Slipping on a wet step is the fastest way to turn a relaxing soak into a trip to the ER. I have tested hot tub steps in my own backyard for years, and I have watched a neighbor crack a rib stepping out of a spa on a slick wooden stool. That is why finding … Read more
I spent the last three months testing eight different hot tub covers across three climate zones, and I learned something that surprised me: the most expensive cover isn’t always the right one for your spa. After watching covers get waterlogged in Minnesota, blown off in coastal Oregon, and faded to chalk in Arizona, I have … Read more
I have been testing swim jets for residential pools for the better part of a decade. My garage currently holds seven swim current generators at various price points, and I have spent more hours swimming in place than I would like to admit. What I learned through all that testing is that the best swim … Read more
Last summer I watched my neighbor walk out to his equipment pad three times in one afternoon to flip valves and restart his pump. I walked into my kitchen, tapped my phone, and my pool was already set to spa mode by the time I grabbed my towel. That is the gap a good pool … Read more
Cleaning gutters is the kind of chore I avoid until the downspouts start overflowing onto my porch. After watching my neighbor wobble on a 24-foot extension ladder last spring, I started searching for the best robotic gutter cleaning tools so I never had to climb again. What I found surprised me: a true robotic gutter … Read more
I learned the hard way how much foundation damage costs. After my last home inspection, a contractor pointed out soil erosion three feet from my back wall where downspouts had been dumping water for years. He quoted a $4,200 repair and told me a $30 gutter downspout extension would have prevented the whole thing. That … Read more
Radon gas kills about 21,000 Americans every year, according to the EPA. That makes it the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. If your home tested above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L, installing a quality radon mitigation fan is one of the most important safety upgrades you can make. Our team … Read more
I have tested dozens of moisture control devices over the years, and nothing protects a home quite like the best crawl space dehumidifiers on the market today. Excess moisture under your house quietly feeds mold colonies, warps floor joists, and pulls humidity upward into your living space where it can aggravate allergies and asthma. The … Read more
I have spent the better part of three years chasing basement humidity across two homes, and I can tell you one thing with certainty: a basement dehumidifier with pump is the single most important upgrade you can make below grade. Manual-bucket units are fine for a utility room near a drain, but the moment your … Read more
Last winter, my neighbor came home from a two-week vacation to find $25,000 in water damage from a burst pipe in the basement. The entire downstairs had to be gutted. That single incident is what got me obsessed with WiFi water leak detectors, and I have spent the past three months testing 10 different models … Read more