ArcaMax

A water softener system is designed to remove the accumulation of minerals from building up inside plumbing pipes, fixtures and hot water heaters. The system is used in locations where hard water is a fact of life, so it’s a preventive measure to extend the life of some appliances. The system will remove dissolved minerals like calcium and ...Read more

We found the solution to kitchen cabinet storage space by installing a rollout storage shelf. You’ll see these cabinet and kitchen organizers in 2-tier pull-out units that you install inside a cabinet. It doubles the storage capacity and eliminates the search-and-seizure job of getting down on your hands and knees with a flashlight to see what...Read more

A pressure balanced shower valve is designed to control the flow of hot and cold water to protect you from receiving a blast of scalding water when someone flushes a toilet or turns on a dishwasher. If you’ve ever experienced such a blast, you know its jolting effect, which can be especially harmful to children or the elderly while they bathe....Read more

Sometimes you may be faced with a room with a color of wall tile you just can’t accept, but the wall is sound and the installation is good. It might be a kitchen wall or a bathroom wall; either way, it’s not acceptable. Now you can rip it off the walls and start from scratch with new tiles, or take a more budget-minded approach and paint the...Read more

With some splashy new fabric and a staple gun you can transform the upholstered seat of a dining room chair. We admit it might not be as dramatic as painting or wallpapering the walls, but new fabric gives new life to even old dining room furniture. And the cost and time involved is much less than decorating.

The job involves unscrewing the ...Read more

Whether you’re a gourmet enthusiast or an ordinary cook, a vented range hood makes preparing food more pleasant and the kitchen more appealing. The hood is designed to remove the grease, steam, smoke and odors of cooking, while keeping walls and surfaces from becoming greasy and making the kitchen a healthy and attractive place to be.

A hood ...Read more

Seal up a drafty window and keep your energy bills under control with an inexpensive window insulation kit. It isn’t pretty or a permanent solution, but an interior storm window is a quick-fix to stop wind from whistling through old rattling windows.

Window insulation kits, sold in hardware stores and home centers, contain plastic sheeting ...Read more

If you hear a loud thud as a washing machine turns on, that noise is called a water hammer. The banging or slamming noise is caused by a lack of air in the pipes, which leaves no air cushion to absorb the shock of water turning off.

The operation of a washing machine calls for water several times during its cycle so it has an electrically-...Read more

A fireplace purist can’t accept the idea of an electric fireplace, but anyone who dislikes the work and upkeep of a wood burning one thinks otherwise. The improvements in design, styles and energy efficiency make an electric fireplace high on many homeowners’ list. And the technology and 3-D imaging that make the flame and firewood very ...Read more

Every day it seems we acquire another device that requires charging in an electrical outlet, so there’s always a need for more of them. Some are tiny, others are large, and they all demand charging. All too often the traditional two-plug outlet is outpaced by the need for more plugs in more places.

Today you can replace that traditional ...Read more

When we saw an AC unit in the wall of a vacation rental in Key West, we knew it was a solution for our home office. The downside of using a portable air conditioning unit, designed to fit in a window opening, is that it prevents opening the window in mild conditions for natural cooling. By building a unit into a wall, you can free up the window ...Read more

Amp up the appeal of an ordinary fireplace in a typical track home living room with a stylish new mantel and add character to the room. At a home center or lumberyard, you’ll find an array of mantel styles and elements sold as components or kits. Kits typically include a shelf, surround and the pilasters that decorate the surround, and they ...Read more

Until it stops working, most of us take a garage door opener for granted. But when it doesn’t lift up the heavy door concealing your car you take notice. You certainly realize just how heavy that door is when you’re forced to lift it manually.

A garage door installation service will charge $407, which includes labor and material, to remove ...Read more