How to Install Replacement Windows: Overview
About $500 to $600 for a high-performance 36 x 54-inch wood insert replacement window Requires a fair amount of carpentry skills and home-remodeling experience; installation is greatly simplified if window is on ground floor and easily accessible ... [... more]
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7 Rules for Winning Exteriors
Exterior improvements should be in keeping with the scale and proportion of your house and fit in with the neighborhood. So as lovely as a formal colonnade might look on the front of your boxy Colonial Revival, it may seem over the top when ... [... more]
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Go From an Old Deck to New in 4 Steps
Most decks can be rejuvenated for a lot less than the cost of replacement. The damage and the appearance were bad enough for the Johnsons to consider ripping the whole thing up and starting over. Used a pry bar to pull damaged boards. Remove ... [... more]
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Smarter, Faster, Thriftier Composting
As great as composting is, it's hardly fast. The DIY approach to a leaf bin will have you aerating, mixing, and monitoring the yield for up to a year before you can use it. Then it's gone in a scoop. If you're impatient or just don't have the ... [... more]
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Spring Flood Watch
In houses without gutters, a drip line collection system will solve foundation leakage problems. French drains can carry water away from wet parts of your yard. In the spring, melting snow and April showers conspire against your yard, unleashing ... [... more]
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How to Clean Windows Like a Pro
Brent Weingard of Expert Window Cleaners demonstrates pro technique Wash the window Wipe the window Dry the edges of the glass and the windowsill Customize the squeegee Scrub the panes Wipe the windows clean Ideally, windows should be washed ... [... more]
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Hot sauce cleans copper.
Hot sauce cleans copper Olive oil brightens wood White wine removes red wine Vinegar cleans brushes Cornmeal soaks up grease Pantry staples have long been the safest way to tackle minor fixes and cleanups around the house, plus they have the ... [... more]
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Troubleshoot Your Turf
Unless you're a perfect caretaker of your lawn (and, really, who is?), prepare for another round in the turf wars this summer. You'll have to deal with a full frontal assault from the dandelions, of course. And an attack from the crabgrass. But ... [... more]
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Planting in Pots
Clockwise from left: Container garden essentials include a pot with a flared mouth, potting soil, a trowel, slow-release fertilizer beads, a mix of plants, feet to elevate containers and keep from trapping moisture on wooden decks, pruners to ... [... more]
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Fencing Lessons
This white-painted fence features a repeating crisscross pattern that makes us think of a horse farm. It's also relatively easy to build. Not every picket fence is an endless parade of pointy 1x3s. The classic design of this formal picket is ... [... more]
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How to Install a Window: Overview
Cost of window, plus $30 to $50 for other necessary materials To ensure a waterproof, smooth-operating window, you must work methodically and not skip any steps Windows do a lot: help establish a home's visual character, let in light and air, and ... [... more]
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How to Divide Daylilies: Overview
You're working with plants that are already a part of your landscape Use care when making divisions and working with root clusters The daylily is one of the easiest perennials to divide. "Daylilies are bulletproof—they can take a lot of abuse," [... more]
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