13 Outdoor Projects That Are Way Harder Than They Look

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Outdoor projects are a nice combination of challenge and satisfaction. You think of yourself out in the backyard with tools in your hands, easily creating something beautiful. But some projects aren’t the walk in the park they seem at first glance. For many DIYers, some projects look easy in those Pinterest boards and home improvement shows, but then they’re a lot of work once you’re in the middle of it.

Your idyllic vision can quickly become a fight for persistence… especially if it’s precision or physical strain that is required. While it’s nice to solve a problem, no one wants to be buried in gravel wondering what went wrong. To help you not be blindsided if you decide to tackle some of these tricky outdoor tasks, let’s walk through a few of them.

Constructing a Pathway

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Any garden can be made more beautiful and functional by the addition of a stone or gravel pathway that will guide your visitors through your garden, but planning a path that doesn’t become a muddy mess with the first rain is no easy task. A pathway is like laying a patio, it needs a stable, level base and the right materials to stand up to foot traffic and weather. Prep work skipping will have you back every year, fixing dips and shifting stones.

Installing Outdoor Lighting

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Getting lighting right in your outdoor space can completely change the mood, but it’s more work than it sounds. There are challenges to installing wiring outside: water, weatherproofing, and making sure everything is grounded correctly so there aren’t shorts. Electrical projects can be a little easier with low voltage lighting, but any electrical project still should be handled with care. Also, the aesthetic side; lights placed badly will give harsh shadows, or ruin the vibe.

Building a Treehouse

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The dream is to build a treehouse, but a safe, stable one, is no small feat. It isn’t just about having a sturdy tree, you need to think about how the tree will grow and shift over time. You need that structural understanding, and anchoring techniques that don’t harm the tree and won’t collapse under weight. The safety features are also important – no one wants a wobbly floor or splintered handrails in their kids treehouse!

Building a Stone Retaining Wall

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Stone retaining walls look elegant and seem simple: stack stones, right? However, building a wall that will last requires knowledge of soil pressure, drainage and wall construction techniques. The idea is to hold back soil with retaining walls, but if they don’t have the right structure, they’ll crumble under the weight or heavy rain. Just one stone misaligned and you could end up with a wall that has sloped over time or even collapsed after a storm.

Installing a Pergola

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If you are anything like me, when you think about building a backyard structure, you are envisioning the pergola. It seems like it should be as simple as assembling some beams and posts, but a pergola requires a proper foundation to stay up. This DIY project also has the same deck building level of where you are anchoring the posts deep enough to withstand wind, rain and even the occasional backyard soccer ball. If you aren’t handy with a level or drill, you could end up with a lopsided pergola that leans more than it shades.

Setting Up a Greenhouse

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It is without a doubt a great idea to have a personal greenhouse where you can grow herbs, vegetables and flowers all year round. But establishing a greenhouse is a matter of careful ventilation, insulation and even the direction of the sunlight, as this UGA article attests. You will have heated or frost damaged plants if there isn’t proper airflow and temperature control. Greenhouses are a lesson in small scale climate control and if one step is skipped, your plants may suffer.

Planting a Privacy Hedge

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A privacy hedge in a living wall seems like a simple way for you to create your own living wall that will cover your space from nosy neighbors. Achieving that dense, uniform look though, takes a lot of patience and regular care. The privacy hedge is not necessarily a ‘plant and leave’ situation, you have to keep trimming, fertilizing, and watering to establish. In addition, if you plant a hedge that’s too close to your property line, it could even cause problems with your neighbors if it begins encroaching.

Building a Deck

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It sounds great, right? Creating your own deck. It’s yours to put in your own personal backyard oasis! Maybe even add in a nice spot for a grill or lounge chairs. Building a deck is one of those projects that has layers of hidden work. Real carpentry skills are needed between understanding load bearing capacities, leveling the ground and measuring for exact cuts for a deck. Building a deck isn’t just about nailing some boards together, it’s a structural task that has to be safe, secure and built to last. Not to mention, there’s a good bit of city permitting and code compliance to take care of.

Laying a Brick Patio

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Laying a brick patio might sound like a straightforward weekend task: you put a few bricks, sweep some sand and you’re done. However, there’s a reason professional landscapers charge what they do for this job. There are a few things you have to have when you laying bricks evenly: a well prepared base layer of sand or gravel, a perfectly level surface, and patience. If you’re too quick, you could end up with an un-even patio, with bricks wobbling under foot. On top of that, it is a job that involves a lot of kneeling and bending – not exactly easy on the back.

Installing a Garden Pond

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Isn’t a garden pond just so pretty and tranquil? Digging a hole and filling it with water doesn’t exactly lead to the charming water feature you might be picturing. There are issues of soil quality, waterproof liners, pumps, and correct drainage. If you get it wrong, you could end up with a stagnant, mosquito breeding puddle. Garden ponds are not a simple project, and they’re not for the faint-hearted.

Building a Raised Garden Bed

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For good reason, raised garden beds are popular – they’re neat, convenient, and maintain soil quality consistency. But building a raised bed that will endure year after year isn’t as simple as just stacking some boards and dumping in soil. Wood selection is important; untreated wood will rot and pressure treated wood may leach chemicals into your plants, as this University of Maine study shows. Plus there’s also the need for good drainage and no weeds. A big surprise is that raised garden beds can also cost a lot in soil.

Creating a Rock Garden

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Rock gardens are natural and serene looking, but arranging rocks to look effortless is harder work than it may seem. A tedious process to get rocks to sit securely on the ground (or not sink into it or roll out of place). And, if you’re using larger rocks, there’s some heavy lifting. Also, once the rocks are set, choosing plants that will do well around them requires a bit of botanical knowhow.

Building a Fire Pit

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Imagine a backyard firepit with the cozy warmth, S’mores and summer nights. That’s not to say building a safe, durable fire pit is easy: it’s not as simple as piling a few rocks. It’s the right materials – some rocks actually explode when they’re exposed to high heat! Plus, it’s important to make a fire safe area around it, which often means more work like digging out sod or laying gravel. Also local fire codes may dictate the size, location, and even construction materials, let’s not forget about.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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