Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

The short, dreary days of winter are a good time to think about adding skylights to brighten up dark rooms. Even small units make a big difference in the way rooms look and feel.

Shutters have been around for hundreds of years. Originally used on the inside of windows before glass, shutters provided protection for homeowners from pests and the elements. In the nineteenth century, shutters slowly made their way to the exterior of homes. People chose to use shutters not only for protection but also for decoration. Since then, shutters have come a long way and are now available in a variety of sizes, styles and finishes.

Whether you are selling your home or just want to update its tired look, that first impression your home gives from the street or sidewalk-its curb appeal-is key to how your house is perceived. And at the very center of curb appeal is your front door and the area around it. It’s where you welcome the world to your home, and it sets the tone for your entire house. The good news is that upgrading the impression your front door gives the world can be accomplished for as little as a few hundred dollars. It’s really a matter of dressing up what you have with some strategic replacements and additions.

Replacing doors is an affordable way to quickly enhance and upgrade the appearance and decor of a home. In addition, replacing a front entryway door can add curb appeal and improve energy efficiency. But before you run off to the door store, take a few minutes (and careful measurements) to consider all the options available in both exterior and interior doors.

I know from personal experience that burglars and vandals have a field day when they come across an exterior door unprotected by a dead bolt. Even a door equipped with a high-quality lockset is an easy target because the latch might not extend far enough into the door frame to withstand a sharp kick. A well-placed boot will tear the strike plate loose and splinter the jamb, providing easy access to a house. Installing a dead bolt in addition to the lockset you already have solves the problem.

Welcome mats often retain water creating problems with porch decking and keeping them from being useful to clean shoes. Use an old plastic grid diffuser from a fluorescent light fixture and place it beneath the mat to allow water to drain out. Use a jig saw to cut the grid to fit. You may also want to use screws in the corners of the grid to keep it in place and prevent slips and falls.