Nineteen Blade-Malfunction Reports Are Behind a New Recall of a $1,700 Lawn Mower for Violating Federal Safety Rules Regulators Take Seriously

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black and yellow push lawn mower on green grass during daytime

DR Power Equipment is recalling about 320 PRO MAX30 30-inch walk-behind lawn mowers after 19 reports of the blades operating without the blade control system engaged, or continuing to run after the control was released, according to the CPSC’s recall notice. The mowers, which sold for $1,600 to $1,800, violate the federal mandatory safety standard … Read more

Baby Walkers Recalled After Regulators Found They Roll Straight Through Doorways and Down Stairs Without Ever Slowing Down First at All

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A baby walker sits by a sunlit window

Kmaier is recalling about 243 infant walkers after finding they can fit through a standard doorway and fail to stop at the edge of a step, violating the federal mandatory safety standard for infant walkers, according to the CPSC’s recall notice. The walkers sold exclusively on Target.com for $62 to $70 in June 2026. No … Read more

Termite Tenting a House Can Run Past $1,000, and Skipping the Inspection First Is Possibly the Single Costliest Shortcut a Homeowner Can Take

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black and brown ant on brown soil

A routine termite inspection costs $100 on average, with most falling between $75 and $325, according to Angi’s termite inspection cost data. Skip it, and the number a homeowner is eventually forced to pay looks completely different: standard treatment once termites are already established averages $600, intensive fumigation runs $1,500 to $8,000, and full-house tenting … Read more

Skeleton-Shaped Halloween Candles Sold at Kroger, Fred Meyer and Smith’s Are Being Recalled for a Fire Risk Nobody Saw Coming This Early

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A burning candle illuminates two skulls in darkness

About 3,680 Halloween-themed Skeleton Wax Candles sold at Kroger, Fred Meyer, Smith’s, and other Kroger-owned grocery stores nationwide are being recalled after regulators found the candle’s decorative ornaments are flammable, posing fire and burn hazards, according to the CPSC’s recall notice. The candles sold for about $7 apiece between September and October 2025.   The … Read more

84% of Homeowners Who Finish an Outdoor Remodel Say They Immediately Want to Redo Another Part of the House Right After, NAR’s Own Data Shows

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A two-story house with beige siding and a white front porch

Homeowners who complete an outdoor remodeling project don’t stop there. 84% say the project made them want to remodel another part of the house or yard, according to the Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features, produced jointly by the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals. The same report found homeowners rate … Read more

Mower Light Kits Recalled Nationwide Over Fire Risk, and Owners Are Being Told to Stop Using Them Immediately, No Exceptions Whatsoever

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a tractor trailer parked in a field at night

Excel Industries is recalling about 1,800 Accessory LED Light Kits sold for Hustler and BigDog ride-on mowers after finding the light bars can overheat or produce flames, posing a fire hazard, according to the CPSC’s recall notice. The kits sold for $180 to $330 through Hustler and BigDog dealerships and online, and no injuries have … Read more

Warm Khaki Is Replacing a Decade of Gray-and-Greige Walls in American Homes, and Sherwin-Williams’ Own 2026 Pick Confirms the Shift Is Real

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Bright dining area with round table, chairs, and houseplant by the window.

Sherwin-Williams has named Universal Khaki SW 6150 its 2026 Color of the Year, according to the company’s own joint announcement with HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams — and the pick matters less as a single paint chip than as an official signal that a decade of gray and greige walls is losing its grip on American … Read more

Gray-Everything Kitchens Are Officially Over, and Behr’s New 2026 Color of the Year All but Confirms What Designers Have Suspected for a While

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gray steel 3-door refrigerator near modular kitchen

Behr has named its 2026 Color of the Year, and gray didn’t make the cut. The pick is Hidden Gem, a smoky jade coded N430-6A, unveiled in Behr’s official announcement. It’s a blue-green with real depth, the kind of color that reads as furniture-grade rather than wall-filler. That matters because Behr’s Color of the Year … Read more

Closing a Backyard Pool for the Season Runs $150 to $400, and Skipping It Can Cost Thousands More the Moment Spring Finally Rolls Around

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A white house with a wooden extension and a swimming pool in a garden

Closing a backyard pool properly costs somewhere between $150 and $500, depending on pool type, according to Angi’s pool closing cost data, with most homeowners landing around $350 for a full-service in-ground close. That’s a small bill next to what happens when the job gets skipped. A neglected in-ground pool can need $2,000 to $20,000 … Read more

Composite Decking Costs Triple the Price of Wood, and Backyard Decks Are Now Averaging a Full $8,300 to Build From Scratch This Year Alone

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a wooden deck with a table and chairs on it

The average backyard deck now costs $8,318 to build from scratch, according to Angi’s 2026 deck cost data, with total project costs ranging from $4,340 to $12,653 depending on size and material. Material choice is doing most of the work in that spread. Pressure-treated wood starts as low as $2 to $5 per square foot, … Read more