A duplex is one building made up of two separate housing units attached to each other. The two distinct units form a two-unit structure that shares a common wall and may also share outdoor space such as a driveway, front porch, or backyard. Unlike an apartment building that houses many individual units, the term duplex […]
Thousands of cactus species grow in the wild, but the ones kept as houseplants fall into two groups: desert cacti and forest cacti. Both thrive indoors with relatively little maintenance, and both come in sizes from thumb-sized globes to branching plants that reach the ceiling. Desert cacti store water in swollen stems and tolerate strong
Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) is a small evergreen shrub that grows in a neat, rounded shape and tops out around 3 to 6 feet tall and wide. Despite the common name, the plant does not come from India; it is native to southern China and grows wild across other parts of Asia and Australia. Gardeners
A resilient home starts well outside the front door. The plants you choose, the way the building meets rain and flood risk, the tightness of the envelope, and the products you put on the bed and in the bath all decide how the house performs over decades. Homeowners who treat these decisions as one connected
Window frame material shapes how a window performs, how long it lasts, and what it costs to install. Vinyl, made from polyvinylchloride, became the default choice for affordable replacement windows, while wood-fiber composite frames have grown into a price-point competitor that tries to combine the strengths of both materials. The two look similar in a
A hot tub deck turns a bare backyard into a gathering place, but the design decisions start long before the first board is cut. The tub is heavy, the deck has to carry it safely, and the layout has to work for the people using it. A roundup of smart hot tub deck ideas shows
Paint and primer in one, also called self-priming paint, promises to remove the priming step from a painting project. The product mixes primer into the paint itself, so one coat is supposed to bond to the surface and deliver color in a single pass. The idea mirrors what self-priming pumps do in fluid systems: the
While most plants are shutting down for winter, the red spider lily (Lycoris radiata) is just getting started. After a summer dormancy, this member of the amaryllis family sends up tall flower stalks topped with umbels of bright red flowers. Each bulb produces up to four stems from late August to October, growing more than
Spring brings weeds that seem to sprout overnight, invading gardens, sidewalks, and driveways. Commercial weed killers are effective, but many are toxic to people, plants, and pets, which sends a growing number of homeowners to the kitchen cabinet for an alternative. Dish soap is the most talked about option. It will not scorch foliage the
Paint brushes and rollers pick up more than paint. Every pass over a wall collects dust, dried flecks, and residue from the previous coat, and that buildup ends up in the next finish if the tools are not cleaned. Regular cleaning removes the debris, keeps bristles flexible, and lets the tools lay paint down evenly
