Maintenance in Home & Garage

Only Maintenance: the latest headlines first, then BRO’s own Maintenance stories and video. All of Home →

What Your Brain Is Actually Doing While You Sleep

Sleep isn't the body shutting off. It's a scheduled maintenance window, and there's a chemical clock deciding when it opens.

GuideCan You Fix ItDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Fix a Flat and Dial In the Brakes on Every Bike in the Garage

Four bikes, one Saturday morning, about sixty dollars of tools. Diagnose the flat before you patch it, and never skip the brake check.

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Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideGuides & ChecklistsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Home Maintenance Checklist That Actually Gets Done

Twelve minutes a month, two half-days a year, and one honest walk-around. That's the whole system, and it beats a spreadsheet nobody opens.

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Science & Space6 min read

How a Car Engine Actually Works, Stroke by Stroke

Four moves, a few thousand times a minute, and a gallon of gas becomes forward motion. What's happening, and what actually kills engines.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Unclog a Drain With a Plunger, a Snake and Ten Minutes

Skip the caustic bottle. Diagnose the clog first, then work through the stopper, the plunger and the trap in that order.

GuidePreparednessWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Flood Prep Starts Thirty Days Before the Rain

Flood insurance has a waiting period, sandbags have a limit, and a foot of water will float your truck. Sort all three now, while it's dry.

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GuideGarden & YardDean Shaw23 Sept 20265 min

How to Pick Between a Push Mower, a Rider and a Zero Turn

Lot size, slope and your gate width decide this, not horsepower. Run the numbers before you spend $4,000 on the wrong machine.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Your Mower Won't Start. Check Spark, Fuel, Air In That Order

Most no-start mowers come down to five dollars of parts and forty minutes. Work the order and you'll find it before lunch.

GuidePreparednessDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Build a Car Emergency Kit That Works in January and July

The $29 pouch from the checkout aisle is mostly bandages and a whistle. Here's what belongs in your trunk, what swaps out by season, and what to check twice a year.

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Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideGarden & YardDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Garden Tools Worth Buying Once and the Ones That Aren't

A snapped shovel handle in frozen clay costs more than the shovel did. Which tools earn a lifetime purchase, and which ones you should buy cheap on purpose.