Home and Garden
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Should sellers replace polybutylene pipe?Feb 19, 2025 6:09 pm - Housing from the 1970s and 1980s may have been built with polybutylene water piping, which is now considered substandard and must be disclosed by sellers listing their property. What should a seller do if they discover this in the home they’re listing?
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Home & garden calendar, Feb. 23-March 1Feb 19, 2025 5:10 pm - Garden club meetings, seedlings sale, antique apple trees and more.
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Increase your choice of annuals by starting your own indoorsFeb 19, 2025 4:42 pm - It’s time to start annuals that get off to a slow start. Garden centers will offer many favorites in the spring, but you will have many more choices if you grow your own seedlings, preferably with a grow light.
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Laskowski Ace Hardware opening next month as anchor of revived and revamped Lindenhurst CenterFeb 13, 2025 2:05 pm - The Laskowski family will be opening its 10th Ace Hardware location as an anchor in the revamped and revived Lindenhurst Center on Grand Avenue.
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Making sense of types of associations and solar panel rulesFeb 13, 2025 1:54 pm - How do we know if our condominium association is considered a “common interest community association?” Our association does not have solar panels. Would the Illinois Homeowners Solar Rights Act apply if we were considering solar panels?
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What’s the best way to clean a jute rug?
Feb 12, 2025 8:58 pm - Jute, a vegetable fiber, is a popular choice for area rugs where people want texture and a neutral, natural look. The rugs generally are easy to clean as long as they’re just walked on. Things become much more difficult, though, if they get grimy or drenched in pet urine.
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Cut flowers a sure way to brighten your winterFeb 12, 2025 3:54 pm - Cut flowers and forced bulbs are a great way to bring some winter color and fragrance into your home. The trick is keeping them fresh to extend the bloom time. Here are some expert tips.
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Winter sowing in upcycled containers creates stronger seedlings in springFeb 12, 2025 3:33 pm - It’s nearly time to start seeds indoors for the upcoming growing season. But what about starting them outdoors, despite the frozen ground, whipping winds and, perhaps, snow cover? Winter sowing is an easy, low-maintenance technique for planting seeds in miniature, makeshift greenhouses that you can make yourself from upcycled materials. And it may even be better than nurturing seeds indoors.
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What goes into designing that popular teapot or water bottle? 2 top creators discuss the processFeb 12, 2025 3:21 pm - Ever wonder how some of the stuff we use every day came to be? Good design doesn’t just come out of thin air. From the idea to the finished product, it can be a long road.
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Revisiting the inspecting of new homesFeb 12, 2025 1:40 pm - Buyers of new homes would be wise to hire an independent home inspector rather than rely on a city inspector’s approval. The reason is that municipal inspections have a different purpose and scope and may not discover the defects that a professional home inspector will find.