Laminate flooring, engineered wood, and even solid hardwood are moderately flexible. As the house expands and contracts, the flooring does too. Luxury vinyl plank and tile, along with sheet vinyl flooring, are all supremely flexible floor coverings. Ceramic and porcelain tile, by contrast, do not compensate. Tile cannot bend, flex, or shift. Compensation needs to be made with the substrate, not the tile. Complicating matters, the material that fills tile seams, tile grout, cannot flex or shift....

By contrast, catnip has a rather weedy appearance and is rarely grown as an ornamental. Nonetheless, it is king of the catmint plants because of its effect on that diminutive “king of the jungle.” Here are all the varieties of catmint plants you can incorporate into your garden. A common landscaping mistake for first-timers with 6 Hills Giant is the failure to give it enough room. The herb will end up dwarfing any smaller specimens installed around it....

Unlike Western zodiac signs, which are traditionally designated based on your birth month, Chinese zodiac signs are specific to the year of your birth. The Chinese zodiac (also known as shengxiao), is a repeating 12-year cycle where each year is represented by an animal and its qualities. Learn below how to determine your Chinese zodiac sign, which can help inform your feng shui options, give context to your personality traits, and more....

Proper selection and installation of underlayment are important because they can affect how your laminate flooring feels and how it wears over time. The type of underlayment chosen should be based on the environment, the type of floor chosen, and your own personal needs for space. It is very important to follow all vendor-provided instructions about underlayment when installing laminate flooring, as improper installation or the use of the wrong underlayment can void the manufacturer’s warranty....

Considerations It can be overwhelming to visit a garden center or wild bird store and see the vast selection of different birdbaths available. Fortunately, with careful consideration, you can narrow down which bath is best for you and your birds. When deciding between different birdbaths, consider the following: Size: Small bird baths are easy and convenient, but a larger model can accommodate a greater number of birds without causing territorial conflicts....

Professional Leather Cleaning If you have a very special or very delicate leather item, or if you do not want to take any chances cleaning it yourself, there are professional leather cleaners that can do it for you. Many dry cleaners offer leather cleaning services through which your leather is sent off-site to a professional cleaning company and then returned to the dry cleaners. Although this process is done by professionals, slight variations in color, texture, and shape may result; so be sure to clean matching garments together even if only one piece is dirty....

Basic Maintenance and Quick Fixes If your garage door is behaving well at this moment, you can probably keep it working that way almost indefinitely if you follow a simple inspection and maintenance routine. These same tips may also correct problems that are just beginning to appear: Examine the rollers and tracks on the garage door. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned them, now is the time to clean the rollers and tracks with a good brushing and to lubricate the rollers and axles....

What Are They? Corian Corian is a brand name owned by DuPont. Corian is a homogenous countertop surface that is made of about one-third resins and two-third minerals. It is softer than quartz countertop materials such as Silestone. Competitor brands in the solid surface field include Samsung Staron, Swanstone, and Fenix. Silestone Silestone is a brand name owned by Cosentino, a Florida-based network of several home-related brand materials. Silestone is a hard homogenous countertop material made from quartz and other hard materials and has an appearance and feel similar to that of natural stone....

I’m not embarrassed to admit; a cozy full-night sleep has been high on my priority list for as long I’ve been buying my own bedding. For some, a mattress makes the biggest difference in the quality of their sleep, but I’d much rather spend my money on a highly rated, snuggle-worthy duvet like the Winter Weight Down Duvet Insert from Coyuchi. You know that feeling when your bed is almost too good to leave each morning?...

What Is the Earth Element? The earth element represents groundedness, stability, and nurturing. It’s related to boundaries, how we care for ourselves, and how we care for others. You might want to bring more earth elements into your home if you feel like you could use more support or stronger boundaries, or if you have been feeling a little anxious or unsettled. You can add more earth element with these design elements:...

Black as an Accent It’s important that every room has just a little bit of black. It has a grounding effect that gives the eye a place to rest. When you have too many light and airy colors with nothing to ground them they can almost appear to be floating. It can be confusing to the eye. You don’t need to have a lot of black, just enough to tie things together....

This is a simple project that’s ideal for beginners. In fact, it’s one of the easiest DIY lampshades possible to make. Expect it to take one to two hours to make your fabric or wallpaper lampshade. Using wallpaper tends to go faster because it’s stiffer and stays in place better than fabric. Supplies You’ll Need Drum shade Cloth measuring tape Wallpaper or fabric Scissors White craft glue Paintbrush Painter’s masking tape Bias tape fabric...

Before you plug in the steam mop, take time to fill the water reservoir, unwind the cord, and attach the mop cloth. Plugging it in should always be the last step. If the water reservoir needs to be filled during the cleaning process, take the time to unplug the mop before refilling. Heat builds up very quickly—a few seconds with some models. If the steam mop is left in one spot for too long, it can apply too much steam and heat to a small area and possibly damage the flooring....

Why We Love Owls Owls are some of the most beloved raptors, and their silent flight, large eyes, mournful calls, and nocturnal behavior makes them both magical and mysterious. Because owls are not highly active during the day, a backyard owl can coexist with other backyard birds, and as excellent hunters, they can help control squirrel and rodent populations. Smaller owls may also help control large insects, and owls will occasionally catch reptiles such as snakes and lizards as well....

Many people who once believed that calling in a plumber was the only way to move a kitchen sink, install a faucet, or connect to copper pipe have discovered that it doesn’t always have to be hard. How Hard Are These Projects? Basic and intermediate projects are quickly accomplished in under one hour and with simple tools. Other projects are a bit harder and may require you to devote about two hours, requiring simple tools and a couple of specialty plumbing tools....

Laundry Room Organization Built-in Shelving or Cabinets If you don’t have cabinets near the washer, it is worth your time to install some type of storage shelves or unit above the washer for laundry products. This is particularly important to store products out of reach if you have children, pets, or vulnerable adults in the home that could accidentally be poisoned by cleaning products. Additional Storage Storage can also be added with over-the-door shelving, wall baskets, an added shelf or ledge over the back of the appliances, or a rolling cart placed between the washer and dryer....

A main breaker of 200 amps will allow a maximum of 200 amps to flow through it without tripping. In a tripped state, no current will flow to the panel. In systems without an external disconnect switch, the main breaker serves as the household disconnect. Turning off the main breaker stops the flow of power to all of the branch circuit breakers in the panel, and therefore to all of the circuits in the house....

The true test of environmental friendliness is the ingredients list, which should specify ​everything in the soap. If you see ambiguous ingredients, like “fragrance” or “colorant,” it’s possible there are toxic ingredients hidden in those formulas. You can always look for more detail on the soap manufacturer’s website, or simply find a different brand with a more revealing ingredients list. Others may like the gentleness and full disclosure of ingredients....

Grown for its unique, angular toothed stems, the fishbone cactus is also commonly referred to as zig zag cactus, ricrac cactus, and the orchid cactus. Display your fishbone cactus in a hanging pot or planter to fully admire its stunning foliage. Light In its natural environment, the fishbone cactus grows as an understory plant and receives dappled, indirect light. When grown indoors, a location that receives several hours of bright indirect light is perfect for the fishbone cactus....