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…
I sometimes help seniors decide exactly how to renovate their home so they can age well in place, with no need to ever move into a nursing home. One of the first things we often look at is something called a…
Making Sense of Deck Finishes Question: What should I do about conflicting advice I’m getting about deck finishing? I just built a new staircase out of cedar for my deck and the measured moisture content of the wood is less…
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, discusses the aesthetics and efficiency of cast iron radiators as home heating options.
Steve Maxwell shows us three applications where engineered lumber helps you build better buildings.
Over the last five years I’ve been trying to understand a kind of beauty I see from time to time. It has to do with old brick buildings and I think I have it figured out. The most impressive brick buildings…
QUESTION: What should I do about the fuzzy surface fibers that developed on my deck? In the fall I stripped and pressure washed the wood and now it’s all fuzzy. I’m afraid that when I re-stain in the spring it…
Have you lost some asphalt roof shingles because of wind? Let me show you how to fix that with a job I did on my now house a while back. It’s got a steep roof, so it’s tricky to get up and…
Home generators have never been more popular because people are more concerned than ever about backup electrical power when the grid goes down. What’s easy to miss is that without pre-planning, most generators won’t offer much benefit for outages lasting…
Sick and tired of leaky, clog-prone eavestrough? You might consider a trough-free alternative that Steve has used at his own place. Click to watch it in action.
Just for fun, here’s a two-minute peek over my shoulder as I use a super-sharp chisel and mallet to create a pocket for a hand-forged hinge for a wooden door I built. This is how all traditional hinges are installed.
Want to keep a lot cooler in summer without relying so much on air conditioning? Check out Steve’s 2-minute video tour of how openable skylights can do this for you.