Exterior Home Repair

Bricks are a popular construction medium, sought after to give homes an expensive look. Bricks are stacked in a pattern and joined together with a thin layer of binding concrete-like material...

Cracks in asphalt can naturally occur over time. Water is a major contributor to the cracks forming. It seeps below the surface of the asphalt, then expands and contracts when the temperature...

Working on a roof can be dangerous and every precaution needs to be taken to ensure your safety. This is especially true on steep roofs. At times there is a need to use a ladder to reach areas on...

Oil stains on a blacktop drive---typically from equipment or vehicle leaks or repair work---not only create an unsightly driveway, but also contain and collect harmful chemicals. These may come in...

Large cracks form in many different types of building materials. When replacing or installing doors and windows, large gaps may occur between the stud frame and the window or door frame that need...

Aluminum siding is beautiful and low maintenance, but it can lose its original color and luster. Painting it is a good option for color correction because it costs less than replacement and you...

Cedar shingles are valued for their good looks and termite repelling qualities. Piping from wood stoves and fireplaces that develop small leaks will eventually cause soot to cover nearby shingles....

Treated wood put in place before 2003 was treated with chromated copper arsenate, and wood pressure treated after 2003 is treated with amine copper quat and copper azone or other chemical...

Installing an exterior foundation wall drain is a very effective method in keeping water out of your basement. It is challenging to install and quite expensive but usually very effective.

It's often said there's more than one way to skin a banana, and the same can be said for home improvement projects, like building your own concrete patio. You can have all the bells and whistles,...

The durability and relatively low price of vinyl siding makes it a popular choice for home exteriors. Vinyl siding requires very little maintenance, which is an appealing benefit for most...

Installing a mailbox is one of the easiest ways to spruce up your home's curb appeal. The project is inexpensive and takes only about half a day to complete. While you can get creative when...

Freshly installed and blacktop is attractive to the eye. Over time the rich, dark color of the blacktop will begin to fade and succumb to the elements of weather and various vehicle fluids that...

Most houses have some concrete surfaces: walkways, walls, foundation, floors and patios. Nothing mars the cleaniless of concrete like rust stains. Following these tip will clean the rust marks fom...

There are many household tasks that could use the force of a water blasting system. This includes work on driveways, walkways, stonework, and sidewalks. It could be simply to remove extra debris;...

Skid marks are spots that result from a sudden stop or turn of a moving vehicle. These are categorized as acceleration marks, brake marks and yaw marks. Acceleration marks are created when a...

When your bathroom door doesn't latch all the way, it can be easy to fix. You need to determine the cause of the failure to latch. Maybe the door has warped due to moisture, or the house has...

Outdoor light fixtures are convenient for lighting up the entryway to a home as well as brightening porches, patios and decks. An outdoor light fixture can also be a necessary safety feature. Many...

Everybody loves a hot afternoon spent in the backyard swimming pool, but decking and pool tiles that are covered with calcium can dampen that enthusiasm. Calcium build-up on the pool-deck surface...

Lap siding is a common cladding to many homes and can be made from many materials, including wood, pressed fiberboard and cement. When in good repair, lap siding not only looks good but protects...

A cracked driveway is both unsightly and hazardous, the ground underneath causing the asphalt to crack. This natural wear and tear during its existence is called heaving and is quite easy to fix....

Asphalt is a long lasting and durable material used for various types of construction projects. This material, if properly cared, for can last in the range of 15 to 20 years. It is also a very...

Vinyl siding can become plagued by unsightly mold when conditions are right. Dark, damp and warm areas tend to be the most likely places for mold proliferation. Since mold tends to grow rapidly,...

Removing window glazing is not difficult, but doing it incorrectly can cause some trouble. Both common removal techniques have some dangers---heating the old glaze could cause a fire while...

Copper develops a protective light green patina over time when it is left outside. This is why the Statue of Liberty, for example, is green rather than bright copper in color. The patina is...

Freeze-thaw cycles, tree roots and age can all eventually cause spalling or cracking to a concrete driveway. Such damage poses a risk of injury to anyone walking on the uneven surface and also...

If you're tired of stray animals nesting underneath your house, maybe it's time to seal up your crawl space. Cats and rats, possums, raccoons, and ringtails can all make a nuisance of themselves...

Basement leaks cause mold and mildew in a house and ruin valuable items stored there. They are caused by constant water pressure building up on the foundation of the house until it finds a way...

Soot stains on a stucco wall leave greasy residue behind that's difficult to remove. Whether caused by small fires or stovepipe emissions, soot is not removable by plain soap and water. Chlorine...

You see a spot of oil on your otherwise pristine blacktop driveway. Don't panic: it's a lot easier than you think to get the oil spot out. Getting rid of grease stains on your driveway does not...

Asphalt, also known as blacktop, is a material composed of dark, sticky pitch (a petroleum byproduct) and either sand or gravel. It is commonly used for paving roads and driveways, but can also be...

Stucco is a tough, fire resistant, weather resistant cement plaster used as a protective or decorative coating both inside and outside the house. Durability is one of the major benefits of stucco,...

Cedar shingles are harvested from both red and white cedar trees and are highly durable. Cedar shingles that are left unstained will eventually become silvery gray in color and may also be prone...

Many people just worry about cleaning their toilet, sink, and drains but tend to forget about cleaning where the waste goes. The septic tank is where your waste is stored and broken down, but with...

The protective galvanized coating found on carbon steel fades over time. If the galvanized coating no longer protects the surface of the steel, rust forms on the metal. You need to remove the rust...

Extension ladders are essential for most homeowners. Any type of work done on the side of a home will require a ladder that is tall enough to safely reach the work area. Learning how to handle an...

Choosing the type of paint is an important factor when if comes painting. It can make your project last longer and look better. Choosing a brand name gallon of paint does not guarantee longevity. ...

We all want to live in a nice looking house. Well if you have a house, you can make it nice without hiring anybody. All you need to do is to follow these steps, and you will have a new looking house

A deck should be cleaned and re-sealed at least once every two years. But this recommendation can vary depending on the amount of sunlight, foot traffic, and harsh weather the deck is exposed to....

Roofs come in all kinds of shapes, but have common characteristics that make finding the square footage a relatively straightforward task. Nearly all roofs are made up of a collection of...

Over time, those once brand new concrete steps will become cracked and chipped. The thaw-freeze cycle can make matters even worse. Water can seep between the cracks and freeze, expanding the...

Cracks in blacktop or asphalt roads and driveways occur for a wide variety of reasons, including heavy surface pressure from vehicles. Changing weather patterns through the seasons add to the...

A heavy rain season can reek havoc on a house's foundation without a proper gutter system. Too little slope on the gutter system can result in standing water and leaks dripping through your eaves....

Somehow, grass seems to always find a way to grow in places where nothing else can. From the roof on your house to cracks in the cement, grass seems to pop up just about anywhere. Although the...

Any place where moisture is located will create mildew. Bricks are especially prone to mildew growth. However, it is easy to get the mildew off the bricks. The only drawback is that it will...

Aluminum siding is relatively maintenance free, though it can attract dirt or mildew. Rather than scrubbing dirty siding by hand, use a powerwasher to remove grime. A low-pressure rinse may be all...

Replacing a wood fence can be expensive, particularly if you have a large yard and a lot of fence. To extend the life of the fence and to improve its appearance, it is a good idea to stain and...

Seal coating is a necessity for any asphalt driveway. It protects the asphalt from damage caused by the harmful rays of the sun. It also protects the driveway from rain and other weather elements....

Rust forms on some iron alloys when they're exposed to air. The oxygen combines chemically with the iron in the metal to form iron oxides. You can reverse this by liberating the oxygen from the...

As soon as mildew appears on your deck, it should be removed to prevent damage. Excessive moisture is usually the cause of mildew on any area. On a deck, mildew will get worse in shady areas....