Match the tape to the surface, then match the protection to the mess. Green and blue tapes handle most walls, delicate-surface tape is for fresh paint and wallpaper, and rough-surface tape is for stucco and brick. For floors and furniture,...

Pick the rock size for the job, then size the order with one rule: one cubic foot of rock covers about 4 sq. ft. at a 3 in. depth, or about 6 sq. ft. at 2 in. Fine gravel suits...

Choose the board edge first, because it decides everything else: grooved-edge composite boards install with hidden clips and leave a screw-free surface, while square-edge boards are face-fastened with composite-rated screws and are the right choice for stair treads, perimeter boards...

A framed wall is a bottom plate, a row of studs, a double top plate and headers over every opening, with blocking and connectors added where the plans call for them. For a typical interior or non-structural exterior wall, studs...

A code-compliant Los Angeles deck comes down to five material layers, built in order: concrete footings, posts and post bases, a joist-and-beam frame tied together with the right connectors, decking boards, and the fasteners that hold the surface down. Get...

For most deck, fence and patio-cover posts in Los Angeles, the right combination is an adjustable standoff post base anchoring the bottom of the post to concrete, a matching column cap connecting the top of the post to the beam,...

Acrylic sealers give a driveway a wet-look shine and the easiest DIY application, penetrating (silane/siloxane) sealers soak in invisibly and let the slab breathe, and epoxy coatings build a thick, chemical-resistant film that's built for a garage floor rather than...

For twenty years the answer to "how do I hang this ledger" was a lag screw, a socket and a pilot hole. Heavy Torx-drive construction screws have taken over a lot of that work because they drive faster, split less...