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Landscaping & Outdoor Building

Upgrade any yard with eHow’s tips on landscaping and outdoor building projects. Learn how to install a deck, put in a pool, paint a fence or even pave a walkway. Got a green thumb? Get tips on planting trees, shrubs and flower beds. Deck repair on your weekend docket? Find advice on pressure washing, replacing damaged boards and staining a deck. If you’d rather leave your project to a pro, eHow has tips on choosing a landscape architect, too.

Categories in Landscaping & Outdoor Building

Articles in Landscaping & Outdoor Building

How to Make Stepping Stones From Scratch

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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You could buy a kit to make stepping stones, but it's not difficult to do from scratch. Give this method a whirl, and you're sure to be proud of the results... more »

How to Measure for Deck Stairs

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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When you're determining how large a deck to build and planning your deck's dimensions, spend some time focusing on the steps. Measuring them are easy, but you must know how to apply those numbers. Follow these steps... more »

How to Plan a Butterfly Garden

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Butterflies are attracted to a rich variety of sun-loving plants that bloom over a long season. Bone up on the species common to your area and then invite them to stay by providing food, water and shelter... more »

How to Plan a Deck

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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A deck helps you maximize your outdoor living space. The right design will allow you to make the most of your deck when entertaining, relaxing, enjoying the view or even gardening. Here we walk you through the steps for planning your ideal deck... more »

How to Plan for a Long-Season Container Garden

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Container gardening is great for people who don't have the space or time for a full-blown garden. Stairs and porches make perfect spots for these easy-to-manage gardens. The trick is to make the beauty last so you can long enjoy a striking ... more »

How to Plant a Lawn

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Plant a healthy lawn as the centerpiece of your landscape and reap more rewards than beauty alone. You'll enjoy cleaner air and cooler temperatures around the house... more »

How to Plumb an In-Ground Pool

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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In-ground pools add beauty and recreational enjoyment to your home. Family and friends can gather for hours of fun and fellowship. Installing an in-ground pool can get expensive. If you do part of the work yourself, you can save some money... more »

How to Pressure Wash a Deck

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Pressure washing is a great way to clean the grunge and grime from your deck. By using a pressure washer properly, you can make your deck shine like new and prep it for a coat of stain or paint... more »

How to prime your pool pump.

By Aquanet

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Prime is the term we use to state that the air has been mostly purged from the pump and the pump is moving water. When you have lost the prime, your pump is no longer pumping water through it. Sometimes it can be very difficult to regain the ... more »

How to Properly Edge Your Landscape Beds

By Todd Wessel

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Have you ever seen a nice sharp edge on a planting bed right after mowing and weed eating? It's Awesome! Properly designed and edged landscape beds not only define your bed and turf lines, but make maintaining your property easier in the future... more »

How to recive free solar panels anywhere

By krzys555

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this will teach you how to get free solar panels from where you live.. more »

How to Refinish Metal Patio Furniture

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Plastic is easier to clean and store and wood looks more countrified, but nothing beats the charm of vintage metal patio furniture. Here's how to give it a fresh look... more »

How to Remove a Tree Stump

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Removing a tree stump can be a difficult task. The roots just don't want to let go. But there are a number of effective ways to remove that unsightly stump. Depending on the size of the stump muscle, machine or microbes will do the job for you. ... more »

How to Remove Algae From a Pool

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Algae is a green substance that sticks to the pool walls and base, creating health issues if not controlled. It appears as a result of infrequent maintenance, improper usage or stagnant pool water. Follow the steps below to remove algae from your ... more »

How to Remove Bushes

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Removing unsightly or just unwanted shrubbery and bushes can be an easy process if you use patience and the right tools. Removing bushes can be expensive if hiring a professional crew to come out and pull them, but you can save that money for ... more »

How to Remove Deck Stains

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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The instructions below should help you to thoroughly and evenly clean your deck and remove any stains. Try these solutions in the order shown and only move on to more serious measures if needed... more »

How to Remove Oil and Grease From Concrete

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Do you hate those nasty stains on your driveway or garage floor? A leaking car or lawnmower can do quite some damage to a garage floor. Here's a nontoxic home remedy for cleaning them up... more »

How to Renovate a Weathered Deck

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Within a year or two, the sun's ultraviolet radiation makes the wood on most decks turn some degree of gray. This color change affects only a very thin top layer of the wood, so it doesn't compromise your deck's strength and durability. If you ... more »

How to Repair Broken Concrete Stair Corners

By Murray Anderson

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The corners of concrete steps are the most vulnerable part of the stairs and the most likely to crack and crumble over time. Hairline cracks on either the vertical or horizontal surfaces will allow water and possibly salt to get into the cracks ... more »

How to Repair Deck Railings

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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A railing gives a deck a nice feeling of enclosure and makes it safer as well. In fact, most building codes require you to put a railing around any deck 30 inches (76 cm) or more above the ground. But a railing can't do its job if it has broken ... more »

How to Repair Flaking Concrete

By dalady

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Concrete that is exposed to the weather needs to be maintained. The seasons can wreak havoc and create a visual nightmare out of your concrete. If your concrete has been through a few freeze and thaw cycles you may be noticing that the surface ... more »

How to Replace a Pool Light

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Not many folks like the idea of working with water and electricity at the same time. When that swimming pool light goes out, you may not have a choice. But it's not as scary as you might think, take the necessary precautions and let there be light!.. more »

How to Replace Swimming Pool Tiles

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Swimming pool tiles may fall off for a number of reasons. The original mortar bond used to set the tile may fail, or a crack--due to settling--may occur behind the tile itself. Caulking, used to seal the tile backing from moisture, can leak, ... more »

How to replace the bead into the track on your vinyl lined pool.

By Aquanet

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Does the bead at the top of your vinyl lined pool keep coming out?.. more »

How to Seal a Deck

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Wooden decks can warp, crack and discolor due to prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures, moisture and sunlight. Proper care of decks includes periodic cleaning and sealing, both of which will prolong a deck's life and enhance the wood's ... more »