There are several ways to create a shady retreat in your yard, including:

• Installing a shade arbor.
• Extending the roof of your house.
• Adding an awning to your patio or deck.
• Installing a misting system.

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Cleaning your gas grill is important to its lifespan. Here’s how to clean it properly:

• Remove grates from the grill, spray with liquid grill cleaner.
• Allow grates to soak before cleaning with a wire brush.
• Remove burner covers and scrape with a wire brush.
• Take out burners and scrape off debris.
• Clean burner holes with a toothpick.
• Use a wet-dry vac to remove the remaining debris from inside the grill.

Performing this simple maintenance on your grill will ensure that it lasts for many years to come.

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Technological advancements have led to a number of innovative new products for your home. These include durable, manmade materials for countertops, as well as advanced controls on kitchen stoves that aid in cooking. Watch this video to find out more.

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The new Philips LED flood light for indoor recessed and track lighting applications is energy efficient and produces a soft white light. The bulbs last up to 15 years and are guaranteed not to hum. Philips LED lights are available at The Home Depot.

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While you might think that rolling up newspapers to burn in your fireplace would be an eco-friendly idea, hand rolled logs are not compressed enough to burn effectively and can actually cause damage to your chimney flue, pose a potential fire hazard, and harm the environment. Rather than burning them, a better alternative is to recycle old newspapers.

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Rather than buying a special container to hold small amounts of paint for trimming out a room, you can reuse a plastic coffee container instead. Many come with a plastic snap on lid to keep the paint from drying out, and a built-in handle that doubles as a handy holder for your paintbrush.

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Unlike standard incandescent bulbs, LED lights (Light Emitting Diodes) don’t have a filament that will burn out, so they last a very long time. In fact, you could burn an average LED eighteen hours a day for almost 8 years before it would stop working! An LED bulb will even outlast most compact fluorescent bulbs.

So, why aren’t we using them more? Well, unfortunately, they’re still too expensive to manufacture for most lighting applications. There are a few companies making accent light fixtures, and the costs are coming down, so I predict you’ll have plenty of low-cost LED lights for every room in your house to choose from very soon.

For more information, check out our article on LED Lighting 101.

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Renovating your bathroom doesn’t have to be expensive. Many homeowners are finding out that making small changes can lead to big results. There are a number of new showerheads that can modernize your bath as well as several inexpensive vanities that can help provide needed storage.

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A leaky toilet can waste up to 50 gallons of water every day. In almost every case, the solution is simple.

• Flapper Value: Often leaks occur where the water flows from the tank at the flapper valve. Valve replacement kits and rubber flapper valves are easy to install.
• Tank Level: If the water level in the tank is set too high, water will continue to run. A simple turn of a screw or knob will adjust the float in the tank to the right level.

These two simple adjustments can save thousands of gallons of water every year. For more information, check out our article on How to Repair a Toilet

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Even a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons of water a day. Ironically, almost 90% of these leaks are the result of a dirty or worn seal or washer which can be easily repaired. Simply turn off the water supply, and remove the valve stem to clean or replace the washer.

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