Online Features
Home Improvement
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Bathroom design: It's all in the details
It's most likely one of the top reasons you've been putting off that bathroom makeover or remodel - you're not sure where to begin. What should the decor be like? Do you want a pedestal sink or a furniture-style vanity? Will you incorporate any water-saving faucets or fixtures? And, with all the decisions to make, will i...
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Easy tips for green remodeling
One of the hottest trends in home improvement is remodeling with green or sustainability in mind. Going "green" means using building methods and environmentally friendly building materials that reduce your home's impact on the earth, while enhancing the health of your home for you and your family.
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Growing mobility and home accessibility issues spark innovation
Driven by a growing senior population, soldiers returning home injured from war and the ongoing obesity epidemic, mobility and home accessibility issues are becoming more commonplace in America. In response, companies today are creating innovative home solutions that focus on both improved form and function, and serve to...
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Eight ways to improve your home's energy efficiency through lighting
It's easy to instantly trim your energy consumption and boost the eco-friendliness of your home. The key to easy energy savings is lighting. Though for many homeowners and renters, knowing how and what to do to improve their home's lighting energy efficiency can be confusing.
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Continuous hot water report [Infographic]
When Americans wake up in the morning, they want one thing: a good hot shower. A recent study commissioned by Noritz America, a tankless water heater manufacturer, showed that while shower styles varied, the demand for continuous hot water and strong water pressure is nearly universal. But so is the need to cut utility costs and save energy. Consumers can cut operating costs up to 40 percent and help ensure that every shower is a hot one by shifting from conventional tank-type water heater...
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Injury-prevention tips for DIYers
When you finally tackle that home improvement project you've been planning for a while, you're probably eager to get the job done quickly, well and on-budget. Injuries can delay your project, and cost money for medical expenses or even time lost from your job. It's important to take steps to prevent injury.
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Upgrading your kitchen from 'blah' to 'bling' for less
To design a kitchen that meets the multiple needs of today's modern family, including standing up to its daily wear and tear without breaking the bank, homeowners can transform their kitchens with a few tips and tricks from interior design experts and companies that have created more durable and affordable yet equally be...
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Simple tips for completing a DIY home project on time and on budget
We are in the midst of a do-it-yourself revolution, with more Americans pulling out the tool belt and getting their hands dirty. If you'd like to hop on the DIY bandwagon and enjoy the money savings and pride that comes with completing a project yourself, it's important to keep some tips in mind so your grand ideas don't...
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Home improvements that help save energy year-round
Want to save more of your hard-earned paycheck? Conduct a quick home improvement checkup to look for potential maintenance needs that can help you save energy year-round.
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Stay warm this winter: home heating tips for tricky spaces
When cold winds blow, it can be tricky to keep different rooms throughout your home at the right temperature - especially if you have old and drafty windows, tight spaces or room additions to work around. It can also be challenging to ensure economical comfort without having to do a major heating system overhaul. Yet the...
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Button-up your home for winter
As the leaves turn and fall to the ground, it's time to start thinking about "buttoning up" your home for winter to keep you and your family healthy and comfortable, your belongings safe and high energy costs at bay.
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Boomers: Shifting household needs create home design opportunities
Boomers expect to stay in their homes and live independently into their later years, but in the midst of change that is occurring in their households, it's easy for them to lose focus on planning for their own future housing needs. By following the principles of universal design - what's good for people of all ages, size...
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national news
Tornado insured losses estimated at $2 billion-$5 billion

Jason Owen digs through debris as he helps his mother to salvage items from her uncle's home after it was almost destroyed by a tornado in Moore, Oklahoma(Reuters) - Tornadoes that struck the United States from May 18 to May 20 caused between $2 billion to $5 billion of insured losses, disaster modeling company Eqecat said late Thursday. At the high end of the range, the tornado outbreak may rank as the second-worst ever in terms of insured losses, behind the late-April 2011 twisters that devastated Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and other communities. Eqecat said most of the losses were attributed to the tornado that devastated Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday. ...


Fri May 24 07:55:01 UTC 2013
Truck crash may have caused Washington state bridge collapse

I-5 Bridge Collapses On Skagit River In WashingtonBy Jonathan Kaminsky OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - A truck crashed into a four-lane freeway bridge in Washington state Thursday evening and may have caused it to collapse, sending vehicles and drivers tumbling into a frigid river, officials said. A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigation into what led part of the Interstate 5 bridge to fall into the Skagit River 55 miles north of Seattle was expected to continue on Friday. Three people were rescued from the river and no one died, officials said. Two of those rescued were hospitalized with hypothermia. ...


Fri May 24 08:11:25 UTC 2013
Magnitude 5.7 quake strikes Northern California
(Reuters) - A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Northern California on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter of the quake was 6 miles northwest of the town of Greenville, and near the smaller community of Canyondam, the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Allen Shephard, a hunting and fishing guide at Quail Lodge at Lake Almanor in Canyondam, said the quake knocked him "right off the couch and onto the floor." The floor of the lodge was littered with broken dishware, and cabinets were in disarray, said Shephard, 62. ...
Fri May 24 01:53:09 UTC 2013
Cop arrested on suspicion of firebombing police captain’s house
A police officer from Edison, N. J., was arrested Thursday on five counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated arson in connection with the firebombing of another officer's house, NJ.com reports. Michael A. Dotro was taken into custody after a massive search, and he has been suspended from the force with pay. Bail [...]
Fri May 24 09:09:20 UTC 2013