DIY Network

Backyard Boost: Installing Composite Deck and Paver Patio We spruce up a backyard with a maintenance-free deck, paver patio and water feature. Check out more value-enhancing home projects from Sweat Equity. From "Sweat Equity" episode DSEQ-302

	Before
	After

Project Overview: Backyard Boost

A huge backyard was a major selling point for Kim Bryson when she purchased her home seven years ago, but it now has major issues including an unsafe deck.

She's decided to remedy that situation with a backyard upgrade, and she has $7000 to spend. It's still a large backyard with lots of untapped potential.

To help boost her property value, Kim's list of projects includes a low maintenance deck, manmade stone patio and a water feature. As long as she doesn't go overboard, she should see a boost in her home's equity as well as enhancing its potential marketability.

Following is a summary of the basic steps and tips as seen in this project, as well as a list of tools and materials used.

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Figure A

Demolition

Although she'd love to spend time in her back yard, Kim feels that the shape that it's in (figure A) is an ugly embarrassment — including a deck that's deteriorating rapidly. The first step in this backyard makeover is demolition of the old deck. Kim opts for doing it herself, saving about $1000 in labor costs.

Materials and tools:

hammers
sledgehammer
pry bars
rake
safety glasses
gloves

Safety Alert: Be sure to wear proper safety gear when doing demolition work

Figure B

Tip: You can save a lot of labor costs by doing demolition and debris removal yourself but it can be tougher than it looks. You have to be careful not to make costly mistakes that damage the structure of your home.

For this project, we disassembled the old deck using a sledgehammer and pry bar (figure B).

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