5 Ideas to Revamp Your Landscaping This Spring

Few things make as big of a difference on your home’s exterior as your landscaping. Whether it’s your front or back yard, your landscape design helps improve your home’s curb appeal, makes your home a more enjoyable place to be, and is a great opportunity to get creative. In need of some landscape design inspiration? Here are a few ways to give your landscape a new look this spring.

Ornamental Grasses

Whether they’re used in small amounts, such as in planters placed throughout your yard, or grouped together in large bunches, ornamental grasses can make a very dramatic impact on your landscape design. Ornamental grasses tend to be pretty low maintenance and there’s a multitude of ways you can use it around the yard. Some types of taller grasses, like reed or switch grass, can be planted together to help add privacy to your yard. Many people like using ornamental grasses to define borders of walkways or flowerbeds. They can be planted in flowerbeds to add dimension or serve as an accent. Or you could try planting some in individual pots to arrange on your deck or patio. Let your imagination run wild!

Water Features

Whether it’s something small and simple like an urn or something bigger like a water wall, water features have become one of the most popular landscaping features over the past few years. Not only do they add visual interest to your yard, the sound of the water can also be very relaxing to listen to. Since they use recirculated water, water features aren’t as high maintenance as swimming pools are. And since they come in so many different styles, it’s easy to find an option that works for your yard and your budget. Take a look at this guide to water features by Houzz to get some inspiration.

Lighting

Help your landscaping stand out after the sun has gone down by adding exterior lighting. Lampposts and wall-mounted lights are excellent choices, but smaller lights can be placed in flowerbeds to bring attention to your plants and flowers or to line walkways. In addition to helping bring attention to your yard, they help you and your visitors stay safe by preventing trips and falls.

Planters

If you don’t have much room to plant flowers and other plants, that doesn’t mean you’re out of options for landscaping. Large planters full of flowers or plants look great when placed on decks and patios. They also look great when placed amongst things that have been planted in the ground. While there are many different styles of pots and other planters which can be found at garden supply stores, you can also think outside the box by using things like old wooden pallets to make a planter, or find a unique vintage planter at a flea market.

Native Plants

Trying to plan which types of plants and flowers you want to have in your yard? Consider using plants that are native to your area. Not only do native plants look great, they require less time, effort, and money to care for than non-native plants. According to one study cited by HouseLogic, it costs $3,000 to maintain one acre of native plants for 20 years but $20,000 to maintain an acre of non-native plants for the same amount of time.

Why Vinyl Windows Hold Up Against the Competition

Replacing windows isn’t a home improvement project homeowners deal with very frequently. When the time comes to replace them, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the options out there. Vinyl replacement windows are one of the most popular types of windows on the market, but what makes them such a popular choice?

Affordability

By far, one of the biggest advantages vinyl windows have to offer is their price. Vinyl replacement windows are much more budget friendly than wood or fiberglass windows, but you still receive a very high quality product that can last for decades.

Low Maintenance

The amount of time you need to spend taking care of your windows all comes down to which type of windows you choose get. Vinyl windows require very little effort to care for. You will never need to paint vinyl windows and they can easily be cleaned with ordinary soap and water. Wood windows, on the other hand, are not only considerably more expensive, they need a lot more upkeep. Since they’re made of wood, they need to be painted or stained regularly to protect them from the elements. Painting and staining windows is very time consuming and can be very frustrating. Since vinyl windows won’t be damaged by water the way wood windows can be, you also won’t have to worry about things like wood rot.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is another major reason why so many people choose vinyl replacement windows. Living a more eco-friendly lifestyle is a big priority for a lot of people and replacing your windows is a way to help reduce your home’s heating and cooling bills. Vinyl does not conduct heat, so it’s a much better insulator than aluminum windows. According to Energy.gov, replacing your existing windows with Energy Star certified windows can help you save between 7% and 15% on your home’s annual energy bills.

Versatility

Vinyl windows are extremely versatile. They’re available in many different styles, from double hung windows to casement, bay, and picture windows. Vinyl windows can also be made to fit more unusual shapes of windows, like circles, half-circles, and more. You’ll also have plenty of options to choose from as far as color goes, so it’s very easy to find something which compliments your home’s exterior. They can even come with a faux wood finish to emulate the look of wood windows.

Long Lifespan

High quality vinyl windows can easily last for decades. While many different factors contribute to the lifespan of a window, vinyl windows typically last for an average of 20 to 40 years. With a lifespan like that, along with the other benefits like low maintenance and their affordability, it’s easy to see why vinyl windows are such a popular choice with homeowners.

5 Ways to Cut Down on Home Maintenance

While there’s a great deal of pride and satisfaction that comes along with owning your very own home, there’s no denying that it can be extremely frustrating, too. Nobody wants to deal with the expensive repairs that always seem to come up when it’s least convenient and taking care of your home can require a lot of time and energy. While it’s impossible to completely avoid dealing with repairs, there are some ways to cut down on the amount of time you spend maintaining your home. In fact, if there’s a component of your home that’s due for replacement, why not look for a low-maintenance alternative? Here are just a few options that could help cut down on the amount of time you spend working on home maintenance.

Flooring

Few parts of your home get as much wear and tear as your floors do. If low maintenance is what you want, carpeting is definitely something to avoid. And while hardwood floors can look very beautiful, you may prefer to shop around for an alternative that resists moisture, scratching, and never needs to be refinished. Laminate and engineered wood both closely mimic the look of real wood and not only do they require less attention, they’re also more affordable. Concrete, stone, linoleum, ceramic tile, and vinyl are other types of flooring materials that are durable and don’t require a lot of upkeep.

Windows

Since windows are constantly being exposed to the elements, it’s important to look for a type of window that can withstand a lot without needing much upkeep. Wood windows regularly need to be sanded and painted or stained to protect the wood from being damaged by the elements. Vinyl replacement windows, on the other hand, never need to be painted, won’t be damaged by exposure to moisture, and require very little maintenance otherwise.

Roof

A well maintained roof can protect your home for decades, but if the time has come to replace your roof, why not consider a metal roof? Metal roofs are extremely durable and have an average life expectancy of 50 years, which is great if you live in an area where you can get a lot of storms and severe weather. Plus, you won’t have to worry about shingles coming loose or cracking and you won’t have to deal with finding those granules in your gutters and on the ground along the edge of your house.

Siding

Siding is another thing that homeowners don’t have to deal with replacing very often, but if the time has come to replace it, why not look for a low-maintenance option? Vinyl siding is affordable, never needs to be painted, and modern vinyl siding is designed to resist fading over time. Fiber-cement siding is more expensive than vinyl siding, but is also very durable, doesn’t fade easily, and isn’t prone to the types of problems that wood siding is. While vinyl siding can’t be painted, fiber-cement can be painted if you choose to do so.

Kitchen Counters

Kitchens are easily one of the most heavily used areas of any home and counter tops in particular can get a lot of abuse. If you don’t want to have to deal with scratches and stains, consider quartz, other types of engineered stone, stainless steel, or concrete counter tops. If you’re on a budget, you might be surprised by how durable and stain resistant modern laminate counter tops can be.

5 Important Things to Consider Before Getting a Pool

With summer just around the corner, many people are already thinking ahead to the things they can do to enjoy the warmer weather. While some people like to travel and others like to get out and ride their bikes, others love the idea of spending hot summer days by the pool. If you’re an avid swimmer, having a pool of your own probably sounds like an absolute dream. But having a pool installed at home can be very expensive and requires a lot of upkeep. If you’re thinking of adding a pool to your property, here are a few very important things you should think about first.

Budget

It’s no secret that pools can be very expensive. Many different factors play into the total cost of a pool, but before you get too far into planning the pool of your dreams, it’s best to figure out exactly how much you can afford to spend. Once you know your budget, you’ll have a better idea of what your options are. You don’t want to get your heart set on an in-ground pool when your budget only allows for an above-ground pool. And don’t forget to plan for the costs beyond having the pool built! Pools require a lot of ongoing maintenance and repairs, so you’ll need to get an idea of how much you can expect those to be. Don’t forget the cost of any pool-related accessories you might want to have!

Why You Want a Pool

This may seem like an obvious point to make, but many homeowners don’t stop to think about what exactly it is they want to get out of their pool. It’s very important to think about this because it will help you better plan your design. For example, are you planning to use your pool more for exercise or more for recreation? If you want to be able to swim laps for exercise every day, a rectangular pool would be a better choice for you. But if you just want to be able to have fun with your family, you can get more creative about what shape your pool is.

Local Zoning Rules

Before you get too caught up in the planning process, check with your city to see if there are any particular zoning rules about pools on residential properties you need to be aware of. Local zoning regulations can potentially make a big impact on your pool’s design. Depending on what your city’s rules are, you might have to deal with restrictions like how closely pools can be placed to your property line, requirements for fences around a pool, or how deep pools can be.

Insurance and Safety Measures

While pools can be very fun, they can also be very dangerous if proper precautions aren’t taken. You’ll need to let your homeowner’s insurance provider know that you’re adding a pool to your property, which could mean higher premiums, so that’s another cost you’ll need to plan for. Protective fences are very often mandatory. If you have young kids, you may want to consider other safety measures like water alarms and covers for extra protection.

Location

Before you start work on having a pool constructed in your yard, outline exactly how large it will be and where it will be placed. Leave that outline in place for a couple of days. This will help give you a better idea of the kind of impact the pool will have in your yard. Maybe you thought your pool would be a comfortable size, but once you really see how much space it would occupy in your yard, you may want to reconsider your plans. Also, be sure to look for other factors that could impact how much enjoyment you get out of your pool, like overhanging trees that could force you to spend a lot of time skimming leaves out of the water.