DIY Life

It's time to put those patio chairs back into storage, but first --- why not re-web those few chairs that are in major need of some TLC? Shelterrific shows us how to re-web your chair using basic screws:

1. Measure and cut the length of the strip that you'll need.
2. Take the cut edge of the strip and fold each side in to form this lovely pointy end. Turn the strip over and insert the screw directly through this point so it holds the flaps together.
3. Screw into the hole on the chair. Weave the strip through existing webbing and repeat the folded point on the other side, securing with screw through the hole on that end.
4. Remember to factor in the bit of extra length you'll need for the chair to open and close fully.

Sure, it takes a bit of hard work, but you'll be glad you did it next spring when you remove immaculately-woven chairs from storage.

I'm planning a backyard bbq baby shower (say that three times fast!), which means one thing -- I need to kick my grill into high gear, and FAST! Our DIY reel this week arrived just in time with Eric Stromer sharing his Trade Secrets on cleaning and caring for an outdoor grill.

Best tip, hands down? Keep your grill covered to avoid summertime rust, cobwebs and other gross things that you don't want crawling around your food when it's time to cook out. In addition, be sure to frequently check the propane tank, firebox, and grates. If you have heavy rust or orange hues to any, chances are they'll need to be replaced. After all, you wouldn't cook on a rusty stove, so be sure you don't cook on a rusty grill.

And while we've got grills on the brain, have you seen this cutie grill from Traeger? Ha! Cute enough to make me switch to vegan bacon... forever.

Here's to outdoor bbq fun!

Now that summer is here, most of us long to be outside enjoying the weather before the cold winter forces us to once again retreat into our homes. Since the downturn in the economy many people are now entertaining at home. And where people were once putting additions onto their houses, more and more people are rethinking the way they are using their current space.

One of these spaces is the backyard. No longer relegated to just children's toys and overgrown grass, the backyard is being reclaimed as an extension of the interior of the home. There is a growing trend of moving the indoors outside and creating living spaces such as family rooms and dining rooms in the backyard.

To create your own outdoor living space, read on.

By Maureen Carter

It's summer and kids get bored. They want new things to play with and new things to do. Hey! How about playing in the sand. If you live in a landlocked state as I do, sand may be hard to find. So, why not make a sandbox?

Little woolgatherings has an awesome photo tutorial on how to make a sandbox in two hours or less. That means that in two hours your kids will have a new place to play and can quit saying "I'm bored!" for maybe two hours after that.

This look amazingly easy and fast especially if you are the DIY construction type. All you need are a few boards, tarps and sand. Check it out and make your kids an awesome new sandbox to keep them busy for a few extra hours this summer.

By Maggie Vink

With skyrocketing gas prices, and the subsequently rising costs of food and what seems like everything else, most people just don't have quite as much room in their budget for vacations as they used to.

It's no surprise that staycation seems to be a major buzzword this year. This summer, my son and I are sticking quite close to home. If you ask my son, his favorite "vacations" of this summer may be the camping trips we've had in our own backyard.

I know it sounds silly, but there's something about setting up the tent and bringing out all the gear that's just thrilling for a kid. Even if the scenery is the same thing you see every day, somehow it looks new through the mesh window of a tent.

With a little creativity, you can make this no-cost activity actually feel like a vacation. Just think of the things you would do if you were camping away from home, then recreate the experience as much as possible. I'll share some ideas after the break.

With the high price of gasoline, we're all looking for ways to stay home, rather than loading up the car with the kids and heading off to have some summer fun elsewhere. One solution kills two birds with one stone: building a deck will give you a place to hang out and entertain, and add equity to your home.

Of course it's no secret that DIY deck building takes some careful planning, some tools that you probably already have, and lots of elbow grease. What you might not know is the construction details and tricks that the pros use. Read on and you'll be an expert!

With skyrocketing gas prices, and the subsequently rising costs of food and what seems like everything else, most people just don't have quite as much room in their budget for vacations as they used to.

It's no surprise that staycation seems to be a major buzzword this year. This summer, my son and I are sticking quite close to home. If you ask my son, his favorite "vacations" of this summer may be the camping trips we've had in our own backyard.

I know it sounds silly, but there's something about setting up the tent and bringing out all the gear that's just thrilling for a kid. Even if the scenery is the same thing you see every day, somehow it looks new through the mesh window of a tent.

With a little creativity, you can make this no-cost activity actually feel like a vacation. Just think of the things you would do if you were camping away from home, then recreate the experience as much as possible. I'll share some ideas after the break.

When I was a kid, many of my friends had slides going right into their pools. Cool. Not quite as cool as a water park, but it did the trick. Can you replicate the water park experience at home?

Homemade water slides are great fun... big fun... huge fun... if they're done right. I should probably write a Don't-it-yourself post on the contraption I have rigged in my backyard right now: a Little Tikes climber with the slide going right into my son's kiddie pool. Yes, it is wobbly and completely unsafe. Don't try this one at home, folks.

Instead, try making this water slide (reminds me of the old Slip 'N Slide from my childhood) from a piece of 4-ply plastic and a sprinkler. Stake it down every 4-5 feet so the plastic is stable, and send the kids whooshing. Rather than just hitting a patch of lawn at the bottom, you could always set up a trap to make a small "watering hole."

Summer vacation keeps rolling along. How long until your kids go back to school? Are they spending too much time lounging on the couch? Here are a bunch of summer projects to trick your kids away from their air-conditioned sanctuary and out into the great outdoors of, er, your backyard.

Okay, okay. So the backyard is not the great outdoors. True. But the main thing is to get the kiddos out in the fresh air, learning about nature, and learning about the noble pursuit of maintaining a garden.

Getting their hands dirty
1. Ask them to help with the weeding. Pay them a small amount of pocket money for their time.

We are finally at the end of our five part project: the transformation of a backyard into a very nice landscape.

This part covers the construction of a very cool little water feature. The initial design did not envision a pond, but there was a highly suitable area just off the deck patio, and it really called for something that wasn't a plant or a brick. Voila!... a water feature, with the splash of a waterfall that is amazingly efficient in helping to mask the background sounds of the neighborhood.

If you've kept up with the project thus far, here, here, here, and here, you know the story of the construction. This part wrapped up our efforts, and we could begin to enjoy the finished work.

The gallery will give you the inside story on the construction of the water feature; after the jump, we'll go over the details.

This is Part IV of the five part series (getting close to the end!) of a backyard transformation at the home belonging to my son and his wife. You may see the first three parts, here, here, and here. They covered the initial stages of design layout, prep, and paver installation.

Because the paver work was the biggest part of the project, we want to back up just a bit and look at the detail involved in the installation. It'll be helpful, especially if this is your first experience in laying pavers. Check out the gallery for some good information and we'll get started.

This is Part I of a five part series detailing the rehabilitation of a "plain Jane" back yard into a really nice landscape. My son and his wife live in a cool little town adjacent to West Palm Beach, Florida. Their home is somewhat akin to a "shotgun" style, with a similarly shaped back yard.

Over the course of a week, I helped my son with the latter stages of the plan that he and his wife had begun to implement shortly after they moved into their home. The back yard is now a very welcoming part of their home, complete with paver patios and walkways, a water feature, new sod and plantings, and provisions for the future expansion of irrigation and landscape lighting.

For all things neat about your yard, don't miss Diane Rixon's Avant Yard, here on DIY Life. Additionally, if you want to consider something other than pavers, take a minute and look at my feature on some of the options.

Check out the gallery for the process involved in the initial stages of the construction and, after the jump, we'll get into the fun stuff.

Ahh, it's getting to be that time of year again. Time to put away the sweaters and air out the t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops. Well, I guess that depends on where you live. But if the spring flowers haven't caught up to you yet, never fear, they soon will.

With that nice weather comes the opportunity for hanging outside with friends and family. Barbecue, swimming pool, entertaining, gossiping about that weird couple down the street; the possibilities are endless. To get ready for all this carefree frivolity, it's time to protect your investment by refinishing your deck.

Your deck, like you, will age

Since the deck lives outdoors, it's going to age and change appearance (graying) because of the sun's ultraviolet rays (UV). The general effect here is the breakdown of the wooden surface fibers and lignin.

• For the curious – Lignin: A complex polymer, the chief noncarbohydrate constituent of wood, that binds to cellulose fibers and hardens and strengthens the cell walls of plants. OK!

If you're a homeowner with a backyard, you most likely have a fence of some kind. Those fences serve to divide properly lines, keep dogs and kids in check and provide privacy for those backyard parties and barbecues. That is, unless yours is on the verge of collapse.

Ever thought of erecting a new fence to replace an old, decrepit one -- or just installing a fence where none exists? For wooden, stockade-type fences, the pre-built sections can be had pretty cheap from many hardware superstores and fence companies. To install the vertical fence posts and get everything put up right, though, takes some elbow grease and careful measurement and planning.