Outdoor & exterior repair guides
Gutters, loose deck boards, broken sprinkler heads, leaky outdoor faucets and sagging gates. The outside jobs that protect the inside of your home.
- How to clean gutters safelyClogged gutters spill water against your house and foundation. Cleaning them is simple work, but the ladder is the dangerous part, so most of this guide is about using it well.Moderate1–3 hours for a one-story house
- How to fix a loose deck boardA deck board that rocks or a nail head sticking up is a trip hazard, but usually an easy fix. While you are down there, check for rot, because that is the part that matters most.Easy30 minutes to 2 hours
- How to fix a broken sprinkler headA mower or a car tire is usually the culprit. Swapping a broken pop-up head is one of the easier outdoor repairs, as long as you keep dirt out of the pipe and match the new head to the old one.Easy30–60 minutes
- How to fix a leaking outdoor faucetWhere the water comes out tells you what is wrong. A drip at the handle is often a five-minute fix. Water inside the wall when you turn it on means freeze damage and a call to a plumber.Easy15–45 minutes
- How to fix a sagging gateA gate that drags on the ground or won't latch has usually dropped at the latch side. Loose hinge screws and a frame that has racked out of square are the usual causes, and both are fixable in an afternoon.Easy30–90 minutes