HOW TO BUILD STAIRS: Key Tips & Tricks to Make Things Better (Videos Below)
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, helps homeowners understand how to build sturdy stairs that won’t creak under your feet.
BASEMENT FINISHING: Three Excellent Flooring Options for Down There
The flooring and subfloor you choose for finishing a basement has a huge impact on how the space feels and performs, and on indoor air quality in your entire house. Planning to finish your basement? As more people are considering…
HOT WATER HEATING: Tank-Style Water Heater Great For Infloor Heating
The simplest way to generate hot water for infloor heating and radiators is with a tank-style water heater, and that’s what you’ll learn about in this video. And despite what some professionals mistakenly believe, a gas-fired or electric tank-style water heater…
WOOD FINISHING: Staining Interior Surfaces Video Tutorial
In this six minute video I show how to properly apply stain to interior wood surfaces. This video is part of a complete online course I offer on WOOD FINISHING FOR BEGINNERS. The video here shows how to apply traditional…
HOME MAINTENANCE: “How Can I Get Rid of the Smell of Rodents in an Old House?”
Question: Do you know of any way to get rid of the smell of rats and mice? My daughter bought a house in an old neighbourhood and rodents have been living in the frame walls of the finished basement for…
PELLET STOVES: How To Install Your Own Economical Heating Appliance
DIY Installation An Option What’s involved in installing a wood pellet stove as a heating appliance? If you’re wondering if you can do this job yourself, my short answer is “yes”, if you’re a handy person you certainly can. There’s…
HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR: Install Your Own and Save $$$
If you care about indoor air quality in your home (and eliminating window condensation in winter), you should consider adding a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) to your home. This article explains how these devices are installed, and how you can…
RURAL WATER SYSTEMS: Here’s How to Get Lots of Water From The Weakest of Wells
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, examines water wells and discusses pumps as well as the trickle system.
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.
ELECTRIC IN-FLOOR HEATING: Toastier Toes Make Rooms More Comfortable
The phrase “cold feet” is more than just something someone says when they’ve lost enthusiasm. In some houses it’s a permanent source of literal discomfort each winter. Bathrooms, basements, floors over crawlspaces and those notoriously cold bedrooms over garages are…
INTERIORS: “Is There Any Way to Soundproof a Single-Layer Floor?”
Question: How can we make the floor in our house more soundproof? We live in a log cabin and the upstairs flooring is just one layer of tongue and groove planking on top of beams that forms the ceiling of…
WATER HEATER MAINTENANCE: Have You Done the Annual Job?
The stuff you see here is mineral sediment from the bottom of a water heater. Annual flushing of tank-style heaters is essential for getting rid of this building up and extending water heater life. Click to see how.