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While most decks use pressure-treated wood lumber for the understructure (posts, beams, joists, etc.), the decking can be a completely different material. The three most commonly used materials for decking are pressure-treated wood, wood-composite (a mixture of wood fibers and plastic), or an all-plastic decking made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Pressure-Treated Wood Decking The classic and still the most popular deck material, wood decking is usually pressure-treated softwood, such as hemlock, fir, or pine....

Let’s examine some of the key differences between nylon and polyester carpets. Durability One of the biggest considerations in any carpet purchase is over the carpet’s durability. Most consumers want a carpet that will stand up to daily wear and tear and still manage to look good for the next decade or so. Nylon carpet fiber is well-known as being very durable. It has long been considered to be the most durable synthetic carpet fiber available (although some would say that PTT triexta is now a worthy contender for this title)....

Sometimes a concrete slab is just too unstable or too badly damaged to make resurfacing possible. But when the problem is just superficial cracking, discoloring, or minor chipping or spalling, resurfacing is a very good option. It’s a project that just about anyone can tackle, and it’s a lot more affordable than replacing the concrete slab.Note, though, that resurfaced concrete likely won’t last as long as a brand new concrete surface, particularly outdoors in colder climates....

This vine has oblong, paired leaves. Leaves located at the upper ends of the vines are connected, creating the appearance of one leaf. Mature vines have papery, orange-brown bark that complements the orange-red flowers. This stunning plant is evergreen in warm climates, though in colder climates it is a perennial vine. When planting, it is best to do so in the spring or fall, as the summer heat will stress a new plant....

These plants aren’t high maintenance once you get their growing conditions right. Springtime is ideal for starting new plants, though you can typically pot nursery plants indoors any time of year. if you have cats or dogs, pass on this plant as dracaena is toxic to both. You can put corn plants outdoors during the summer if they are in a sheltered, somewhat shady location. Protect them against strong winds....

Every part of the plant can be used and they’re easy to grow. Best planted in early spring through late summer, dandelions will grow quickly, with seeds germinating in around 10 days. Dandelions can be added to your herb garden, or grown in a row in your vegetable garden. They can also be directly sown into containers for the ability to harvest closer to the kitchen. Dandelions are generally problem-free, for better or for worse....

For the easiest DIY room divider ideas, put your carpentry and drywall skills on the back burner. Instead, think along the lines of simple tools and easy-to-handle materials. For tools, staple guns, hot glue, hammers, and finish nails tend to be the norm. For materials, almost anything is fair game to create a divider: rope, license plates, plastic pipes, chicken wire, repurposed doors, pallet wood, vinyl records, metal, and more....

But there is a product that is simple to apply and that helps with both wallpaper application and removal: wallpaper primer. Wallpaper primer helps you hit that sweet spot where the wallpaper sticks well to the wall but not so firmly that removal will damage the surface. What Wallpaper Primer Does Wallpaper Installation Wallpaper primer fills pores in absorbent surfaces, creating a smoother surface for sliding the wallpaper into position....

These large plants can grow up to 6 feet tall and boast elongated, broad leaves. But it is the flower, or pseudo-flower, that is the star of the show. Similar to a peace lily in shape, the dragon lily produces a large, conical bract or spathe in a deep maroon or black-purple coloring that grows up to 2 feet long. Inside the spathe is a long, black appendage called the spadix that contains the actual inconspicuous, unisexual flowers....

Crown The crown is the very top of a bird’s head. On ducks, look for a solid color, iridescent sheen, or any mottling or striations. Also, check the shape of the crown, whether it is flatter or more peaked, and note how steeply the crown slopes down to the bird’s bill. Also, note if the bird has any crest. Bill A duck’s bill has a flattened, spatulate shape to help them filter food out of the water....

Announced on September 1, their 2023 Color of the Year, Rustic Greige, is an understated yet warm color that brings coziness into any room. “At the end of the day, people just want to be comfortable," says Ashley Banbury, senior color expert and interior designer at Dutch Boy Paints. “We know that’s a key element that people want in their home and that’s translating directly through color.” A Versatile, Foundational Shade Banbury notes that the 2023 color is incredibly versatile, making it appealing to a wide range of people with different decor styles....

Thanks to the sheer power of its machines, Dyson is a leading brand in the vacuum world. While many of the company’s models are highly rated, they also have expensive price tags to match, and this holds true for the Dyson V8 Absolute Cord-Free Vacuum, one of the brand’s cordless stick models. While cordless vacuums are typically lightweight and portable, they sometimes offer less suction and a limited runtime since they’re relying on a battery as opposed to an outlet....

How Hummingbirds Use Perches A perch is more than just a place for a bird to take a break, and hummingbirds use perches for a variety of different purposes, including: Sunning or preening Guarding territory and watching for intruders, including competing hummingbirds Hunting for flying insects Taking a break from nesting duties Warming up in the sun after a cool night or rain shower The most preferred perches are high to offer good, wide views, and they are in the open so the view is not obstructed by leaves or other branches....

Gas-powered mowers have long been the standard way to take care of your lawn, but there’s a new sheriff in town—and it’s battery-operated. We know that a perfectly-cut lawn is a precious thing and that you may be hesitant to switch to something new, so we put the EGO 56-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Mower to the test in our own backyard. Read on for our review of the mower’s design, performance, battery life, price, and competition....

The perfect towel can turn your bath and shower experience from a boring routine to spa-like luxury. The Everplush Diamond Jacquard Bath Towels are made with unique technology and double-layered construction that piqued my interest. I wanted to see if they were lightweight, absorbent, and plush all in one. Some people will use any old towel, while others have likes, dislikes, pet-peeves, or sensitive skin that can’t tolerate a tattered, 15-year-old towel....

Increasingly, the choice comes down to vinyl or some variation of fiberglass or fiberglass composite. How do these materials compare when used for window frames and which one is better overall? Vinyl Windows Vinyl windows are made from extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as the base material. They may include metal as an internal structural element to stiffen the frames. Vinyl windows first appeared in meaningful numbers in the early 1970s when consumers looked for energy-efficient alternatives during the energy crisis....

Filtration soil can also occur as black lines forming on your carpet along the walls, under doors, around air vents, or along the edges of your stairs. Read on to find out what causes filtration lines in carpet, how to clean carpet edges, and how to best remove those lines, if it’s possible. What Causes Black Lines Along the Edge of Your Carpet? Filtration soiling occurs as a result of air being forced into the room or space at a higher rate than it can escape from the same area through the ventilation system....

However, some landscaping and decorating choices are best avoided. Among them: anything highly personalized, valuable, potentially offensive, or associated with hoarding. Look at it this way: a front yard should be an entry garden that is pleasing, goes with the architectural style of a house, and uses plants that are native or indigenous to the region and are well maintained. The entry and front door should also be easy to access, unless you live in a gate-guarded home or community....

The Graco brand is nearly 100 years old, and since inventing the first airless paint sprayer in 1958, it has become synonymous with paint sprayers. We tested one of the brand’s middle-of-the-pack offerings, the Magnum X7 Electric TrueAirless Sprayer while rebuilding the deck on our Colorado home. Find out how this tool helped us finish the cedar decking and the pros and cons of using it versus doing it by hand....

The vine’s flowers are a pendant, hanging in large clusters of claw-shaped flowers in a remarkable turquoise color. Jade flowers are aggressive growers that, in their natural environment, easily swallow trees and supporting structures. With this kind of aggressive growth, they are better suited for greenhouses or conservatories. But if you can give a jade vine the room and growing conditions it needs, you will be rewarded with a magnificent specimen plant....