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…
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, urges homeowners to maintain their oil tank heating systems and avoid an environmental mess and expensive clean up.
Canada’s Handiest Man, Steve Maxwell, informs homeowners about the Safer Living Homes campaign and discusses the importance building of strong homes.
Good woodworking often comes down to small details that are easy to overlook. Saw blades and router bits are a perfect example. Even a very good saw or router can perform poorly with a dirty blade, a dull cutter, or…
If you want better soil, fewer weeds, and less watering, garden mulch is one of the best tools you can use. The good news is that you do not need to keep buying bags of mulch. With the right chipper…
Features of Good Tiny House Plans Not all tiny house plans are equally livable. Some look clever on paper but feel cramped, dark, awkward, or too hard to maintain once built. The best plans usually include a few essentials: useful…
Key Takeaways What Makes Cottage Insulation Different from House Insulation? A seasonal cottage often begins life with very different assumptions than a full-time home. It may be built for summer comfort, not for long stretches of sub-zero weather. That means…
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…
Summer is the season you’re most likely to refinish outdoor trim, door frames, window sashes and finickity woodwork of all kinds, and detail sanders are tools I’ve come to rely on for this kind of work. Also called multitools these days because they can also cut and grind, detail sanders are not for stripping back large expanses of bare wood.
Pressure-treated wood is the most common and economical lumber for decks, fences, pergolas, and many other outdoor projects. It lasts far longer than untreated wood, but it is not rot-proof. If pressure-treated wood stays wet long enough, it can still…
If you own a septic system, regular pump-outs are one of the cheapest ways to avoid a very expensive and troublesome failure. The hard part is that homeowners hear different advice from different places about the frequency of pump-outs. Some…
Free Download: Home Standby Generator Buyer’s Guide Thinking about installing a standby generator? This guide walks you through the key decisions—so you don’t overspend, undersize, or end up with the wrong system. ✔ How much power you actually need✔ Fuel…