These are challenging times in the home improvement industry. As the housing market has crumbled, many good companies have gone the way of the dodo. Luckily, for me the company that built my kitchen cabinets (Omega Cabinetry)is still in business and offers great customer service. Although some of their distributors have downsized, been sold or gone belly up, the manufacturer has stood behind its products. The retailer my defunct remodeler bought the cabinets from was a high end division of a ...

Recently BobVila.com has received a steady stream of requests for information on Solar Photovoltaic Shingles that can be put in line with standard roofing materials. In fact Home Again, working with PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing), actually featured this technology in a project back in 2000. In Show #1005 Bob visited Global Solar in Tucson, Arizona. Follow this link to learn more about Bob's visit to their solar facility. You can then watch the installing solar ...

Growing up in New Hampshire, I used to marvel at how many bugs would congregate around our porch lights during the summer nights. That may fascinate a kid, but if you prefer to keep pests away from your home, check out the new GE Bug Lite, a lightbulb with a special coating that makes it invisible to flying bugs. The light takes advantage of the difference between human and insect vision. By masking the UV part of the light spectrum (light below 490 nanometers), the light is effectively ...

The case of the Chinese drywall keeps getting bigger and bigger. While the Sun Sentinel estimated it cost Miami home builder, Lennar Corp., $99,500 per house to fix the tainted drywall, a Florida politician estimated that 100,000 Florida homes may be facing similar problems. The USPSC has received more than 550 complaints about the drywall, which include a rotten egg smell and wiring corrosion. It is unclear where the manufacturing went wrong, but investigators are pursuing the matter.

Especially if its full of years of accumulated miscelania. Luckily there is an outfit called Got junk that will properly dispose of, donate or recycle everything you don't want to take with you.

Rural North Texans are increasingly turning to wind turbines to cut their electric bills, according to this article from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Federal tax credits are making the systems viable, covering 30% of the cost and installation. The wind turbines now pay for themselves in six to ten years, according to one distributor. One homeowner saw his electric bills cut in the half after putting up the turbine, which he described "about as complicated as putting up a flagpole." The ...

The jig is up for some "loan modification consultants" as the FTC and 19 states filed 189 legal actions against them nationwide last week. The filings allege these companies charge enormous fees and do little to help homeowners facing foreclosure. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz said the sham consultants are "full of hollow promises designed to fatten the pockets of criminals and con men." Officials urged homeowners facing foreclosure to instead contact their lenders directly ...

With drought plaguing parts of our nation and the cost of water use rising, this article in the SF Chronicle has 15 helpful tips for reducing your water bill. Among the suggestions: Check faucets for leaks and fix drips Insulate hot water pipes Wash full loads of laundry Use mulch Use your dishwasher instead of hand-washingRead the original article for the complete list with full explanations of each point.

There's something special about a historic building being renovated for modern use. So it was good news when a developer stepped up recently with plans to convert a shoe factory in Whitman, MA into housing. From the turn of the century until its closing in the 1960s, the mill was a significant force in shoe manufacturing. Developer Fred Kiley of Heritage Cos. bought the structure for $2 million in 2008 and now has plans for a $17 million overhaul, involving the creation of 127 apartments and ...

A do-it-yourself online home energy audit that provides local information? I tried it myself and found it somewhat lacking. The questions around my appliance selections and improvements already completed were not sufficiently in depth to give me a true calculation of energy savings, but it does provide a lot of great ideas for those who have not made any energy saving upgrades in the past few years. Do your own online energy saving audit here. Or check out BobVila.com's article on home ...

If you save money on gas, you will have more to spend improving your home...at least that's my theory. There are many myths surrounding gas mileage and CBS Money Watch looks into six. Some based on truth, some totally false and some worth trying. If you want to spend more on retooling your garage than filling your tank, check out Six Myths About Gas Mileage.

Every time I break out our grill, I take one look at the flammable gas container and think to myself, "Be careful." I'll approach it with a little more confidence after reading this article from the CPSC recounting everything you need to know about safely operating a gas grill. The piece includes information on proper storage, transporting, refilling, connecting, disconnecting, and purchasing. There is also a section on items to check each time you use the grill.

Are you serious about your lawn? If so, this page from Cornell University could be an indispensible reference for all the diseases that can plague your turf. Each link on the page provides an overview of the disease, symptoms, pictures, disease cycle information and control strategies. After reading, you will be able to differentiate gray snow mold from a necrotic ring spot and be well on your way to being a lawn care expert.

It is the season for air conditioners! With that in mind, RepairClinic.com has released a list of maintenance tips for keeping your air conditioner in good working order. The list includes the recommendation to clean the filter once a month and to check the cooling coils for frost or ice build up if the outside temperature drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Give it read to make sure you keep cool this summer, whenever it arrives here in the northeast.

Approximately one million play sets manufactured by Kolcraft are being recalled due to a fall hazard. The play yard's side rail can fail to latch and, when pushed, can unlatch unexpectedly. So far there have been 21 reports of injuries to young children, including bumps, scrapes, bruises and one concussion. The recall involves the Kolcraft Travelin' Tot play yards as well as several similar models made for Carter's, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bear and Eric Carle. A complete list of ...

Many of us wish our lawns were golf course-quality. Now with Converted Organics, it just might be possible. The company makes their fertilizer by diverting food waste from landfills to create an all-natural, organic liquid fertilizer, so it's good for both the environment and your lawn. Golf courses such as the one at the Cape Cod Country Club attest to the fertilizer's effectiveness. You can find retail stores that carry the product on the Converted Organics store locator.

The Daily Green has a great article entitled "11 Homes Made Out of the Darndest Things" that shows some innovative designs and great uses of green building techniques. The list includes: 1. Treehouses2. Houses Made from Barns 3. Converted Churches 4. A Temple Made from Beer Bottles5. Houses Made from Airplanes 6. Missile Silo Homes 7. Earthships8. Boat Houses9. Shipping Container Houses 10. Funky Spheres11. Trash CansCheck out some fabulous photos and the entire article here.

In celebration of the recent Arbor Day, my town gave out free trees to residents. We selected two apple trees, one that will yield yellow fruit and one with red. If you are also planting trees this spring, check out our how-to video with step-by-step instructions on just how to do it. Happy planting!

Home composting is good for you and your family, your garden and the planet. It's a simple task. All you need is common household and garden waste, air, a bit of heat, moisture and time for the organic materials to break down into a rich, loamy soil-like material that your plants and soil will love. If you've been considering composting at home, read here for inspiration and information.

Many of the products at this year's Kitchen and Bath Show were designed with the "green" idea of "reduce, reuse and recycle" in mind. Now ecohome.com has put together a slideshow of 10 eco-friendly products showcased. The slideshow includes a solar water heating system from Rheem and a formaldehyde-free bamboo countertop from Teragren.