Donna Hirsch is about to build a fairy garden at her home in Worth, IL. She needs some creative ideas about how to make a patio. Let her tell you: Hi Tim, This is a much smaller scale than you're used to, but I know you'll know the answer. I want to make a fairy […]
Ken Morris has lots of water puddles on his stamped concrete patio in Phoenix, AZ. He thought of an idea on how to solve it, but I believe I have a much better solution. Here's what he sent to me: "My patio was poorly designed. You can see from the picture I get standing water and […]
Ron wants to pour a concrete patio and wonders about proper support so it won't crack. He's doing this work in cold Fonthill, Ontario Canada. Here's what he told me: "We had our basement (block) waterproofed from the outside one year ago and have sandy soil. The area we are looking to do is 10 x […]
Ronald A. Carleton has trouble with paint peeling on his patio in Port Clinton,Ohio. Perhaps paint is not practical. How's that for alliteration? Here's what Ron wrote to me: "What's the best product to apply to pre-painted cement on a outdoor patio? The pre-painted area in the sun area flakes off while the shaded area stays […]
Debbie Foley has a question about her cedar potting table that's stored outdoors all winter in Pickerington, OH. "I have a cedar potting table that must remain outside over the winter. What should be done to care for it over the winter? Should it be covered and if so what should we use to cover it? […]
Joe Spinelli doesn't like surprises even though he lives in Surprise, AZ. He's also pithy. "Who do I call to find a leak in my waterfall in my yard?" Here's my answer: Joe, I don't know that I'd call anyone just yet. Why not try to find it yourself? I would turn off the pump […]
Quick Column Summary: Keep grill away from house Doublecheck propane connections Call fire department first One of my ham radio friends almost burned his house down in the past two weeks. He had to switch out the four-gallon propane tank under his grill and somehow cross-threaded the hose connector. The leaking gas caught on fire […]
Quick Column Summary: How to clean teak table Pressure washers can cause damage Use an oxygen bleach Seal with synthetic resin DEAR TIM: I purchased a used teak outdoor table from the online classified ad website Craigslist. It was a great deal, but it needs some tender loving care. How do I clean it? Should […]
Not all existing patios are good candidates for turning into a screened-in porch. Factors such as roof lines, existing walls and patio size and shape, can cause issues when converting a patio to a screened-in porch.
Creating a stone walkway with a sand base, may not provide the long lasting results you want. If you use a combination of damp sand and Portland cement as a base for your stone walk, your walkway or patio will look great for years.
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