Need a large, economical building for equipment storage, farm machinery, vehicles, livestock, warehousing or workshop space? This video series follows my construction of a 42×80-foot fabric-covered building here at my place on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. The structure was engineered and…
Most Philadelphia drivers only think about the little sticker in the corner of the windshield when a friend points out that it expired two months ago. By then the clock has already run out, and police can cite you for…
The first properly cold morning of the season has a way of exposing every weak spot in a heating system. You turn the thermostat up and wait for the familiar click and rush of air. What you get is silence,…
Every driver needs to visually find an automotive dashboard, understand it and return attention to the road. That demand has given car designers a problem familiar to anyone building a digital product: deciding what deserves space on a screen, how…
Tools and materials are not all what outdoor projects need. When you are working on a fence, garden plot, or shed in your backyard whether to repair something or spruce it up a bit you will want the right tools…
Brass is a great metal for hardware, but it does need to be polished to remain pretty. Factory-applied lacquer coatings keep brass looking good for longer, but the lacquer needs to be removed to allow polishing, as you’ll see from…
There’s a lot to love about brick construction, and the two videos here show some of the reasons it’s easy to like bricks and why you might want to consider using them if you’re building new or adding a major…
If you’re building a deck you should aim to make it last at least several decades. In fact, there’s no reason a deck should not last 50 years with the right design, and long deck life comes down to fastener…
A while back I got an email from a cottage owner asking about options for building a deck on bedrock. This is a common situation in many areas with lakes and cottages. I’ve had 35+ years figuring out the various…
Steve explains how a few minutes in the workshop makes things good happen.
Click below for a six minute video where I show how to properly apply stain to interior wood surfaces. This video is part of a complete online course I offer on WOOD FINISHING FOR BEGINNERS. Click below to learn more…
Unventilated attics can work well when built properly, especially when spray foam or insulated panels are used to prevent air movement and condensation. I’ve built a number over the years, and my writing office is under the roof you see…