OUTDOOR STRUCTURES
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People have been harvesting rainwater for thousands of years. In the last decade, the practice has emerged as a popul...
As the popularity of raising poultry in the backyard burgeons, so too does the variety and quality of designs in DIY chicken coops.
A wooden fence is a beautiful accent on any home, but it takes some maintenance to keep it looking neat and trim. Spr...
Welcome feathered friends to your backyard with a birdbath that you've made on your own.
Browse some of today's most commonly used fencing materials, from timeless wood to utilitarian chain-link.
Pros and cons define and differentiate the most popular fence types chosen by homeowners today.
Winter’s a great time to feed the birds, but if that means feeding the squirrels too, they can quickly wear out their...
There's nothing better than a crackling fire on a chilly night, except maybe not having to go back outside for more f...
Walls, normally thought of as interior design elements, are useful in landscaping, too. A landscaping wall can be fre...
We celebrate the best runners-up and reveal the victor of this year's competition.
Nothing beats the natural look of a dry-laid stone wall, but building one requires a strong back, deep pockets, and a...
Don't settle for an ordinary pile of logs. Showing off your wood in a creative space will help add another dimension of warmth to your home.
The doghouse has been part of human history since the Ancient Egyptians built mud-brick kennels for their favorite ca...
In the summer of 1956, a 12-year-old boy wrote a letter to Frank Lloyd Wright to see if the architect would design a ...
A sloped yard is hard to use, and if it’s got erosion problems or it’s channeling water toward the foundation of your...
We dog owners are a strange breed. We obsess about the day-to-day comfort, happiness, and health of our pets. We own ...
If Snoopy's standard doghouse won't cut it for your pooch, browse ten puppy palaces that can even put some human-size houses to shame.
Composting is one thing... how you manage it is another. Here are ten compost bins to help you turn scraps into gardener's gold.
A dog is happy when he knows where home base is. a pet crate, a designated corner, a closet with a pet door or even a...
Nothing says “summer” quite like a gazebo. Images of languid afternoons sipping ice-cold lemonade in the sheltering s...
It is interesting how a chance comment can cause you to pay attention to a garden design feature you had not previous...
Whether they are freestanding, store-bought, or built-in, today's outdoor showers are accessible luxuries for many. Here are some of our favorites.
If you're looking to bring charm and variety to your outdoor space, a bird bath is the perfect choice. Not only will ...
One thing we miss about living in New York is the awesome city playgrounds. You could walk to a different one every d...
Whether you are looking to house garden tools or create a workshop or studio, here are ten stylish sheds worthy of consideration.
If you’re looking for a way to give your home some character, to frame your garden, or to get a little privacy from t...
Giving your pet a place of his own to take shelter from wind, rain and sun is a noble pursuit. Doghouses now come in ...
It's mid-summer and the sales on outdoor play sets for children are in full swing. Online and in stores you'll have ...
Unlike the glass-enclosed garden rooms or conservatories in the UK—glazed interior spaces that provide visual access ...
We all know they don’t like to be fenced in, but after thousands of years of domestication, dogs need boundaries to b...
Deciding to transform a shed into a workshop and studio proved to be the ideal choice for one PA-based entrepreneur.
Put your home's rainwater runoff into service by collecting it for garden and lawn use.
Sometimes the garage doesn't cut it for storing garden tools and lawn supplies. That's when outdoor storage enters th...
Build a retaining wall with dry laid stone in order to establish different levels in your landscaping.
Easy and inexpensive to make, building a bird house can be a great project for the whole family.
Outdoor showers are becoming increasingly more popular. Here's one you can build yourself this weekend.
House hunting for your fine feathered friends? Here are some fun designs to make or buy.
With little or no woodworking experience, you can easily build your own backyard sandbox—here's how.
Wooden play sets offer multiple options for hours of outdoor fun from spring through late fall. But before you buy or build, do your homework.
Looking for a way to add instant character to your landscape or garden? Consider one of these beautiful arbors.
This winter keep birds well fed with one of these smart, decorative feeders.
Bob helps carpenter Bob Ryley build a redwood deck. Carpenter Danny Ruffini installs a custom-made redwood-and-cedar fence on the perimeter.
Bob reviews the Allen Block retaining wall that is being installed in the backyard. This secondary terrace will serve to transition from the wood deck to the big ...
Bob reviews the progress of his western red cedar custom fence, designed to provide privacy and block the carport from the neighbors’ view.
The front of the Melrose house gets finishing touches, including a new, insect-resistant porch deck, new trellises, and a porch light.
Stone workers install a granite retaining wall, replace a front walkway, and build a backyard patio.
The backyard is enhanced with a lattice-top gate, and a mudroom is converted into a kitchen pantry to provide storage space.
Backyard landscaping has progressed with the completion of stone work, new plantings, weed control, and the installation of artificial grass.
Old gutters are replaced and external landscaping continues with the trimming of a tree, installing a front garden, and creating steps from recycled granite.
Bob talks with a fencing expert about installing a white-cedar fence in sloped areas at the Melrose house.
Bill Jasper joins Bob for the installation of a removable Baby Barrier pool fence.
Bob meets with Sonya and Bob Berle in the library of Elm Court to discuss the interior design and preservation of this magnificent home.
Jay Triandafilou and a crew from Architectural Fence are on location to install the exterior fence.
Bob is in Mashpee, Massachusetts, where the affordable housing project is well underway with five of the eleven homes currrently under construction.
Bob meets up with landscape mason Hector Santos, who is building a dried-laid stone retaining wall.
The mason on-site installing a retaining wall, Hector, shows Bob how to split a piece of granite that is too large and heavy to use as is.
Fred Goode (from Brattle Works) joins Bob to view the trellis and lattice fencing, and Bob visits the Brattle Works workshop to see how the fencing is manufactured.
Bob, alongside architect Kristian Fenderson and Tom Strangfeld (from Weston Nurseries), walks the property, focusing on the planting selected for this home.
A Northern White Cedar picket fence is discussed and installed.
Bob drops by the third Elmwood project house to watch as the deck is covered with rubber and the hot tub is installed.
Carpenter Bob Ryley helps install a new porch railing and new screen doors. An underground sprinkler system is also installed.
Contractors put in the brick walkway. Forester Moulding and Lumber replicates the porch railings and balusters. Also, new security and sprinkler systems are insta...
Bob confers with contractor and carpenter Cortney Lofton, as he builds a pergola at the Studio City bungalow, which will serve as a gate to the backyard.
Bob begins the new state-of-the-art greenhouse project with a look at Boston's most famous solarium, part of the quirky and romantic Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Bob, the architect, and the homeowner discuss plans for the new greenhouse. The exact position of the greenhouse in relation to the existing house is chosen so as...
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley discuss the demolition of the existing farmer's porch, and, once the electricity has been turned off, they begin to remove the roof.
The foundation has been hand-dug and the forms laid for the footings. Bob and contractor Bob Ryley discuss the layout of the greenhouse foundation and framing.
Bob takes a trip to New York City to tour the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, a spectacular, world-class museum greenhouse.
Bob watches as the crew prepares the footings for the greenhouse foundation. Contractor John Pratt pours the concrete, using a conveyor instead of a traditional p...
Bob takes a walk down Boston's Commonwealth Avenue for a look at an upscale solariums from the last century, that of the Burrage House.
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley insulate the foundation of an attached solar greenhouse.
With the bricklayers on hand, Bob discusses the techniques being used, and explains the "anti-freeze" that has been added to the concrete to retard the cold weath...
Bob interviews Don Burton from Indiana University as they tour a 1955 greenhouse. Bob then tours a modern state-of-the-art greenhouse under construction at the Un...
The architect pays a visit to check on progress, while Bob and contractor Bob Ryley begin installing the Paralam rafters. Ryley goes into depth discussing these m...
Bob checks on the progress of the greenhouse construction and examines the framing of the pergola roof.
Bob tours the Indiana Limestone factory with Dave Kern, who explains the fabrication process for the limestone columns being used in the greenhouse.
Bob meets with HVAC contractor Dave Talbot to discuss the heating and cooling of the greenhouse. A system of thermostats, blowers, vented windows, and boiler has ...
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley install sloped glazing on a greenhouse with the help of Mark Santos.
The wood has arrived for the perimeter benches, so Bob and contractor Bob Ryley begin constructing the architect-designed benches for the greenhouse. The wood is ...
Contractor Bob Ryley shows off the greenhouse's motorized windows. At the touch of a button, or via a thermostat, the windows open and close. Bob helps Ryley asse...
Bob meets with John Clancy who is applying "California" stucco inside the greenhouse. A tint is applied to the mix to match the interior, and a latex bonding mate...
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley tour the spectacular finished greenhouse and, in addition to the greenhouse, a vestibule to the house has been created, solving the h...
When shopping for plants at Haskell's Nursery, the homeowner gets some professional help from Martha Stewart, who transforms the greenhouse into an elegant settin...
Bob, Martha, and the homeowner look at the plants in the new greenhouse. Martha explains why she selected certain plants and put thought into their placement.
Bob, Martha and the homeowner, Diana, discuss the greenhouse and the decor before Bob reveals a special suprise.
In Columbus, OH, Bob and other volunteers are constructing a playground. Bob discusss the materials and techniques used in the project, including the octagonal ro...
Bob makes his third visit to the playground in Columbus, OH to tour the nearly-complete project and comment on its various features.
Bob meets with a landscaper to discuss the existing plantings, some of which will be removed or cut back to maximize the amount of interior light. Trees, shrubs, ...
A trellis-- the frame and lattice of which have been built in the workshop-- is installed in the front yard.
Bob and carpenter-contractor Bob Ryley review the exterior of the home, pointing out the new trellis and the new entryway. Next, they move inside to have a look ...
Bob has a discussion the landscape architect, Joanne Smallwood, and new wooden fence is installed.
The old <a href="http://www.bobvila.com">ell</a> is joined to the new construction, with some demolition done to make room for a shed dormer and a slider door.
Bob discusses landscaping with specialist Susan Hofer. Topics include sod, a gravel driveway, brickwork, fences, and perennials.
Retaining walls, foundation work, and curving stairways are faced with Cultured Stone from Owens Corning. These cast cement, pumice, and iron oxide products are m...
