Read the latest articles from Bob Vila (Page 302)

An enjoyable afternoon spent working in the garden, a lovely evening relaxing in the yard: the exterior of your home provides plenty of opportunities to recharge your batteries while soaking in the great outdoors. Unfortunately, a wide variety of unwanted critters—including insects, rodents, and other trouble-making animals—also are drawn to your yard, and they aren’t there to help with the gardening. These visitors are generally in search of a meal or a home of their own, and they don’t care how much backyard mess and destruction they create in the process. While you’ll never be able to block 100% of outdoor pests, the following tips will help you greatly reduce 20 of the most common uninvited visitors.

Spruce up your plain wooden furniture with this beautiful, barely there paint finish.

The right tools and techniques are all you need to give your walls and wood surfaces a smooth finish—without the worry of a dusty aftermath.

Your stove top shouldn’t reveal forensic evidence of everything you’ve recently cooked. Discover five easy steps to keep your electric range from exposing your culinary spills and missteps.

Rather than leave your old plates and platters to gather dust in the attic, repurpose them into beautiful objects more useful in today's home.

A true, traditional three-coat plastering job is the longest-lasting and most faithful way to complete a wall in a period home. At once both an art and a science, this type of plastering is a refined skill that master tradesmen spend years developing and perfecting.

Follow these tips to keep your floors—and the rest of your house—sparkling clean. 

Easy yet epic, this week-long DIY project can help you bag the beautiful floor of your dreams—and it’s a bargain, too!

Many of the most invasive plant species thriving in the United States came from elsewhere—mostly Europe and Asia. While they are often beautiful, these plants spread rapidly in an environment that has not evolved to keep its growth in balance. If left unchecked, invasive species can create devastating changes to both landscapes and ecosystems. Make sure you’re doing your part by not planting any of the species on this list.

If you're like many homeowners, you make good on a regular cleaning schedule. So maybe you skip dusting once in a while, but your house is pretty clean, right? But the dirtiest places in your home might be hiding in plain sight. We're talking about your cleaning tools! In order to get the most out of them, they need a good sprucing up too. Your household tools can suffer from a buildup of dirt, grease, and grime, making your cleaning efforts far less effective. In fact, every time you use them, you could just be spreading the “gunk” around your home. Here are a few quick-and-easy final steps to add to your cleaning routine that will make all the difference in your efforts to keep your home sparkling fresh.

If you’re wondering if titanium can rust, the answer is multilayered. Join us as we discuss titanium’s rust-resistant properties and how it protects itself.

Whether joining two pieces of particle board or adding a veneer to a single piece, the right glue will ensure the job goes as planned.

Don't assume a nice landscape has to break the bank. In fact, a smart landscape design plan can offset other home maintenance costs. See the best landscaping ideas for a gorgeous yard that also saves you money.

An herb spiral garden enables gardeners to grow a greater number of edible plants, and to do so more successfully, than would be possible otherwise.

Forget what you think you know about opossums. They’re not the nasty, trash-eating troublemakers that some folks make them out to be, but remarkable creatures that provide valuable services, including pest control. Learn more about these misunderstood marsupials and how one of their habits can actually be helpful. 

A coat of one of these top interior paints can turn a dreary garage into an inviting work space.

Painting tasks go a whole lot easier—and yield better results—when you have a handle on dry times. Here, learn the dry times for both oil- and water-based products so all your paint projects can have perfect timing.

Offset all the madness that unfolds in the kitchen with a sleek and modern design.

Bring a little life into your kitchen—and spice up your meals—by building your own vertical herb garden! Check out these easy-to-follow steps to create a stylish and sturdy structure that even a novice can achieve.

"You don't get a second chance to make a first impression." While this phrase usually refers to people, it also applies to houses. The exterior of your home offers visitors and passersby their first hint at the people who live inside, so why not make it truly reflect your personality? A tidy, well-decorated facade and well-landscaped front yard speak volumes about your design style and maintenance habits. A few quick updates like those gathered here will get your home's facade looking its very best and ensure a great first impression!