Here’s an excellent overview of many of the various laundry machines currently on the market.

I like this artile because it gives prominent attention to the energy efficency of the models.

You can even live green while washing your clothes!

We’ve been having a mysterious problem where our upstairs bathroom suddenly fills with a half inch of water.  For a while, it was happening every few weeks.

We usually only notice because  we spot it leaking through the floor down the wall to the bathroom underneath it, downstairs.  As you can imagine, we don’t enjoy the clean up job!

After multiple consultations with plumbers, handymen and roofers, we’re stumped!  It doesn’t seem to be related to a leaky faucet or toilet, there’s no problem with the grouting, the roof seems to be fine.  We’re really baffled!  We’ve just about concluded that a poltergeist much be to blame!

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Meanwhile, here’s a useful list of steps to take while checking for bathroom leaks.  (Unfortunately, nothing on the list helped us!)

Recently, we talked about the Pros and Cons of Cork Floors.

I just came across a fantastic discussion of the topic, Popping the cork – Getting to Know Cork Flooring, with an emphasis on the environmental benifits of going that route.

Check it out and be sure to read the interesting comments.

Here’s an interesting discussion featuring five lowcost things you can do to make your home more green.

Some of these suggestions, like don’t set your thermostat too high, are pretty basic.  Still, it never hurts to be reminded!

If you’ve ever considered installing a cork floor, here’s a guide to the pluses and minuses.

There’s an interesting discussion in the comment thread as well.

I personally strongly considered getting a cork floor in my kitchen when I was renovating.  The reason was that I have a bad neck and wanted a floor that would be forgiving on my back.  In the end I decided against cork flooring because my family is too rough.  My husband is not dainty in the least bit and neither is my teenage son.  They’re both big guys.  Plus I have a seven year old daughter.  I think they would have torn up the floor within a year by moving the chairs back and forth at mealtime.

My friend’s retired mother has a cork floor in her kitchen and she loves it.  (She also has a bad back.)  In that case I can see a cork floor working well – with a retired couple or an unmarried person who’s not planning on having kids in the near future.

What could be more romantic than a bathtub built for two?

But where do you find one?

Here’s where you can find some answers!

If you’d like to make your bathroom more environmentally friendly – or just to save a little money – you should read these great tips on How to Be Green and Frugal in the Bathroom.

I recently mentioned how my built-in soap kitchen dispenser broke. I must say I panicked! Not really, but I was annoyingly inconvenienced each time I went to use the liquid dish soap. It made me realize what a wonderful feature a built-in kitchen soap dispenser is. When you have one, you no longer need to have an ugly soap bottle on your kitchen countertop all the time. Plus, you have continual, easy access to soap.

If you’re planning on replacing your kitchen faucet you should consider buying one with this great feature!

In today’s dismal housing market, it’s important to plan ahead if you’re planning on putting your home on the market.

Here’s some good advice on basic improvements you can make that can add tremendously to its value.

Don Vandervort’s Home Tips has a great discuss filled with recommendations for dealing with vinyl flooring.