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…
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…
Steve Maxwell shows us three applications where engineered lumber helps you build better buildings.
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…
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.
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.
Are you confused about the correct type of salt to use with your well water softener? That’s understandable. There are different kinds of salts, but without the right knowledge it’s not easy to pick one. This article is all about why…
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.
Cold winters present plenty of challenges, and one of the most widespread is indoor mold growth. Unlike warmer parts of the world where mold grows mostly during humid, summertime weather, winters are the primary household mold season for people like…
According to Steve Maxwell wood heating makes sense on several levels; cost savings, cleanliness of combustion and the aesthetics of well-piled firewood.
Video Watch Time = 11 minutes Sanding lightly between coats is the single most important step you need to take to achieve a smooth, interior wood finish. Watch my 11-minute video lesson below for all the details. Transcript after the video…
Drywalling is one of those DIY renovation skills that takes a lot of practice to get good at, especially when it comes to finishing and mudding. That’s why I’m a big fan of products and tools that let non-professionals do…