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How Do We Use Pendant Lights? There are a lot of different ways we use pendant lights. Pendant fixtures are used for general lighting, area lighting, and task lighting. We use them in our entry halls, stairwells, dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms and family rooms—even on our porches. We use pendant lights to light up narrow hallways, to highlight our photos, paintings, and sculptures, and to add sparkle to a fountain. Pendant lights, in one form or another, often provide the lighting we need almost anywhere in our homes....

Advantages of Rubber Flooring for Kitchens There are plenty of performance advantages to rubber flooring that make it a good choice for residential kitchens. Easy DIY Installation It is fairly easy to install most rubber kitchen flooring, and most DIYers are able to handle it. For example, if you are installing sheet rubber, installation involves simply rolling out the flooring and cutting it to size. Rubber tiles are even easier to install; you simply place them down in the pattern of your choice directly over the subfloor....

The slight downside is that the higher quality comes with a steeper price. Vivint is more expensive than competing professionally installed systems—although not by much even when compared to DIY solutions with less quality. Fortunately, you can spread the payments over 42 to 60 months with zero interest. Vivint also allows you to pay off equipment costs in a lump sum to reduce monthly bills and avoid getting locked into a long-term contract....

Toggle wall switch plates for switches that flip up and down Rocker wall switch plates, with a large rectangular opening, work with rocker, dimmer, slide, and tap switches Outlet cover plates (with two types: duplex type and GFCI type, which has the same cover as a rocker switch) Combination switch and outlet cover plates (for example a toggle switch and outlet or a toggle and rocker switch) Ganged wall switch and outlet cover plates (to cover two, three, or four switches or outlets in a row)...

How Do Herbicides Work? Herbicides can act upon a weed in two different ways. Pre-emergent herbicides act upon weed seeds and seedlings or form a barrier in the soil to prevent weed seed germination or growth. Pre-emergents are usually applied in the spring to prevent crabgrass seeds from establishing when the soil temperatures begin to warm up. A properly timed treatment can provide control for several months. Products like Dimension (ai-dithiopyr) and Pre-M (ai-pendimethalin) work at suppressing all seeds in the soil, so any re-seeding projects are out of the question for a few weeks....

An electric airless sprayer works especially well with the thick-bodied latex paints that are now so popular. But these expensive tools can be tricky to use for beginners, since they operate at very high pressure and require careful safety measures. And as with any paint sprayer, it is important to mask off any areas you don’t want to be painted, such as windows, shrubbery, or trim. Airless vs. Pneumatic vs....

About Suet Suet is hard fat, typically fat from around the kidneys and loins in sheep and cattle (though most kinds of beef fat are also called suet and can be safely fed to birds) that is offered to birds as a food source. High in energy, it is an ideal food source that is easy for birds to digest. Plain suet is perfectly acceptable to feed birds, but many suet blends are available that include seeds, grains, nuts, insects, peanut butter, or bits of fruit to offer even more variety and attract more bird species....

As it turns out, there are a number of directions in which you can go, according to designers. If you love color, great—by all means, pick a bold hue and go to town. But if you prefer neutrals or are looking for something monochrome, that’s A-OK, too. Keep reading to hear the merits of interior designers’ favorite cabinet hues. Think Saturated Saturated blue and green hues look lovely paired with black kitchen appliances, designer Shelly Rosenberg says....

What the Color Green Represents in Feng Shui One of the energy systems we work with in feng shui is the five elements, which comes from Taoism. The five elements system recognizes five different types of energy, each with different qualities and characteristics. In feng shui, we often look at these different elements with the goal of creating more harmony and balance in someone’s home and life. These five types of energy, known as fire, earth, metal, water, and wood, are also represented by specific colors....

Witches’ broom can be rather small or quite large. There might be just one cluster of twigs in a tree, or there might be many. Witches’ broom can be caused by several different factors, and some are disease- or pest-related. Therefore, the tree should be carefully inspected to determine the cause of the problem. Causes of Witches’ Broom The causes of witches’ broom range from infection to parasites. For example, one cause of a witches’ broom is dwarf mistletoe....

The History of Arts and Crafts Homes As a reaction to the manufactured and ornate styles of the Victorian age, Arts and Crafts-style homes embraced handcrafted design and approachable materials. The style originated in England in the mid-19th century and came to America around the beginning of the 20th century. The term “Arts and Crafts” refers to a broader social movement that encompasses not just architecture, but also interior design, textiles, fine art, and more....

Art Nouveau’s broad influence across architecture, design, and visual arts allows for the creation of what are known as total works of art, where every element of a structure from its windows to its door handles to its decorative flourishes can be harmonized to create an immersive Art Nouveau style. History of Art Nouveau Architecture Art Nouveau (“New Art”) emerged in Belgium and France in the 1890s, continuing through the turn of the 20th century until World War 1....

Dirt Passing Back Into Pool If dirt or DE (diatomaceous earth) gets through the filter and into the pool, check for: Damaged grids, laterals or cartridgesBroken manifolds or retainersBackwash valves that have bad gaskets or O-rings Maintenance and prevention are key: When you feel a backwash valve becoming difficult to turn, do a teardown and lubricate before any leaks occur. While you’re at it, carefully examine grids, laterals, cartridges, and manifolds each time you break down a filter for cleaning....

In wooded areas, the soil is naturally rich in humus and fertile whereas in areas with sparse vegetation, such as along the coastline or in the desert, the soil contains very little humus and is infertile. In most people’s yards, there is not a lot of vegetation left to natural decay that will produce humus. Find out why adding humus to the soil is so important and what you can do as a gardener to increase the humus in your soil....

Key Characteristics The Back to Eden gardening method follows the permaculture principle of working with instead of working against nature. It does not use industrial, man-made techniques. No Tilling The Back to Eden gardening method uses the lasagna gardening no-till method of soil preparation, which allows you to start a garden bed on top of an existing lawn without digging up the turf. No Weeding In a Back to Eden garden, every inch of soil is covered with a thick layer of natural mulch which suppresses weed growth....

Here’s How to Choose the Right Paint Color in the Store Be sure that you’re ready to shop for paint when you grab those paint color strips. Even if you’re just starting to browse for paint colors, your visit will be wasted if you don’t have an idea in mind when you visit the paint store or home improvement store paint department. A browsing trip can be overwhelming and can even make choosing color more difficult later on....

Most large plumbing projects will require a permit before the work is done. If you hire a plumber to do the job, they will often discuss what plumbing permits are needed. Smaller plumbing work, which is more often handled by the homeowner, may also require a permit to comply with local building codes. Plumbing Codes There are national plumbing codes to help standardize work done by plumbers. However, the local state and county regulations must be followed since they supersede all others....

“Cottagecore can be described as a movement that evokes an idealized vision of nature and country life,” interior designer Jennifer Hunter explains. We turned to Hunter and other experts to ask what it is about cottagecore that feels so everlasting and the elements of the style that are a must-have this spring season. “Aesthetically, it embraces the English countryside style with floral themes and decorative textiles,” Libs Lewis of Domestic Science explains....

In order to solve this issue before it can become a bigger problem, it’s important to find out why the toilet is overflowing, so that you can take action to resolve the situation on your own or hire a professional plumber. Take a look at this guide to learn several reasons why the toilet may be overflowing and what to do if you find yourself in this situation. Reasons the Toilet Is Overflowing There are typically four main reasons for a toilet overflowing....

How Frost Impacts Your Lawn Frost typically occurs on cold, clear nights when atmospheric conditions cause objects, including grass, to become colder than the surrounding air. Depending on the conditions, frost can be light and scattered or heavy enough to kill annual plants and cause perennial plants to go dormant. Grass blades move water through them for nourishment, but this moisture can freeze inside the grass ​during a frost. Water molecules naturally expand during the freezing process, so plant cells can be damaged as the moisture expands and ruptures cell walls....