Outdoor Living

Transform your backyard with expert guides on deck building, patio hardscaping, outdoor kitchens, and porches to build your ideal outdoor living space

A cedar pergola frame going up over a concrete patio, beams clamped in place beside a blue stepladder and drill

ExteriorPergolas & Gazebos12 min read

Build a Pergola Over Your Patio That Stands Plumb for Decades

A step-by-step guide to building a patio pergola: post anchors on concrete, doubled beams, rafter spacing for shade, and bracing that keeps it square.

Backyard deck half restained in rich warm brown and half weathered gray, with a stain pad and open can of stain

ExteriorDecks & Porches10 min read

How to Clean and Restain a Weathered Deck

Bring gray, weathered deck boards back to life: cleaning, brightening, drying, and staining in the right sequence, with product and weather guidance.

Clear vinyl window panel being fitted into a screened porch opening with cedar framing and ceiling fan

ExteriorScreened Porches & Sunrooms10 min read

Turn a Screened Porch Into a Three-Season Room

A step-by-step guide to converting a screened porch into a three-season room with window panel inserts, a ceiling fan, and safe supplemental heat.

Charcoal screen mesh being rolled into an aluminum spline channel on a covered wood porch at golden hour

ExteriorScreened Porches & Sunrooms10 min read

Screen In a Covered Porch for Bug-Free Summer Evenings

A step-by-step guide to screening an existing covered porch: track-and-spline systems, dividing the bays, framing, hanging the door, and keeping egress and railings legal.

A cedar rolling prep cart with a stainless steel top, a cooler on the lower shelf, and a bottle opener, beside a gas grill

ExteriorOutdoor Kitchens & Fire Features9 min read

Build a Rolling Outdoor Prep Station for the Grill

A step-by-step guide to building a rolling cedar outdoor prep cart with a weatherproof top, locking casters, a cooler shelf, and the small details cooks love.

Concrete block grill island under construction in a backyard, with a level and adhesive on the stone countertop

ExteriorOutdoor Kitchens & Fire Features11 min read

Build a Grill Island from Concrete Blocks and a Stone Top

A step-by-step guide to building a backyard grill island: block base, vent panels, clearances, and a stone or paver top a slide-in grill drops into.

A stone fire pit with glowing evening fire on a circular gravel patio, Adirondack chairs arranged around it

ExteriorPatios & Hardscaping12 min read

Build a Fire Pit Patio in a Weekend

Build a circular gravel patio with a stacked-block fire pit: siting for safety and codes, excavation, compacted base, ring assembly, and first-burn rules.