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LifeWire.com | Ron Fritz Phone jack installation is one of the basic wiring jobs homeowners can do. Home automation applications may include installing phone extensions in additional rooms or installing a second phone line in the house. Automation enthusiasts continually look for ways to make their homes more convenient, and installing additional phones is one of the ways they do it. Before getting started, map out where in the house that the phone jack should be. Consider where any desks or tables might sit so that you can avoid having wires stretched to their limits or hanging between desks. Types of Home Telephone Wiring...

TODAY.com | Karen B. Gibbs When cleaning your house, keep one thing in mind: If hands touch it, it needs cleaning. That’s especially true for light switches, particularly during cold and flu season. After all, hands are all over them repeatedly throughout the day, depositing a new layer of germs with each touch. Fortunately, cleaning coach Leslie Reichert knows the best ways to clean light switches.

CNET.com | Ry Crist Belkin's app-enabled WeMo Light Switches have long been a relatively affordable way to smarten up the switches in your home, and the fact that they don't need a hub makes them a pretty simple smart home starting point. Still, they suffer from a glaring flaw: They can't dim your lights. Now, at CES 2017, Belkin is finally fixing the problem. The answer is a brand new, dimmable version of the WeMo Light Switch that'll hit retail later this year. Pricing is still to be determined, but right now, the WeMo Dimmer looks like a pretty promising step forward to...

MyAJC.com | Jonathan Steinitz Interior designer Markham Roberts’ style of easy elegance comes together in his Port Townsend cottage. (Benjamin Benschneider/The Seattle Times/TNS) There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a freshly painted room. Aside from its mood-boosting properties, paint has the power to transform any space with the flick of a brush. It can elevate your home, welcome in the new season, and even lower its value. But in a sea of swatches, how do you know what hue to choose? Paint can be a game changer in the best and worst way. In the same way the right...