Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 344)

These 11 Plants May Help Keep Your House Cool
Lawn & Garden

These 11 Plants May Help Keep Your House Cool

Instead of cranking up the AC, let indoor plants offer an environmentally friendly alternative for beating the heat. Adding a touch of green to your decor may help combat warm, stuffy air so you can stay cooler all summer long.

10 Water Features to Make Any Backyard Landscape Complete
DIY

10 Water Features to Make Any Backyard Landscape Complete

From koi ponds to waterfalls, birdbaths to garden streams, we've gathered together our favorite backyard bubblers, gurglers, and soothers.

The Router Bit Types Option
DIY

10 Types of Router Bits Every DIYer Should Know

Your router can perform some impressive feats, but not unless you have the right bits. Unleash your router’s potential with these 10 router bits essential for any DIYer.

Keep, Don’t Kill: 9 Weeds to Welcome
Lawn & Garden

Keep, Don’t Kill: 9 Weeds to Welcome

One man's weed is another man's best friend. That's certainly true for many of the weeds that are found in backyards around the country. While some gardeners labor to rid their patches of earth of any stray stem or sprout, they might do well to live and let live. At least, that's the case for a handful of weeds that boast a bevy of benefits, from attracting pollinators to repelling pests, and from fertilizing soil to filling a salad plate (although you should take care not to consume any weeds that have been treated with chemicals). Read on to discover the hidden benefits these misunderstood plants can offer.

9 Design Pros Share Their Favorite Shade of White Paint
DIY

9 Design Pros Share Their Favorite Shade of White Paint

We asked design pros to give us the scoop on their favorite kinds of vanilla.

Working with Concrete - DIY Pete
DIY

Pro Tips: A Concrete Master Shares 5 Secrets to Success

Conquer your fear of working with concrete! The bulky DIY material may look intimidating, but Bob Vila Academy professor Pete Sveen shares his secrets for making it one of the easiest to manipulate.

How to Grow Potatoes
Lawn & Garden

How To: Grow Potatoes

So filling to eat, so versatile to cook with, and so satisfying to plant, the lowly potato is a rewarding crop for any backyard or container gardener—even a beginner!

Build a Greenhouse
Exterior

Planning Guide: Building a Backyard Greenhouse

Take your hobby to the next level: Build a greenhouse and give your green thumb a year-round outlet.

Black Roof Stains? Check for Algae
Exterior

Black Roof Stains? Check for Algae

John Deere Tractor with Front Snow Thrower
Lawn & Garden

Turn Your Lawn Tractor into a Snow Plow or Blower

bamboo edging
Lawn & Garden

5 Ways to Use Bamboo in Your Landscape

10 Housekeeping Habits of Happy People
Interior

10 Housekeeping Habits of Happy People

Believe it or not, it’s possible to keep up with the cleaning and be a happy, balanced person. How do they do it? Here are 10 housekeeping habits that happy people swear by for a transformed home and a sunnier outlook!

13 Weirdly Awesome Ways to Paint a Room
DIY

13 Weirdly Awesome Ways to Paint a Room

A fresh coat of paint does wonders for a room, and because painting is something most homeowners are comfortable tackling, it's probably the most common DIY project out there. If there's a paint job in your future, though, don’t limit yourself to simply rolling some paint on the walls. Take a little inspiration from these 13 weirdly awesome ideas for reinvigorating or glamming up your walls, ceilings, or floors.

Close-up of plant growing in plastic bottle.
Lawn & Garden

19 “Zero Dollar” Garden Hacks

When it comes to fertilizing, watering, and controlling pests in your garden, there's no need for fancy gadgets: Old-fashioned ingenuity does the trick every time.

Levels
Reviews

Levels

These are some of the different types of levels you can use to establish true vertical and true horizontal.

7 Ingenious IKEA Hacks for Your Backyard
Exterior

7 Ingenious IKEA Hacks for Your Backyard

Having a backyard is a luxury and lets face it, also a lot of work to keep it looking like the oasis you want it to be. You could spend a ton of money on planters and seating or you can flex your creative muscles and come up with some inventive DIY solutions. We've done a little of the work for you and found amazing ways to repurpose some of IKEA's classic products into backyard staples.

Solved! What Is an Impact Driver?
DIY

Solved! What Is an Impact Driver?

For the passionate DIYer, an impact driver can make projects involving many large fasteners—such as securing beams into a pergola—a lot easier. Here’s how to determine if you need one for your toolbox.

Heating Systems 101
Interior

Heating Systems 101

From traditional oil-fired boilers to newfangled hybrid heat pumps, an almost dizzying number of options in heating systems is available to today's homeowner.

The Copper Pipe Types Option
Interior

The Differences Between Copper Pipe Types, Explained

Learn all about the main types of copper pipe and how they are typically used inside and outside the house.

The Paint Color App Option
DIY

10 Paint Color Apps Every DIYer Should Know About

Give a new hue a virtual test run before tackling your next home painting project.