Posted on: February 11, 2009

Into the Great Wide Open

Rediscover your outdoor space through DIY projects – and fall in love with your backyard, front porch and garden all over again

By Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features

As snow begins to melt and birds invite us into our backyards, we see the outside of our homes in a new light – and it’s not always a pretty one. From worn walkways to limp lighting, peeling paint to pathetic planters, there's lots of work to do. But little money to do it with. Hiring a handyman can be out of the question for many of us.

Enter the increasingly popular do-it-yourself project.

Many magazines and associations offer instructional articles and videos on everything from tile work to installing windows and doors. But how do you choose the right project for you and your home?

If you are a beginner, you may want to start small and build up your skills. If DIY is old hat for you, remember that new ideas and tips are always popping up to help your projects go as smoothly as possible. But regardless of skill level, you can avoid mistakes by doing your research. For now, consider this your first DIY research assignment. Read on:

Light Up Your Life

“Some of the best ‘bang-for-your-buck’ improvements for outdoor spaces are also some of the most approachable,” says Justin Fink, associate editor of Newtown, Conn.-based “Fine Homebuilding” magazine.

“A project that has become more accessible in the last few years is installing low-voltage landscape lighting. The 12-volt fixtures are safer for homeowners to work with, and are easily adaptable as the landscape matures or changes.” Consider lighting the walkway that runs from your sidewalk to your front door or other ideas.

“It’s low-voltage lighting, so you're not working with a very dangerous electrical situation,” says Brian Pontolilo, managing editor, “Fine Homebuilding” magazine. “You can run a wire through a small trench and just plug it in. And often you can buy everything you need in one kit. A very affordable project. It's a nice way to add to your home's appearance.”

Walk This Way

Laying a flagstone walkway is another easy outdoor project, though you should be careful how you do it.

“If you scrape up that grass and lay the flagstone on dirt, that walkway is gonna be a mess in a couple of years,” Pontolilo says. “However, if you do your research and learn how to build an appropriate base for your climate, such as tamped stone dust, then you could lay a walkway that would last 10 or 15 years.”

Plant Away

Bruce Hartman, a Sylmar, Calif., construction expert who builds luxury homes, says you don't have to spend a fortune to make some green. He suggests creating redwood planters to grow your vegetables or herbs outside. Start with two 8-foot long 2"-by-12" redwood planks. Cut them in half, then nail together the planks to make a 4"-by-4" foot box. If you want to place the box on concrete, line the bottom with plastic, poke holes in it for drainage and put in potting soil.

“It’s very simple, easy to walk around and access all of the plants,” Hartman says. “And it's 12 inches off the ground, so people with bad backs can reach it better.”

Save it For A Rainy Day

As publisher of “SmartHomeOwner” magazine, Tony Napolitano keeps his ears open for ideas that are not only good for your home, but good for the environment.

“You don’t have to have a completely green home to make a difference,” Napolitano says. “I think there a lot of incremental opportunities.” One of these, he says, is a rainwater catchment system. By placing a rain barrel beneath the drop spouts, you can catch and collect the rainwater that falls from the gutters on your roof. Drip irrigation hoses run from the barrel through your garden, cutting down on your water bill.

“Depending on the size of the barrel and the amount of rainfall, a rain barrel can save up to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months and can provide enough water to water about a 220 square foot of garden,” says Anca Novacovici, president of Eco-Coach, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based consulting company. Rain barrels start around $70 and can run upwards of $200. Complete kits, including the hoses, can be found in local hardware stores. “Be sure to choose one that is made of recycled or environmentally friendly material,” Novacovici says.

Get All Decked Out

“Another great way to make your outdoor space stand out from the crowd is by trading traditional deck railings for more creative custom designs,” Fink says. “By varying the material dimensions and/or spacing while still meeting code requirements, the railings can offer a chance to really show off. Also, the wide variety of synthetic decking planks creates a great opportunity for beginners to swap worn pressure-treated planks with longer-lasting replacements.”

Synthetic decking materials are made by dozens of different manufacturers, offering a variety of colors, styles and textures that are maintenance free and available at many local distributors.

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