Backyard Design
Plan a backyard around how you want to use it: zones for dining, relaxing and play, layouts for small and large yards, budget makeovers done in stages, modern design ideas and privacy from fences, screens and plantings.
The Awesome Backyard
The Awesome Backyard helps you turn the space behind your home into a place you actually use. Plan a layout for a small or large yard, add privacy and shade, choose patio furniture and outdoor lighting, set up for cooking and entertaining, and decide between a shed, deck, patio or gazebo. Projects that need permits, fire safety clearances or structural work are flagged clearly.
Outdoor Living
Furnish the backyard like another room of the house: patio furniture materials and sizes, shade from pergolas, umbrellas and sails, and outdoor lighting for paths, patios and evenings outside.
Backyard Entertainment
Set up the backyard for cooking and gatherings: grills and outdoor cooking gear, fire pits with safe clearances, outdoor games for all ages, backyard movie nights and weather-resistant speakers.
Backyard Structures
Compare the structures that shape a backyard: garden sheds, decks, patios, gazebos and outdoor storage, with sizes, materials, foundations, maintenance and the permits and setbacks to check before you build.
Backyard Maintenance
Keep outdoor spaces looking good for years: clean and protect outdoor furniture, wash patios and decks, prepare the backyard for winter and spring, and store cushions, grills and equipment so they last.
Latest Guides
Research-based guides, newest first
Storing Outdoor Equipment and Fuel Safely
How to store outdoor equipment safely: gasoline cans away from the house and ignition sources, propane cylinders outdoors, chemicals and cords.
Seasonal Backyard Maintenance: A Year-Round Checklist
A season-by-season backyard maintenance checklist for decks, patios, furniture, grills, fire pits and storage, from Forest Products Lab and fire safety advice.
Planning a Backyard Layout: Zones, Paths and Flow
How to plan a backyard layout: mapping the site, sun and drainage, dividing the yard into use zones, linking them with paths and planning hardscape first.
Outdoor Speaker Setup: Placement, Power and Volume
How to set up outdoor speakers sensibly: aiming sound toward your space, keeping cords and power safe outdoors and keeping volume safe for hearing.
Pergolas and Shade: Planning Comfort in the Backyard
How to plan backyard shade: why shade matters for sun safety, trees vs pergolas vs umbrellas, wood choices and finishes, and siting away from fire.
Outdoor Entertainment Essentials: A Backyard Checklist
What a backyard needs for entertaining: seating, cooking, lighting, sound, fire and games, plus NFPA and fire department safety rules for grills and fire pits.