The hot water that comes out of your taps may be more of a danger than you realize. It all comes down to avoiding excess temperature, but one specific piece of hardware let’s you do something about it. Dangers of…
Canada’s Handiest Man, Steve Maxwell, has compiled a top 10 list of ways to reduce your home’s energy consumption and be more green.
In this week’s two-video episode see how stairs are supported on notched pieces called “stringers”; determine how many treads you need for a given stair installation; accurately mark a stringer for cutting; take a video tour of a cherry stair railing.
a circular saw and handsaw are used for cutting the stringers you’ve marked
the second video below shows how to build a fancy staircase railing
Buying power tools is one of those decisions where the cheapest choice can become expensive later. If you’re serious about improving your home, fixing vehicles, building things, or developing real workshop skills, bargain tools often become a bottleneck sooner than…
I’m a big fan of keeping older vehicles going for the long haul, and tender loving care can go a long way in this regard. My F-150 pickup truck, for instance, is a 1990 model, and our family van is…
This video offers a technical tour of cordless drills. It’s part of my online course called Woodworking for Beginners. If you’ve always wondered what all those buttons and controls are for on a drill, this video is for you.
Anyone can put “licensed and insured” on a business card. When the furnace is down in January, most homeowners take those words on faith, and the unqualified operators in the trade are counting on exactly that. Homeowners across Canada can…
Every property runs on water systems most owners never think about: the drains at the foundation, the sump pump in the basement, the sewer lateral under the yard, and the grading that quietly steers rain away from the walls. All…
Older Toronto homes have plenty of character, but their pipes haven’t been touched in decades. Plumbing companies in Toronto deal with this every day, yet finding one that’s actually licensed, shows up fast, and won’t charge you double for a…
When a house stops working, the reflex is to add on. More square footage, out the back or up a storey. Additions have their place, but they are the most expensive answer to the question, and they are rarely the…
Cottages and rural retreats are great, but not if you have to work on them all the time. Read five simple strategies for ensuring your cottage doesn’t become an expensive ball and chain in your life.
A few years ago I visited one of the largest, most advanced sawmills in North America, and I came away with something unexpected. This massive facility pumps out enough 2x4s and 2x6s to frame 15,000 homes each year, but it…