I knew we were in the midst of the biggest home remodeling boom in history, but let me put it this way. The amount we're spending on home improvement today is going through the roof.
In many cases, according to a USA Remodeling Trends survey, we're spending almost as much renovating our homes as we would on new-home construction. That's a lot of bricks and mortar, pools, ponds and patio additions. And yet, it can provide a great return on your investment if done correctly.
This week, we bring you the second part of a list I've compiled from home and garden experts.

* Decorative concrete surfaces: Rich DeJacimo started by turning ordinary concrete flooring into faux slate, travertine, marble, flagstone, brick and ancient stone. Now he's sharing the same techniques with you during training classes where you can build your own boulders, water features, weeping walls and patio decking. The two-day, hands-on seminar teaches you the basic art of this decorative acrylic concrete overlay and how to apply different methods and color techniques.
Europa Artisans Academy, www.europaartisansacademy.com. Phone: 480-980-6631.