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No, it’s not your imagination. You’re paying more for some home improvement building materials these days, and you have the pandemic to blame.
What's summer without s'mores? Even if your outdoor living space is limited to a small side yard, you can still enjoy...
There’s no need to break your budget when buying building materials, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for ugly. These 8 reasonably priced materials look g...
Before you meet with that swimming pool company, take time to consider all that goes into choosing, maintaining, and paying for a summer oasis.
A shed can be a great place to store yard tools and equipment, or it can serve as a useful area for completing projec...
Around the home, you won’t frequently run into situations that require you to cut metal, but there are a few DIY proj...
It may sound fancy, but a French cleat is simply a sturdy beveled support board, a secret that builders and craftsmen...
Gardening doesn’t have to be restricted to summer, even in colder climates. While your plants may not normally welcom...
If you can't live with the layout of your space, a temporary wall may be just the solution you need. For decades, ren...
If you have any experience with home improvement, you need no convincing about the strengths of concrete as a buildin...
To create a functional and beautiful outdoor kitchen, you need materials that can really stand up to the elements—and few materials surpass the durability of ston...
Check out the fun, functional, and (yes!) fast decor and garden accessories you can create with concrete to add style to your space, indoors and out. This co...
Take your backyard to new heights with more than a dozen versatile uses for a trendy garden feature. Ahead, these pergola ideas will inspire and even guide your n...
While summer sunshine encourages outdoor projects, it also poses its own set of challenges. Ahead, learn how to beat the heat when pouring garden edging, patio sl...
Even if it's your first concrete project, you can ensure a long-lasting, professional finish by steering clear of a few pitfalls and, if necessary, using the righ...
Perk up your patio with great-looking, long-wearing brick with one of these ideas.
Grow a bountiful garden without a lot of effort or space with these raised garden bed success secrets.
Q: I know it’s a good idea to pre-drill before nailing or screwing two pieces of wood together, but I can’t seem to g...
Whether you’re hosting a summer barbecue or entertaining Christmas carolers around the chiminea, an outdoor bar provi...
Has a relatively empty patio left you uninspired to head outdoors?When it comes to setting up the deck or balcony, yo...
Lawn and garden edging elevates your landscape much like how a frame does a photo: The dramatic emphasis around the p...
Pipe made of polyvinyl chloride, commonly called PVC, is used in a variety of residential applications, from plumbing...
Reducing soil erosion, turning steep slopes into terraced backdrops, creating focal points in the landscape—retaining...
It's not news: You don’t need to have a huge backyard to enjoy greenery. The key is to embrace your vertical space, a...
Fire pits are a hot commodity! These attractive additions can dress up a drab yard with mesmerizing flames while serv...
A lot of lifestyle adjustments need to be made when a baby comes along, and the house is no exception. In addition to...
When the time comes to buy a backyard shed, size is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Surprisingly, th...
Create hip, functional home goods out of flanges, elbows, and other basic fittings. This article has been brought to you by SupplyHouse.com. Its facts and op...
Setting up a shed in your backyard can feel like a tall order when you consider the variables involved. Here, we've d...
Homeowners typically use sheds to stash stuff—everything from off-season sporting equipment and unused furniture to a...
Pavers—be they brick, stone, or concrete—are a pleasing alternative to large expanses of plain concrete, adding visua...
While pony walls aren’t new to the housebuilding scene, they’ve recently seen a resurgence in popularity—even before ...
Planning to add onto or remodel your home is equal parts exciting and hectic. There are so many decisions to make: c...
You've adorned every limb with baubles, tinsel, and ribbon, but what's a fully decorated tree if its base remains bar...
Decorative brick adds warmth and beauty to your home, but its tough surface shouldn’t deter you from hanging your art...
Having an organized and functional kitchen can sometimes feel unattainable especially if you're working with limited ...
Wood joinery, as the term implies, refers to joining pieces of timber or lumber to create other structures. Crafting ...
A porch is an extension of a home’s living area—a place to savor a summer’s breeze, observe wildlife, or bask in bird...
Q: I need to organize my closet of chaos with a closet rod, but I don't know how high to mount the rod for easy acces...
It's the ultimate in backyard entertaining—an outdoor fireplace where friends and family gather to share good times a...
Why settle for a basic backyard shed when you can trick it out to be so much more? With a little imagination, you can...
There’s little debate over the proper methods to cut wood. However, cutting plastic—particularly acrylic and polycarb...
Prized for repelling sweater-munching moths, the woodsy aroma of cedar is finding new fans in eco-savvy homeowners lo...
Adding a deck? You have lots of materials to choose from. CM_BVNOTES-1737-1Listen to BOB VILA ON DECK MATERIAL OPTION...
When you're investing money and time in—and, for do-it-yourselfers, the energy to build!—a backyard shed, you’ll want...
You may rightly consider concrete to be one of the most durable and attractive construction materials around, but did...
Every weekend warrior dreams of a convenient backyard structure that's spacious enough not only for storing tools but...
Q: I’m putting a new deck on my house and I want to make sure it is constructed properly. What is the best decking ma...
A backyard shed frees up your home and garage by storing cumbersome essentials like your riding mower, hedge trimmers...
Water brings a touch of enchantment, transforming an ordinary landscape into something magical. Whether you yearn to ...
Whether you're repairing HVAC ducts, replacing roof flashing, or tackling the occasional metal craft project, you'll ...
The trim around a door frame—also known as doorway casing—is installed first and foremost to conceal unsightly constr...
Mirrors enhance any interior as both decorative and highly functional features, bouncing light and offering an opport...
Have you dreamed about a walk-in closet with endless storage possibilities for clothes and accessories? Fortunately, ...
Whether you want to create a countertop or expand your sidewalk, cutting concrete yourself may not be as daunting as ...
While often initially installed for privacy, window treatments do a lot to improve a space's interior design. Curtain...
Though they’re not much to look at, screws hold a place of honor in the construction, hobby, and furniture-making ind...
Pouring concrete yourself may save you money and build your skills, but without proper equipment and attention to det...
While concrete's cool, industrial aesthetic is a go-to design touch in modern homes, its density and strength are wha...
For DIYers eager to take on plumbing tasks, one of the most important skills to master is how to sweat copper pipe—a ...
Somehow, even if it's not operational, a fireplace is still imbues coziness in winter and architectural charm year-ro...
Sometimes, the kitchen is too small to prep a multi-course meal for friends or family. If only you had 12 square inch...
Clocks may be less a necessity than they were in the days before cell phones remained attached to consumers' hips and...
Opening your heart and home to a mobility-challenged loved one is a beautiful thing. And one way to make it easier on...
Streamlining the home's entryway or mudroom poses a real challenge for bustling households. Add up all of the jackets...
Beyond its well-earned prominence in the plumbing department, copper piping is having its moment in the DIY world as ...
Wish that you had a relaxing moment in a camping hammock in your own backyard, but have nowhere to hang it? Rather th...
Summer isn’t summer unless you’re soaking up the sun, grilling, and chilling in your own backyard. Yet a traditional ...
Many home improvement enthusiasts choose to enhance their landscapes with the DIY installation of brick patios, walkw...
A lot of crafty DIYers hit the glass ceiling when it comes to the material of the same name. You’d love to create a l...
If the very thought of cutting glass makes you cringe, perhaps it’s because you remember a painful occasion when glas...
The bathroom can be a nightmare to organize, with all of its towels, soap bottles, grooming supplies, and other toile...
Some lucky homeowners with enough property for a large plot of land to be dedicated garden space; for the rest of us,...
A small- to medium-size ceramic tiling job is a project that's well within the grasp of most DIYers. With careful mea...
When you have a doorway but not enough room for a door to swing open, oftentimes the frame goes without any sort of c...
In a range of applications, from picture frames to tabletops, plexiglass (also known as acrylic) serves as a cost-eff...
Done any shopping for your home recently? In perusing the aisles, you may have noticed that even a very simple mirror...
An attractively mounted curtain rod adds a subtle layer of embellishment to an entire room. Beyond completing a room...
There’s something so incredibly appealing about a simple tire swing. Whether it’s the freeing feeling of soaring thro...
Summer vacation is all about fun: swimming pools, later bedtimes, and epic blanket forts. With all the lively activit...
This DIY has a bit of a backstory: In my basement workshop—as a byproduct of about a half dozen previous projects—I'd...
Nothing can ruin a summer barbecue or evening by the pool like the threat of a wasp’s sting. Mind you, wasps aren’t a...
Privacy, safety, security—these are only a few of the reasons that homeowners build solid, durable garden walls. Alth...
Patio. The very word conjures up visions of lazy, relaxing afternoons spent with friends and family. For those whose ...
This post has been brought to you by QUIKRETE. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. Everyone knows that ...
Always affordable and at once both decorative and functional, concrete garden edging effectively defines garden beds,...
When we saw Ama's sleek and contemporary bookshelf, we were impressed. And when it became clear that it was made enti...
If your heat comes from radiators, you know the predicament: In the winter, you're glad to have the heat. But no matt...
Tired of lugging laundry down the basement stairs? Maybe you should consider installing a laundry chute. Kits are ava...
Until fruits and vegetables were available year-round at the grocery store, the root cellar played a vital role in da...
Who hasn't admired a great product in-store before balking at the price tag? When daring DIYer Anne Davis saw a $300 ...
Everyone knows how concrete looks and that it lasts for years and years. What you may not have realized is that prepa...
In any room, in any house, lighting is key. Besides its practical importance, lighting is one of the main factors inf...
A gravel driveway can be very attractive in a characteristically unpretentious way, introducing casual curb appeal to...
The humble mason jar can hold nearly anything—including tech gadgets! Designer Sarah Pease converted these canning ja...
I just love candles in mason jars. A few summers ago I bought a package of half-pint jars and some light wire and mad...
It was only a matter of time before I tried out my bottle cutter on a mason jar. Here's how I pulled off this mason-j...
When the words mason jar and solar lamp come together in the same sentence, I don’t care who you are—you get excited....
Here's an ornamental way to use clapboard. Create a sunburst on a gable end. Draw out your design on a template. Cut...
What is art? Critics and philosophers are free to debate the question endlessly, but we think it's pretty simple: If ...
Here's how to dress up a fence post with a beveled cap. It's easy to do with a radial arm saw. Set the blade at a 45...
The brute strength of concrete has made it the go-to building material for a variety of such outdoor installations as...
A decorative wood valance adds charm to your house. You can make one yourself. Here's how. Copy a pattern, or create...
Here's a way to join two pieces of wood without visible hardware or nails by using oval wooden biscuits. With a bis...
Over the snowy-white winter, adults and children make the most of the cold by taking part in a smorgasbord of seasona...
This year, as you dress up your house for the holidays, consider decking the halls with twinkling lights, festive rib...
When marking off several measurements of the same size, it's best to make yourself a guide. We call this a story pol...
Here's how to dress up an old kitchen with new cabinet doors. Use a fine-grade plywood, such as birch, for the new d...
The holiday season comes with so many traditions—cooking and baking, house decorating, caroling, and cocoa making—but...
None of us loves the idea of little Mickeys and Minnies scurrying around our homes. Some people insist they're cute, ...
If space is a consideration in your remodeling project, you might want to consider building a winding staircase. Yo...
Here's an easy way to improvise when you're running out of clamps around the woodworking shop. After spreading glue...
Here's a unique way to use ceramic tile for a very unusual countertop. Just break up the tiles into random pieces, u...
Here are some tips on how to make a stone walkway. After marking the walkway with string, the first step is to lay ...
Here's how to lay out a cement block wall yourself. Mix two parts masonry cement with one part sand, and add just en...
Glass block walls are a great design feature that let extra sunlight into any room in your home while still providin...
Here are some basic things to remember when building a deck. Attach joist hangers sixteen inches apart on center to ...
You can lay a stone patio yourself. Here's how. Prepare a base of sand or stone dust to provide good drainage in a l...
This post has been brought to you by Dickies. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. A compost bin is a g...
To safely work on your house, use scaffolding that you can build yourself. Nail a three-foot and a five-foot length ...
Here are a few tips on laying your own bricks. Prepare a mortar mix that is neither too firm and nor too runny. Spre...
Low-cost additions to any landscape, easy-to-make garden trellises can be used to introduce shade or privacy, or to s...
Does it look like a bomb went off in your workshop? Even the best tools are useless if they are nowhere to be found w...
Many homes have fireplaces or propane stoves inside, but there’s nothing quite like enjoying a fire pit under the sta...
It was a challenge to find a desk for my five-year-old daughter. I needed something size-appropriate that would provi...
Do you feel like your home is shrinking? Are the kids growing up and accumulating more stuff? Is your teenager demand...
Kitchen makeovers remain popular as homeowners continue to invest to create a warm, stylish, comfortable, and efficie...
Mortise and tenon joints are the preferred style of joint for furniture and cabinetwork. It's strong, durable, and li...
Bathrooms continue to top homeowners' lists of popular rooms to remodel—and for good reason. As more Americans are ca...
The sawhorse is an indispensable piece of work-site furniture. It's part workbench, part scaffold, and now and again ...
A properly glued wood joint is very strong, but one that is glued improperly is likely to fracture given a minimum of...
Decks and other outdoor spaces are different from ordinary rooms. They serve as an intermezzo between home and nature...
A walkway or garden path enhances a home's landscape and complements its exterior features. While traditional materia...
When summer is on, it’s time to get outside and play. If you're looking for ways to make your backyard more fun, why ...
A mitered corner is formed by joining two pieces of wood, each cut to a 45° angle. One of the easier joints to cut, a...
Last year, I was dying to have some deck rail planters to grow spinach and lettuce in, but I couldn’t find any that w...
The sculpture of plants, or topiary, has been a gardening practice for centuries. The precise designs achieved throug...
As soon as December hits, I’m ready to break out the Christmas cheer. When it comes to decorating for the holiday, I’...
A porch is simply a deck with a roof on it, right? Not quite. While some porches may be as simple as that, many are m...
Except in special cases—when you intentionally choose a specific angle or bias—it's important to keep all drill holes...
Back in the day there were just two options, slotted or Phillips. You picked one, picked a length, and were good to g...
Building a cabinet looks easy. After all, it’s just a box with a door. It only becomes difficult if you want it to lo...
As you may recall from science class as a kid, wood is a collection of fibers that run in the same direction. Basical...
A basic teepee is not hard to make, provided you keep it simple and fun, as I discovered when I created this project ...
There's nothing more fun for a child than learning to fly a kite. Who doesn't remember the thrill of watching their f...
A window box can add enormous curb appeal to a house and provide a garden opportunity for even city dwellers. And, th...
With just some basic home improvement knowledge, you can build a simple backyard sandbox like this with colorful stri...
Rainwater collection has an ancient history with archeological evidence dating back at least 4,000 years. Urban deman...
Depending on the size and weight of the stones used to construct the retaining wall, the tools and materials for the ...
Create some outdoor fun this summer—the old-fashioned way—with this "oh so easy" tire swing how-to.
For the soil- and drainage-poor gardener, a raised garden bed offers the opportunity to perfect your environment and ...
Terrariums can be as basic or elaborate as you want. While those featuring sand and air plants (tillandsia) are popul...
Luminaries create an enchanting glow at dusk along a garden path or atop a picnic table. Here’s how to turn an old sa...
Building a fire was once an essential survival skill. But even in these times of portable heaters and grills, a campf...
The homemade birdhouse is a DIY classic. And with good reason: It’s usually the first woodworking project for many; o...
Whether you’re cooling off, rinsing off, or actually bathing, an outdoor shower is a fun and relatively easy summer D...
Melamine-coated particleboard is a great material for storage, basement, garage, home office, and kid's room projects...
Creating hundred-year-old beams is an art form that Juan Santos of Emilios' Woodworking has perfected. In the Malibu ...
Plywood sheet goods are an essential in any home improvement project involving wood. But due to their layered structu...
Nothing celebrates the colder weather like the distinct scent and sound of a crackling log in the fireplace. A steady...
