Deck, Patio & Porch

With just a little prep work and a good waterproofing stain, you can easily restore the beauty of your wood deck—perhaps even this weekend.

Try these low-cost, high-impact improvements to make your home look more tidy, beautiful, and welcoming. While some exterior home improvements can be pricey, lengthy projects, there are plenty of wow-worthy upgrades you can DIY without breaking the bank. Whether you hope to catch the eye of potential buyers, impress passersby with your style, or simply want to spruce things up for your own satisfaction, the easy, inexpensive ideas here should do the trick in no time!

Nothing encourages outdoor enjoyment quite as much as a patio does. If you’ve been coveting the idea of a sturdy, inviting paver patio for years, take heart: Even a relatively inexperienced do-it-yourselfer can achieve professional-level results. Here’s how.

Reduce air conditioning costs, and beautify your home exterior in the bargain, by adding fixed, retractable, or portable awnings to your windows.

When spring is in the air and the weather starts to heat up, so does your outdoor entertaining. But after a long winter, your outdoor furniture might be looking shabby, particularly under the bright, unforgiving glare of the sun. Before you hop on the Internet to order new furniture, see if there’s something you can do to revive that patio set, picnic table, garden glider, or favorite pair of lawn chairs. If your furniture is actually falling apart, it may be time to retire it. If it’s structurally sound, however, no matter what it’s made of, there’s probably a way to freshen it up. For example, spray paint is a panacea for wood, wicker, and metal. Most pieces can also be revived with a thorough washing, scrubbing, and sanding. If the finish is beyond saving, or if you’re just sick and tired of it, you can recover it—by slipcovering or reupholstering. Or maybe all you need are the right accessories—a few throws and pillows—to bring your furniture back to life. Take a look at these smart ways to bring your old garden furniture to new glory.

Although power washing may seem like a simple task, it comes with greater risk than you might expect. Consider hiring a professional before you begin this project on your own.

Before you set off to build the deck of your dreams, start by finding the material best suited to your aesthetics and budget.

Few do-it-yourself weekend projects deliver the beauty, utility, and overall satisfaction that building a brick patio does.

And now is an ideal time to add one to your property.

If you’re lucky enough to have a front porch, you may think of it mostly as a repository of muddy shoes, cobwebs, and chipped paint—a far cry from the relaxing retreat, complete with a porch swing and pitcher of lemonade, that you had imagined it would be. Luckily, there are ways to give your outdoor space a much-needed spruce up without overspending. These 6 easy steps are all you need to get started on a better, brighter—and cleaner!—front porch. (Lemonade not included.)