the right type of grass for the area you live in, how to plant the seeds correctly, and how to help your turf grow lush.

If you live in an area with an arid climate, especially in the southwestern United States, you are likely to be in frequent contact with scorpions. These little arachnids rarely enter people's homes, but they can cause severe scares when they get too close!

The ceiling cornice is a small detail that adds a touch of elegance to a room. Installing a ceiling cornice is a project that may be intimidating to many amateur handymen, but it's actually not as difficult as it sounds. You can learn how to install the ceiling frame yourself with a little patience and following the steps described below.

Painting the basement walls not only improves their appearance, but can protect the home from moisture damage. Basement walls are usually made of porous concrete. Moisture builds up behind the concrete and leads to mold and structural damage.

Concrete is durable and versatile, these qualities make it one of the most used materials for flooring internal and external surfaces. Concrete is also very flexible in terms of functionality and decoration, lends itself to many different environments because it is stain resistant, can be smoothed or customized with unique engravings and treatments.

In most cases, stickers are made of a material designed to be peeled off or repositioned elsewhere. However, it can happen that the adhesives attached to the glass are particularly stubborn and leave unsightly residues, especially if they have been made to permanently adhere to the surface.

Cleaning the kitchen may seem boring and tiring, but the secret to doing it is to divide the work into stages to proceed without losing motivation. Just add the right soundtrack and you'll finish sooner than expected. Read on to learn more. Steps Part 1 of 8:

Lighting a fire in the fireplace is usually seen as a simple operation. Because of this, it often happens that those who are not familiar with lighting and with the fireplace can forget some fundamental steps to be successful. An evening warmed by the fire can easily become a thick smoke nightmare indoors.

Snails can be a real nuisance in the garden, as they blissfully nibble on your plants, flowers and vegetables. Fortunately, there are many techniques at your disposal - natural and otherwise - to get rid of them. Steps Method 1 of 3:

Almost all the pellets, liquids or granules on the market to eliminate annoying snails and slugs are toxic, and can also be harmful to pets, children and wildlife. Since snails love yeast, this article will show you an easy, even child-friendly, and non-animal-friendly method of ridding your garden of these pests.

There is no verified method for predicting an earthquake. Geologists are busy developing an early warning system, but there is still a lot to learn about what happens just before this catastrophic event. The fact that earthquakes don't always follow a constant pattern is part of the problem - some signs show up at different times (days, weeks, or seconds before the tremors), while other clues don't appear at all.

Each year, about 3,000 people in the United States die from house fires. Many of these fires occur at night, while people are asleep, unknowingly inhaling the toxic gases and smoke. Three out of five home fire deaths are caused by fires in homes without fire alarms, or non-functioning devices.

A bump key is actually a lock pick, a tool used to force many types of locks almost instantaneously. If the locks in your home are all Evva type, an Evva impact key is able to open all doors. You can make it from a blank key as long as you have the original key as a model.

Although you believe that you will never be the victim of a house fire, it is best to prepare yourself and know what to do to avoid panicking if it happens. Should a fire start in your home, your first priority should be to get out as quickly as possible with your family members.

If you don't want to deal with spiders, but hate the idea of exterminating them after they invade your space, there are several techniques you can use to keep them away. Some techniques will limit the number of spiders that frequent your yard, while others will simply keep them away from your home.

If you notice small, rounded-winged flies in the bathroom area, near the shower or kitchen sink, there is probably a Psychodidae infestation in the drain. These flies reproduce in the organic matter trapped inside the drains, so to eliminate the infestation just cleaning the pipes.

Rust is the result of the oxidation of iron. The most common cause is prolonged exposure to water. All metals that contain iron, including steel, bond with the oxygen atoms of the water to form a layer of iron oxide, or rust. Rust favors and speeds up the corrosion process;

The cast iron pot has excellent heat retaining properties, making it an ideal choice for cooking, frying and browning food. When handled properly, the cast iron pot has a naturally non-stick surface, and can last for many years. Find out how to clean cast iron every day, what to do when there are hard-to-remove food residues, and how to bring your rusty or dirty pot back to life.

For many people, the garage is not just a place to park the car. If you have a habit of using it to store tools, snow gear or even items you don't need, the situation is likely to get out of hand. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to understand how to put order, properly arranging the work tools and choosing an organization method that suits your needs.

Salt lamps are extraordinary objects made with real salt and which radiate a beautiful light in the house. They are also believed to offer many benefits, such as clearing the air of irritants, releasing negative ions, and calming tempers. However, if you don't take care of them properly, they could ooze, melt, or drip moisture.

Repairing a door frame is a very simple process that doesn't require a lot of carpentry skills. Let's see together how to proceed. Steps Step 1. Very carefully remove the molding Step 2. Measure a distance of about 10-15 centimeters, in both directions, starting from the damaged area and draw an identification mark using a pencil Step 3.

The decision to install the microwave inside a shelf or on a shelf in your kitchen is a great space-saving solution. Read on to learn more. Steps Method 1 of 2: Installing the Built-in Microwave Step 1. Use an appropriate microwave oven Microwaves with recirculating hood or ventilation system can be installed effortlessly.

Cleaning a silver necklace at home is really simple: a few common objects are enough, such as a microfiber cloth, dish soap or baking soda. However, even if some jewels can be easily cleaned at home, in the case of antique silver, a fragile necklace or in the presence of precious stones, it is good to consult a professional.

When building a house, load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls are also built accordingly. The difference between these two types of walls is probably obvious: some support the structural weight of the building, while others simply serve to divide the rooms and do not support anything.

Echo can be an annoying problem, especially common in large rooms with high ceilings and wooden floors. Fortunately, by installing sound absorbing materials on floors, walls and ceilings, echo can often be reduced. Some solutions are simple and decorative, others require more advanced renovations.

Does your dryer give off an unpleasant burning smell when running? It is important to fix the problem as quickly as possible and make sure there is no fire hazard. Steps Step 1. Check the exhaust air filter The filter should be cleaned at the end of each drying to remove all tissue residues that are captured.

Measuring the intensity of light is important when designing the lighting system for a room or when taking a photograph. The term "intensity" is used in different ways, so it is advisable to stop for a moment to learn the meaning of the various units and methods of measurement.

We speak of drought when the amount of rain is below average for a certain period of time. Drought can harm families by reducing the resources they need on a daily basis, such as agriculture, livestock, trees and hydroelectricity. Rivers and lakes also dry up after long periods without rain, slowing water trade and ship travel.

How can you reduce the amount of energy your home consumes? How can you make your home eco-friendly while respecting a limited budget? Steps Step 1. Go to the internet Step 2. Find an energy calculator to determine how much you are currently using Find one that takes into account some energy parameters of your region.

Thanks to the liquid or gas propellant, the spray cans release a constant flow of paint or product, they also contain volatile substances and are subject to explosion when put under pressure. You can choose the most appropriate method of disposal depending on whether there is a residual amount of product left inside the can or if it is empty.

Usually lighting a fire in a fireplace or wood stove is generally considered a simple task. For this reason, some forget the few basic steps that are useful for enjoying the fire to the fullest, with the result that what could have been a pleasant evening by the fire could soon become a smoke-filled room.

A beautiful lush green lawn, beautiful flowers or a fruitful vegetable garden are the result of hard work and a willingness to devote time, energy and money to the final result. An important step in obtaining this green oasis for the mind, body and spirit, however, is to make things easier by installing an irrigation system.

Spider mites are tiny arachnids that can sometimes feed on chlorophyll, sap, and other plant fluids. When the plants have been infested with the spider mite, the leaves will appear speckled and mottled, with white and yellow spots. Spider mites thrive mostly in dry areas with temperatures of at least 29 degrees Celsius, and humidity levels below 60%.

Water tanks are huge water storage tanks. They are found commercially in a variety of shapes, including horizontal cylinders, vertical cylinders, and rectangles. The appropriate method for determining tank capacity depends on the shape of the tank.

Any type of plastic, sooner or later, ends up cracking and discolouring due to exposure to the sun. Knowing this, you can preserve the items you care about by regularly using commercially available products to rehydrate plastic. To remedy the most serious damage, you can use hydrogen peroxide, but only if the object to be treated is white or gray.

The tsunami is an anomalous wave motion, caused by an underwater earthquake or other events that involve a sudden movement of large bodies of water (volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, etc.). In Italy the term tsunami from the Latin mare motus is also used.

If you have a pet, especially a cat, it is likely that from time to time it will bring home its nocturnal prey, showing all its affection with this 'welcome' gift. Read the article and discover the steps necessary to capture the little visitor, to get rid of them safely and without causing harm.