We gave the exterior of a modest brick home an inexpensive facelift to improve the, curb appeal without breaking the bank. The projects we tackled required a good deal of elbow grease but only $315 in material expenses.
Outside Cleaning
Pressure washing is a great way to remove dirt and mold from brick, but be careful when using a pressure washer on wood or other more delicate surfaces, since the high pressure water spray can cause damage.
Watch our video on Tips for Cleaning Your Home with a Pressure Washer to find out more.
Metal Porch Railings
Metal wrought iron porch railings need sanding and painting from time to time. Use a wire brush or wire rotating disk in a drill to remove any loose or peeling paint, then prime the surface with rust inhibiting metal primer followed by two coats of oil based enamel.
Cans of spray paint do a better job on intricate wrought iron than a paintbrush, but be sure to cover any adjoining surfaces with plastic to prevent overspray.
Watch our video on Repairing and Painting Wrought Iron Handrails to find out more.
Paint Front Door
The homeowner decided to paint the front door bright yellow to give the house a cheerful, new look. We started by taking down the door and laying it on sawhorses to make it easy to sand and paint.
Next, we sanded the door down to remove the gloss and smooth the surface. Finally, we applied several coats of yellow paint before rehanging the door.
Watch our video on How to Refinish and Restore an Entry Door to find out more.
Landscaping
Our budget landscaping began with pruning the shrubs around the house and digging up the excess monkey grass border that had spread out into the planting beds.
To improve the yard’s curb appeal, we used landscaping paint to layout a planting bed around the live oak and pine tree in front of the house. We then planted the extra monkey grass as a border around the new planting bed.
After removing the grass inside the planting bed, pansies and begonias were planted to accent the front yard.
Watch our video on How to Prune Shrubs in Your Yard to find out more.
Walkway
A curved path from the front door to the driveway was made with stepping stones. To install stepping stones:
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- Place each stepping stone where desired, making sure they’re a comfortable distance apart for walking.
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- Cut the grass around each stone with a shovel or other gardening tool.
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- Move the stones and dig out the grass and dirt under each one.
- Position the stones in each spot so they’re flush with the grass.
Watch our video on Creating a Path in Your Yard with Stepping Stones to find out more.
Other Tips from This Episode
Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
Painting Window Sash
When painting window sash, it’s easier to paint without applying masking tape to each pane of glass. After the paint has dried, position a 6” wide putty knife against the sash and glass, and use a razor blade window scraper to quickly remove any excess paint from the glass. (Watch Video)
Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
Wagner Disc Sander
The Wagner PaintEater Disc Sander is great for removing paint from wood and other surfaces. The spun-fiber disc rotates at 2000 RPM and is designed to reduce paint buildup. A fold out handle makes the sander easy to control. The Wagner PaintEater is available at The Home Depot. (Watch Video)
Ask Danny Lipford:
Repair Asphalt Driveway
Before sealing cracks in an asphalt driveway, remove any weeds, use a screwdriver to groove out the crack, blow out any loose debris, then fill with one or more coats of asphalt crack filler. Use asphalt patch material to fill larger holes. Finally, apply one to two coats of asphalt sealer over the entire driveway. (Watch Video)
