A Look at Traditional Trim Designs
While I spend much of my time traveling around the country teaching carpenters and contractors the ins and outs of trim carpentry, I don’t often have the...
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Recent Blog Posts
Five Winter-Friendly Exterior Projects
Winter may not always be the first season that comes to people’s minds when they are thinking of revamping the exterior of their homes. However, the winter...
Beautiful Hazard: How to Design Safe, Functional and Beautiful Stairs
While on a recent trip to Dallas, I had dinner with a friend at an outdoor restaurant. One of topics we discussed was this very article on designing better...
End of Season Checklist for your Deck or Patio
It’s been a great summer and you’ve been enjoying your patio or deck as much as humanly possible, right? Well, remember early this spring when you opened up...
Project Ideas for Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day is known as the kickoff of summer fun. Campgrounds, amusement parks and beaches all typically mark the long weekend as their season’s opening. If...
Attaching Posts to a Rooftop Deck
Q. How can I mount newel posts to a deck on a flat roof without cutting into the roof? A. Paul Nichter, a contractor in Islesboro, Maine, responds: I’ve been...
JLC Field Guide: Shingles
Shingle and Shake Coverage The same shingles and shakes used to cover roofs may be used as siding; however, different maximum exposures apply (see Figure:...
The Strength of Wood
The strength of wood is typically measured by a number of "strength properties," including: Modulus of rupture in bending - This reflects the maximum load...
Is Fence Installation the Next Big Opportunity for Home Improvement?
Outdoor spaces are one of the hottest remodeling trends for 2021, but designing full-scale outdoor living rooms may be out of scope for many companies. However...
Tips for Easier DIY When You Work by Yourself
For the most part, many home improvement DIY projects can be accomplished solo. For many people, there is a lot of satisfaction and peace of mind from being...
How to Make Drywall Airtight
An air barrier stops air from leaking into exterior walls. That not only keeps heat from escaping, but it also prevents moisture from entering into stud, joist...
How to Repair Plaster on Lath
We’ve all seen it, and we’ve all done it. To mount an HVAC duct, we’ve cut through a plaster wall with a recip saw, sending plaster flying and leaving the lath...
Building Resiliency
Now that hurricane season is officially upon us, this is a good time for remodelers to think about upgrades to make existing houses more resilient. Updated...
Porcelain: Facts, Myths, and Tips
Porcelain is a really versatile material. It can be used in places like showers, flooring, backsplashes, and fire surrounds. We saw an increased interest in...
4 Rules for Flexible Ducts that Remodelers Need to Know
On most projects, HVAC flexible ductwork is located in designated chases that maximize the efficiency of the airflow. But the path for the final branch of the...
3 Tips for Resilient Decking
Building decks in areas regularly exposed to moisture, such as rainy or snowy climates and shaded property, is often an invitation for rot and...
Top Nine Home Design Trends for 2021
NAHB recently recognized more than 160 single-family, multifamily, interior design, remodeling, and community projects at the annual Best in American Living...
Things to Consider Before Starting Your Deck Project
Building your own deck can be a rewarding experience for any handyman or homeowner. If you are looking to build a deck for your home, then here a few things to...
Hardwood and Laminate Flooring Markets Projected to Rebound
While laminate and hardwood flooring have experienced greater exposure on home-improvement and home-flipping shows, both experienced sales decreases in 2018,...
How to Install Hardwood Flooring
The good news is that most will consider installing hardwood floors easier than installing carpet because the pieces are easier to assemble than cutting carpet...
Choosing the Right Wood for Your Project
As tempting as it may be, cost should not be the driving factor in choosing the right wood for your project. Typically, softwood such as pine and poplar are...
Comparing Deck Wood Choices
Generally speaking, when you compare common decking materials there are three choices: Cedar, pressure-treated wood and composite decking. Neither one is a bad...
Benefits of Metal Roofing
The metal roof is nothing new. We’ve all seen picturesque images of old barns and farmhouses with an aesthetically weathered, corrugated metal roof. Having...
How to Fix Spalling Concrete
Spalling concrete is more than just an unsightly surface, it can cause real problems for any concrete structure. Fortunately, spalling can be easy to fix...
Best Practices In Hanging Sheetrock
In general, the process of hanging or installing sheetrock is pretty simple. The purpose of sheet rock is to cover metal or wood studs with sheets of gypsum...