Image via kretyen
With warmer weather comes endless hours of outdoor fun in the sun. But one thing you may not be looking forward to during the upcoming warm months is an expensive energy bill! But did you know that exercising your green thumb can actually help lower energy costs? According to the US Department of Energy, a home with trees and shrubs strategically planted to provide shade saves up to 15% of its energy bill.
Here are some ways you can landscape for shade.
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Could it be the garbage disposal?
Kitchen sink clogged for no reason? Have you tried to unclog your kitchen sink with a plunger, pipe snake or drain solutions? If baking soda, liquid pipe snake or a plunger aren’t working, the culprit may be your garbage disposal.
Home Depot community member Leandrohailey brought such a problem to The Home Depot’s online Forums in his thread, “How do you get kitchen sink to drain without always having to turn on the garbage disposal?“ This community member recently installed a new garbage disposal and now the kitchen sink won’t drain without the garbage disposal being turned on. The dishwasher then overflows into the kitchen sink.
“I don’t feel like standing at the sink anymore and turning on the disposal every time we need to wash dishes,” Leandrohailey writes.
Forums associate HDAnswerman felt Leandrohailey’s pain and chimed in with a few possible solutions to this problem unclogging a kitchen sink.
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Image of Enric Ruiz Villa Bio living roof via The Coolist
You are probably familiar with container, raised bed and vertical gardening trends made popular over the last few years; and, you’ve likely heard about the growing number of community gardens sprouting up in cities all over as well. But, what about the idea of a living roof?
If this sounds like wild thinking, you’re on the right track. The living roof, also known as a green roof, is basically a rooftop partially or completely covered by native plants, wild flowers and other vegetation. While the idea has been around for centuries, adapted from the use of grass and sod roofs in Scandinavia, living roofs are now topping buildings, homes, garages, sheds and a wide variety of structures as the environmental and aesthetic benefits of green roofs are better understood.
Don’t think you need to have access to a tricked-out, split level roof like the one shown above that we spotted on The Coolist to start create a living roofs. All you really need is soil, seed, sunlight and little water.
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Leaky bath faucets are a common problem that over time can waste huge amounts of water. Fortunately, there’s a very easy DIY solution that may also serve as a much needed bathroom resurfacing.
This easy-to-follow video breaks down everything you need to know to replace a bath faucet. You’ll learn about the two basic faucet types and how to select the right one for your bathroom.
The video will also walk you through how to remove your existing faucet, install a new one and reconnect the water supply with the help of a few simple tools, including an adjustable wrench, a basin wrench, a putty knife and a screw driver.
Visit homedepot.com for all of your plumbing and full bathroom remodeling needs. You can also get expert DIY advice from our associates on the How-To Community Forum.
Go ahead, pick out your new bathroom faucet now.
Editor’s Note: Want more videos? Catch up with YouTube Tuesdays and Thursdays!
Designed by Laura Sullivan
The constant drip from a leaky faucet is not just annoying; it’s also a waste of a precious natural resource and drain on your wallet. Even the smallest leak wastes several gallons per day, which is a pretty good reason why it should not be ignored. When you fix a leak, even a seemingly small leak you’ll save money and you’ll help protect the environment. The fix is usually simple and inexpensive, too.
Explore our complete selection of Water Sense® faucets, toilets and showerheads to find water-efficient products that can also help your wallet and the environment.
Make a big difference in your home and learn more about energy efficiency, conservation and saving at Eco Options.
See how shrinking your “water footprint” can help reduce the increasing global pressure on fresh water resources at visual.ly.
And please feel free to download our Fix a Leak infographic and share it. PC users, right click the image, and click “save as”.
The sound of running water in your toilet is more than just a little annoying. It’s also the sound of money going down the drain. If you do have a leaky toilet, chances are that it only requires a quick fix that you can easily take care of yourself without the need of a new toilet installation.
Watch this video and learn how to detect the location of a toilet leak and what to do once you find it. If an old flapper is the problem, it takes just a few seconds to replace this device that seals the bowl opening and allows the toilet to flush. If not, the video suggests the clever trick of using red dye to find the source of any leak along the supply line or the base of the tank. There are also handy instructions on how to fix any leaks around the fill valve tank bolt or the tank gasket. For all of your plumbing needs, including toilet installation instructions, be sure to visit homedepot.com where you can also get DIY help from our expert associates on the How-To Community Forum.
Editor’s Note: Want more videos? Catch up with YouTube Tuesdays and Thursdays!
A Beautiful spring garden layout. Image via Slideshow Bruce
Take advantage of the last few weeks before the change of seasons to start preparing your spring garden. It’s the perfect time to research gardening ideas and get things organized so that when the weather warms up you’ll be ahead of the game and the envy of all your neighbors!
Here’s what to do.
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Each year, the average American home can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water due to running toilets, dripping faucets and other household leaks. That amount of unnecessary water loss can also contribute to pocketbook pain. The EPA’s Fix A Leak Week, March 12–18, is a great time to step back and focus on how you can save water in your home.
Here’s what you can do.
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The turquoise and red color scheme in this breakfast room works well, even though they are both such strong hues, because they are contrasting, or on opposite sides of the color wheel.
Are you struggling with interior design ideas because you can’t make sense of interior colors? Are you overwhelmed by all the paint colors available to choose from? Do you want and interior design that features colors that are reflective of your personality? If so, Forum associate ChristineClaret shares advice to help you make sense of interior colors in her thread Let’s Talk About Color.
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Spring and summer are fast approaching and that means lots more time spent outside – be sure to properly maintain your lawn mower to extend its life and the well-being of your lawn for many seasons to come!
Luckily, The Home Depot has put together this video to guide you through the correct way to keep your lawn mower in tip-top condition. Watch now for helpful tips on keeping your lawnmower clean, how to check the air filter and change the sparkplugs, how to keep lawn mower blades sharp and how to change your mower’s oil. Whether you need a walk behind mower, riding mower or a commercial mower, you can find it at homedepot.com along with a huge selection of other outdoor power equipment. The Home Depot How-To Community Forum is also the place to find our expert associates for more information regarding your home improvement projects.
Editor’s Note: Want more videos? Catch up with YouTube Tuesdays and Thursdays!
