Decks
The Cost of Adding a Rooftop Deck
Imagine taking in the sights and scenes of the landscape beyond your home—all from the soaring heights of your own rooftop deck. A deck installed on your roof adds a luxury feel to your home. It improves the architectural aesthetics of your property and provides a place to practice yoga at sunrise, have an outdoor…
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What Is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency and How Do I Use It?
Rebates, incentives, and loan programs, oh my! When it comes to solar energy and other home efficiency updates, there’s a dazzling variety of ways to save. Your choices range all the way from federal tax incentives right down to rebate programs from your local energy provider. In fact, you could have hundreds of different programs…
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Wallpaper seems like a serious job compared to painting. But in reality, with careful planning, almost any novice DIYer is up to the task. A neat, tidy layout and level hanging are the key to professional-looking work, so preparing the space and learning how to align the paper properly will both serve you well. Here’s…
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How to Add a Breezeway Between Your Home and Garage
A connected breezeway running between your home and garage gives your property a luxury feel, offering a covered space for outdoor entertaining and lounging. It improves traffic flow in your home and can even add a covetable architectural element to your home’s exterior. Like any home addition, your options abound when designing a new breezeway.…
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How Healthy Is the Air Inside My Home?
We hear about the air quality outside all the time. But what about the pollution inside your home? While you may not exactly have a smokestack in your living room, dust, pet hair, tracked-in pollen and other irritants can affect the purity of the air indoors. And surface treatments, like paints, sealants, flame-retardants, and other…
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When you picture your dream home, you may think of an eco-friendly haven in the woods with ample natural sunlight, or an urban flat that’s always up for entertaining. But if you’re a book-lover, your coveted dream home feature is most likely a personal library—a fantastical or cultural haven where you can bury yourself in knowledge…
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Install a Window Box Planter for Instant Curbside Appeal
Affordable window updates are few and far between, but a hanging planter installed outside the kitchen or under a set of living room windows is a cheap way to add natural beauty to your home without emptying your checking account or planning out a major remodeling project. Window boxes are so simple, in fact, they…
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How to Get Smooth Wall Texture With a Skim Coat
Before moving to Texas and building a house, I didn’t realize the wide variety of texture finishes that are possible on drywall. Where I grew up in Utah, walls were always smooth, and the heavy texture that seems to be the norm in Texas and many other southern states feels unfinished to me. So, I’ve…
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Tips for Saving Energy in Your Home: Cooling
Climate control is the largest energy expense of a typical U.S. home. It’s easy to cut back a little on water use or turn off the lights when you leave, but it’s harder to make compromises when the comfort of your family and guests is at stake. Thankfully, there are small and moderate energy-saving changes…