article

Backyard DIY Projects

By Realty Times Staff via Realty Times

bluehammer

You don't have to pay through the nose to have the best backyard on the block. If you have a few simple DIY skills and know how to use a tape measure and level, you can easily upgrade and update your backyard all on your own.

If you've ever dreamed of a lovely garden path, perennial garden or a privacy fence, but you've hesitated because of cost, now is the time to invest a little sweat equity to create the backyard of your dreams.

Plant a Perennial Garden

Tending perennials may seem daunting to inexperienced gardeners, but in reality, they're some of the easiest flowers to grow. Best of all, plant them once and they return to bloom every year. Perennial gardens make lively backgrounds for your annual plantings. Use them along fences and border porches and decks to add color from early summer to late fall.

To ensure the stability and livelihood of your perennial plants:

  • Keep the roots wet until you put them in the ground
  • Plant them in improved soil
  • Apply regular helpings of water and fertilizer
  • Place a 3-inch layer of mulch around, but not touching, the plants.

Install a Privacy Fence

bluehammer Photo by tristanf via Flickr

If you crave a secluded backyard oasis, consider installing a 6-foot or 8-foot section of privacy fence. Your local home improvement store sells this type of fencing in sections. All you have to do is level the terrain and dig the post holes. Use a quick-setting cement to anchor your fence posts, making sure everything is level and square before moving on to the next section.

With a little tenacity, you can install a privacy fence in one weekend. Done properly, it adds privacy and enjoyment to your backyard and value to your home.

Replace Your Pool Liner

bluehammer Photo by Creative Ignition via Flickr

It sounds like a difficult challenge, but replacing your pool liner is quite simple when you start with the right tools and quality supplies. Visit webpages such as poolproducts.com inground liner to find the materials you, as a DIYer, need to perform simple maintenance on your in-ground pool. Keep the following points in mind as you replace your pool's liner:

  • Replace your liner during warm weather
  • Remove all water and debris from your pool
  • Avoid over-stretching your replacement liner
  • Utilize sandbags to secure the base seal
  • Have a comprehensive understanding of the process before starting.

Hardscape Your Backyard

bluehammer Photo by ARNOLD Masonry and Concrete via Flickr

The addition of pavers, retaining walls, fire pits and patios all add value and comfort to your backyard, but many homeowners don't realize they can easily complete these upgrades without the help of professional landscapers.

Lay decorative pavers on a bed of tamped sand to make an easy patio that stands up to the elements, or layer simple bricks with or without mortar to make attractive and functional retaining walls. A meandering garden path guided by decorative cobblestones can lead to a simple water feature or wooden bench in your garden. Delight your backyard guests and yourself this summer by creating a simple hardscape that complements the design of your home.

Want to estimate your home improvement costs before talking with a contractor? Claim your home for free with bluehammer to estimate costs, secure your home inventory and learn more about your home.

* THIS REPORT IS AN OPINION THAT MAY BE INACCURATE AND IS PROVIDED SOLELY AS AN INFORMATIONAL TOOL NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS. ALL ELEMENTS ARE OFFERED "AS IS" AND BLUEBOOK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND GUARANTEES OF ANY NATURE, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABLITILY, NONINFRINGEMENT, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, ACCURACY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL BLUEBOOK (OR THEIR SUPPLIERS) BE LIABLE FOR ANY GENERAL, DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM USE OF THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING : (1) RELIANCE ON THE MATERIALS PRESENTED, (2) COSTS OF REPLACEMENT GOODS, (3) LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, (4) DELAYS OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTIONS, (5) AND ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF INFORMATION) WHETHER OR NOT BLUEBOOK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Know what you should pay for your home improvement projects with bluehammer.Claim your home. It's free!

Popular


New Tech All Homes Will Have By 2020

New technologies are constantly emerging, rendering others obsolete every day. Many of these technologies eventually enter into our homes after being used in businesses or other capacities throughout the world first. Once they show themselves to be useful, people incorporate them into their everyday lives. Here are some technologies that every home will have by 2020.

10 DIY Peel-And-Stick Tiles To Quickly Take Your Backsplash From Meh To Magnificent

Adding a flashy backsplash is one of the best ways to help transform your kitchen, and, especially, to take the emphasis off of countertops that might need updating or cabinets in need of an overhaul. It could also inspire you to make those other needed changes. But the hassle of working with tile and stone and dealing with messy thinset and grout - or paying someone to do it for you - often wins out over going for it.

The Homeowner's Summer Maintenance Checklist

New season. New tasks. As summer approaches, make sure your home is set with this home maintenance checklist.

Home Foundations And Why Material Matters

The typical single-family home can weigh anywhere from 80,000 to 160,000 pounds. Foundations provide a solid base for a home's weight, help to ensure the house stays level and provides a base for construction to take place. Foundations matter, and so does the material that they're made of. Here's a closer look at both, starting with materials and why they matter.

How To Renew Your Deck In 5 Easy Steps

Summer is here, which means you need to take a hard look at your deck. Given winter's inclement conditions, there's a good chance your deck is in need of some attention. Here are some quick and easy steps for getting it in shape:

Lawn Care For The Fall: Essential Tips to Follow

All summer you've been watering, cutting, trimming and feeding your yard in the hopes of having the greenest plot of land in the neighborhood. So what should you do to get your lawn in shape for the cool breezes of autumn? These six steps will help you get a head start on the colder weather.

7 Simple & Smart Basement Repairs to Consider

No space in your home is more accommodating and homey, or conversely scary, than your basement. A nicely finished basement can be the entertainment centerpiece of your entire home, housing your big-screen TV, the most comfortable couches in the place and a warm, inviting atmosphere that wraps each guest in comfort.

8 Clever Ways To Zone Off Space In An Open Floor Plan

We've fallen for open-plan living in recent years. After all, not many of us have a formal room just for company anymore. And with modern building materials, we don't necessarily need every room to have four walls to keep it at a comfortable temperature. But although an open plan may bring the space, light, flow and garden views we desire, it can also feel problematic to organize into zones - and prove distracting to share. Enter the glass partition. It makes room division simple yet doesn't starve spaces of light or compromise the open feel. Decorative, at half or full height, framed or barely visible, a glass partition can work in every environment. Check out these designs.

8 Ways to Love Your Small Space More

When we run stories on living in homes with petite proportions, you often tell us, "Small? You should see my house!" Because we aim to please, we've rounded up some of the tiniest rooms on Houzz, picking those that pack plenty of ideas and function into a small space. We think that these are indisputably compact. But, more important, do you?

Are Extended Warranties Worth the Cost?

Extended warranties offer consumers longer terms of coverage on service, repair and replacement for their home's appliances than the standard out-of-the-box warranty from the manufacturer. These warranties are highly profitable for retailers, as they can run up the total cost of your purchase by $100 or more, with very few claims being filed per year. Are they actually worth it?

See More Articles