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Home Remodeling and Repair DIY Exterior Projects - Roof repair, deck design and construction, and more

Welcome to Our Articles on Exterior Projects and Care.

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Standard Disclaimer:

Any project which requires the use of tools carries the potential for injury. Use caution and your safety gear, this site can't be liable!

Here's our most recent articles. Enjoy!

Decks and Patios

• Cleaning Your Backyard Deck Protect your investment in your deck by powerwashing or scrubbing and sealing annually.
• Using Clay Brick Pavers for Driveways, Patios, and Garden Paths Springtime is a prime time to install a driveway, garden path, or a patio with clay-fired brick pavers.
• Wood Deck Design Fundamentals. This is article one in the deck building series. It's an introduction and overview. Recommended reading before diving into the meatier articles.
• Deck Design and Framing Concepts. Part two in the deck building series. This one addresses framing material and the deck's structural members.
• Lumber Sizes And Spacing For Deck Building. Part three in the deck building series. It shows how to determine spacing intervals for joists, beams, and post height, dependant of the dimensions of the lumber you select. Get out your calculator!
• Deck Design and Post Hole Layout. Here we are at part four in the deck building series. Lay out your post hole locations and your ledger board.
• Setting Posts in Deck Construction. Part five in the deck building article series finds us actually digging holes and setting posts.
• Deck Building: Beams and Joists. Part six in the deck building series, we are dealing with installing the beams and joists as well as some bracing for strength.
• Trex Composite or Aluminum Decking vs Natural Wood This article compares decking choices. Prior articles focused on framing concepts, lumber sizes and spacing, and post hole location and setting.
• Popular Deck Board Patterns and Decking Installation Instructions Finish your deck with a basic, diagonal, or picture frame pattern, and learn board securing techniques.
• Wood Deck Refinishing. To get ready for summer activities, you need to protect your investment by refinishing your backyard deck or your pool deck. Here's how.
• Upgrade a Cement Patio to a Deck Got a cement patio but want a deck? Quite easily done.
• Porch Construction with Ceramic or Porcelain Tile Flooring. Why not dress up your porch with tile?. With the proper support and the right type of tile, it is easy.

Concrete and Asphalt

• Five Concrete Resurfacing Techniques Bring old floors back to life with chemical acid stains, dyes, epoxy, limecoat, and stamping.
• Prices for Asphalt Driveway Alternatives Some alternatives to concrete and asphalt driveways include cobblestones, stamped concrete, bricks, and gravel. Prices vary, so choose wisely.
• Avoid Costly Foundation Repair. A foundation repair could very well saddle you with a second mortgage. But you can avoid it with a little forethought.
• Pouring a Concrete Slab. This is article one in the concrete slab series. It covers site preparation, form building, and pouring.
• Finishing a Concrete Slab. This is article two in the concrete slab series. It covers finishing the slab by the steps of screeding, darby, edging, grooving, floating, and troweling the slab.
• A DIY Guide to Types of Concrete. Deciding which pre-mixed concrete blend to use? There are differences between general purpose pre-mixed, fiber-reinforced, countertop concrete, and fast-setting concrete.
• Asphalt Repair for Driveways, Sidewalks, and Parking Lots. Asphalt is also called blacktop. Another term, tarmac, is often used interchangeably, but to be precise, it’s not the same composition. Learn how to patch cracks and holes.

Landscaping, Gardening and Pest Control

• Eight Simple Steps to Having an Environmentally Friendly Garden Create an organic garden and lawn with mulch, compost, and by reducing water usage.
• How to Control Boxelder Bugs They feed primarily on seeds of female Boxelder trees but eat foliage and flowers of ornamental plants and orchard crops.
• Designing an Outdoor Space for Valentine’s Day Choose live flowers to represent a lasting, not wilting, relationship; plant them in a garden environment.
• The Organic Method of Planting a Tree There are 2 methods of planting trees, the organic way and the synthetic chemical way. Landscaping contractors are much more likely to go the synthetic route that involves more soil amendments, gravel for drainage, and staking. The organic method avoids this.
• How to Build a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Learn how to grow organic container herbs and vegetables or a showcase flower bed this spring and say goodbye to high produce prices.
• Landscaping Tools for Lawn Care. When you opt to take care of your own property and not contract a professional lawn care and landscaping service, you need tools. Learn about them here.
• Lawn mower Selection and Maintenance. This article provides you with an in-depth look at lawn mower selection and maintenance.
• How to Remove a Tree Stump. This article explains how to remove a tree stump easily without using a stump grinder. It’s simply a matter of methodically trenching around the stump and cutting out the roots with a nursery digging spade and a utility bar.
• Irrigation With Gutter Downspouts. Divert rainwater away from your home and irrigate your garden or flower beds at the same time.

Roofing and Siding

• Boost Home Equity by Installing a Cupola and Weathervane Although all cupolas today are not as functional as in the old days, they do add to your home’s charm.
• How to Maintain and Clean Vinyl and Aluminum Siding Two popular cleaning methods are a pressure sprayer and a telescoping RV brush.
• The Pros and Cons of Metal Roofs Steel roofs cost more than asphalt composition shingles but offer storm and fire resistance.
• Do Rain Gutter Guards and Screens Work? Do gutter guards eliminate the chore of seasonal cleaning? Or are "maintenance free" gutter covers salesman hype? To perform, they must keep debris, leaves, and bits of composition shingles from clogging the downspouts.
• How to Determine when You Need a New Roof or Shingle Repair. Many homeowners fail to give their shingles the respect they deserve. How do you know when it's time to seek out a licensed and bonded roofing contractor? Here's how: perform a visual inspection on a regular basis.
• Porch Roof Construction. Why not put a roof over that porch so you can enjoy it in the shade? Learn how to tie it into your roof.
• How to Select a Roof Contractor. There are rip-off artists in the roofing industry. Use customer opinion, estimator questions, and the BBB to hire an honest roofing contractor on a re-roofing project.
• Shingle Roofs VS Metal Roofs. Quite a decision. Shingles cost less but metal will probably outlast you and stands up to severe weather.
• Examining Home Siding Choices. Home siding choices are made depending on homeowner preference, climate conditions, and home maintenance needs.

Exterior Structures

• Transform your Garden Shed Use that extra space for a home office, music room, or a workshop for your DIY projects.
• Repair Picket Fences and Tie Sections Together at a 90 Degree Angle Cedar or pressure treated picket fences may seem tricky to tie together; the intersection might not intersect a fence post
• Types of Fences for Privacy and Security A residential fence will mark your property line and is part of a home security system.
• Build a Free-Standing Patio Cover. Build a freestanding patio cover to protect your camper, car, or boat. Or add value to your home while creating a space for entertaining.

Insurance Contractor Relations, and Home Finances

• Remodel Planning after a Homeowners Insurance Settlement After dealing with your insurance company, make your settlement money work harder following a fire, hurricane, or flood.
• Protection with New Construction or Remodeling Insurance Policies include dwelling and personal property, owners and landlords liability, and worker’s compensation.
• Protect Yourself from a Mechanics Lien Against Your Home After accepting a bid and signing a building contract, understand how to protect your property.
• Finding and Evaluating Contractor Bids for Remodel Projects Picking the right contractor can spell the difference between a money pit and customer satisfaction
• Remodeling Contracts Protect Building Contractors and Homeowners Detail the work description, payment timeline, funding, start date, bonding and insurance.
• Remodeling Investment Cost and Return Value Generally, exterior projects do better during an economic recession.

Miscellaneous

• Use the FHA 203(k) loan to Buy and Remodel a Fixer-Upper Home In a depressed housing market with low interest rates on home mortgage loans, buy a HUD home and qualify for homeowners insurance.
• Choosing the Type of Entry Door During a Remodel Guard against home invasions while adding to home value and equity.
• A Hurricane Disaster Preparation Checklist Here are the steps you can take to protect your home now and the ones before the storm hits.
• Add Curb Appeal with Address Plaques Residence identification is essential for emergency response services, UPS drivers, and even the pizza delivery guy.
• How to Repair Wooden Window Frames and Sills Exterior woodwork, including your windows, should be inspected and repaired annually.
• Exterior, Plantation, and Storm Shutters Protect your windows in a hurricane and your furniture and carpet from UV rays.