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.

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!

I rebuilt my back deck about three years ago, doubling it in size, pouring new footings, enlarging and reinforcing the support structure, adding a steel roof, and making provisions for a future screening job. At the conclusion of the work, I coated the wooden parts with what I thought was a high-quality finish in order to repel water and maintain the color.

Instead of lasting for the better part of the five year warranty, it made it about a year and, although it never evidenced failure by peeling, checking, or overt color loss, it just kind of went down hill. The consequence is that it's been sitting there for the past two years, baking in the north Georgia sun, while I was otherwise occupied.

Take a look at the gallery to see what I did to rehab the deck and, after the jump, press ahead for the details. Thanks to my DIY LIfe colleague, Kelly Smith, for other information on refinishing a deck.

On our list for this spring is the deck. As you can see from the before picture, the railings are not up to code (and look a lot like a ladder to our three-year-old) and the wood floor is splintering. We figure that the frame is still pretty solid, so we will just replace the floor and the railings ourselves.

This is a pretty easy job, and maybe fodder for a future post, but our real goal is to make our outdoor living space attractive and inviting. Once the floor and railings are in, the fun begins.

I envision a new dining set with a colorful umbrella over the table, some comfy chairs and benches, and even an outdoor rug. Add some lighting over the grill, lots of flowering plants and my dream deck is complete. In my mind.

Arrange-a-Deck is a tool offered by Better Homes and Gardens that you can use to envision your dream deck on paper (a free membership to the site is required). It offers choices for flooring color, shape of deck and all the fun extras like seating and plants.

If you are having trouble deciding how to arrange your deck or what extras might enhance the look and functionality of your deck, this tool works great.

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!

Depending on where you live, it may be time to set up your outdoor furniture and enjoy the changing season from your deck or patio. If you're responsible and motivated, you probably cleaned all your furniture before packing it away. If you're like me, you ran out in the rain and quickly moved things to the shed, intending to go back and put them away properly, but never actually did it.

You organized folk will have an easier time getting your furniture ready this year, but I'm not entirely out of luck either. How to clean outdoor furniture is a great resource with cleaning tips for all types of outdoor furniture. Here are all the materials that can be cleaned using these instructions:

1. Aluminum
2. Cushions
3. Hammocks
4. Cast and formed iron
5. Resin plastic
6. Sun shades and patio umbrellas
7. Wood

Our umbrella is in terrible condition. Follow me through the break and I'll share their advice on bringing it back to life.