House Renovation Tips

You can set fence posts directly in the ground or in a concrete collar for added strength. Either way, you should use rot-resistant wood and set the post on a bed of gravel, to aid drainage and to keep the end grain from soaking up excess moisture.
Posts for gates, fence corners or decks, and posts [...]

Replacing a rotted fence post is complicated because the rails attached to it can be difficult to remove and re-attach. Here’s a quick but sturdy fix that supports a rotting post without disturbing it: Drive a 3- to 4-foot pipe into the ground adjacent to the post, leaving about a foot above grade. Attach the [...]

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Split-system air conditioners have a compact outdoor unit, containing one or more compressors, which serve several indoor air handlers. Rigid conduit circulates refrigerant back and forth between the compressors and the air handlers, eliminating the need for ducts. Each indoor air handler is individually controlled by a built-in thermostat or by a remote, hand-held control.
Have [...]

Change or wash the air filter on your central air conditioner about once a month during the cooling season. This helps prolong the life of the equipment, raise its efficiency, and improve your indoor air quality. There are two standard kinds of filters: a disposable variety, made with woven fiberglass; and a washable one, made [...]

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When putting in a lawn, you’ve got several ways to go: seeds, sod, plugs, or sprigs. Seeding is the least expensive method but it takes work and time. A sod lawn, while expensive, looks great immediately and is ready to walk on in about 2 weeks. Sprigs and plugs are both less expensive than sod, [...]

These small pieces of sod are often used to plant warm-season grasses, some of which cannot grow from seed. They spread by horizontal runners, filling in the lawn in several months to years, depending on the grass species. Spring is the best time to plant them.
Buy plugs from a mail-order firm or a sod farm. [...]

Often used to plant warm-season grasses, these pieces of grass stems and roots (also called stolons) spread naturally by horizontal runners. They will fill in your lawn in 9 to 12 weeks.
In spring, order sprigs by mail or from a sod farm. (Local garden centers can recommend sources.) In your order, specify the area you [...]

Buy top-quality seed from a reliable source to be sure it will germinate evenly and is weed and disease free. Places that sell grass seed sometimes lend rollers and other planting equipment free.
The amount of seed you need varies with the type of grass - check the label to be sure you’re buying enough.
Sow seeds [...]