ROOFING: How to Make an Asphalt Shingle Roof Last 50 Years
Steve Maxwell, Canadas Handiest Man, takes a look at intelligent roofing products and techniques that have come about to help create smarter roofs.
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BRASS-PINNED WOODWORKING JOINT: A Step-by-Step How-To Guide
A brass pinned woodworking joint (sometimes called a brass pin joint or wood joint pinning technique) is a decorative and reinforcing method for joining wood that combines classic aesthetics with practical strength. There are many ways to join pieces of…
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INVERTER GENERATORS: New Larger Size Supports Household Backup
Video Watch Time = 11 minutes Inverters are a type of fuel-powered generator, and the new larger sizes and dual-voltage output make them suitable for whole-house backup. Learn more from the video above, including how a very well-priced option compares…
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RENOVATIONS: Older Home Energy Advisory Service
Practical, Personal House-Specific Guidance for Older Houses Many people are comfortable making decisions on their own, especially after working through The Practical Guide to Heating an Older Home Without Wasting Money. Others want a second set of eyes before spending…
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TOOLS: Watch a Sharp Chainsaw Chewing Through Hard Maple
The condition of a saw chain is crucial for cutting firewood efficiently. The quick video above shows by what my biggest and fastest saw does with a hard maple log when a freshly sharpened chain is at work. Click here…
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PHILOSOPHY: Busting DIY Home Improvement Excuses
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, doesn’t accept excuses, and explains how simple it can be to work on DIY home improvement projects.
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RURAL LIVING: Add Seed to Salt Trough to Improve Pasture Quality
We’ve been pasturing beef cattle here on our Manitoulin Island, Canada property since 1987, and I’ve learned that the best pastures have much more growing in them than just whatever wild plants happen to be there. Productive pastures also have…
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WOODWORKING: “How Do I Get Quartersawn Lumber 2x6s?”
Question: “I bought plans to build a workbench and the instructions mentions making the top from quartersawn lumber to guard against warping and cupping. I don’t know what quartersawing is. I plan to use 2x6s for the top, but how…
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TOILETS: Choosing a Model That’s Tested to Really Work
As gross as this looks, it’s not what you think it is. These cylinders of soybean paste are especially formed for testing toilets. And testing like this has done a lot to improve the performance of toilets around the world. Read on to see how . . .
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BASEMENTS: Design, Function & Details of a Truly Reliable Sump Pump System
If you rely on a sump pump to keep your basement dry, then you need a good system that keeps on working even when electric power goes out. I often hear from homeowners who’ve endured a catastrophic basement leak that…
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TOOLS: Watch This 18-Volt Cordless Chainsaw in Action
Back in 2018 I got the chance to try Milwaukee’s then-new 18 volt cordless electric chainsaw. You can see me cutting some hard maple firewood logs using this saw in the video below. I know cordless tool battery technology has…
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TOOLS: Three Up-and-Coming Cordless Options
Power tool technology is the same as every other kind of advancement in the world. New stuff is expensive and exclusive at first, then it gets cheaper and more widely available over time. So what kind of new and interesting…
