Online Features
Home Improvement
Find inspiration for your home in 2013 with the latest design trends
(BPT) - We’re all looking forward to a fresh start at the beginning of the new year: Whether it’s an updated fitness regime, pursuing new hobbies or getting organized, there are a slew of resolutions to try. In 2013, why not make a few changes to not only yourself, but also your home? By incorporating cutting-edge desig...
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Setting up a home office that fuels productivity
(BPT) - One of the biggest mistakes businesspeople make is assuming that working from home will automatically result in a higher level of productivity. Unless you carefully construct your home office environment, you may find that working from home is less productive than you anticipated. Staples, the world’s largest o...
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Start planning now for spring's home makeover
(BPT) - If April showers bring May flowers, what do winter’s snowflakes bring? Perhaps it’s an excuse to curl up with your favorite magazines and imagine the kitchen makeover of your dreams. When the cold winter months keep you indoors, use the time to take care of things that will make your remodeling plans much easier...
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Simple ways to freshen up that stuffy bathroom or kitchen
(BPT) - If there’s one room in the house that cries out for fresh air, it’s the kitchen. And if there’s a second room that can benefit from Mother Nature’s sweet breath, it’s the bathroom. When humidity and odors build up in a room, a host of disagreeable results arises, from mold and mildew to dank, unpleasant air. Ex...
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Overcoming common bathroom addition challenges
(BPT) - Adding a bathroom to your home remains one of the most popular and rewarding home improvements you can make. In fact, when you sell your home, you can expect to recoup more than 50 percent of the cost of a bathroom addition, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report. Creating a new bathroom where ...
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Kitchen remodeling: How to go from a far-off dream to 'DIY'
(BPT) - Year after year, no matter the state of the housing market, kitchen remodeling remains a good idea. The project perennially tops lists of value-for-your-money home improvements and almost every buyer will be attracted to a kitchen that’s updated and move-in ready. Even if you’re planning on staying in your home ...
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Cypress siding provides a natural choice for today's homes
(BPT) - Across the country, cypress siding is becoming increasingly popular among homeowners who are looking to add value, durability, and a lifetime of good looks to their homes. Even as new high-tech siding materials flood the market, Chuck Harris of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association, www.cypressinfo.or...
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Three simple steps to a more satisfying shower
(BPT) - The routine you follow in the shower is a personal one and studies show it can serve a number of different purposes. From getting clean to warming up, from relieving pain to simply relaxing, we shower for many reasons. Research from Delta Faucet indicates that even the order in which we bathe ourselves – shampoo...
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Tips for choosing the right water heater for your home
(BPT) - If all is working well, most homeowners put little thought into their water heater. But when this critical appliance fails, it can be a nightmare that halts a home’s productivity completely. With no hot water for washing dishes and clothes - let alone for bathing - homeowners are left scrambling to find a new wa...
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Keeping the family and the house warm with fireplace inserts
It’s a wonderful feeling to come inside on a cold day and warm your hands by the fireplace. But let’s face it: most people simply don’t use the traditional wood-burning fireplaces of old. With all the cutting, splitting, hauling and storage, wood-burning fireplaces can be a lot of work. They fill the home with unhealth...
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DIY home improvement fixes to create a healthier home
(BPT) - You might not be aware that your home may pose some hidden risks for you and your family. But you don't need a fat budget to give your home a safer and healthier boost. After all, there is nothing more important than keeping your family safe. Hazards may be lurking in your home, and for $100 or less, you can ma...
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The twister cut a path of destruction 17 miles long and 1.3 miles wide.
By Kim Dixon and Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Internal Revenue Service official at the center of a tax scandal about extra scrutiny of conservative groups told a congressional hearing on Wednesday she had done nothing wrong but asserted her constitutional right not to answer questions. "I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws," Lois Lerner, head of the IRS tax-exempt unit, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. ...
BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's main opposition alliance on Wednesday urged fighters from around the country to reinforce a rebel-held town under attack by President Bashar Assad's troops and their allies from the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group.