Aging in place in your own home is a hot topic these days, but the various pieces of information needed to make it happen are rarely found in one place online. That’s because there’s lots to cover – financial, technical…
Reciprocating saws (often called “recip” saws for short) may be the least appreciated mainstream power tool in the world. Invented in 1951 by the Milwaukee tool company and dubbed the Sawzall, advances in blade technology and batteries are helping recip…
Don’t be fooled by tricky language that makes convincing but false claims about energy efficiency. Get the basics of home energy heating efficiency here.
With the help of a friend, my wife and I finished painting the entire interior of our house a while back, and this reminded me again how great modern latex paint is. The last time we did this job was…
Steve Maxwell demonstrates the various features of multi-tools in this video.
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…
81-year-old Marc Smith has been making and selling specialty windows since 2000, and he’s been doing it online. He was one of the first to venture into online sales, and his windows impress me. Watch this video to see why.
Adding daylight to your home is one of the best things you can do and it’s the ultimate green energy source. Here’s how to make it happen with sunlight tunnels when conventional skylights aren’t an option.
Question: I’m stripping lead paint from a bunch of wood trim and doors, and I need some advice. I’ve tried different chemical strippers with no success, but have found that a heat gun works. It’s very slow, but most importantly…
Canada’s Handiest Man, Steve Maxwell, explains the advantages of using infrared thermological technology to find heat loss spots in your home.
Question: How should my husband and I choose an architect? We’ve bought five acres of waterfront property that’s blessed with interesting topography. We envision a small, green home, perhaps using water reclamation technology and solar energy, incorporating local materials. How…
Back in 1975, top trades people installed an average of about $10,000 worth of materials a month on commercial building projects. Fast-forward 50 years and this figure has doubled thanks to a quantum leap in tool technology and the building…