Ned D’Agostino asked:


As a wise homeowner you’re always on the lookout for improvements to your house, and to your budget. An aluminum patio cover is one such astute improvement. It extends the useable area of your house. The improvement adds value to the house. You can use the aluminum patio cover for any number of things - a shed for your car or for gardening equipment, a canopy for an entrance, anything that requires a little more space than you already have. An aluminum patio cover may appear costly compared to other patio covers, but when you factor in the durability, ease of installation and zero maintenance of aluminum patio covers, the cost of ownership is actually much less than that of any other type of patio cover.

Though patio covers can be made from a number of materials, the excellent durability and zero maintenance of aluminum patio covers make them the prime choice of wise homeowners. The value addition to the house is quite appreciable when it comes time to move.

A patio is the best way to enjoy the outdoors. You’re protected from sun and rain and yet you can enjoy the breeze and an unobstructed ‘window-less’ view of the world at large. Aluminum is much stronger than other patio materials. So it is better able to protect you from weather phenomena like rain, snow and hail.

The aluminum patio cover is easy to keep clean. A solution of soap and water is ideal for cleaning an aluminum patio cover, though you may opt for a cleaning solution that’s specially formulated for cleaning aluminum. Take a brush with a handle long enough to reach the top of the aluminum patio cover. The aluminum patio cover slopes downwards at an angle and you can easily reach every part of the patio cover with the cleaning brush.

Rainwater can run off the aluminum patio cover and collect in puddles. A drainage system is an advantage to have. The drainage system allows the rainwater to flow off easily and conveniently away from the patio area. Have one installed when you’re getting the aluminum patio cover installed.

Aluminum patio covers need not look uniformly ‘aluminum white’. Select from a range of factory-painted styles and patterns to suit the exterior appearance of your house. Or, you can add a personal touch by painting it yourself. Paint takes well on aluminum, spreading evenly, so you will enjoy painting the aluminum patio cover. You can use a solid color for it, or you can get let your imagination run riot!

An aluminum patio cover is an investment that is its own reward! Choose the style and design that really suits your house and your personality. You will spend many mornings and evenings sitting beneath the aluminum patio cover, enjoying the fresh air, enjoying the flowers growing in your garden, watching the sun rise, watching the sun set! The joy that you’ll experience is well worth the investment. What’s more, in real dollar terms, the aluminum patio cover will return every penny you spent on installing it. Now that’s called great value for money!

Budget restrictions may make you look at patio covers made of materials other than aluminum. This may turn out to be a ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ strategy. You will spend as much on maintaining these patio covers as you did on buying them in the first place. If you do have to replace the patio cover, which is a distinct probability, then you’ll end up paying thrice its retail price! Instead of adopting this non-aluminum strategy you should look for cheaper models of aluminum patio covers. You’re sure to find one that suits your budget, though it may take a little extra time and effort. Be wise, get an aluminum patio cover and forget maintenance costs, replacements, and the weather! Now let’s do something about that pesky fly…!



Bamboo Flooring Installation

Cisco asked:


We have two small dogs and a dog door in our kitchen. They are great about never messing in the house, but one of our dogs has decided he would rather mess on the patio than in the lawn. How can I “patio-break” my dog and get him to start doing his business in the lawn again so we can enjoy our patio without having to wash it down every day?

Wire Closet Organizers

Sunday asked:


We put in a large stamped concrete patio this year. We put quite a few plants in pots on the patio. When I water there is a white film left on the concrete. If it is mineral deposits from the water, how or can I get it off! And any ideas on how to prevent it from happening. Our patio would be empty without plants. so not putting them is not a option!
We had the concrete put in professionally. It is colored stamped concrete. The contractor did seal it a day after he put it in. It is a brownish grey color, so the white really stands out. I do have my pots on rollers, , but I guess when the water drains, it sits in the low stamped spots, and causes the white spots. Also I have used store bought potting soil for all my pots.

Cable Lighting Fixtures

legendarydd0g asked:


We have white plastic patio furnature/ lounge chairs that surround our pool. Each year during the winter we bring them in and store them in our basement. This year they have turned a rusty yellow. Has this happened to you before and how do you clean it off?

Collectable Kitchen Plates

Diane L asked:


The patio is 12×15. The wood is rotted and the edges of the slabs are worn. Can the wood be removed and replaced with something else? I want to eventually paint the patio so the repair needs to look better than the old rotted wood.

Halogen Track Lighting

Rika Susan asked:


Patio furniture is often the ‘afterthought’ in a patio design. Ideally, however, your design plans should incorporate basic ideas about patio furniture. A well-coordinated look is possible only if the patio itself, the patio awning or canopy, and the patio furniture complement one another.

You have a diverse range of choices available. One of the most popular is cast aluminum patio furniture. As long as you steer clear of tubular framing, these furniture pieces are extremely functional on a patio. In spite of being fairly lightweight and easy to move about, solid cast aluminum chairs are sturdy enough to withstand the wind and weather to a large extent.

In contrast to wrought iron sets, cast aluminum patio furniture won’t rust. It is preferable to buy furniture with welded joints. If bolts are used, they should be stainless steel or aluminum. A solidly crafted aluminum chair, that is powder coated, will withstand years of weather extremes, and family fun.

Just make sure that you follow the maintenance instructions to the letter, or you may find that you have voided your warranty! Usually all your aluminum patio furniture asks for, is to be spruced up with a bit of water, to which a gentle detergent has been added. This if often followed by a light coating of car wax as a sealant.

The Telescope Sling Collection is an example of aluminum patio furniture, with styles to suit any patio design.

Wood patio furniture is a popular choice, because of the warm atmosphere it creates. Western Red Cedar is frequently used, because of its well-known weatherproof properties. As the wood isn’t prone to warping or cracking, it is highly usable outdoors.

Cedar is oil-rich, an important factor as far as wood preservation is concerned. It also has an inbuilt insect repellant! A Cedar set has a richness, which can be further enhanced with your choice of fabric for the patio furniture cushions.

Another category you may consider, is plastic and resin patio furniture, such as the Kettler Outdoor Furniture range. A wide variety of chairs, chaise lounge designs, and tables are available. Resin patio furniture is superbly suitable for outdoor use, because of its weather-resistant characteristics.

Resin has the ability to go with the flow, so to speak. It expands and contracts with changing weather conditions, and doesn’t fade. The Kettler range of patio furniture use a double-injection molding process, which adds to its quality and explains why these pieces have such a long life.

If your patio design guides you to choose a Sunbrella Awning, you have the perfect partner for your patio furniture. Sunbrella fabrics are well-tested for outdoor use. Creating a perfectly coordinated look is painless, with such a classy range to choose from.

Your patio furniture cushions, decked in Sunbrella’s fashionable fabrics, will be unlikely to fade or stain. Your patio is there to add to your quality of life, and to facilitate effortless entertaining. Every aspect of it should therefore be easy to maintain. By choosing Sunbrella fabrics, you choose carefree patio living.

Your extra living ‘room’, has to be comfortable and relaxing. Your choice of patio furniture is important enough to justify careful deliberation!



Modern Lighting Choices

John Stidolph asked:


There is nothing better or more relaxing after a hard day’s work than taking a tall, cool drink and heading out to the patio. Or during the summer time, there is nothing more classic than sitting outside enjoying the summer evenings. Therefore, the most important part of your patio would be a patio graced with teak patio furniture. If you desire to really enjoy patio life, you want your teak patio furniture selections to have as much thought put into them as your living room furniture. With that in mind, the first step, when choosing your seating, is to decide the type of material you want the patio furniture to be made out of.

There are many different types to choose from, but the most elegant is teak wood. Now, the next step is to choose the type of wood you’d like. Why not chose Teak? It is elegant, durable, and weathers well. Teak is a hardwood native to Asia. For patio furniture, nothing is better. It has its own inner radiance, is strong and the oils in it protect it from rapid decay and wood-eating bugs. In fact, Teak was once considered a royal wood. Having teak patio furniture will turn an ordinary patio into an outdoor living room fit for any kind of entertainment.

Teak patio furniture come in a variety of styles to suit any taste. Do you want a simple teak patio chair, a teak patio deep seating arrangement? How about a teak patio steamer chair that folds up and stores out of the way? They make them. How about taking a walk unto the deck of a cruise ship with teak patio lounge-style chairs? Do you prefer your teak patio furniture to have a warm, rich glow? Teak patio furniture can be oiled.

Teak patio furniture can also be varnished, or if you prefer the more natural look of wood, teak patio furniture pieces can have their own elegant weathered look. You don’t have to worry about not having your teak patio furniture oiled because teak is a durable hard wood that weathers with elegance. So no matter whether you are looking to make your patio and outdoor living room filled with elegance or some place to kick your feet up and be all natural, Teak patio furniture come in a style, and type that will suit your every need. Teak patio furniture is timeless, classic and never go out of style. Teak patio furniture will adapt to you and your changing lifestyle.



Wood Pellet Stoves

Michelle V asked:


My old patio is not doing it for me anymore. We are putting a door from the master bedroom to the patio and will need to have steps built so I figure this is the time. I now have an ugly painted concrete pation with a bad slope (towards the house) and would like a stamped concrete patio, but cannot figure out where I find someone to do this work.

Thank you for any help or further information. I am at a loss!
I live in Sonoma County, California. How much would I expect to pay for demolition and installation of a 500 square food stamped concrete patio?

Collectable Kitchen Plates

Bruce Lipski asked:


If you have a house or have just purchased a house, it probably comes with a patio. Most patios are nothing more than a simple slab of concrete and need some sprucing up to look nice. If you are lucky, you have room for a patio that you can make you own with a unique design choice.

Not all of us live in places where the weather is cooperative and some people choose to install an enclosed patio. This gives them the advantage of being able to use their patio year round and it also becomes another room in the house. Usually, a patio of this type is made out of a material that you can see out of and enjoy as an extension of the house.

If you are stuck with the normal “slab of concrete”, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make it look it’s best. Although you can’t change the concrete itself, you can change the area around it. Potted plants and flowers around the concrete will add life and much needed color. Bushes or small trees can be planted to give the patio area the feel that you are in a garden as opposed to just on a slab of concrete.

You might add a trail or path away from your patio into the garden to create the illusion that the patio is part of a bigger design. Think creatively when you look at the area surrounding your patio to think of ways you can connect the garden to your patio. Incorporating the garden “feel” into your patio design will connect the two and make them seem as one.

Another great way to upgrade your patio experience is to buy a freestanding fireplace table. These units serve as the centerpiece table and they have fire under them that is usually fueled by gas. This gives your patio an added touch of elegance and can extend the use of your patio into the cooler months. Outdoor heaters that you often see outside restaurants are another similar option.

The furniture you decide to use on your patio will be a determining factor in making your patio a special place. The furniture, if chosen carfully, will work with the surrounding elements to give your patio a comfortable feeling and a make it a place that is enjoyable to use. If you choose plain chairs and a table, no matter what you do to the surrounding area will make your patio special. Your patio furniture must work with the surroundings to give it the desired feel that you want.

Just because you have a small patio does not mean you can’t make it a great place to hang out. Be creative and treat your patio like another room in your house. If you do that, your patio will indeed become another room and it will be an enjoyable place to spend your summer evenings for years to come.



12 Volt Sump Pump