Outdoors

Whether you’re a farmer or just a homeowner who takes pride in their garden, you likely have a reasonable fear of floods. Flooding creates dangerous road conditions, kills plants, and can quickly erode the soil in your garden. So, can plants survive flooding?

People don’t always realize this when they’re bathing, but pools require a lot of electricity to make things work. Pools have to have that current running so that their vacuums work, so that things are heated, and so their pumps work. They tend to put a lot of stress on breakers. Sometimes, it may be too much for older breakers. That’s why you should know what size breaker you need for a typical pool pump.

Snowblowers are starting to become a requirement once more in our country, especially since fall is quickly coming to a close. Unfortunately, during those times of the year where snowblowers don’t see action, you might start to see more wear and tear due to neglect. While it usually isn’t that bad, sometimes it can cause your gas to leak from the primer bulb. So, how can you fix this?

Having live plants around your home can not only be beautiful to look at, but they can help improve your air quality as well. Choosing the right pot for your plant is essential. Something too small can inadvertently cram your plant into a tight living space, which can stunt its growth. But, is there any danger in choosing a pot that is too big for the plant?

Automatic garage doors get rid of an annoying chore that many of us often have to deal with. They have helped streamline the morning routine for so many of us. Garage doors rely on numerous components to work as expected and those include their sensors.

Improving your home can be done in a variety of ways. You can invest in a new room, make some long-overdue repairs, or work on your backyard. Even a minor home addition can make a real difference.

A garage can be a great addition to your home and property for many reasons. To begin with, it can boost the value of your property and home. It also provides protection for your vehicles. That alone pays dividends, such as promoting longer vehicle life or eliminating the need to shovel snow off the car. Garages also create more space and room. Many homeowners who want to build a garage also ask how big of a garage can I build on my property?

A fantastic backyard space can add a lot of positives to your home, providing extra room for relaxing and entertaining. You could set up a dining area, lounge space, or a cozy reading nook with the right furniture. However, choosing patio furniture that lasts is essential to maintaining the backyard of your dreams.

Garage heaters are a lifesaver if you want to protect your vehicle when you live in a cold climate. They can be pricey to install, however, and the average garage heater costs $2,600 to install. Whether it be the type of gas or the size of your garage, let’s take a look at how much it costs to install a garage heater.

There’s something about the taste of food that’s cooked on an open fire, especially when that fire is coming from a barbeque built of bricks. While you could go out and buy a regular barbeque to replicate the taste, why not be unique? How many people have you seen with a brick-style barbeque in their back yard, let alone one with a chimney? What if we told you that we can teach you how to build one?

Lawns can be fickle, and it’s all too easy to overwater or underwater your grass. Grass becomes straw-like when it gets too little water. Overwatering can damage your lawn’s root system, and that’s hard to come back from.

You have had your above-ground pool for several seasons and notice that the flexible pipe provided by the manufacturer is beginning to show its age. To keep your pool and filter operating properly, you consider replumbing your pool with PVC pipe. However, PVC pipe is not the same size as the flexible tubing, and you wonder what PVC pipe you should use for your above-ground pool.

Redbud trees are vibrantly colored trees that can really change the aesthetic of a property. And like any other tree that would get planted in a backyard, there are things to take into consideration. Remember, you want the tree to be protected and healthy, but you also want to keep your home protected as well.

Propane can be a great way to heat a home during the colder months of the year, especially in places where natural gas lines have not been run or are not easily accessible. It can be especially important when an appliance requires a pilot light in order to properly function.

If you’re into barbecuing, then you’re probably familiar with Traeger’s line of pellet grills. Traeger grills are popular for a variety of reasons, and one of the main reasons is that foods get a smokey taste and smell when they’re grilled on a Traeger.

If you’re building or replacing a fence, then you’ll want to choose materials that are built to last! Metal and wood are the two most common options for fence posts. But which is the better choice, and which has the best value?

We’ve all seen a bare patch of land where grass once grew, but now only contains a sad mound of dirt. Terrible, isn’t it? If you’re like many homeowners, you want to avoid that ever being your lawn. Sometimes, though, things happen. Then, you need to take care of that issue ASAP, and that’s where a hidden technique called hydroseeding comes into play.

A swimming pool is one of the most common items in a home owner’s wishlist. Thanks to Intex’s assortment of above ground pools, having a backyard pool is more affordable and convenient. To make the most out of your Intex above ground pool, it needs to be cleaned and maintained.

Undeniably, barbecue smoking is one of the most difficult ways to cook meat. It requires a special level of skill and dedication in order to fully master the task. Though, just like anything, if you put in enough effort, you’ll yield the desired results. Fortunately, modern smokers are designed for both accuracy and convenience. With these models, gone are the days of hovering over the device for hours to check on the meat, give it the occasional spritz of water, monitor the temperature, shovel coal, add wood, make adjustments, and much more.

When you think of plants that cause bad allergic reactions, there is a good chance the first plant you think of is poison ivy. Poison ivy exists in many wooded areas, popping up in late spring, and continuing to grow until the first frost.

The color of your pool water can tell a lot about your pool’s health. That’s why we all naturally gravitate towards pools that have rich blues, crystal clear hues, and maybe a little turquoise in them. One color no one wants to see in a pool is brown. That’s a major ick right there, and it’s enough to have people run in the opposite direction. So, what is brown pool water doing in your pool?

Asphalt is an affordable material that is used for driveways, roads, and parking lots. It is a durable material that requires relatively low maintenance. When it’s time to install a new asphalt driveway for your home, you need to know how much weight the material can hold.

Maintaining a pool is never easy—at least, when it comes to the tedium and actually keeping on top of it. At times, you might even have your tools fail you while you’re trying to work on the upkeep. Keeping things working smoothly can be difficult, especially if you noticed that your pool pump loses pressure after a few minutes of work. What causes this to happen, anyway?

With the dawn of spring comes so many activities we know and love. There is the start of a new gardening season, time spent in nature, and all sorts of backyard enjoyment. One of the most iconic backyard activities is barbecuing. But after a long winter spent outside, the odds are your grill needs some attention. In fact, it is important that you take steps to clean and prepare your grill thoroughly once winter ends.

Although a lawnmower is not likely the most expensive machine you have, it can be relatively costly to repair it. One of the priciest repairs is a broken or bent crankshaft. Unfortunately, it may be better to replace the whole mower instead of fixing it if that does happen.

Every now and then, you’ll need to make repairs on hard-to-reach spots of your home. Among the toughest spots to address is the roof as even getting up there can be a challenge. That’s especially true if you have a sloped roof.

There’s nothing quite like the experience provided by the great outdoors. Whether you’re camping, hiking, or partaking in some other outdoor activity, being up close with nature is just an incredible feeling. Before heading outdoors though, you need to have the right equipment and know-how.

Mosquitoes are attracted to light, and they also love water. A glistening water feature in full sun, like a bird bath, is a mosquito's paradise. It has many of the ideal conditions for these pests to lay their eggs, so a bird bath will quickly attract them.

Greenhouses allow us to continue growing our plants no matter the time of year. We are no longer beholden to the whims of Mother Nature because we can control the conditions for our crops.

Changing the garage door is often a big part of the puzzle if you’re converting your garage to a finished space. One switch you might consider is to replace a garage door with French doors. But is that a viable option?

Poulan Pro is a popular name brand leaf blower, but it is not exempt from having mechanical problems. When it does not start, you notice you have a problem to deal with immediately. Sometimes you may get it started, but the engine will sputter, cough, and die, then that is all for attempts.

The grilling world is extremely competitive, and companies are constantly producing new and revolutionary equipment. Two of the top grill-producing companies in the world are Camp Chef and Blackstone Products. Their top products, the Camp Chef Flat Top Grill and the Blackstone Grill are extremely popular, but which one is better?

A riding lawn mower makes cutting your lawn a breeze because it gets the job done quickly and easily. Getting the most out of your Craftsman Riding Mower is essential, but the blade may leave bare patches if the mower deck is too low. Adjusting the mower deck’s height may take a bit of time, but the result should be worth the effort.

Does your home have lots of tall trees? Or maybe you have tall shrubs or even high-climbing vines that tend to grow out of control. Regardless of exactly what type of hard-to-reach plant life you have in your yard, it is bound to become difficult and even frustrating to maintain your home’s landscaping once you can no longer reach the plants. This is where pole saws and pole pruners come in handy. But what exactly are pole saws and pole pruners, and when is it a good idea to use one over the other?

Your home’s curb appeal begins at your front gate. Whether you’ve recently installed a new fence or are looking to give your current one a much-needed upgrade, it merits well-coordinated hardware. Gate latches are categorized under essential elements of your landscaping that everyone has, but no one seems to talk about.

Millennials are known for their love of avocado toast as well as their love of gardening. It comes as no surprise, then, that many of us are now looking at growing our own avocado trees in hopes of getting a steady influx of avocados for breakfast. Of course, this is only doable in the warmer regions of the United States, and even then, it can take a while for avocado trees to bear fruit.

If you love seeing a little bit of structure in your garden, a pergola is a good way to get it. Pergolas act as a nice way to get a little bit of well-deserved shade in the sunny part of your deck. It also tends to be the best way to give your morning glories a place to climb. Many people leave pergolas plain in wood, but some paint them. Ever wonder which paint colors are best?

After you’ve bought a brand-new hot tub for your backyard space, your next most important decision is to decide where you’re going to put it. Not only must the location be sturdy enough to support the hot tub, but you also want to ensure that it looks appealing and complements your landscaping to create a tranquil, outdoor sanctuary.

Australian music teacher Marion Sinclair wrote a song for her students about black gum trees. Maybe you’ve heard it? “Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, eating all the gumdrops he can see.” The beauty of the gum tree and its animal inhabitants deserves to be remembered in song.

A raised fire pit in the backyard is a beautiful way to create an outdoor space that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional for parties or get-togethers. Putting a  canopy over your fire pit can help protect the flame from the elements, but little is known about whether or not this is a safe practice.

You try and try to keep your yard looking healthy, yet you still seem to have brown patches and a faded look. Don’t worry; the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. You can get the lush lawn you dream about by using fertilizer. But how long before fertilizer turns grass green?

The thought of a garden having to go a week without water is enough to give any gardener anxiety. However, you can’t let your worries about your garden keep you from taking the vacation that you have needed for a while. So, can you go a week without watering your garden?

One way to ensure you pick healthy flowers without hurting the plant you are trimming from is to choose the right time of day. Try to pick flowers in the early morning, but before you water the garden for the day. This is when plants are fully hydrated, and the weather is typically cooler. Plants are strong, healthy, and happy at this time. Therefore, taking a few stems won’t hurt them as much at all.

The most common weeding position is a kneeling position. This is because weeds come out of the ground, so the closer to the ground you are, the easier it is to pull them. What you might not know is that there are several types of kneeling positions, and some are better for your body when weeding than others.

Gunite is a pool material that is pretty notable. It’s a concrete pool wall material that is famous for durability. Sadly, it’s also known for being a bit rough on skin. That’s why some people want to switch from gunite to vinyl pool times. The most obvious way to make the switch would be to add a liner around a gunite pool. But, is that even a potential option?

Every home needs a beautiful deck.  A place to cookout with friends or just sit outside and relax. If you want to build your own deck, you need to do it right. The best way to make a perfect deck is to stagger the deck boards.

Nothing is more aggravating than needing a piece of equipment, and it does not work when you need it. The ending of winter can be colder with more snow than in the beginning. The snowblower is necessary to clear the walkways, and you find after pulling the pull rope, it will not retract.

If you’ve ever experienced a failure of your air conditioning system, then you know how uncomfortable a hot house can be. Plus, when you finally do get your unit up and running again, you still have to wait for things to cool down.

When I first found out that pool filters contained sand, my mind was blown. I immediately made the (wrong) assumption that pool filter sand is the same as the sand found in playgrounds and sandboxes. While the two are fairly similar, the fact is that they are very different. It makes sense, too. Did you ever wonder what the biggest differences are between these two sand types, and why you can’t use play sand in a pool filter?

Automatic garage door openers are convenient. And they can add value to your home as well. But can you put a garage door opener on a roll-up door? Or are you stuck with manual amenities forever?

When leaves overtake the yard, you want your Echo leaf blower to work correctly. Most people use it to blow the leaves instead of raking them. Others use it for blowing off the driveways and carports after cutting the grass.

A greenhouses gives homeowners the chance to nurture plants and let them thrive year-round. The prospect of building a greenhouse is enough to get any green-thumbed homeowner excited. So, how much does it cost to build a greenhouse?

One of the perks of living in a warm climate is it allows you to grow all sorts of exotic and tropical plants. Depending on your exact location, you might be able to grow citrus trees, stunning tropical blossoms, and even banana trees. But even subtropical and hot climates can experience an occasional and unexpected cold snap that can put these plants at risk of dying. So when there is a frost you need to make sure you take steps to protect your tropical plants from freezing.

It is sometimes nothing more than an eyesore, and sometimes it is much more. Regardless of how it is perceived though, that hole in the yard or glaringly uneven area in the lawn is a problem. The simple answer, of course, is to fill the hole or build up the low spot. That is where the real question also arises. Namely, those questions typically sound like what can or should be used to fill that hole in the yard? Can sand, topsoil, fill dirt, or potting soil be used?

There is something of a misconception that all mower attachments are the same. The fact of the matter is that there is a huge array of attachments that can be used with tractors, skid-steers, excavators, and wheel loaders. All of which are designed to work optimally in certain situations.

If you have a fertile outdoor space but don’t seem to have a green thumb, you might think planting anything outside is a lost cause. While it is true that some plants need quite a bit of attention and upkeep, there are also tons of plants that require almost no care at all.

Being a homeowner means you not only have to care for the house’s interior, but you must also give some attention to your curb appeal! Who doesn’t want to come home to a lush, green lawn?

In order for a shed to be secure and protected from the elements, it must have heavy-duty doors. Double doors will protect the contents of your shed and give you options for the size of the opening. Building double shed doors is easy with the right planning and tools.

Mulch is an essential component as far as creating a healthy and beautiful landscape is concerned. But, with numerous types of mulch at your disposal, there’s a lot to consider when choosing one that suits you best. Pine bark and cypress are two of the most popular mulch types, and each has its benefits and drawbacks.

If one thing is for sure, it’s that the weather is never certain. Just because it’s springtime doesn’t mean that you should start watering your yard. Use this as a guide to determine the best time to turn on your sprinkler system.