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Thursday, May 3, 2012 by
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Now that warm weather has arrived, you’ll be outside more; your
outdoor space should be an area that you truly enjoy and are proud
to show off to guests. You may not need a complete deck remodel to
achieve that level of perfection. With some smart deck upgrades you
can create an upscale look for less. Start by looking at the deck
railing itself. More than just a safety feature, the railing is one
of the most prominent design elements of any deck, and changing it
is a cost-effective way to make an eye-catching statement.
Remember, your railing doesn’t have to match your current deck
material....
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Tuesday, March 20, 2012 by
If you have decided to sell your home, that last thing you want is
for it to sit on the market for a long time. Taking some home
improvement steps before listing can make your house more
attractive to potential buyers and put you in a better position to
sell quickly. So what do you need to do to ensure that listing your
house floods your real estate agent’s office with showing requests?
1. Spiff up the entranceway Every interested buyer will enter
through your front door. Have you looked at your entranceway with a
critical eye lately? Consider replacing old or sagging screens. If
your front...
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Wednesday, September 28, 2011 by
In a perfect world, no one would ever have to face the challenge of
trying to sell a house when there’s snow on the ground and the
trees are bare. In reality, people have to sell and buy homes
throughout the year. While winter may not be the optimum season to
showcase your landscaping, there is one improvement you can make
that will help you boost your home’s outdoor appeal no matter what
the season: a deck. When potential buyers visit your home in
winter, they might not be able to envision how green and lovely
your backyard will look come spring. But they will be able to see
with their own...
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Tuesday, September 20, 2011 by
Adding a built-in bench to your deck seating area evokes the charm
and convenience of a window seat while providing additional seating
for family gatherings and entertaining. You can enhance the cozy
atmosphere of your outdoor family room with the addition of a fire
pit. If adding to a deck, define the space for your chiminea or
fire pit and protect your deck by using Latitudes Deck Stones.
Available in 16-inch square Smoke slate or Riverstone granite
tiles, the deck stones interlock, self-drain, require no mortar and
can easily be installed on new or existing conventional wood-framed
decks....
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011 by
Typically, you’re going to build your treated lumber deck, tropical
hardwood deck or composite lumber deck wherever your pool is. But
how will you connect that pool deck to the house? Your objective is
to provide swimmers with easy access to the pool, without losing
the appropriate scale for your backyard space. Choose a pool that
works for your area. The size and style of your pool and pool deck
will help shape your pool entertainment area. Adding a combination
of functional add-ons like Deckorators low voltage deck lights and
solar-lit post caps, privacy lattice, stepping stones...
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Thursday, June 16, 2011 by
Top outdoor living trends for 2011 A survey by the American Society
of Landscape Architects finds that light and fire are now the most
sought-after enhancements for an outdoor living area. Fencing,
arbors, and pergolas are the most popular structures, with decks
(synthetic decking, lumber decking among others) ranking near the
middle. Homeowners want function, efficiency and fire pits in their
outdoor space, according to the 2011 American Society of Landscape
Architects (ASLA) Residential Trends Survey. The survey asked
residential landscape architecture professionals to rate the
expected...
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011 by
When it comes to landscaping, customers want more than wood chips
and plastic edging. Products from Outdoor Essentials transform
ordinary lawns and gardens into appealing outdoor environments that
homeowners love. Show them plenty of options, including
Tiffany-style stepping stones and our newest offering—Square
Tilestone jade stepping stone.Call in the songbirds with bird baths
of serpentine jade. Dress up deck posts with elegant caps, also
available in solar-powered versions to provide lighting after dark.
Planter post caps provide a place for foliage atop any deck post.
Outdoor Essentials...
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Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by
If you want to preserve and build a tree into a pressure treated
lumber deck or composite lumber deck, then be sure to incorporate
the tree into your deck design or deck plans.Begin construction
near the tree by running a beam in front and behind the tree
between two double wood joists running perpendicular to the house
surrounding the tree. The joists should then be fastened on both
sides of the tree with their load being relocated around the tree.
Install diagonal supports at the corners between the joists and the
tree to allow for a round opening.For an added touch, consider
installing...
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Thursday, April 15, 2010 by
As the economy starts to come back around, many remodelers and deck
builders expect to see a significant up-tick in requests from
homeowners who want a new deck or want to update an existing deck
to an expansive outdoor living area. Architects, landscape
designers and building professionals are among those who typically
stay up-to-date with the hottest deck trends.Expansive,
multi-feature decksmulti-level decks that allow homeowners to add
separate areas for entertainingincorporating unique deck patterns,
deck insets, benches, built-in planter boxes and grill kick outs to
make an outdoor...
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Thursday, March 4, 2010 by
When you want to create a unique look for your outdoor living
space, consider tropical hardwood decking from Aljoma Lumber; it's
a sure-fire way to catch some attention. Tropical
hardwoods come in a multitude of species. Aljoma markets one
of their tropical species as Abaco decking. Abaco shares some of
the same features and characteristics as other popular hardwood
choices like Ipe and Cumaru (see Abaco / Ipe comparison). Ipe and
Cumaru, two durable and long lasting tropical hardwoods, help
create an exotic look for your deck and outdoor living area.IpeIpe
is a strong, super-durable hardwood...
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Thursday, October 1, 2009 by
With the real estate market slowly rebounding from its plunge and
credit still tight, housing figures show that more homeowners are
staying put. But that doesn’t mean they’re sitting idly by. People
are investing in affordable home upgrades that not only make an
immediate impact, but make their property more attractive should
they decide to put it on the market later. Today, when it comes to
upgrades for your home, it’s all about bang for the buck.
Homeowners are looking for the best return on investment as well as
simple, inexpensive ways to make dramatic improvements to their
homes. Outdoor...
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