Frozen water supply pipes are bad enough, but a frozen sewage or drain line can be much worse. When wastewater can’t leave the house, everything stops. Toilets, sinks, tubs, showers, washing machines and dishwashers all depend on one simple thing:…
Steve Maxwell, “Canada’s Handiest Man”, shows how DIY homeowners can get the most from water based wood finishing products.
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…
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…
Every home has dark spots. Sometimes it’s a hallway, sometimes it’s a bathroom, sometimes it’s the space over a kitchen sink where daylight never quite reaches. A tubular skylight is one of the simplest ways to bring natural outdoor light…
Outdoor wood finishing seems simple until you try to keep new wood looking new. Cedar, pine and other exterior woods can look beautiful when freshly built, but sun, rain and time quickly change the colour and surface. The real question…
Stacking firewood in round piles can look unusual at first, but it’s one of the most practical ways I’ve found to store wood outdoors. After more than 25 years of stacking firewood in straight rows, I switched to round piles…
Good hand planes are still some of the most useful woodworking tools you can own, even in a shop full of power tools. A sharp, well-tuned plane can smooth wood, fit joints, trim edges, shape raised panels and create finished…
The term “passive house” refers to a certain style of building that uses far less energy than an ordinary home, not by relying mainly on high-tech heating equipment, but by reducing the need for heating and cooling in the first…
A table saw is one of the most useful woodworking machines you can own. It cuts accurately, handles repeat work well, and makes many home workshop and renovation jobs easier. But because the blade is exposed and powerful, table saw…
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, talks about pin nailers, specialized woodworking power tools that are perfect for creating nearly invisible wood joints.
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, urges homeowners to maintain their oil tank heating systems and avoid an environmental mess and expensive clean up.