Wood, synthetic (including both composite and cellular PVC), and aluminum are popular materials among endless decking options. Understanding the difficulties associated with installation, costs (which will vary depending on your region and product availability), aesthetic options, durability, and maintenance requirements will ensure that your new or remodeled deck exceeds your needs.

We typically install flooring in our bathrooms that is best suited for wet areas, like ceramic tile, natural stone, or resilient (linoleum or vinyl) flooring. While these types of materials are durable and hold up better against water than a wood floor might, they are still susceptible to moisture damage. Performing routine, preventative, and material specific maintenance will keep your bathroom floor looking new for years to come.

Chasing water leaks means working backwards. Instead of using the best materials to put a project together, you must break apart a masterpiece to find a flaw. Without x-ray vision and a clear way to proceed, the job could be a real headache. A good approach to chasing water is to form a checklist of possibilities and eliminate each one until the mystery is solved. Understanding how water behaves will make working through the clues faster and more efficient.

The chief zoning official for the City of Columbus, Ohio, says that many homeowners and business managers who don't routinely renovate or build often don't find out about laws that effect them until they have already spent thousands—or even tens of thousands—of dollars on their projects. That's why, he says, despite the size of your renovation or construction project, your first step should be researching the zoning and building rules governing your particular land plot. Local zoning laws state how plots of land within your municipality, neighborhood, and street may be used and developed and the types of improvements that may be made.

Similar to any other product installed in your home, an automatic sprinkler system needs to be properly maintained. An automatic sprinkler system that is not properly maintained will waste water and be a detriment to the upkeep of your lawn and landscaping. Protecting your investments with regularly scheduled maintenance will ensure your automatic sprinkler system operates efficiently throughout the year.

If you know how to take care of it, your lawn and garden can give you years of enjoyment for surprisingly little effort.

When it comes to watering your yard, you may be able to save yourself some “green” without your lawn turning brown -- by using an automatic irrigation system. If that system is correctly designed, installed and maintained, it can keep your landscape looking lush on the least amount of water.

Architect Sarah Nettleton’s keynote speech, presented at Inside Out: Transforming the Built Environment, posed the question, "How do you want to be in your building?" Answering this question can help us develop a more focused and deliberate approach to building. The process of considering how we experience our built environment not only informs us as to what to include in a design, but shows us how to eliminate the extraneous features which contemporary buildings -- especially houses -- have taken on. In 2007, Nettleton authored the book The Simple Home: The Luxury of Enough, published by The Taunton Press, which examines 21 different homes located throughout the country and explores the topic of building simply.

Okay, the planning's done, you've bought all the parts, now you're in the yard, shovel in hand, ready to start. In this helpful video, we'll show you the steps to a perfect sprinkler system installation, including trenching, connecting the water source, installing shut-off valves, working with PVC pipe, building a valve manifold, connecting wires, installing sprinklers and flushing your system.

Water is essential to grass. Healthy grass is composed of 75 - 85% water, and water assists with seed germination, maintaining plant temperature, and tissue development, along with food and nutrient processes. Without water, grass is susceptible to disease, will brown and wilt and, although very resilient, may die. Healthy, lush, green grass is achieved from thorough, regular watering, which develops deep, drought-resistant roots. The amount of water, frequency, and method of watering depends on where you live, what type of grass you grow, and how you approach completing the task. Common methods include manual watering and automatic sprinkler systems.

Spring cleaning is just around the corner, only to be followed by spring decorating! Five interior designers give us tips on how to give our space a fresh spring look without breaking the bank.

According to the Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components, which was prepared in 2007 by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the average life expectancy of a whirlpool tub is 20-50 years (number based on the fixture itself, not the circulation system). The life expectancy of the circulation system (the pump, fittings, and piping) will vary depending on the amount of use. A whirlpool tub should be maintained like any other bathtub or shower, with one exception: what you don't see. A whirlpool tub's circulation system isn't readily visible, providing a perfect environment for the growth of bacteria.

The sun is shining, the grass is growing, and we're ready to go outside and invest a few weekend hours in making our lawns more beautiful. However, conventional wisdom about spring lawn care may not tell the whole story. In fact, the pervasive notion that spring is the ideal season to begin lawn maintenance may have more to do with our own mood than it does with the growing cycle. So, what practical steps can we take right now, while we’re feeling inspired, to improve our lawn’s appearance?