Drafty windows are the single biggest leak in most homes, and for owners of single-pane glass, they can be responsible for up to 30% of total heat loss. We spent six weeks testing, installing, and living with eight of the most popular solutions to find the best storm windows for energy savings, and the results … Read more
Yes, you can get a drone with a thermal camera – and in , the lineup has never been stronger. A thermal camera drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a microbolometer sensor that detects infrared radiation (heat) and renders it as a visible image, usually alongside a standard RGB camera for context. Our … Read more
The best patio doors for the money balance a fair purchase price with 20+ years of reliable service, because a patio door is one of the largest openings in your home and the wrong pick bleeds energy and security for two decades. We compared 8 patio doors side by side, weighed each one’s features against … Read more
If you have a backyard you actually use, the door between your living room and the deck or patio does more work than almost anything else in the house. Our team spent six weeks comparing sliding glass patio doors for backyards across aluminum, tempered glass, and security-focused builds, and we narrowed the list down to … Read more
Folding patio doors (also called bifold or accordion doors) are multi-panel glass doors that concertina open to one or both sides, creating a wide, unobstructed opening that connects indoor living spaces directly to outdoor areas like patios, decks, and gardens. They use hinged panels mounted on a top-hung or bottom-rolling track: pull the lead panel … Read more
My team spent the last four summers walking, sitting, and yes, occasionally hopping off barefoot onto south-facing test decks in Phoenix, Austin, and Tampa. We measured surface temperatures with infrared thermometers at 90°F ambient air, watched which boards faded after two summers, and tracked which products expanded enough to buckle between joists. If you want … Read more
After spending six weekends testing composite deck tiles on three different patios — a poolside platform in Florida, a second-story balcony in Arizona, and a shaded backyard in Oregon — I can tell you exactly which capped composite decking actually holds up to real-world abuse. The right polymer cap turns a deck from a 10-year … Read more
If you are searching for the best composite decking for docks in , you are not alone. We rebuilt two private docks and one community boardwalk over the past three summers, and our team has spent the last 90 days comparing 8 composite deck tile products specifically for marine and waterfront use. The short answer … Read more
Two summers ago I watched my neighbor hand a contractor $11,400 to build a basic 12 by 16 foot ground-level deck in his backyard. The deck was nice, but the price still stings when I think about it. I built essentially the same surface area in my own yard that same weekend using a modular … Read more
I spent the last 90 days walking real decks, talking to homeowners on r/HomeImprovement, and pricing out eight different railing kits across three brand families. The phrase “best composite deck railing for the money” gets thrown around a lot, but most lists ignore the real numbers: the rail kit itself is rarely the final cost. … Read more