Managing attic heat

Summer heat can turn your attic into an oven.

Keep attic steps insulated

A reader suggests a seasonal approach to attic heat.

How to lay sod

A one-day wonder, sod becomes a permanent part of the landscape.

• Do it yourself or not?

Cleaning your deck

Act before the arrival of hotter weather, when things dry too quickly or not at all.

Keep coyotes at bay

You might not see or hear them, but coyotes are nearby.

Cozy, charming cottage style

Capture some of the humble hobbit's cottage appeal in your home.

• Illinois mortgage rates

Dam the drip

Front-loading washers use about 40 percent less water, according to one study.

Deadly illness strikes cats

A tick-borne disease is spreading beyond the Southeast.

Looking at big picture on home affordability

A low supply of homes for sale is pushing up home prices at the same time that mortgage rates are moving higher. Yes, homebuyers, how much...

The Appian driveway

Build your driveway as the Romans built their roads: on a solid basis.

Porch panache

Nothing says summer like a lazy afternoon on the porch. Here are ways to make it a private retreat.

Tune up a lawn tractor

John Deere does maintenance house calls, or you can do it yourself.

Sweat the details

Follow these strategies to beat summer night-time heat and humidity.

Tactile treasures

Add color, pattern and a touch of history to your home with a collection of textiles.

Appraisals snag home deals

Appraisals are still forcing sellers to lower their price, buyers to bring money to the table or the two sides to renegotiate the contract.

Weird requests? Bank on it

The prove-it-twice world of underwriting brings unusual demands.

Larger homes are big again

Four in 10 single-family homes built last year had at least four bedrooms.

Quenching a thirst for fun

Lap pools, water slides, hot tubs and splash pads help neighbors beat the heat close to home.

• Photos: Swimming pool subdivisions

Organically grown remodeling

The farmhouse offers a look at practical, poetic design.

Fix concrete driveway cracks

Get an even appearance with a thin layer of colored grout.

Install an exhaust fan

A bathroom without good ventilation invites mildew and wood damage.

Ready, steady, go

Use fuel stabilizers to protect the small engines in your household tools.

80 trips to find the perfect house

Eighty houses. In about a year, my wife and I had toured 80 homes — hundreds more if you count online searches.

• 80 trips to find the perfect house

Ch. 9 reporter selling house in Winnetka

Ex-Blackhawks center Alexei Zhamnov's former Lincoln Park mansion on market again; philanthropist Deborah Bricker lists Gold Coast mansion...

• Photos: Chicago's real estate elite

Developers supersize condos to meet demand in city

Larger condos and town homes are rising in Chicago to appeal to both younger couples and empty nesters who want a city address.

• Mary Umberger: Tapping into real estate's hidden market

Flooding: A summer survival guide 

If you don't want to walk down to the basement to find photo albums and cat food bowls floating, check your gutters now.

Removing caulk to re-do the job right

Remove caulk to re-do a tile job right.

Home inspections worth the effort

Two to three hours spent with an inspector can provide an invaluable education about how a home works.

• Charles Oakley takes loss on South Loop condo

Zero Energy Idea House showcases sustainable living

A couple attempts to build the greenest, most affordable, healthy, comfortable and quiet home possible.

• Drafts and dollars

Cool elegance

A restoration makes a dreamy testament to Los Angeles' age of cool.

• A. Quincy Jones' Tyre House, remade modern

Install a flagpole

A good choice is a telescoping aluminum pole that snaps in place.

Throw out old containers, food and makeup

I often think about old things I'd like to be rid of - like about 40 years between me and my early 20s - but that's not possible until...

Build a redwood deck

Redwood resists decay, insects and weathering -- and it always looks good.

• For best results, lay stone walkway on reinforced concrete base

Solid deck support

To connect wood deck posts to concrete piers, a plum bob is your friend.

Siding refresh

Mildew and algae can survive on plastic or vinyl siding, but pressure washing can wreak havoc.

• 10 fast and fabulous closet upgrades

Switching to glide

A room with a sliding door is so unexpected that it invites closer looks. It brings smiles.

• Photos: Sliding doors

Book inspires miniature gardens

A new book helps gardeners start really, really small.

Cloning historic trees

Cloning plants and trees is nothing new, but a 250-year-old red oak poses a challenge.

Worm farmer recycles sawdust

What started as a plastic tub of worms in a laundry room has grown into 5,000 square feet of raised worm composting mounds in the yard.

• L.A. Compost: Bike group turns restaurant waste into garden gold

Can't beat the bushes

Tired of tending perennials? Give shrubs a second look.

Needling away at problem

Too much shade can cause pines to lose needles at the bottom.

Drought still weighs on garden

The stress of last year's dry spell will last a long time.

Winning the weed battle

Zap weeds now and save work later.

Big-picture gardening

When one thing shifts in the garden, it can change your view of everything around it.

Cold-hearted killer

Peonies are one of the few compensations of a harsh winter climate zone.

Wild onions: Eliminate these pests so they don't compete with your good plants

Weed pesticide finds its way to the roots of trees

My son had beautiful, big willow oaks lining his gravel driveway until he put down a weed killer on the driveway weeds. Now the...

• Alternatives to common garden impatiens [Pictures]

Rain has homeowners looking up

The heavy wind and rain this month have homeowners looking up — to their gutters. Nothing will alert you to clogs, leaks and loose...

How to reuse downy mildew-infected soil in the landscape

Last year my potted impatiens had that terrible new disease, impatiens downy mildew, and all died. Can I use my old infected potting...

• Garden Q&A; archive

Shady decision

You can cut down trees for a nice looking lawn. Or you can remove the lawn.

Bright or blight?

Shade-tolerant ground cover will develop an overall yellow cast in too much sun, but dying plants may be diseased.

Plants for any decor

Some plants look better in contemporary homes and others look better in traditional styles.

Garden is her canvas, flowers and edibles (and chickens) her paint

Julie Burleigh has designed highly tailored organic gardens for...

• 'Gardening for Geeks': Join video chat Thursday

Build a wood yard shed

A wooden yard shed can solve storage problems and be a nice addition to the landscape.

Project green

Bring the feel of a summer garden indoors with a quick, stylish do-it-yourself project.

Let's get ready to rumble

After sitting idle during the winter, your lawn mower needs maintenance.

• Handy A to Z

Got plants?

Plants from your neighbors are easier on the budget than plants from the home center.

Recycled landscape

Rescued plants, reclaimed concrete, repurposed lumber and castoffs from commercial sites fill a landscaper's garden.

• Passive, yet powerful houses

Growing mushrooms fit for dinner

It takes a homegrown shiitake mushroom to be a truly pleasing meat alternative.

Gardening post-flood

Being submerged for longer periods can be disastrous for plants that need oxygenated soil to survive.