Decks & Patios

Painting your wooden patio is similar to painting a deck. The preparation is the the most important step in the process and if not done well, the paint will not last. There are many different...

Teak patio furniture can be a wonderful alternative to the usual plastic or metal pieces that most people have in their yards. Grown in India, Thailand and Indonesia, teak wood is durable and...

Adding a patio to your home not only increases livable space, but can potentially add to the value of your property. Installing a patio does not have to be an overly expensive or even...

With this quick and easy project you can transform any area in your garden with these attractive and easy-to-make decking squares. Use them on a concrete patio, as an attractive feature next to a...

Paver stones are an excellent building material for use in patios or walkways. If you're considering a project that involves the installation of paver stones, proper planning for material needs is...

The new deck is done---the railings are in place, and you are ready to set up the chairs, tables and grill. There's only one problem: You need to remove the marks, grade stamps and other spots on...

A fire pit is a beautiful patio fixture that is used to add value and charm to a home, produce outdoor heat on chilly evenings and even to barbecue and grill food for everyday eating or for...

A deck is a great place to gather with friends and family, do a little grilling or relax with a cool drink. Nothing spoils the time out on your deck like harsh sunlight in your eyes, making you...

Having a wooden deck is a luxury that most homeowners can enjoy for many years. Staining or painting your deck can add value to your home, as well as add longevity to the surface wood of the deck....

When building a deck or stairway using pressure-treated lumber, unsightly writing from the factory or warehouse may ruin an otherwise beautiful finished product. A host of options may present...

Patios are great for enjoying your back yard without having to deal with ants and other bugs that frequent the grass. Patios also provide a convenient, flat, clean surface for outdoor furniture,...

A simple home improvement job that can bring you years of enjoyment is building a patio fire pit. Imagine sitting around the fire with your friends and family at the end of a summer cookout, or...

Eating lunch on a picnic table in your backyard can be an extremely refreshing and relaxing experience. But over time your beautiful wooden picnic table is bound to suffer from constant exposure...

Building or repairing a new deck or patio can be a thrilling project, but it also takes a significant amount of time and effort to make it just right. It's important to the success of the project...

Constant exposure to moisture and heat causes wood deck boards to crack. The wood gets wet, soaks up the water, expands and then drys out, contracting and shrinking, causing cracks in the surface...

Outdoor wooden decks can become worn and damaged over time. Improper care of an outdoor deck can cause it to rot, crack or splinter and become unsafe for use. By knowing how to repair your deck...

Creating a pea gravel patio is a relatively easy way to make an outdoor space without having to build a wood structure or pour concrete. Pea gravel can be purchased relatively cheaply. Depending...

For some of us there is something almost magical that happens when daylight is overtaken by night in the theme park. There are no doubt several factors that come together to create this feeling,...

Brick patios are attractive, functional and durable. They make great spaces for outdoor entertaining or relaxing. But even a brick patio requires regular steps to help preserve and protect it....

Stone patios add beauty and function to a backyard space. The patio area provides an ideal location for enjoying breakfast outside, entertaining guests or simply enjoying nature. Selecting the...

Whether you are removing decking to make way for more lawn space or replacing damaged deck boards in your old deck, removing wood decking can be physically difficult. However, it does not have to...

Cedar wood decks are beautiful and functional, and can typically withstand the weather better than other woods. Therefore, cedar decks may need fewer major repairs. Instead of trying to redo cedar...

Anyone who has experienced birds hanging around a deck knows how troublesome and obnoxious they can be. They are often noisy and leave behind unpleasant messes. Luckily, there are many ways to get...

An outdoor patio heater can turn your patio into an extension of your living space and stretch your patio season from summer into fall and winter. Patio heaters have become important pieces of...

Applying Thompson's Waterseal to a brick patio will reduce the risk of your patio cracking or being stained. It protects the patio from algae, mold, mildew and salt deposits as well as sealing it...

Mildew is an unattractive and dangerous growth on your deck. Mildew can be quite slippery, especially when wet, which can lead to household accidents. It can also damage the finish or wood on your...

Sometimes it is necessary to clean a painted wood deck because the mildew or mold growing on it has made it slippery, or the dirt on it has become too difficult to remove with sweeping. It is...

A patio door serves as the bridge between indoor and outdoor living spaces. When combined with a visually pleasing patio area, the door greets guests and invites them to outdoor entertainment. The...

The great virtue of a concrete patio is that it is easy to build. Its great drawback is that it is gray, featureless and plain. However, you can easily fix that with a coat of paint. Even the...

Due to their low cost, canvas canopies have become an increasingly popular way of roofing a gazebo. Since the canvas is exposed to the elements all day, every day throughout the year, it naturally...

Installing a deck post through a hard material such as blacktop or concrete can be accomplished by using a circular saw equipped with a diamond asphalt blade. These blades are designed to cut...

The release of composite decking products was enough to make many people who had been hesitant to install a natural wood deck go ahead with their plans using the new products. These products...

Turn your screened porch into a greenhouse for the winter. You can opt for a year-round permanent greenhouse or a temporary one to use in the winter, depending upon how you normally use your...

So you want to fix a ripped porch screen. Most porch screens are made from roll-out metal mesh that's attached to the wooden frames of your porch. The downside to this is once the screen is torn,...

Patios can offer an exterior getaway for any home, and concrete pavers afford an almost limitless combination of decorative possibilities, making them one of the most commonly used patio flooring...

Wood is arguably the most popular material used in deck building. The introduction of wood stain offers a seemingly endless number of color possibilities. Not every deck is created equal, creating...

In this article I will outline the steps for easily making your own patio slabs. With the following method you will not need any mixers or do any hand mixing nor will you need a concrete truck....

If you are looking to repair concrete, then epoxy injection might be your best bet. It is important to know that even though concrete epoxy repair will fill a hole or repair a crack, it might not...

Many deck owners soon learn the frustration of a fading deck. If your deck is not properly sealed, it can become damaged by rain and faded by the constant presence of UV rays on its surface....

A deck is an investment that, if done properly, will last a very long time. Take the time to choose the best deck boards for the best looking, and longest lasting, deck for your house. If you have...

Over the years, your home's fence and deck has been bombarded with dirt, dust and grime. You may have used a commercial deck and fence cleaner to maintain the surfaces, but the cleaners are...

Bed-liner paints are great for other things beside truck-bed liners. The bed-liner paints create a nonslip and textured surface for garage floors, boat docks, boats and wood decks. For wood decks,...

Paver stones are much weaker than traditional indoor ceramic and natural floor tiles. They are typically aggregates of other materials or a weak clay-fired product. To make up for the weaknesses...

Patios extend the living area of the home to the outdoors. These areas provide an ideal space for entertaining, dining outdoors or simply enjoying nature. While a small budget for the project...

Brick patios have many advantages. They're durable and attractive, a great complement to your home's look and value. But regular maintenance is required if you want to enjoy your brick patio for a...

Tiki torches have been a part of patio and backyard living and entertaining for years. But the hassle of keeping tiki torches filled with oil or fuel, and maintaining wicks at the right length can...

Cleaning the deck used to require a lot of back-breaking work. Scrubbing, rinsing and scrubbing over again would be time-consuming and exhausting. Oxygen bleach cleaner takes most of the scrubbing...

Landscaping a concrete patio is all about adding and layering different elements from nature. Using standard gardening supplies will help you turn your outdoor living space in one that flows with...

Building a covering over an existing concrete slab will require that you secure the structural supports to the concrete. A typical building scenario involves using wood posts to support a roof...

Blocks are a great material for landscaping projects. They work well for patios, borders, walkways and walls. They are also an easy material to work with, making them perfect for do-it-yourself...