Great Advice from www.diynetwork.com

Set and Level Four Corners of Blocking
Set the four corners for the deck. Digging about 6 inches into the ground, create holes for the blocks so you can adjust (raise or lower) to make them even. The blocks should be spaced to make a 7' x 19' rectangle, leaving about 6 inches from each block for deck boards to add another 8' x 20' rectangle. Using a string level or laser level, make sure each block is level. Or, check if corner blocks are level by running a straight board through the divots in corner blocks and checking with a level.

Create Lines for Interior Blocks
Measuring 2 feet from corners, spray paint a straight line down the short portion of the deck; this is the line for the interior blocks. Spray another line 2 feet between two interior lines. You should have three horizontal lines. Dig a 6-inch trench along the lines. Then dig a trench between your corner blocks.

Set and Level Interior Blocks
Space four interior blocks 2 feet apart from one another on each trench line. Level the interior blocks to your corner blocks. You will have two blocks between your horizontal corners and three blocks between your vertical corners.

Continue Setting Outer Blocks
Blocks should be equally spaced. Set them and make sure they're level, using wet concrete mixed in a large wheelbarrow, adding or removing concrete as necessary. A good way to check that all blocks are lined up is by using a straight piece of board and setting it through the X indentation of each block and see how they line up. Let dry. Make sure the concrete has set before moving to next steps.

Lay the Pressure-Treated Deck Joists
Making sure everything is level, lay the 2" x 6" deck joists on edge inside the deck blocks. Measure from each 2x6 to make sure they are evenly spaced, 2 feet apart.

Begin Laying Synthetic Deck Boards
Place one board in the middle of the deck area, making sure it hangs evenly off each end of the 2x6s. The deck planks are made to have a gap between them, so use a small nail as your spacing guide at each joint. Where the deck plank meets each joist, screw two square-head trim screws 1-1/4 inch from each side of the deck plank. Don't use a lot of pressure because the thread will pull the screw down. Hammer the screws down a bit so they don't stick up. Repeat on each plank. This process should move fairly quickly.

You pull out last year's Christmas lights and half of them are dead: suddenly, so is you holiday spirit. Here are a few tips to light up your Christmas from our friends at https://www.ifixit.com/

Potential Problem: Blown Fuses
Blown fuses are one of the biggest culprits of broken Christmas lights — especially if the entire chain of lights is non-functional. The good news is that they can easily be replaced!

With the plug in hand, slide the door marked "Open" in the direction pointed by the arrow.

Remove the two fuses, and inspect them by looking at them up against a bright background (such as the sky). If the fuse is good, you should see an unbroken strand of wire running between the two metal contacts.

Replace all blown fuses with new ones.


Potential Problem: Defective Light
If a specific section of the lights isn't working, there might be a bad bulb, or a bad connection between the bulb and the socket.

Bulbs are generally made to not break the whole chain if the bulb burns out, but sometimes a manufacturing defect will prevent the bulbs from maintaining the electrical connection for the rest of the lights.

Gently grasp each bulb, and pull away from the socket. Inspect it and ensure that the two bulb copper leads are in their proper location, and not twisted or missing.

Continue with each non-functional bulb in the chain, up until you find the culprit(s). Replace the bulbs as necessary.

Potential Problem: Corroded Socket
Over time, the contacts inside the socket can become corroded or filled with dirt and grime. This can prevent proper contact between the bulb and the socket, which often results in no power to the bulb.

Use a small file or scratch brush to clean the wire contacts of the socket.

Once the socket is clean, insert a new bulb into the socket.

Potential Problem: Bad Socket or Wiring
Make sure the lights are completely unplugged from any electrical sockets before proceeding further.

If all else fails, the bulb socket may be broken beyond repair. Removing it is a cinch though, and should restore functionality to the rest of your lights!

Don't do this for more than one or two sockets, cause it'll raise the voltage on the rest of the strand and may cause other bulbs to burn out.

Use a wire cutter to remove the defective socket from the light strand.

Strip about 1/2" of insulation from both wires.

Twist the wires together and insert them into the twist-on wire connector. Turn the connector several times until the cap feels secure, and you can tug on it without it falling off.

​After testing the lights and making sure the bad socket fixed the problem, consider putting in some silicone sealant (or museum wax) into the cap in order to keep moisture out and prevent the wires from corroding.
 
Make sure the lights are completely unplugged from any electrical sockets before proceeding further.

If all else fails, the bulb socket may be broken beyond repair. Removing it is a cinch though, and should restore functionality to the rest of your lights!

Don't do this for more than one or two sockets, cause it'll raise the voltage on the rest of the strand and may cause other bulbs to burn out.

Use a wire cutter to remove the defective socket from the light strand.

Great Advice from www.diynetwork.com

Wait for dry weather.
Humidity means drips and slow drying, so avoid painting on a rainy day. If you must paint when it’s humid, take your time — and take advantage of slow-drying paint to correct your errors before moving on to the next coat. But don’t overwork, or it will show when you’re finished.

Do a thorough visual inspection and prep.
Any cracked, flaking, or peeling areas need to be lightly sanded or scraped (and then thoroughly rinsed) before applying new primer and paint, because the weight of the new coat will pull the old paint loose. “You’ll just end up wasting your time and money if you don’t tackle that first,” says Tom Lee, Senior VP of Consumer Marketing for Behr. Greasy spots may also need a bit of washing with soap, followed by a rinse with clean water. Otherwise, give the walls a quick wipe-down with a damp cloth so that paint will have a clean, dust-free surface to stick to.

Know your nap. 
The more texture your walls have, the thicker the nap you’ll want on your roller cover so that it can reach into crevices and give complete coverage. But if you go too thick, you might actually create texture where you don’t want it, so be prepared to give your salesperson details about what you’re painting.

Protect anything you don’t want painted. 
You will never regret the time you spend covering floors, furniture, and hardware before you begin a paint project. Drop cloths are a must, and small plastic sandwich bags secured with tape are an easy way to protect doorknobs.

Remove light switch and outlet covers. 
If you’re impatient, you’ll be tempted to skip this five-minute step, but don’t.

Use primer.
Paint-and-primer combinations are fine if you already have a clean, smooth surface, but if there are any issues with the wall or it’s been more than eight years since you last painted, bite the bullet and go with a separate primer. If you need to cover an especially challenging surface (say, glass or high-gloss paint), use a bonding primer such as Benjamin Moore’s Insl-x Stix Waterborne Bonding Primer or KILZ Adhesion Interior & Exterior Bonding Primer.

​Box your paint.
Get your salesperson to help you with a realistic estimate of how much paint you’ll really need so that you can buy it all at once. Then, instead of using one gallon at a time, combine all the paint into one large container and mix it thoroughly. This is known as “boxing” your paint, and it keeps your color consistent from beginning to end.

Let the roller do the work. 
Today’s premium paints flow on easily, and you’ve already chosen a good roller cover (right?), so there’s no need to use much pressure. Be sure to use an extension pole so you can reach the maximum amount of area with the least effort — and without straining your back.

Paint from top to bottom. 
After you’ve cut in your edges at the ceiling and baseboard using a brush, use your roller to apply paint from the ceiling downward. Amateurs often have telltale drips and spatters at the end of a paint job, but pros paint right over their mistakes as they work their way down the wall. Once an area starts to dry, it’s best to leave it alone. Going back over it can leave marks and color streaks in the paint’s surface.