“Whether you’re creating a new master suite, refreshing a powder room, or building a new home, it’s an exciting time to contemplate a beautiful new space,” says Gray Uhl,-director of brand education for American Standard. “Shopping for fabulous new bathroom products is a highlight of the experience, but it can get a little overwhelming.”

Bathrooms continue to be a remodeling priority for many homeowners.

In a free e-book, “The How to Buy Guide for the Bathroom,” American Standard offers information on everything from how to get started to how to choose the toilet shape that’s right for your space and lifestyle. The guide says homeowners should begin by considering five key points:

1. Consider how you will use the space and allow it to guide your renovation plans. Do you want your bathroom to be a spa-like retreat for the masters of the house? Or is it more important that the room be able to handle more intense use from the whole family? Gather input from everyone who will use the room, and evaluate what’s already present that works – and what doesn’t.

2. Will you hire a professional or attempt to do the job yourself? While DIYers may save on labor costs, professional designers and licensed contractors may be better able to help you maximize your space and stay on budget. Ultimately, hiring professionals may save you time and money.

3. Measure – everything! Nothing’s worse than falling in love with a vanity or jetted tub only to find neither fits in the space you have for it. Before you begin shopping, determine how much space your bathroom has for key fixtures such as the sink, toilet, shower and furniture. And mentioning tubs – be sure the one you choose will fit through the bathroom door before you buy it.

4. Get educated before heading to the store or showroom. Compare products and prices and check out product reviews. Decide what materials to look for and identify how you want installations to be done.

5. Set a budget and establish priorities. A professional can help you best determine how to achieve your objectives within the framework of your budget. Remember to allow yourself a budget cushion in case surprises crop up during the process – and they almost always do.

For more ideas and information on shopping for bathroom renovation products, download the free e-book at www.americanstandard-us.com/promotions/ebook.

The post Bathroom remodeling: the first five things you must do first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

More homeowners are seeking function and efficiency from their outdoor living spaces, according to a recent survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Demand is growing to make outdoor spaces unique and usable year-round. Experts say one of the first ways to create this personal year-round oasis, is by bringing the indoors outside.

“A great outdoor space serves as an extension of your home,” says Dan Berger, expert landscape designer, HGTV.com contributor and owner of LandPlan Landscaping in Pleasanton, Calif. “When planned properly, your backyard can provide you extra square footage of living space and serve as an inviting retreat throughout the year.”
 
Berger offers some design hints to help turn your backyard living space into a multi-functional, multi-season oasis:

Define your Space with a Base
“You need to define your space based on function,” Berger says. “Once outside you need to feel cozy, enclosed within your new space while oriented to other rooms within your house and yard.”

You can start with an existing porch, deck or patio, or build new ones, to establish boundaries for your space. Consider how you will use it – for living, dining or entertaining – and include features that will make the space easy and efficient for those intended uses.

Use Natural Materials that Compliment the Outdoors
Eco-chic – materials that are environmentally friendly and beautiful – remains a hot outdoor living trend. “I always like to use natural materials as they just make me feel more connected to nature and more relaxed,” says Berger. Natural, organic, eco-friendly materials create a warm, inviting feel and are better for the environment.

Fortunately, some tried-and-true materials, like Western Red Cedar are spot-on with this trend. This versatile material holds a finish for an extended period of time or weathers beautifully naturally, making it a green choice for everything from decks to flower boxes and furniture. You can learn more about Western Red Cedar and locate a retailer or distributor in your area, by visiting www.wrcla.org.

Add Dimension
Pergolas, gazebos and trellises add height and dimension to your outdoor environment, and can enhance the feeling of privacy whether in an outdoor kitchen or entertainment space. Consider building outdoor walls to help achieve that feeling of privacy, coziness and orientation. Explore walls made of real wood, rock or fabric.

For extra detail and shade, drape a thin veil of papyrus or other vine over a pergola to create an intimate lounging area. Consider adding a tall plant in the corner or edge of the deck to balance the space and add height. During the holiday season, wrap tall plants with string lights to brighten the space. For more how to tips, visit “WRCLA’s Channel” on YouTube.

Simplify the Installation
Choose materials that are easy to install over alternative, composite building products.
Durable materials last longer by avoiding the damaging effects of mold and mildew, and can save you money long-term. They are also lighter than man-made products, making it easier to design and create an ideal space. Instead of spending the last days of summer fixing material that splits, breaks or crumbles, you’ll have more time to relax in your outdoor oasis.

Update Seasonally
As the seasons change, so should the look of your outdoor accessories and furnishings. Berger recommends decorating your outdoor rooms as you would inside. Add holiday decorations in the winter and pictures to your walls in the spring. From summer barbecues to enjoying fall colors or even gathering around the fire pit after the big football game, select accessories and furnishings that will facilitate year-round use.

“The most important thing to remember is to have fun,” Berger says. “Enjoy turning your plain backyard into the outdoor oasis of your dreams. Take your time and make choices that are right for you and your family, and you will enjoy the space for many years to come.”

The post Easy Ways to Create a Year-Round Oasis in your Backyard first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

I got a good start on building the raised beds by getting seven of them done. I’m using the same technique to build them that I detailed in an article I posted in April titled Raised Bed Gardening.

I also got a good start on building the cedar 2×4 and cattle panel fence and trellis sections. I spent a little extra time developing the techniques and processes for building these in a modular fashion while minimizing waste of my raw materials. Here is a look at the project as of today.

The structure, and method of building both a 36” high fence section, and a 6’ high trellis is the same.

What You Need
– 2” x 4” x 8’ cedar boards
– 50” x 16’ cattle panel fence sections
– Galvanized steel deck hanger brackets
– Table saw
– Bolt cutter
– Hammer
– Level
– Nails
– Deck screws

Determine the Desired Size
Determine the desired outside dimensions of the fence section to be built. I left 36” between each row of raised beds, and I wanted each fence section to be 36” high, with the bottom being 5 ½” off the ground. That resulted in each fence section between raised beds having an outside dimension of 36” long by 30 ½” tall. Each trellis was 6’ tall by 4’ wide.

Design Considerations
I decided to use the 2x4s on edge, with the wider side of each board being vertical. One of the most time consuming aspects of the build was my decision to use the table saw to cut a 1” deep by ¼” wide groove on the inside edge of each 2×4 into which the cattle panel fence piece would seat. You could always just use staples to nail the cattle panel fence section onto the 2×4 pieces, but I really liked the more finished look of my method.

I also used galvanized steel deck hanger brackets to support each horizontal 2×4. You could just toe-nail the horizontal piece to the vertical piece, but again, I liked the look of the bracket when used in conjunction with the galvanized steel cattle panel fence.

Here’s a look at a completed fence section:

Measure Twice, Cut Once
Cut two vertical supports to the desired height, 6’ for a trellis, and 3’ for a fence section. As the horizontal pieces will be mounted on the inside of the vertical supports, subtract 7 ¼”, the width of two 2x4s, from the total outside wide of the section to be built. For a trellis that will be 48″ wide, that results in a horizontal piece that needs to be cut to 40 ¾”. The horizontal fence pieces will be 36” long.

Cut the Groove and Assemble
Use the table saw to cut the groove into which the cattle panel fence section will seat. Nail the deck hangers to the vertical supports at the desired height. Use deck screws to mount the vertical pieces to the outside of a raised bed being sure to check for plumb and level.

Use the bolt cutters to cut a piece of the cattle panel fence that will fit in the grooves cut in the 2x4s and insert the piece into the grooves. Finally, fit the horizontal piece into the deck hanger while fitting the cattle panel fence section into the groove in the horizontal piece, check for level, and nail into place.

Get Creative
This modular method can be used in many applications. Make fence sections that can be mounted to 4×4 posts set into the ground for an attractive fence. Combine two vertical trellis sections with a smaller fence section mounted across the top and between the two for an arbor.

That’s where the project stands now, I’ll keep you posted.

The post Build a Fence or Trellis – “Court”-yard Garden Project first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

The Starting Point
A little sad to see the basketball court go away, but I think the finished product will go a long way towards providing a functional, and useful garden area

The project has several key features that I want to incorporate:

Raised Beds
My current garden has 10 (4’x 4’) raised beds in which I utilize the square foot gardening technique. For my family of four, this just barely produces enough produce to eat as it’s harvested. It does not yield anywhere near enough to can, or freeze for use over the winter months. I plan on having about 17 or 18 raised beds in the “Court”-Yard Garden, placed around the outside edge of the plan.

Incorporate Vertical Features
To avoid having a huge area with nothing but 6” high raised beds on it, I plan on incorporating several types of vertical features to add interest and help define the space. A 6’ tall by 4’ wide trellis, made of a cedar 2”x 4” frame with a cattle panel insert, will be attached to the outside edge of each raised bed to allow for vertical growing and to act as a barrier. Several arbors made of cedar and cattle panel will be placed between beds and over walkways for growing grapes.

Enclose the Area
As my dog views running through a raised bed full of vegetables the same way he views running through the grass, the entire area needs to be enclosed to keep him out. The area between each trellis will be fitted with a fence section. These 4’ high sections will be also be made of the same cedar 2” x 4” frames with cattle panel inserts.

Seating Area
Incorporate a seating area, with a Pergola, in the center of the area to give the feel of an outdoor room. Include some industrial string lights in this area to add night time ambiance.

Structures
Leave space on the plan to add a greenhouse, a chicken coop, and a chicken pen at a future date. I’ve never raised chickens before but would like to start in the next few years.

The Plan
Here is a rough sketch of the master plan for my “Court”-Yard Garden. I’ll be working on this project over the next few months and will have regular posts on the progress, along with specific how-to tips on the various elements of the plan.

I guess I’ve got my work cut out for me but I’m looking forward to getting started. I’ll keep you posted.

The post The "Court"-Yard Garden Project first appeared on The How Do Gardener.