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Exterior Remodeling

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

Cedar lap siding half coated in warm semi-transparent stain and half weathered gray, brush applying stain from a ladder
ExteriorWood & Composite Siding10 min read

Stain Wood Siding Before It Grays and Starts to Split

A step-by-step guide to washing, brightening, and staining cedar or pine lap siding, plus how to choose between semi-transparent and solid stain.
Gloved hands sliding a primed replacement clapboard into a gap in weathered wood lap siding beside repair tools
ExteriorWood & Composite Siding9 min read

Replace Damaged Lap Siding Boards So the Patch Disappears

A step-by-step guide to swapping rotted lap siding boards: zip-cutting hidden nails, freeing the course above, priming all six sides, and matching nail lines.
Gloved hands pressing fresh gray mortar into raked joints of a red brick wall with a pointing trowel and hawk
ExteriorStucco & Brick Veneer10 min read

Repoint Crumbling Mortar Joints Before Water Gets Behind Them

A step-by-step guide to repointing brick: raking joints to full depth, matching mortar strength and color, packing in layers, and striking the finish.
A roller spreading glossy gray epoxy across a clean garage slab, decorative color flakes scattered on the wet coating
ExteriorDetached Garages & Carports12 min read

Epoxy-Coat a Garage Floor That Won’t Peel Under Tires

A step-by-step guide to a garage epoxy coating that lasts: moisture testing, etching or grinding, oil-spot prep, flake broadcast, and a urethane topcoat.
A steel trowel pressing fresh gray stucco scratch coat onto wire lath in a patch on a cream wall
ExteriorStucco & Brick Veneer10 min read

Patch Cracked Stucco in Three Coats and Match the Texture

A step-by-step guide to repairing damaged stucco: cutting back loose material, new lath and paper, scratch and brown coats, and matching the finish texture.
Gloved hands spraying lubricant onto a garage door roller bracket beside the track, stepladder standing in the bay
ExteriorGarage Doors8 min read

Tune Up a Noisy Garage Door Without Touching the Springs

A step-by-step guide to quieting a garage door: tightening hardware, lubricating rollers and hinges, testing balance and safety reverse — springs strictly off-limits.
A reflective aluminum tubular skylight tube running from a flashed roof opening down between attic rafters
ExteriorSkylights9 min read

Install a Tubular Skylight in a Single Afternoon

A step-by-step guide to installing a tubular daylighting device: finding a clear rafter bay, cutting the roof and ceiling, flashing the dome, and assembling the reflective tube.
Gloved hands unlocking a course of beige vinyl siding with a zip tool, replacement panel and hammer leaning nearby
ExteriorVinyl & Fiber Cement Siding8 min read

Fix Cracked or Blown-Off Vinyl Siding With a $6 Zip Tool

A step-by-step guide to replacing a damaged vinyl siding panel: unlocking courses with a zip tool, nailing loose for movement, and matching faded color.
Curb-mounted skylight on an asphalt shingle roof with step flashing woven into shingle courses and tools resting nearby
ExteriorSkylights12 min read

Install a Curb-Mounted Skylight With a Flashing Kit

A step-by-step guide to cutting in a curb-mounted skylight on an asphalt roof: rafter layout, building the curb, step flashing, and finishing the shaft.
A compacted gravel pad framed with timber sitting level in a backyard corner, tamper and level resting on it
ExteriorHot Tubs & Spas9 min read

Prep a Hot Tub Pad That Can Carry Three Tons

A step-by-step guide to building a hot tub base: doing the weight math, gravel versus concrete, leveling, and where the GFCI disconnect must go.