Q: What’s the best way to strip back to bare wood on a deck that I started to finish with a stain that I don’t like? I’ve covered two-thirds of the deck, but the opaque results are not what I want. […]
Continue ReadingHow to Remove Tree Sap from Wood, Clothes & Vehicles
Q: How can I stop sap from oozing out of several new Douglas fir benches I had made and how can I remove it? I’m getting sap all over my clothes, so I need to remove sap from cloth, too. […]
Continue ReadingQ&A OF THE WEEK: “Can Asphalt Shingles Be Installed From The Top Down?”
UPDATED 6Jun2019 Q: How can I install asphalt shingles on a roof from the top down? I’ve heard this is better since you never walk on the shingles as they’re being installed, but how is this possible? Shingles need to […]
Continue ReadingQ&A OF THE WEEK: “Should I Finish Cedar Sidewall Shingles?”
UPDATED 24May2019 – Video Below Q: What are the pros and cons of leaving cedar sidewall shingles unfinished? We’re planning to cover the walls of our house in western red cedar, but don’t know what to do after that. […]
Continue Reading
Learn More from Bailey Line Road
Q&A OF THE WEEK: “What’s the Best Way to DIY Autobody Work?”
A reader asks . . . Q: What’s the best way to fix rust holes in the cab of my pickup truck? I’m handy around the house, so I figure I can learn to do decent autobody work in my […]
Continue ReadingASBESTOS SIDING: Is It Safe or Dangerous?
UPDATED 13Jun2019: Every so often I get a homeowner asking me an asbestos siding question that goes something like this. It’s a good question and lots of people have to deal with issues like this one: “What can I do […]
Continue ReadingQ&A OF THE WEEK: “Should I Change My Tank-Style Heater for Tankless?”
Q: Should I replace my large, gas-fired tank-style water heater with a tankless model? My wife and I are seniors living in our 2 storey, 4 bedroom home and we intend to stay here for at least another 10 years. […]
Continue ReadingQ&A OF THE WEEK: “How Can I Insulate My Cottage For Year-Round Living?”
Q: What’s the best way to insulate a cottage? I’m converting the place into a four-season home, but I want to preserve the interior wooden wall finishes. Paper-covered batt insulation is in the 2×4 wall frames now, but I’m concerned […]
Continue ReadingQ&A OF THE WEEK: “Why Does My Woodworking Take So Long?”
Q: Why is it that no woodworkers I watch on YouTube give specific amounts of time it takes to make projects? It’s discouraging for newbies like me when something looks easy but takes me forever. What am I doing wrong? […]
Continue ReadingQ&A OF THE WEEK: Insulating a 1950s Brick Bungalow
Q: What’s the best way to insulate the double-brick walls of my small bungalow built in 1952? There’s just plaster against the inside layer of brick with no insulation as far as I can tell. I’m having loose fill insulation […]
Continue Reading