Outdoors

You can leave your patio furniture outside in the winter, but some of it may suffer damage. For example, some metals, like steel and iron, often cannot withstand the elements during the winter. Both metals can rust and may look bad when spring comes around.

Nowadays, outdoor furniture and cushions are a staple since many people love to entertain outside. Of course, rain is a natural occurrence, and many leave cushions outside year-round. They don’t think twice about them when it rains, but can outdoor cushions get wet?

A swimming pool can be a terrific investment due to the value it adds and just how useful it is. If you have a swimming pool at home, you can use it for exercising or cooling down during the summer. Unfortunately, there’s also a chance that your swimming pool may largely go unused.

Not only is composting great for the environment, it’s also a rewarding process. Nothing feels better than reducing your carbon footprint at home. However, it can be alarming and discouraging when your compost pile smells foul. So, why does my compost smell like sewage?

Lawnmowers are a necessary investment for a homeowner or lawn care professional. They can save you a fortune compared to hiring a service, but mowers themselves are quite expensive. So, what are the most expensive lawnmowers?

A Weed Eater can be an effective tool in the battle against overgrowth in your yard. Weed Eater makes an effective line of lawncare tools that can help you keep your yard looking the way that you want it to all year round.

As someone who has sensory and tactile issues, I can tell you that rugs are my friend. I love the feeling of rugs, even if I don’t like cleaning them. That’s why I smile when I see an outdoor rug on a wood deck. It’s barefoot time! Nice as rugs are, it’s normal to get a bit worried about your deck’s health. Can outdoor rugs damage a wood deck long-term?

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.

The deck is supposed to be a hugely positive addition to your home. It becomes harder to say that when the deck boards you used are looking worn down or are just plain broken.

Craftsman leaf blowers are great during the fall season, especially if you live in a very foresty area. If you have a Craftsman gas blower, you can expect it to be reliable. That’s why people tend to be pretty shocked when their blower suddenly won’t start. Worried that you will need to replace it? Don’t be. There are quite a few simple fixes for this surprisingly common problem.

If you’re looking to enhance the aesthetic of your lawn or improve the soil quality in your garden, rakes are your best friend. Whether you’ve been taking care of a garden for many years or it’s your first time, a rake is one piece of lawn equipment that is absolutely essential. Rakes are essential large forks with multiple tines. Most people assume that they are used for collecting leaves, while that is true that’s the only one type of rake.

Your riding mower needs to have its blades maintained to keep them working well. When your riding lawn mower’s blade wear out, you can easily change them by lifting the lawn mower up, removing the mounting nut and installing new blades. 

One thing no one ever tells you is that mowing the lawn has a learning curve. It’s not only learning about how to add fuel to your mower or how to turn. It’s also a matter of learning how to adjust your deck wheels and how to tell if you’re mowing properly.

One visual red flag that your soil’s pH is off is abnormal colors in your plant’s leaves. Leaves can change colors dramatically when the soil pH is off, often becoming red or purple. You may also notice yellow veins in the leaves.

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.

One of the best places to find cheap or free materials is by searching online marketplaces. Places like Facebook and Craigslist are wonderful resources for those looking for dirt-cheap or even free garden containers.

It is important that your garage is as reliable as the rest of your home. Not only do many people use their garages multiple times a day, but it often houses some of your most valuable possessions. Therefore, it is essential your garage is built strong, with walls that can stand the test of time. But when it comes to your garage walls, you may wonder how thick they measure.

A functional garage is essential for many homeowners. Whether it is used to store essentials, or it is meant to keep a car protected from various forms of climate weather, the garage is irreplaceable. So it is understandable you want to keep your garage in top shape, which might include some necessary improvements from time to time.

Modular homes, also known as prefabricated homes, or homes that are built off-site, are quite popular because of how cost-effective and simple they are. Their simplicity and affordability is a huge selling point of modular homes, but many wonder if they will depreciate in value.

Troy-Bilt mowers are excellent machines. There are times when you may have to do a bit of maintenance, though. Changing the spark plug, air filter, oil, and gasoline are essential to the running of your Troy-Bilt. However, you also need to know how to adjust your belt on the mower.

Nothing is more frustrating than starting a piece of lawn equipment and finding it won’t work. Frustration can be a minor factor if the problem is expensive equipment like garden tractors. One issue that constantly comes up is a Craftsman lawn tractor that won’t go forward or reverse.

Knowing how to locate your septic tank is essential for maintaining and taking care of your septic system. It’s also crucial that you know where your field lines just in case you need to dig for any of your projects. But how exactly do you locate your field lines?

Depending on how exposed your deck is to the elements, you’ll most likely find yourself staining it at least every two to three years. From snowy winters to hot summers to the probable stormy days in between, your deck can take a pretty serious beating throughout the year. Eventually, that adds up.

In the colder months of the year, it can be difficult and uncomfortable to work in your garage or workshop without a heat source. The frigid conditions can make it difficult to get things done when all you can think about is how cold it is.

Are you planning on building or resurfacing a deck but are unsure about what deck board dimensions will work best for your project? More specifically, are you unsure whether to go with 2×6 or 5/4 decking?

Outdoor garden kitchens are increasingly popular, especially in areas with great weather year-round. After all, who wouldn’t want to cook some great meals surrounded by their favorite plants? However, you’re not alone if you are curious about how to maintain a garden kitchen.

Imagine the following scenario:  you are known for conserving water, and for as long as you lived in town, your water bills were $30 or so. Recently, a new family moved in. They have a pool, sprinklers, and everything else watery under the sun. The next month, you notice that your water bill shot up to $900. You look at your neighbors, who don’t make eye contact with you anymore. Could it be them?

Nobody wants to taint their backyard wedding with dull, dead grass. You can avoid this problem altogether if you enrich your lawn to ensure the grass is as green as possible. Carefully walk around your backyard, check for patchy spots, and fill them in with grass seeds.

Genovese basil is the most commonly grown variety of basil, especially in North America. It is a staple in Italian cooking, and it has a slightly sweet, and very fragrant classic basil flavor. It is known for its signature shiny leaves and typically grows up to 24 inches in height.

When it comes to filler flowers, the one that everyone knows is baby’s breath. This pillow-like white clustering flower plant is found in all sorts of bouquets. You can even fill a vase with just baby’s breath for a cloud-like and elegant look. Baby’s breath is cheap to buy, but even cheaper to grow.

You can boost the value of your property if you give the woods behind your house a makeover. Not only will it make the woods behind your house look better, but it can open the door to new opportunities. It only takes a few simple steps, such as:

We all cut our grass in different ways. Some of us can get by with a traditional push mower while others use a riding lawn tractor. Whatever the case, there is a common problem that most of us have experienced before: a stuck rear wheel.

Your patio often serves as an extension of your living space, whether as an area to dine, relax, or entertain. How you arrange patio furniture influences the space’s function and overall aesthetic appeal. A thoughtful design can elevate your backyard retreat, whether you have a spacious outdoor area or a small, unassuming pad.

Before you learn how to help keep your flower bouquet alive longer, it’s good to know how long a bouquet lasts on average. Generally, a bouquet of fresh flowers will last five to seven days in any type of vase at home. Hearty tropical flowers tend to last a bit longer, around seven to 10 days.

While mushrooms are not necessarily bad, they can be a bit of an eyesore in your garden. If you have pets or young children, it’s good to get rid of mushrooms. Curious animals and kids might eat them, and that could lead to problems. 

Outdoor lights can make your home’s exterior look incredible. They’re also popular for holidays and great for summertime gatherings. But can outdoor lights get wet? And if not, how do you protect exterior lighting from the weather?

Grilling is an all-American pastime, especially in the heartland part of the country. That’s an area where propane is rife, and so is Midwestern ingenuity. Sometimes, you occasionally hear of people debating whether you can use forklift propane for a tank on a grill. Is this doable?

Sheds have become backyard staples for a variety of reasons. In the shed you can store gardening tools and equipment, like trowels, shears, hoes, spades, shovels, and a lawnmower. In the shed is also where bags of mulch and other items not suitable for indoor storage can be put, like gas, pesticides, and herbicides.

Typically, when talking about riding lawnmowers, the most common elements to discuss are its horsepower, cutting capabilities, and turning radius. However, one other critical component is its weights. Chances are that you haven’t thought much about your mower’s weight (unless you had to transport it somewhere), but it matters.

Did you hit a rock, a stump, a root, or maybe even a metal pipe while mowing your lawn? If the answer is yes, then chances are that your lawnmower starts vibrating violently and you have no idea how to fix it.

Lawn care is often more complicated than many people realize. There are many invasive plants that look similar to desirable plants that you’d actually want in your lawn. For instance, St. Augustine grass and crabgrass look almost the same, but they are two very different plants.

A greenhouse lets homeowners expand their gardening capabilities and extend their growing season. However, a greenhouse can also attract many pests looking for shelter and food sources, including snakes. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to keep snakes out of your greenhouse.

A garage door that won’t close can cause frustration as well as leave your home vulnerable. The garage door sensors protect your family and your possessions in your garage and home. If you’re struggling with your garage door, first examine the sensors. 

you want to make your lawnmower even more versatile and hard-working, mounting a ball hitch can be a great idea. However, before you begin, you need to know how to install it.

Fences serve as functional decorations for our yards. They offer privacy, protection, and also add a new dimension to your home. There are so many reasons why installing fencing is a good move.

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 big part of the joy of composting is that you get to see your progress week after week. Unfortunately, this becomes much less rewarding during the winter, when organic matter decomposes more slowly. However, you can avoid many common winter composting pitfalls if you keep a few simple tips in mind.

Outdoor cooking is a favorite pastime for many of us. This is especially true if you like to spend outdoor time with your RV or tent. There are many options for outdoor cooking. Two of the most popular are Weber grills and Blackstone griddles. How do these two stack up against each other?

It can be quite difficult to remove skunk odor from outdoor furniture, especially if it’s upholstered. It can be an unpleasant process, but you can clean outdoor furniture that’s been sprayed by a skunk with some household items. All it takes is some dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar.

A patio umbrella has two main jobs: Protecting you from the heat of the sun and keeping the wetness of the rain away. A damaged umbrella can still provide plenty of shade, but it might start leaking when it rains. If you notice that you are getting wet under your umbrella, it might be time to swap it out for a new one.

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?

With grocery prices constantly rising and showing no signs of decreasing in the foreseeable future, it’s time for consumers to get more savvy. You might not be able to lower the prices where you shop, but there are still ways you can reduce your grocery bill. One great method to decrease your grocery spending is to grow more fruits and vegetables at home. When growing produce, the big question is, which plants should you grow to save the most money on your grocery bill?

Summers are getting warmer, and heat waves are more common in many regions around the world. While many plants can handle normal summer heat, the extreme temperatures that accompany a heat wave can stress, burn, and kill even your most resilient plants. If there’s a stretch of hot weather heading your way, you’ll want to know all the ways you can protect your plants from the heat.

Mini split heating and cooling systems are used in a lot of modern homes these days, and these systems are great for homeowners who want to control the temperature of each room. But can a mini split condenser be put in a garage? Such is the question this article answers.

Ticks are easily the scariest arachnids besides spiders, and they can be quite harmful to humans and animals alike. The sight of a tick on your body is enough to make you think twice about going outside during spring and summer. Most homeowners would do anything to keep ticks off their property. So, does mowing the lawn kill ticks?

Ticks are attracted to debris, dense grass, trees, heat, and moisture. Yards with tall trees and grass are most likely to have ticks, even if you can’t see them. The Midwest and West Coast parts of the country are especially prone to tick problems.

The sight of weeds is enough to ruin the perfect picture of your beautiful yard and garden. By summer, weeds are in full force, so it’s important to treat the root (literally) of the problem throughout the spring. Many homeowners understandably struggle with how to prevent weeds in the spring.

Flooding is likely to affect different parts of your yard in varying ways based on the elevation (or lack thereof) of the yard. If you live on a slope, then you will likely experience a lot of runoff. This can cause a loss of soil and nutrients, but it won’t cause the waterlogging you would experience if you live in a low-lying area or a flood zone.

Choosing the right paver or natural stone for your hardscaping project depends on a number of factors. Whether you’re a homeowner or a contractor, you must consider personal taste and available options to create a space that is both visually pleasing and functional. Flagstone and pavers have long been among the most popular choices when it comes to walkways, driveways, patios, and the like.

Moving dirt can be a big project. Most people will not have the tools, or equipment, needed for moving a large amount of dirt. There are a few options for getting the job done, some cheap, some not so cheap. It depends on how much dirt, and how far you need to move the dirt.