container plants looking great all Summer long ... even when it's HOT ... even when you're away on vacation! Interested?

longevity... Unlike traditional wood decks made 20+ years ago where one could allow them to weather naturally, you would be lucky to get a few year's worth out of a regular wood deck if you tried that now.

In order to enjoy a typical wood deck now it is important that you seal it. No matter if you are a pro or a DIYer, there are two simple rules that I have & hope you will keep in mind no matter what the project is; prepare it properly and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Choosing a sealer:

There are 4 main choices of sealers on the market, each with their own pros & cons. If you are tossing around two or more options, choose the lower tiered item as one can always move up the list but you can't move down it. For example if you are debating between paint & a stain – while you can paint over stain, you can't stain over a painted deck.

· Paint – while many people like the look of paint, this is one of the hardest items to maintain and can easily hide water damaged areas

· Solid Color Stain – while this can look like a paint,it is a stain that gets absorbed into the wood and is easier to maintain, depending on your application some wood grain maybe still visible and it is known to wear unevenly

· Semi-Transparent Stain – For a more natural look with some color, this is the most popular choice, it generally wears more even than solid color, but doesn't protect as well

· Waterproofing or transparent coatings – this will give you the most natural look, but do not hide stains or protect as well

For more on Oil vs. Water Based & other additives: http://bit.ly/DeckSealer

Prepare it properly:

If you ask any professional painter, they will say that on average 80% of their time is spent on properly preparing the surfaces, while only 20% is actually spent applying the product. While this number maybe inflated for decks, just remember that the amount of time spent getting it ready up front, is time well spent.

Getting Ready:

· Gather all the tools, safety equipment and materials that you will need. Take time to read the directions.

· Check the weather forecasts as most products are very specific on minimum temperatures & when it can be exposed to water

· Make sure the wood is dry enough to accept the stain, sealer, or paint of your choice

· Remove everything located not only on the deck, but around it like furniture, potted plants, wind chimes, etc...

· Cover any plants near the deck to protect them from the overspray & any chemicals you may use.

· Removing any large debris by hand and sweep the deck off, paying particular attention to the area's between the deck boards.

Applying your choice of Sealants:

Do you remember the second rule above? That's right; it's as simple as reading and following the manufacturer's directions. I will give you a few tips though that may or may not be located on the can.

· Apply plastic to any area's that you do not want stain or paint to get on, because once you get started, you do not want to stop to try to clean up an oopsie

· For all stains and sealers, do one complete board at a time – if the you only do half a board or work in sections, you will end up with obvious streaks where the two area's overlap

· Do not over apply the product – in most cases it will result in a flaky or splotchy finish

· Make sure the moisture level of the wood is low enough for work to commence – you do not want to trap all the moisture inside the wood

· Stain or seal all six sides if it is at all possible unless you live by the ocean. This will help prevent moisture from getting into the wood and accelerating the degradation of the finish.

· Let it rest – most paints, stains and sealers take at least a day or more to cure

For more Preparation Tips & other Decking Options; http://bit.ly/HTRC-Decks

oak-trimmed laminate kitchens that for some inexplicable reason were so popular in the 1980s. When I finally bit the bullet and decided to re-do the kitchen, I wanted to create something that was appropriate to the house and found my inspiration in a 1959 ad for a Hotpoint kitchen. It was both practical (tiled walls) and handsome, with a great punch of color from a tiled accent wall containing the turquoise (!) wall oven. While I ultimately decided a wall oven wouldn't work for me, and I went for the durability of stainless (the salt in the air is tough on things here at the beach), I think I've ended up the with a kitchen that honors the inspiration, and my home's history.

speed things up. There's blogging and DIY to do after all!

#springcleaning

front out to make it a love seat, but .. then .. when do I do things the simple way? It needed that added flare and I am re finishing a clients bedroom to feel french, so it was a MUST to have curves. Voila the new Chaise for her master bedroom bay window!

First and Foremost - do NOT TRY CUTTING OR WORKING WITH THIS unless you have proper protective equipment on! Glasses AND masks are a MUST!!!!!! Not only do you have to deal with potential lead in the paint, but also glass infused, fired on porcelain and chips flying everywhere! Very messy job! - Now - on to the fun part!

I have been waiting three years to find the perfect tub! I found this one at our local Habitat for Humanity Re-store.

I plotted my design early to match with a theme I was doing in a clients Master Bedroom. She had asked to find a sitting bench or something for her Bay Window * DING DING DING* I finally have a reason to make the Chaise I wanted to do.

I worked on cutting the tub forever with a grinder as I was told plasma cutting was to hard on Cast .... it was pretty easy, however very time consuming, so I sourced it out after I got the initial trial over with. If I had more time to poke away at it I would have, but too many things were piling up! Then the work involved came. It took forever to figure out how to smoothe the chips from the cutting, but upon talking to some local car boys and metal workers, the idea of bondo came up! Might as well give it a go! And it worked! paint paint paint and add fabric and ta daaaaaaaaaaa! BUENO! There is a full album being uploaded right now to my Facebook page at http://www.gypsybarn.com. Come join the fun!

Pavers are actually quite easy to install and really only require one tool to be rented, a plate compactor. The heavy work is in excavating the area to about 6 and 1/2 inches below grade and moving the dirt. Then you build up the base with crusherun/crush&run which is a crushed stone. Build it up in 2 layers running the compactor over the area. A homeowner can use a 4 foot level and a 2x4 board to help get the crushed stone base to a proper pitch and close to even. Remember that the base should extend about 6" beyond the last paver.

The exact level surface is then done using 3/4" iron pipes. You will need at least 2 pipes. Lay the pipes across the base and check with a level to see if you have the proper grade. Use a little sand to adjust the pipes. With the pipes set, you begin shoveling the sand into the area and with a straight board, you screed (drag) the sand. You are left with a perfectly level surface of sand. As you move along, remove the pipes and fill the gaps with sand. Remember to not walk on the sand once it is screeded.

For a larger patio, we usually work in sections laying pavers as we go so that we can then work off of the already laid pavers. The chosen pattern will dictate any cutting. For a few cuts, a grinding wheel on a circular saw will suffice. For lots of cuts or cutting curves on a patio, a large gas powered cut-off saw with a grinding wheel or diamond wheel is necessary. We also use a large sliding table tile saw to custom cut some pavers.

Once the pavers are all laid, install the edging strips. Then, run the compactor over the pavers to bed the pavers in the sand. You will have a perfectly level and smooth paver patio/walk. It does not require setting each paver individually. While compacting, you will sweep regular sand or polymeric sand into the joints. If polymeric sand, follow the manufacturer instructions on sweeping, compacting, and wetting.

See the following photos for the process. As an example of how fast pavers can be installed, 3 of us installed the paver walkway seen in the photos in one day. We followed the same path of an existing paver walkway that was improperly installed. The one day included all excavation and all installation and clean-up.