Build a beautiful custom patio or walkway with the step-by-step, photo-illustrated guidance of BLACK+DECKER The Complete Guide to Patios – 3rd Edition. A patio is the hub and heart of any yard. It’s the hard, flat, well-drained surface where you can comfortably enjoy the sunshine, feel a cool breeze, relax with a cold beverage, or hang around the barbecue with your friends and family. Luckily, patios are relatively easy to design and install yourself, and don’t require a lot of expensive tools and complicated techniques. BLACK+DECKER The Complete Guide to Patios – 3rd Edition guides the way with easy-to-follow instructions to plan and complete virtually any patio or walkway undertaking you can think of. An extensive materials and design section helps you wrap your head around all the upfront planning, and the 30+ patio, walkway, and landscape projects are illustrated with detailed photographs to guide your progress. From flagstone to interlocking pavers or plain gravel, all options are covered, as well as design tips, excavation advice, how to install a subbase, and how to install the most popular surfacing products. You’ll also find a substantial section on earth-friendly patios that make use of recycled materials and keep water runoff to a minimum, conserving resources and removing pressure from our water-treatment facilities. Discover how to create captivating: Patio and edging projects using sandset brick, cobblestone pavers, mortared flagstones, tiled concrete, and more Earth-friendly patios using recycled plastic pavers, recycled rubber chips, composite permeable pavers, subsurface grids, and more Walkways and steps using sandset brick, concrete, flagstones, gravel, timber, and more Patio rooms and amenities such as an under-deck patio, patio enclosure, screened patio room, and patio kitchen Create the perfect patio for your needs with BLACK+DECKER The Complete Guide to Patios – 3rd Edition and you will truly understand how much enjoyment these humble structures have to give.

Complete Guide to Bathrooms (Black and Decker) brings you design advice, how-to instructions, and all the facts you need to achieve the bathroom of your dreams.

Provides step-by-step instructions for a number of tile projects from preparation to sealing, along with information on choosing tools and materials.

Tells the serious do-it-yourselfer everything he or she needs to know to complete a pro-level bathroom remodel, from planning the renovation, choosing materials and fixtures to putting in the finishing touches.

DIVThe Complete Guide to Roofing & Siding covers all traditional materials, from wood lap siding, brick, concrete block, stucco, stone veneer, and wooden shakes to vinyl, raised-ridge metal roofing, and fiber/cement lap siding. Less traditional roof-covering materials, such as EPDM rubber, architectural shingles, and fully bonded selvage edge and metal shingles are also featured with clear how-to photos and instructions. In addition to complete installation information, the book includes comprehensive methods for repairing problems with existing surfaces, as well as routine finishing and refinishing information./div

Love all of your masonry and concrete projects--knowing that you did them yourself!--with help from our experts. No projects offer more aesthetic or financial satisfaction than DIY concrete and masonry projects. Homeowners can routinely save thousands of dollars in labor costs by buying and installing materials that are readily available. This updated 4th edition of Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Concrete & Masonry includes traditional techniques for laying concrete, adapted to make them easy for ordinary homeowners, and also features completely modern materials and techniques, such as tumbled concrete pavers, acid-etching for colored concrete slabs, and important green paving options, such as rain-garden arroyos and permeable pavers. Several cutting-edge projects, like polished concrete countertops and stamped concrete walkways, are included in this book. An exposed aggregate patio, a reinforced concrete block wall, and the latest tools and materials for handling new products are featured. A completely new section on foundation walls shows you all the options, including the latest structural insulated panels, that are now more DIY friendly than ever. No homeowner or do-it-yourselfer will want to miss this chance to master the best methods to create lasting beauty around the house.

Better maintenance means more enjoyment of your pool or spa. Black & Decker The Complete Guide Maintain Your Pool & Spa will both inspire and educate readers on the practical points of owning and maintaining a home swimming pool, hot tub, or recreational whirlpool. For those considering a recreational water feature, an exciting gallery chapter and a planning/design chapter will show the latest trends and products, and unique new ways to integrate a pool or spa into the landscape. The book also includes an overview of each type of structure, including above-ground and in-ground swimming pools, stand-alone whirlpools, integrated pool/spa installations, and pool houses and accessories. For readers who already own a pool or spa, lengthy, detailed chapters on basic maintenance, water quality, seasonal upkeep, and routine repairs provide everything needed to keep water features in good operating condition. Even the mechanical systems - pumps, heaters, drains and skimmers - are covered in depth. With this book, no pool or spa owner will need to spend money on a professional pool-care service, and may never need to call a repairman.