Articles in: From the Forums

Building a Tree Swing

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on May 11th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Photo by pennuja

Being on a swing is always one of the most cherished memories of childhood play. Who can forget that feeling of freedom with the sun in your face and wind in your hair as you swing your legs to try and go higher and higher? Home Depot Community member Elsamurai94 wants to relive those memories and he turned to The Home Depot Forums for assistance. Forum associate Newf had some good advice on how to build a tree swing:

Elsamurai94: My friend and I want to build a tire swing this summer after we are finished using the tires for agility training. What should I used to make the swing? Nails? Rope? Chain?

From the Forums, Home Depot, Home Improvement, Kids, Outdoor Projects, Swings, The Home Depot, tire swing, tree swing

Give An Old Patio Umbrella New Life With Paint

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on May 4th, 2012 | Make A Comment

This umbrella doesn't need painting... yet. Image via nancy_t3i

Beautiful plants and flowers to liven things up? Check.

Comfortable patio chair to relax in? Check.

Time to stretch out in the warm weather with a good book and just unwind a little bit. Check.

But, wait! Your old patio umbrella doesn’t match your new patio accessories and it’s throwing everything off. Or maybe last summer’s sunshine totally faded your umbrella and it’s looking a little sad. Home Depot Community member ShaunasMom had a similar issue, but she didn’t want to splurge on a brand new umbrella so she headed over to The Home Depot Forums for guidance. Luckily, Forums associate Aboveaveragejoe was there to lend a helping hand:

DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forums, Home Depot, Home Improvement, outdoor, Paint, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio umbrella, The Home Depot

From the Forums Friday: Is My Oak Tree an Underachiever?

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on April 27th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Image via mscaprikell

If you pick the right variety of tree for your climate zone, once its roots are established, and given enough water, the tree should thrive without much work on your part. But Home Depot Community Member kfish was concerned about the apparent slow growth of an oak tree, and took those concerns to The Home Depot’s Community Forums, along with some photos. Take a look at what kfish had to say, along with the expert answer from Forums Associate FlyingHDsod:

kfish: I have this great oak tree I planted in my yard about 5-6 years ago. I think it is a Georgia oak or something similar. I bought it from Trees Atlanta at their annual tree sale, and I know they helped me pick out one that was suitable for my in-town, full sun site. It seems pretty healthy – it leafs out every year. But I swear in the 5+ years I have had it, it has probably only grown two feet. My neighbor keeps suggesting we dig it up and make sure it isn’t root-bound. My mother thinks maybe we planted it too deep and more of the base needs to be up. I am just scared to try to dig it up because I might do more harm than good.

DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forums, Home Depot, Home Improvement, How to Plant a Tree, outdoor, The Home Depot, Tree

Safe Deck Stairs Solution

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on April 19th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Image via scottkillen

All of that fun relaxing and entertaining outside on your deck doesn’t come without its dangers. Going up and down deck stairs can often be a treacherous activity. Even when perfectly dry, those stairs can be slippery. And if they get wet in the rain – watch out! So what’s an outdoor-loving, deck-having homeowner to do? Well that was Home Depot Community member Canyongirl’s very question to The Home Depot Forums. Read on … you may be surprised by the quick and easy fix offered up by Forum associate Designingwoman.

Canyongirl: What do you suggest I put on my deck stairs to give my old dogs more traction as they go up and down?

Designingwoman: Hello canyongirl! I have used 3M Step and Ladder Tread Tape that is available in our paint department to add traction to my stair steps. It is a black tape rated for indoor and outdoor use – and it resists UV rays and sunlight. I have used the product and know that it is long lasting under heavy traffic – the tape really sticks!

Tread tape is a simple way to prevent dangerous slip and falls.

Be sure to apply as recommended (between 50-70^oF) on a painted wood or concrete surface. You can cut the tape to size with regular scissors to fit the stairs. The surface gives traction as needed but should not harm the dogs’ paws. (PS – it works great for humans too!)

Best wishes and please keep us posted on your progress.

Designing Woman

That’s pretty easy, right? This simple solution to a very serious issue can also be applied to other areas of your home in the form of stair tread runners and non-slip mats and treads. And of course you can contact Designingwoman, or any of our other expert associates, for all of your questions about other tricky DIY issues.

Want more advice from our experts? Join the conversation. Visit the Forums for DIY tips and tricks from our store associates. From the Forums Friday is our weekly column highlighting expert advice.

Deck, deck safety, DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forums, Home Depot, Home Improvement, home safety, outdoor, Outdoor Living, stairs, The Home Depot

Eliminate Thistle From Your Garden

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on April 12th, 2012 | 7 Comments

Image via sufw

Don’t let the white and purple flowers fool you. Thistles are actually a type of weed that grow very quickly and can be extremely difficult to control. Just ask our Home Depot Community member, Flower, who stumbled across thistle in her garden. After trying (and failing!) to eliminate this pesky weed on her own, she decided to take her problem to The Home Depot Forums, where Forums associate GardenGail offered much needed help:

Flower: I have noticed that some thistle has sprung up in my planting beds where I have numerous day lilies and hydrangea. Is there some way to eliminate the thistle without killing the perennials? I have tried a wide variety of homemade methods and they do not work. I know Roundup would kill the thistle weed, but it would also kill everything else. Does anyone who has ever had this problem know of a solution?

DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forums, Garden, Garden Center, Home Depot, Home Improvement, outdoor, The Home Depot, weed prevention, weeds

Painting Metal to Save Money On a Bathroom Update

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on March 30th, 2012 | 2 Comments

Painting metal (and lots of other surfaces) is easy with Rust-Oleum

Home Depot Community member fourkoals is faced with a common bathroom dilemma – mismatched bath metal finishes. He wants to unify and update the look of his bathroom without the cost of totally replacing his shower door frame. That’s where Forum associate PaintPro steps in to help with advice on painting metal. Read on for PaintPro’s practical and cost-effective solution to this problem.

Bathroom, DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forum, From the Forums, Home Depot, Home Improvement, painting metal, Restore Home, Rust-Oleum, Rustoleum, The Home Depot

How to Remove Moss, How to Encourage It: Two Views of a Rootless Plant

Posted by: Craig Allen on March 23rd, 2012 | Make A Comment

So is moss a good thing? Or a bad thing?

There’s been a little back and forth on this recently on The Home Depot’s Community Forums, with some handy tips not only on how to remove moss, but also how to encourage the growth of moss.

It started when Forum associate LawnRanger mentioned in his post, Get the Moss Out, that he’d been getting questions from Community members about how to get rid of moss from lawns and patios. “Moss is nice and green, but as with all weeds, if it is in the wrong place, it has to be removed,” LawnRanger astutely pointed out.

Moss is nice, but if it's in the wrong place, it has to be removed.

From the Forums, Gardening Ideas, Home Depot, how to encourage moss, how to remove moss, lawn care, plant care, Restore Home

Unclogging a Kitchen Sink: Could It be the Garbage Disposal?

Posted by: Ayana Glaze on March 16th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Could it be the garbage disposal?

Kitchen sink clogged for no reason? Have you tried to unclog your kitchen sink with a plunger, pipe snake or drain solutions? If baking soda, liquid pipe snake or a plunger aren’t working, the culprit may be your garbage disposal.

Home Depot community member Leandrohailey brought such a problem to The Home Depot’s online Forums in his thread, “How do you get kitchen sink to drain without always having to turn on the garbage disposal?“ This community member recently installed a new garbage disposal and now the kitchen sink won’t drain without the garbage disposal being turned on. The dishwasher then overflows into the kitchen sink.

“I don’t feel like standing at the sink anymore and turning on the disposal every time we need to wash dishes,” Leandrohailey writes.

Forums associate HDAnswerman felt Leandrohailey’s pain and chimed in with a few possible solutions to this problem unclogging a kitchen sink.

DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forums, garbage disposal, Home Depot, Home Improvement, Kitchen Sink, Restore Home, The Home Depot, unclogging a kitchen sink

Grill Advice From The Home Depot’s Forums

Posted by: Ayana Glaze on March 2nd, 2012 | Make A Comment

Get your grill questions answered at our Community Forums

Get ready to fire up your grill for picnics, family reunions or family dinners. Here are a few recent grill questions our Home Depot associates fielded on our Community Forums. In this week’s From the Forum Friday we learn how to build a fire pit, how to replace a gas grill burner and more.

BBQ Grills, DIY, From the Forums, From the Forums Friday, The Home Depot

Learn How To Install Wall Tile During February’s Home Depot Workshop

Posted by: Ayana Glaze on February 17th, 2012 | 2 Comments

Is installing wall tile on your winter to do list? Would you like to give a kitchen or bathroom a makeover with wall tile? If so, The Home Depot can help. Learn how to install wall tile during the February Home Depot workshop.

Home Depot Community Forum associate HD116 says that a home improvement project, like installing wall tile, is just the cure for the cold-weather blues. Visit your local The Home Depot store this Sunday, February 5 for a fun and educational workshop where you’ll learn:

• How to choose the right tile for various applications

• How to set tile using SimpleMat

• How to set glass tile using glass tile mortar

• How to grout and finish your project

Take advantage of this free workshop. Stop by your local The Home Depot store on Sunday, February 5 from 1 pm to 2:30 pm to learn how to install wall tile.

Editor’s Note: Want more advice from our experts? Join the conversation. Visit The Forum for DIY tips and tricks from our Store Associates. From the Forum Friday is our weekly column highlighting expert advice.

DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forum, From the Forums, From the Forums Friday, Home Depot, home depot workshop, Home Improvement, The Home Depot, Wall Tile, Workshop