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Don’t be caught off guard the next time the white stuff threatens to cripple your region. Prepare for a blizzard ahead of time and arm yourself with these goods and be ready to deal with the chilly aftermath. What Should You Do Before, During, and After a Blizzard? There are 14 essentials to help you prepare for a blizzard. Here is what you should have on hand before a snowstorm, the generators you’ll need during the blizzard and equipment to clean up with afterward....

How to Choose the Right Stain There are three types of stains: transparent penetrating oil, semi-transparent, and solid stain. They each protect the wood equally well. However, their lifespans vary. How to Clean and Restain a Deck Transparent stains last for two to three years before requiring refinishing. Semi-transparent stains last three to four years. Solid stains last about five years. For enhancing the look of beautiful wood like mahogany, transparent stains are typically best....

How to Remove Tile Floor First, you need a clear floor area to work with. If you’re removing tile flooring from your bathroom, take out the toilet and any pedestal sinks and disconnect all the water pipes or drains that go through the floor. If you don’t know what’s under your ceramic floor tile, you’ll have to do some detective work to find out whether it’s plywood, cement backerboard, or a thick bed of mortar....

Firewood Splitting Tools Tom demonstrates a variety of tools that can be used to split wood by hand: Axe Axes have thin heads that are designed for cutting, rather than splitting. They’re really meant for cutting down trees or doing other lumber cuts against the grain. Maul Mauls are designed for splitting firewood. Their heads are heavy—about 8 pounds—and they’re designed with a wide wedge that can get in between the grain and split it apart....

Trimming a coat closet Tools

A Playful Powder Room In this powder room just inside the main entrance, the gentle curves of the mirror and faucet are echoed in the statement light fixture overhead. ​ ​Vanity, fixtures, mirror, lighting: Signature Hardware A Kitchen Equipped for Convenience In the kitchen, cone-shaped pendants draw the eye to the island, with its workstation sink, easy pulldown faucet, and durable quartz countertop. Upholstered stools make for back-friendly seating. Pale-gray Shaker-style cabinets provide clean-lined storage....

The showcase kitchen you see is just the beginning; out of sight from the dining and living areas are a hardworking butler’s pantry with its own sink, dishwasher, and full-size refrigerator, along with a handy beverage bar for quick refreshments. The cabinets are rough-sawn European oak stained dark on the island and lighter on the perimeter; the quartz countertops and backsplash mimic concrete. The custom hood is finished to coordinate with the dark stain of the island....

In this episode: This Old House has been following the restoration of a four-room schoolhouse that is being turned into nine affordable housing units for veterans in Dracut, MA. Great effort is taken to make the outside look as it did in 1898, including making the new chimney look old. Kevin O’Connor lends Mark McCullough a hand installing a 3/4’’ real brick veneer to the face of the chimney. At a local kitchen cabinet showroom in Saratoga Springs, kitchen designer Sara Raeder helps Evan and Whitney select cabinets for the kitchen....

Steps: 1. To protect fingers from accidentally coming in contact with the blade, always use the blade guard. 2. Prevent dangerous kickback by using the splitter and pawls. 3. Use an outfeed extension when cutting long boards. 4. Install a featherboard to the saw table to help keep the board tight to rip fence. 5. Always use a pushstick when making narrow cuts. 6. Never use the rip fence when making crosscuts....

Top 5 Coolers Best For Hiking: TOURIT Cooler Backpack Best Wheeled Cooler: Coleman Portable Cooler With Wheels Best Heavy-Duty Cooler: Coleman 70-Quart Xtreme Heavy-Duty Cooler Most Versatile Cooler: Lifewit Soft Cooler Bag Best For Picnics: OlarHike Cooler Bag Best For Hiking: TOURIT Cooler Backpack The TOURIT Cooler Backpack has a waterproof, durable fabric body with an insulated leakproof liner and padded shoulder straps. These materials work together to keep food warm or cold for up to 16 hours, making this cooler bag perfect for those who need a comfortable, accessible cooler for walks or hikes....

Top 5 Fountain Pens Most Nib Options: Scriveiner Fountain Pen Best Fine Point: Asvine Fountain Pen Most Color Options: Wordsworth & Black Fountain Pen Set Best Design: Waterman Fountain Pen Best Pack: Dryden Designs Fountain Pen Most Nib Options: Scriveiner Fountain Pen No matter if you prefer to write with a broad, extra-fine, fine, or medium nib, this pen has you covered. It’s crafted with a lacquered brass body and chrome accents....

Top 5 Ice Melts Easiest To See: Snow Joe Blended Ice Melter Best Pellets: Green Gobbler Snow and Ice Pellets Best for Cars: Prestone Windshield De-Icer Best Liquid: Branch Creek Ice Melt Best for Small Surfaces: Redmond Ice Melter Easiest To See: Snow Joe Blended Ice Melter Pros and Cons ✔ Works safely on wood and concrete surfaces✔ Can purchase a pack with a spreader to apply it✔ Has an anti-corrosion formula ✘ Doesn’t list the temperature limit✘ Can’t spread it directly from the bag...

Top 5 Notebooks Most Versatile: Moleskine Classic Notebook Best Composition Notebook: Mead Composition Notebook Best Notepad: Rite in the Rain Weatherproof Notepad Best Spiral Notebook: Five Star Spiral College-Ruled Notebook Best Color Options: LEUCHTTURM1917 Ruled Hardcover Notebook Most Versatile: Moleskine Classic Notebook This notebook can withstand travel and heavy use with a durable moleskin cover, thick ivory pages, and an elastic closure band. It’s available with dotted, ruled, plain, dual plain and ruled, and squared pages to suit your writing, journaling, or drawing needs....

Top 5 Portable Air Conditioners Best For Small Rooms: BLACK+DECKER Portable Air Conditioner Best For Large Rooms: Whynter Dual-Hose Portable Air Conditioner Best Smart Unit: Midea Three-in-One Portable Air Conditioner Best Multifunction Unit: SereneLife Four-in-One Portable Air Conditioner Quietest Unit: Whynter Elite Portable Air Conditioner Best For Small Rooms: BLACK+DECKER Portable Air Conditioner The small size and low weight of this portable air conditioner make it perfect for dorm rooms, cabins, campers, and other spaces up to 150 square feet in size....

Top 5 Solar Panels Most Portable: Jackery SolarSaga Portable Solar Panel Best Kit: Renogy Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit Best Single Panel: Renogy Monocrystalline Solar Panel Best Value: HQST Monocrystalline Solar Panel Most Panels: PAXCESS RV Solar Panels Most Portable: Jackery SolarSaga Portable Solar Panel You can bring this solar panel with you on your camping or hiking trip. It’s lightweight at under 10 pounds and features a foldable design with carrying handles....

Top 5 Wallpapers Best For Kids: RoomMates Star Wars: Galactic Battles White and Blue Peel and Stick Wallpaper Best Animal Print Wallpaper: Graham & Brown Superfresco Easy Crocodile Black Wallpaper Best Rustic Wallpaper: Abyssaly Vintage Wood Panel Interior Film Wood Wallpaper Best Geometric Wallpaper: Wenmer Hexagon Peel and Stick Wallpaper Best Marble Wallpaper: practicalWs Marble Wallpaper Granite Paper Best For Kids: RoomMates Star Wars: Galactic Battles White and Blue Peel and Stick Wallpaper This themed wallpaper is available in multiple Star Wars designs ranging from R2-D2 to Darth Vader....

Top 5 Water Test Kits Best For Pools: AquaChek Salt Water Swimming Pool Test Strips Best Digital Tester: HoneForest Water Quality Tester Best For Hard Water: JNW Direct Total Water Hardness Test Strips Most Versatile: VARIFY Premium Drinking Water Test Kit Best For Well Water: Health Metric Well Water Test Kit Best For Pools: AquaChek Salt Water Swimming Pool Test Strips Designed with saltwater swimming pools in mind, this testing kit measures sodium chloride to ensure your pool has the proper salinity level....

Top 6 Kitchen Sinks Best Undermount Sink: Kraus Undermount Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink Best Workstation Sink: Ruvati 32-Inch Workstation Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink Best Entry-Level: MENSARJOR Single-Bowl Kitchen Sink Best Double-Bowl Sink: Kraus 33-Inch Double-Bowl Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink Best Farmhouse Sink: VASOYO Farmhouse Kitchen Sink Most Modern: Kraus Quarza Kitchen Sink Best Undermount Sink: Kraus Undermount Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink Pros and Cons ✔ Includes a drain cover✔ Has a padded undercoating to reduce operational noise✔ Contains a channel-grooved bottom that keeps water from pooling ✘ Develops water spots easily according to some reviewers✘ Has the most expensive price tag in this review...