Exteriors

What to Know About Green Roofs :: Those are Plants, not Weeds, on my Roof

Remodeling

What is a Green Roof? Technically, color has nothing to do with it. Numerous four-inch garden trays of plants (the Sedum) in a special soil are installed on a roof to capture...

by Lisa Smith

Above Ground Pool - DeckHill image via Jesse Langley

Above Ground Pools: Three Solutions for Sprucing Em Up

An above ground pool seemed like the best choice for my wallet, but then I began to think of the stigma/image/everything else that goes with one in your yard. All I can...

by Jesse Langley

scotts turfbuilder with crabgrass preventer

Grow Grass Without Weeds :: Soil Types, Aerating, Watering & More

Unfortunately, everybody's yard is different, there's no silver bullet and lawn care techniques are confusing. Will my yard benefit from aerating? How do I get rid of crabgrass? What is runoff? These...

by Ethan Hagan

Simpllet act of Green: Container Herbs Garden

Three Simple Strategies for Going Green Around the House :: Managing Electrical & Water Consumption + The Kitchen Garden

In the NeighborHood

Today (April 22nd) is Earth Day, and the theme of this year's Earth Day is A Billion Acts of Green. The basic idea is that if at least a billion of us...

by John Poole

Low Rise Cedar Deck Recently Spring Cleaned image via Ricks Fencing

Tips for Cleaning a Wood Deck :: Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Decking

I hate the words “spring cleaning.” I hate long checklists that remind me of all the things I don’t feel like doing. I hate the hours of dirty, sweaty work required to...

by Dave Nichols

large empty cedar deck weathered image via Ricks Fencing

Can Your Wood Deck Survive Another Harsh Winter? :: How to Winterize a Wood Deck

Make-Maintain-Fix

Unfortunately, when it comes to wood decking, poor maintenance can also pose a safety hazard. Dry rot, weakened ledger connections and failing footings can all contribute to deck collapse. Not to get...

by Dave Nichols

Winter Fence Maintenance :: Nursing Your Wood Fence Through a Cold, Hard Winter

There's a price to pay come spring when the sun reappears and sheds light on all of the deterioration your yard has experienced throughout the winter. This is especially true if you...

by Dave Nichols

Exterior Restoration and Preservation :: Siding, Paint and Windows

Remodeling

We decided almost immediately that we were not going to remove or cover the near original german clapboard siding. (Did replacing it cross our minds? At that time, honestly, no.) We had...

by jb bartkowiak

How to Remodel a Bungalow :: Start Where the Water Is and Then Move to the Air

They always say put the money where the water is. In other words, you as a homeowner often get the most from your remodeling dollar with work on the kitchen and on...

by jb bartkowiak

Happy Mother’s Day, Jen. Let’s Refinish the Mahogany Porch!

Make-Maintain-Fix

We made arrangements to send the girls over to my mom's house this past weekend. For her, my mother, that's the best Mother's Day gift ever (who knew). This was good for...

by jb bartkowiak

The 15 Minute DIY Home Inspection :: A DIY Home Inspection Checklist for REO Properties & Fixer Uppers

Homeownership

With the housing market as it is, some us may have opportunity and/or desire to take a look a foreclosure or a short sale. Unfortunately these kinds of sales are often "as...

by jb bartkowiak