Are your gutters not doing the job they should be? Are they constantly leaking? Do you just not like how gutters look? Michael Maines, a designer at Fine Lines Construction in Freeport, Maine, discusses ground-gutter systems -- an alternative to roof gutters.

Let plastic paver patio base panels take the place of the gravel base to eliminate tons of labor.

Paver patio base panels are made from lightweight high-density polypropylene. The panels typically have tongue-and-groove or shiplap edges to keep the panel edges flush with one another. You may wonder how a thin plastic mat can effectively replace a 6-in.-deep layer of compacted gravel. The answer is that the panels spread out the load, so the weight of a person walking on the patio is distributed more widely. Distributing the load puts less pressure on the soil and prevents the paver bricks from becoming uneven.