2020 Update — Originally Published April, 2018 We all knew there was going to be maintenance with owning a swimming pool, but I honestly never considered the non-Summer efforts; it turned out I also needed a reliable, long-lasting submersible pump for the off-season months. To drain excess water. Chemicals, algae, filter, heater, chlorinator, skimmer and […]
Landscaping
Refreshing a Swimming Pool Landscape
2020 Update — Originally Published May, 2011 Last spring, my wife and I came up with a dream landscape and hardscape design to complement our in ground swimming pool – and we partnered with a number of local contractors to help bring that vision to life. It was a huge undertaking. In the end, though […]
Paver Walkway Burrowing Pest
2020 Update — Originally Published September, 2011 A few days back, we noticed a small sliver of stone was missing from our front paver walkway. As I took a closer look, I realized there was a hole underneath where the stone had been – and it looked kind of deep. I didn’t want to reach […]
DIY Outdoor Playhouse Part 3: Lighting, Decor & Monkey Bars
In the initial installments of my DIY wooden playhouse adventure, we covered the first four steps of building a backyard playhouse from scratch. First, imbue yourself with self-confidence. Then imagine, plan, gather your materials, put on your work pants – and start building. At the end of Step 4, we left the playhouse looking as […]
How to Refresh a Stone Landscape Bed
All mulch and stone landscape beds require periodic maintenance, well beyond weekly weeding. Maintaining a stone landscape bed, in my experience, warrants less overall effort than a mulch landscape bed. (And that’s a really good thing because overhauling [or refreshing] a stone landscape bed is a much heavier job!) For me, I’d say I address […]
A Rookie Carpenter’s Five-Step Guide: How to Build a Playhouse – Part 1
When my daughter Ruby went through her first playhouse stage a few years ago when she was five, I did what I always do: I headed over to Amazon to see what there was to see in that department. Normally, Amazon is a magical repository containing exactly what I need at any given time, returning […]
How To Visualize Deck and Landscaping Design Ideas
The creation of a beautiful deck or landscaping design for your home is an imperative first step toward the ultimate realization. It’s crucial to develop designs that reflect your personality, your style and that meet both your short and long-term objectives. Are you considering a landscaping design for a swimming pool area? Do you want to create a backyard […]
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