Few pleasures are as satisfying as sitting in your home in front of a fireplace. The warmth and ambiance that it produces makes it the ultimate place to relax on a cold night. Make sure you keep your fireplace safe and ready for an evening fire with these tips. 1. Burn only hardwoods in the fireplace. Hardwoods such as maple, birch and oak burn much hotter than softer woods such as pine.

Storm glass doors provide an extra layer of protection against the high winds and cold temperatures of winter. This will help to keep your house warmer during winter by cutting down on the amount of draft that comes through an exterior door. Here is how you can install storm doors on the outside of the exterior doors on your new house. Step One: Measure Door Opening Measure the width of the door frame first.

An increasing number of adults -- 10 million of whom are over the age of 50 themselves -- are caring for aging parents and grandparents these days. It can be hard emotionally, physically and financially. One way to help alleviate the difficulties is for the parent to move in with the children's family. But this can create a whole other set of problems caused by being too close together: lack of privacy, friction, loss of independence, etc.

If your home's holiday decorations include any rooftop additions, it's important that you understand the best practices and precautions before you put them up. By understanding the necessary safety considerations, you'll be able to protect yourself and the condition of your roof. Before you climb the ladder with those decorations, here are a few things you need to think about to avoid damaging your roof or experiencing an accident. Consider Your Safety

If you live in an older house and are having trouble with your water, it might be due to the fresh water supply pipes in your house. Plumbing pipes last for years, but they do not last forever. Over time, they can get clogged, and this can lead to problems. If you are having any problems with your water supply, you may want to consider hiring a plumber to replace all the fresh water pipes in your home.

If you are a single parent and just moved into your first home, there are things you need to learn to do on your own. One important thing you may not think about is the garage door. Below are two things you should take time to look into. Prevent burglars from entering If the garage is attached to your house, you need to know how to keep burglars out. One easy way you can do this is to put frosting on your windows.

If you've got drapes to hang, but you're tired of the old stand-by curtain rods, it may free your creative side to hear that you don't have to stick to the status quo when it comes to your home decor. There are many unique ways to hang draperies, and finding one that really speaks to your style can be a welcome departure from the standard hardware and fixtures. Here are a few ideas to help you get started, but you're sure to find other options around the house.

Although rubber roof installation was once mainly for commercial buildings, residential use is expanding. This is not only because of the superior durability and integrity of rubber roofing materials, but also because of advances in installation techniques. If you are thinking about tackling the job yourself, here are your options: Rubber roof installation using a torch  Most rubber roof installations have required the use of a torch to melt and seal seams to form a continuous sheet of material from multiple smaller pieces.

If you're looking for an option to create a lush, green lawn without having to invest in sod, hydroseeding may be the best option. There are many benefits to choosing hydroseeding, and understanding the advantages of the process can help you decide if it's right for you. However, it's equally important to understand some of the disadvantages so that you can be prepared to mitigate those concerns while you wait for your new lawn to thrive.

Travertine tile has a way of retaining stains, especially if those stains are acidic in any way. It definitely is not the type of stone flooring to have, if you have pets and children. However, if you have neither pets nor children, but manage to drop something on your travertine tiles anyway, a travertine tile cleaning has to be immediate. The following three things are the worst enemies of travertine and should be cleaned in very specific ways.