Backyard decks are great because they offer level and stable platforms for all kinds of spare-time pursuits, from barbecuing to entertaining, dining, playing, and even the most important pastime of all - relaxing. Decks can interfere with relaxing, however. Wood decks require maintenance, refinishing and, often, repair. Also, poorly built or maintained decks present a danger to homeowners. A neglected deck can develop serious structural problems that show up unexpectedly. Besides problems posed by poor construction, wood decks are prone to failure from rot and from insects.

Today we cook outside for fun more than ever. It is estimated that Americans will cook and consume three billion - that is 3,000,000,000 - meals outside this year on 80 million grills, at about 37.5 meals per grill each year. But like nearly everything else we do today, we tend to supersize things. So it won't surprise you to hear that some of us spend thousands of dollars creating outdoor kitchens replete with stainless steel refrigerators, wine chillers, and beer coolers; stone, stainless, or tile counters; huge outdoor grills set into stone or stucco or stainless steel islands; expensive teak furniture; even wood-fired pizza ovens.

A wide variety of outdoor fireplace designs are currently available, from traditional hearths, to chimineas, to freestanding portable hearths, to low circular fire pits, some of them wood-burning and some gas-fired. Some, such as those from Majestic Fireplaces, can burn either wood or gas. Some come with a cooking grill and others bear more of a likeness to charcoal BBQ grills. Whatever kind you choose, make sure local fire regulations allow their use.

If you think your living room furniture takes a beating, imagine what your outdoor furniture goes through. The "elements," as we call them, will really do a number on any unprepared thing left to their mercy. Outdoor furniture has to take this beating, remain useful, and still look good. The American Furniture Manufacturers Association offers the following tips for taking care of outdoor furniture: Clean with mild soap and water. For non-textured surfaces, apply an automotive wax every few months. On textured finishes, periodically apply baby or mineral oil. Occasionally spray oil lubricant on chair swivels or glides.

We've all heard that a built-in pool does nothing for your home's resale value. But Patty Hulbert of the National Spa and Pool Institute in Arlington, Virginia, has a different opinion. "A lot of homeowners won't buy a home that doesn't have a pool. They add value because they're aesthetically pleasing," she says. "Who doesn’t want to look out of their dining room or living room and onto a cool blue pool? We're definitely seeing today that a lot of people are seeking to add comfort into their lives and they're turning their backyards into little getaways, adding full-fledged backyard kitchens, decks, and, of course, swimming pools."