KnowRemodeling

Browse by category

Exterior Remodeling

Discover expert guides on exterior remodeling, roofing, siding, decks, outdoor living, landscaping, and pools to plan, frame, seal, and build exteriors

Small room addition under construction with concrete stem wall, framed floor deck, and partially framed wall tied into a house
ExteriorRoom Additions & Framing13 min read

Plan a Room Addition From Footings to Framing

A step-by-step guide to planning a room addition: setbacks and permits, footing depth, tying into the existing house, and which phases a DIYer can own.
Leaves being scooped from an aluminum gutter at the eave of a craftsman house on a bright fall morning
ExteriorGutter Systems & Guards7 min read

The One-Morning Gutter Tune-Up That Prevents Basement Water

A seasonal gutter maintenance routine: safe ladder work, clearing and flushing, resealing end caps and seams, correcting pitch, and extending downspouts.
A textured roller applying light sand-colored acrylic coating to a clean concrete pool deck beside blue water
ExteriorPools & Pool Decks10 min read

Resurface a Concrete Pool Deck With Cool-Deck Coating

A step-by-step guide to renewing a worn concrete pool deck: pressure washing, crack repair, acrylic cool-deck coating, and a barefoot-friendly texture.
Interior of a backyard shed mid-conversion with fresh insulation between studs and a desk on the plywood floor
ExteriorADUs & Backyard Cottages12 min read

Convert a Backyard Shed Into a Year-Round Office

A step-by-step guide to turning a storage shed into a backyard office: insulation, air sealing, power options, mini-split heating and cooling, and permits.
A small backyard cottage under construction with framing and sheathing beside a fenced suburban yard
ExteriorADUs & Backyard Cottages12 min read

ADU Reality Check: Zoning, Utilities, and Budget Before the Floor Plan

A practical guide to vetting a backyard ADU before you spend on design: zoning and setbacks, sewer and electrical capacity, and honest costs.
Hands adjusting a pop-up sprinkler head with a screwdriver in bright morning light on a green lawn
ExteriorIrrigation & Lawn Care8 min read

Tune Up Your Sprinkler System and Stop Watering the Sidewalk

A step-by-step guide to a spring sprinkler tune-up: zone audit, head adjustment, matched nozzles, the catch-cup test, and setting seasonal percent.
A curved paver walkway through a green front yard, rubber mallet and level resting on freshly laid stones
ExteriorDriveways & Walkways13 min read

Lay a Paver Walkway That Won’t Heave, Wander, or Grow Weeds

Build a paver walkway from the ground up: excavation depth, compacted base lifts, screeded bedding sand, edge restraints, and polymeric sand joints.
Hands connecting black drip tubing to a hose bib fitted with backflow preventer, filter, and pressure regulator beside tomato plants
ExteriorIrrigation & Lawn Care9 min read

Install Drip Irrigation Off a Hose Bib in One Afternoon

A step-by-step guide to building a hose-bib drip system: backflow preventer, filter, pressure regulator, mainline layout, emitter sizing, and a timer.
Newly planted foundation bed with small shrubs spaced widely in dark mulch along tan lap siding, tape measure between plants
ExteriorGardens & Planting Beds9 min read

Design Foundation Planting Beds That Never Outgrow the House

A step-by-step guide to laying out foundation beds with mature-size spacing, a dry drip-edge strip against the wall, and the right mulch depth.
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.