HOME BUILDING: How Wooden I-joists, Composite Studs and Glulam Beams Deliver Better Buildings
Steve Maxwell shows us three applications where engineered lumber helps you build better buildings.
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CLASSIC BRICK: How to Design for Old-Fashioned Beauty
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…
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OUTDOOR WOOD: “How Can I Fix the Fuzzy Wood on My Deck?”
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…
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ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF REPAIR: Climb Up Top With Me & See How It’s Done
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…
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MULTI-FUEL GENERATORS: Ideal Option for Long-Term Outages
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…
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ROOFS: Leak-Proof Alternative to Eavestrough
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.
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DOOR HINGE INSTALLATION: Watch Me Chop a Hinge Pocket for a Wooden Door I Built
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.
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SUMMER COMFORT: Keep Upper Stories Comfortable When A/C Can’t
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.
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OUTDOOR PLAYSETS: Tips & Plans for Building Your Own
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, talks to homeowners about how to build a safe and fun wooden play area for children on their back lawn.
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PREPAREDNESS: Why The Electricity Grid Could Go Down for Months (and what you can do about it)
Our world has become entirely dependent on centrally supplied electricity, and this has brought a lot of good to humanity. That said, there’s good reason to believe that the reliability of this electrical supply isn’t as solid as it might…
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OUTDOOR PROJECTS: Real-World Tricks for Working With Posts, Beams & More
There are tricks that make a big difference to the visual success of outdoor woodworking projects, and that’s what you’ll learn about here. You’ll find them useful for almost every project involving big, exterior wood. Decks, docks, gazebos, swing sets,…
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HOW TO GET RID OF GNATS – 10 Fast, Easy Ways That Really Work
The term “gnat” means different things to different people, but generally they’re small biting and non-biting flying insects that often appear in groups. Sometimes spelled “nats” or “knats”, the annoyance they cause when flying around your home remains the…
