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20Jul

How to Make a Fence Look Better: Dressing Up Your Ugly Fence

A good stain and high-quality, decorative hardware can take a fence from bland or even outright ugly to a stylish complement to your home. When we moved into our house, it was very clear that the old fence had been installed with just one thing in mind: utility. Let’s not mince words: this fence was just plain ugly and aesthetics were obviously not taken into consideration. We purchased the house as a bit of a fixer-upper, so it was basically impossible to convince my wife that we should postpone an interior remodeling project and instead, put the money toward installing a new...

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30Jun

How to Choose a Stain Color for a Fence: Pick a Fence Stain Shade You Won’t Regret

The right stain can make a huge difference in how well your fence or pergola fits with the look of your home and yard. I’ve always been pretty good at building things, but choosing decorative elements has never been my strong point. So, I found myself facing a challenge as I set out to choose the right stain color for my new fence. It was a high-stakes decision because stain is not like paint, which sits on the wood’s surface. Stain literally soaks into the wood, staining it. You basically have only one shot because the alternative—layering stain colors—can result in...

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01Jun

Pergola vs Gazebo: Building a DIY Pergola or Gazebo in Your Yard for Entertaining

Both pergolas and gazebos make great areas for entertaining and relaxing, although DIYers should know that pergolas are a simpler project. It took a bit of searching, but you finally found the perfect house. There’s just one problem: the yard isn’t exactly inviting and you love to entertain! A fabulous backyard is an absolute must-have for your new home, but you have to work with what you have. To spruce it up, you’ve narrowed it down to just two possibilities: pergola vs. gazebo. But choosing isn’t easy and the right choice will vary depending upon your individual preferences.

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25May

How to Easily Install a Fence Post Near or Next to Your House With a Post Hole Digger Tool

A post anchor provides an easy way to install fence posts without leaving piles of dirt or requiring a lot of space. You finally gave in and brought home that puppy your kids have been talking about for months—but now that little ball of fur needs room to run…outside of the house. That backyard fence you’ve been meaning to install is suddenly a priority this summer. The great news is that it’s a fairly straightforward process even for a beginner weekend DIYer, with one exception: that tricky spot where the fence meets the house. Whether you’re installing a backyard fence to contain...

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18May

How to Build a Raised Wooden Planter Box: Easy DIY Flower Bed Ideas

A raised wooden planter box keeps your deck dry and your plants happy, and it isn’t hard to build. Delving into a new DIY project can be exciting, but if you lack experience, you may be left wondering just where to begin. The key to a smooth and successful backyard DIY project is understanding what materials you’ll need to gather before you can tackle the project. It also helps to explore all your options: There are few things worse than finishing a project only to see a photo on Pinterest that leaves you saying, “I wish I’d thought of that!” If your...

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11May

Choosing Decorative Metal Brackets for Wood Beams: Weather Resistant Pergola Hardware Ideas

Decorative metal brackets can take your pergola from plain to stylish. The pergola is the crowning feature of many backyard gardens. It gives your yard presence and a naturally beautiful area to relax and socialize in. On a summer day, it may even be your favorite thing about your home. Recently, while at a regular client’s house doing some deck work, I noticed that the connectors and ties on his pergola were stainless steel. The hardware looked unsightly, standing out like a sore thumb compared to his wood deck accented in black iron. He had been worried about using weak decorative ties...

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10Apr

Selecting the Right Fastener for Your ACQ Pressure Treated Lumber Project

Pressure-treated lumber can be corrosive to metals, so you’ll want to choose specially-designed fasteners. It is starting to warm up outside and you’ve finally decided to get to work on some yard projects, maybe replacing that gate that was damaged last year, or building some raised beds in your garden. But when you’re loading up your lumber you notice the tag “Pressure Treated” or “ACQ”. What exactly does that mean? Pressure-treated lumber undergoes a chemical process that may cause the accelerated corrosion of metals that come in contact with the wood (like screws and other fasteners). Once the fasteners have corroded, replacing...

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04Mar

Choosing Hardware That Won’t Rust for Hurricane-Prone Areas

When you live in a hurricane-prone area, make sure you use hardware that won’t rust such as powder-coated, hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel fasteners for your building projects. You’ve been hunkered down for the last two days while the wind and rain ripped past your house, but it’s time to head outside to view the damage. A few shutters are swinging, part of your fence came down, and your mailbox went AWOL. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed in a weekend, right? Then you find the pergola you worked so hard to build a few years ago. It’s still upright, but...

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