Your home has secrets known to few

From tiny holes in the siding to wainscoting or the drawer under the oven, your house may include a number of features that serve a purpose even the most attentive of homeowners wasn’t aware of.

No, a woodpecker didn’t figure out how to hammer into your siding. If you spot some tiny holes, they’re most likely “weep holes” that allow water to escape rather than make its way inside; vinyl siding is designed to allow for ventilation and for condensation to drain out.

Think a chimney cap is meant just to keep debris from falling in? Think again. It also helps wayward embers from escaping up and then damaging your roof or starting a chimney fire, says Best Life Online, which offered some other fun “secret” house features:

* Wainscoting, that charming decorative wall paneling that typically reaches chair rail height, was originally intended to provide more insulation.

* A toe kick, the indented strip of wood between the bottom of your cabinets and the floor, actually serves an anti-toe kick purpose: they make it possible for you to open the cabinet doors without hitting your feet and to work closer to the counter.

* Ever notice that the backs of your oven knobs have screws? Once they’re loosened, you can calibrate the knob with a thermometer to get a more accurate temperature reading. A how-to from GE Appliances says each notch on the back of the knob changes the temperature by 10 degrees.

* That junk drawer at the bottom of your oven? Go figure – it’s not a junk drawer. That space can serve as a warming drawer or a broiler, depending on your appliance, and can help you keep a dish hot while waiting for the rest of your food to cook. Remember this come Thanksgiving.