2020 Update — Originally Published August 2014 This has been driving me crazy for a few years now, as I’ve really been trying to cultivate the most beautiful lawn possible. You can call it pride, or maybe you’ll want to say it’s a “guy thing,” but when I come home from work at the end of […]
Maintenance
How to use a Submersible Pump to Remove Excess Pool Water
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 […]
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 […]
7 Tips for Maintaining a Redwood Swing Set
2020 Update — Originally Published April 19, 2011 It’s 1999. My wife and I just moved into our new home with our 3-year-old daughter and infant son – and we pretty much plan to stay here forever. So naturally, we want to do everything right. And setting the kids up with a killer play area […]
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 […]
Scratch Repair for Wood Chairs & Rails: 10-Minute Fix
My house has been called “lived-in.” And what that phrase seems to really mean is that we’re always breaking stuff. The kids, the dog, the ferret — but probably the biggest breaker-of-things? That would be me. (And my wife will surely attest to this!) Certain pieces of furniture tend to take a beating far more […]
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