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How To Install A Drainage Pipe In Your Backyard (Video)

January 28, 2012 By Peter Leave a Comment

Do you have a wet or soggy backyard? I use to have a very wet backyard and I recently installed a drainage pipe to take away the water from the downspot and excessive rain water on our lawn. Since I live in the Pacific North West, we can get a lot of rain in the winter, spring and the fall. This also leads to a lot of moss and extra work to get rid of it.

The drainage pipe I installed is also a french drain. I had a lot of fun installing it and I created a short video of my experience. After the video I’ve listed the steps I followed. These are in the video and a nice summary for easy reference.

Steps I followed to install the drainage pipe (that are in the video):

Break up the concrete on the walkway
Dig the trench
Fill the trench with a few inches of small stones
Remove the down spout connector
Connect a 6 foot section of non-perforated Big-O tubing
Wrap the perforated Big-O tubing in landscape fabric
Connect the long section of perforated Big-O tubing and layed it in the trench
Cover the trench with dirt
Spread grass seed and water it

I finished this project in early fall and since then our backyard is no longer soggy and muddy. I also expect a lot less moss in the Spring.

Questions and Answers
Here is a few questions I’ve received on this project and you might find the answers useful.

1. Why do you use peforated pipe?
This allows the water to slowly draing into the ground as it runs down the pipe.

2. Why is the first section non-peforated pipe?
This is because I want to make sure that the water gets away from the foundations of the house before it starts draining back into the ground.

3. Why do you wrap the perforated pipe with landscape fabric?
This ensures that the water will drain through the pipe, but dirt will not plug up the holes.

4. What was the hardest part of this project?
Digging the trench was tough because our backyard has a lot of clay and rocks in it. Another reason why our drainage is so poor.

If you have more questions or comments on this project please post a comment below.

Filed Under: Articles, Blog, How To

Selling Your Home Out Of Season? A Great Deck Makes A Difference

October 25, 2011 By Peter Leave a Comment

(ARA) – In a perfect world, no one would ever have to face the challenge of trying to sell a house when there’s snow on the ground and the trees are bare. In reality, people have to sell and buy homes throughout the year.

While winter may not be the optimum season to showcase your landscaping, there is one improvement you can make that will help you boost your home’s outdoor appeal no matter what the season: a deck.

The deck post lights nicely cap the white deck rails.

When potential buyers visit your home in winter, they might not be able to envision how green and lovely your backyard will look come spring. But they will be able to see with their own eyes the square footage that a deck adds to the home’s living space.

Decks, patios, sunrooms and porches have always been popular with home buyers, but real estate agents say that too often those spaces are neglected or not used to their best advantage. Yet outdoor improvements like a deck can significantly enhance your home’s value and appeal. In fact, at the time of resale, a deck will recoup, on average, about 73 percent of the original cost of building it, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report.

“Anything that adds living space adds value, and the least expensive way to gain space is to build a deck or turn the one you have into an outdoor room by staging it so that it flows seamlessly with the rest of the house,” says Mary Beth Harrison of The Harrison Group, a Dallas-based real estate agency. “A great deck can set your home apart from others with the same interior floor plan or square footage, and deck additions typically add value when it comes time to sell.”

The cooler temperatures of fall and early winter make the season a great time to add a deck to your home. Or, if you already have a deck, you can enhance its appeal by adding simple touches and accessories.

A bonus space – for example, a tiny deck or rarely used balcony off a master bedroom – can be transformed into a romantic getaway by staging it with cozy, cushioned seating and a raised firepit. You can safeguard your deck and add designer style with Latitudes deck stones, 16-inch interlocking square tiles made of natural slate or granite. Deck stones can provide an effective fire barrier that’s an asset under firepits or grills, or when used to create an outdoor kitchen.

Lighting is another way to boost appeal. LED deck lighting kits, like those offered by Deckorators, are both practical and visually appealing. Adding lighting to a deck can be an important safety feature, and also helps create a warm, welcoming mood for evening entertaining. There is also a wide range of outdoor lighting fixutres available for a variety of applications.

Another improvement that speaks to both safety and visual appeal are deck railings. Decorative railings with ornate balusters, post cap and postcovers can give virtually any wood or composite lumber deck a distinctive look for a modest investment.

“More than ever before, people look at their decks as outdoor entertainment areas,” says Chris Fox of Universal Forest Products, producers of Latitudes Composite decking and Railing and Deckorators, a leader in decking railing systems and deck accessories. “For some, it’s a kitchen; for others, a living room. Decks can be party spaces or quiet retreats. With so many different types of deck materials, lighting, rail systems and decorative accents, it’s possible to turn a plain deck into a great outdoor space.”

“Potential home buyers always react positively to nice decks that look like a great place to hang out,” says Harrison. “From a buyer’s perspective, if all else is equal, it’s true that the home with the best deck wins.”

Filed Under: Blog, Decks, How To, Outdoor Lighting

How I Finally Painted The Wood Posts And Fascia On Our Deck

September 13, 2011 By Peter Leave a Comment

We finished building our second story deck late last year and then the rain started. We finished the wood posts using a primed fascia material so it was not a necessity to paint them right away. My plan was to find a sunny day in the winter to paint them, but then I found out that it is best to paint outdoors when it is warmer.

Spring was the next season up and it was too wet, or maybe I was getting good at proscrasinating. I wanted to make sure they were painted before the fall rain started and a few weeks ago I finally found, er made the time and painted the wood deck posts and fascia.

Selecting the Paint and Brushes:

The first thing to decide was the color and brand of the paint. We looked at a few different colors and we decided to match the trim on the house. I did not have an old can of the paint available so we took a small sample off of the garage door, but it was too small for them to be able to process. Since that didn’t work we got a few color swatches for Behr paint and match it to the trim. In the end this worked ut very well.

Since the posts and fascia are large I went with a 4″ wide brush. I also had to paint some tight areas and cut the edges and for that I used a 1″ wide brush.

Tip 1: It took two days to finish the painting and instead of using new brushes the second day or cleaning the brushes after the first day, I wrapped them tightly in aluminum foil. This kept the oxygen away from the paint and it did not harden over night.

Preparing to Paint the Fascia

As you can see from the photo below, the metal railing posts are mounted on the front of the fascia. This is due to the local building code and I like it a lot better than mounting the railing posts to the deck floor. This saves space on our deck and since we have a vinyl deck we did not screw into the vinyl flooring to mount the rail. The downside to this mounting technique is that I had to cover the mounting hardware with tape so I did not paint over it. And it also took a lot longer to paint because I had to paint around the mounting hardware.

Before painting the fascia, I taped the deck posts and soffit.

Tip 2: Paint the fascia before you attach the deck railing posts. This will save you a lot of time because you will not have to paint around the deck railing hardware.

Filed Under: Articles, Blog, Decks, How To

Updating A Deck? Trends And Tips For Great Results

August 10, 2011 By Peter Leave a Comment

(ARA) – When it comes to home improvements that add value and enjoyment to your home, it’s hard to top the power of a great deck. In fact, a deck can return nearly 73 percent of your initial investment when you sell your home, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2010 Cost vs. Value Report.

If this is your year to add a deck – or spruce up an existing one – here are some helpful tips from the home improvement experts at Lowe’s:

Repairing and upgrading an existing deck

If your home already has a deck, start the summer season by making sure it’s in good condition. Check for damaged boards and replace them with the appropriate decking material. Tighten fasteners or replace them if they won’t tighten. Tap down and set protruding nails or replace them with deck screws. Check for splinters on surfaces, especially along handrails and steps, and smooth with sandpaper.

A fresh coat of deck stain will brighten the deck’s appearance and keep it looking new longer by repelling water, resisting mildew and preventing fading in high-traffic areas. You can cut the project time in half by using a product like Express Deck wood stain by Cabot, which allows you to clean and stain in a single day without waiting for the deck to dry. The product, available exclusively at Lowe’s, comes in a semi-transparent stain and can be tinted to any color or selected from the pre-mixed, grab-and-go oak brown.

Once your cleaning and staining tasks are done, you can add updates to your existing deck by swapping out railings or adding decorative metal post caps or post cap lights. Or you can give your deck a little extra privacy with lattice. Adding lattice is an easy and versatile way to provide beauty, privacy and dimension without blocking cooling breezes or boxing in space.

Building A New Deck

Building a deck costs about $15 per square foot, on average – around $4,000 for a 16- by-20-foot deck. Treated lumber is still the material of choice for most homeowners. Standard treated decking is economical and offers a limited warranty against rot and decay. You can also upgrade to treated wood designed to stand up to severe weather like TopChoice Severe Weather Treated Decking.

Composite or PVC decking are other options. Durable and ecofriendly, these alternative materials mimic the look of wood and are low maintenance. Although composite brands like ChoiceDek and Trex cost more, the only maintenance required is regular cleaning. Composite won’t split, splinter, crack or mold.

Plan and build your new deck using composite materials

Deck Trends and Tips

Whether you’re building a new deck or upgrading an existing one, here are some of the hot trends to consider incorporating into your design:

* Bigger is better when it comes to decks. Decks create more living space and are an extension of the home, so larger decks with multiple levels give you more space for living and entertaining. Built-ins for seating and storage are also popular additions to larger decks.

* Natural elements: Water features, such as a fountain, add to the relaxation of a deck and help mask the sounds of street traffic.

* Railings: Decks have railings for safety’s sake, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice beauty for function. Railings are becoming a more important visual statement, with decorative balusters, posts and spindles, post caps and lighting.

* Outdoor room decor: Extend the look and feel of your home all the way outside – don’t keep it confined to the walls of your home. Add accessories like outdoor rugs, lighting, pillows, container plants and new patio furniture to your outdoor space.

No matter what your deck project, planning and budgeting before you start can help your efforts run smoothly. Lowes.com offers a free Deck Designer tool and real-time lumber pricing.

Whether your choose traditional treated lumber or composite materials, create a trendy multi-level outdoor paradise or keep it simple, a deck can expand your outdoor living space, enhance your enjoyment of your home and create great value when the time comes to sell your home.