When the weather turns cold and wet, our homes are a warm respite—and where we spend so much of our time during the chilliest months of the year. If your house has a fireplace, even better. The ...

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Kristin is a lead editor at Forbes Home and has nearly a decade of ...

When using ash, be careful not to put too much into your soil. Because ash is highly alkaline, using high amounts can throw off your soil’s balance. Skip using ash around acid-loving plants such as ...

Ideally, you would have cleaned your fireplace thoroughly in the spring, after you used it for the final time of the season. But if that didn’t happen—or if you want to tidy it up before using it this ...