Do you love the look of cedar shakes or shingles? So many people like the way rustic cedar roofs look, but they shy away from them because they don't know a lot about them and are nervous at the prospect of relying on wood to protect the top of their home. But if you're interested in the look of cedar, it's worth your while to learn a bit more about it.

Rocks are a natural foundation for pretty gardens. Attractive rocks ground the look of your landscaping, giving the plants a foil to further showcase their beauty. Likewise, rock gardens can create a rugged profile for your gardening. Plan a rock garden that adds color and texture to your yard. Layered Texture A textured rock garden offers the most visual interest. For a textured rock garden, start with one or two big rocks that feature flecks of minerals or other patterning.

Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer around the home or you're eager to learn about household projects and handle them yourself to save money, it's important to give ample respect to your home's electrical system. The current passing throughout your home at all times is enough to seriously harm you and even cause a fire in your home. As such, it's important to avoid attempting any electrical-related jobs on your own. A safer strategy, upon noticing something that appears to be incorrect, is to call a licensed electrician in your community who can visit your home, assess the nature of the problem and fix it properly.

Hydrostatic pressure on the outside of the foundation of your house can cause your basement walls to bow inward. The pressure is caused by water building up in dirt outside the foundation and not properly draining away after rain storms and snow melts. Eventually, enough water builds up on the outside of the foundation to the point where the weight of the water pressing against the foundation moves the wall inward.

Few pleasures are as satisfying as sitting in your home in front of a fireplace. The warmth and ambiance that it produces makes it the ultimate place to relax on a cold night. Make sure you keep your fireplace safe and ready for an evening fire with these tips. 1. Burn only hardwoods in the fireplace. Hardwoods such as maple, birch and oak burn much hotter than softer woods such as pine.

An increasing number of adults -- 10 million of whom are over the age of 50 themselves -- are caring for aging parents and grandparents these days. It can be hard emotionally, physically and financially. One way to help alleviate the difficulties is for the parent to move in with the children's family. But this can create a whole other set of problems caused by being too close together: lack of privacy, friction, loss of independence, etc.

If you live in an older house and are having trouble with your water, it might be due to the fresh water supply pipes in your house. Plumbing pipes last for years, but they do not last forever. Over time, they can get clogged, and this can lead to problems. If you are having any problems with your water supply, you may want to consider hiring a plumber to replace all the fresh water pipes in your home.

If you are a single parent and just moved into your first home, there are things you need to learn to do on your own. One important thing you may not think about is the garage door. Below are two things you should take time to look into. Prevent burglars from entering If the garage is attached to your house, you need to know how to keep burglars out. One easy way you can do this is to put frosting on your windows.

If you've got drapes to hang, but you're tired of the old stand-by curtain rods, it may free your creative side to hear that you don't have to stick to the status quo when it comes to your home decor. There are many unique ways to hang draperies, and finding one that really speaks to your style can be a welcome departure from the standard hardware and fixtures. Here are a few ideas to help you get started, but you're sure to find other options around the house.

Although rubber roof installation was once mainly for commercial buildings, residential use is expanding. This is not only because of the superior durability and integrity of rubber roofing materials, but also because of advances in installation techniques. If you are thinking about tackling the job yourself, here are your options: Rubber roof installation using a torch  Most rubber roof installations have required the use of a torch to melt and seal seams to form a continuous sheet of material from multiple smaller pieces.