If you ever have to drill holes in the underside of a vehicle, you know how hard it is to get the job done with only a hand drill. But what else can you use under there? The video below […]
Continue ReadingHOME DESIGN CONCEPTS: Five strategies for better renovations
Design is a make-or-break issues when it comes to renovations and new homes, but too often ideas about design come too small and too late. To make your place better, you need to think about the big design ideas you’ll find here and you’ll need to think about them early on, when they can have an influence on how your place feels and functions.
Continue ReadingGAP-FREE WOODWORKING JOINTS: Simple Trick Makes It Easy
Sometimes a little woodworking trick can deliver a lot of value. That’s the case with an operation called “kerfing”. Click below to watch how I use kerfing to tighten up a visible joint that’s got more of a gap than […]
Continue ReadingVAPOUR BARRIERS: How They Work & Why They Matter
Most homes are insulated with some kind of fibre-based insulation such as fibreglass or rock wool, but for these products to work properly they need to be installed with some kind of vapour barrier applied to the warm side of […]
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CERAMIC TILES: This is What a Proper Installation Looks Like
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, goes over how DIY homeowners can install ceramic tiles that last.
Continue ReadingOFF-GRID ENERGY: Tour a Real-World System With 20-Year Track Record
When Anne and Fritz Kettling decided to build their dream home on an island in Canada, they weren’t willing to compromise. “If I can’t build on this spot, I don’t want to build at all”, Fritz told someone who was […]
Continue ReadingEDGE-GLUING SOLID WOOD: Three steps for success in the home workshop
Gluing boards edge-to-edge to make wider pieces is an essential woodworking skill. Learn these three tips for getting this job done right.
Continue ReadingQUALITY & MORALITY: Build Unto Others As You Would Have Them Build for You
If you do anything at all creative with your hands, you need to understand an idea I call “the challenge of a thousand decisions”. From moment to creative moment we’re all faced with decisions – many of them small – […]
Continue ReadingSTAIR TREAD TRICK: See Simple Jig on Video
Are you building or renovating stairs? Do you need to precisely fit pieces of wood between two fixed surfaces? You’ve got to watch this video. It’s the first I ever posted online, it’s been public since November 28, 2008 and it’s […]
Continue ReadingBASEMENT HEATING Q&A: “Should I Move Heating Ducts to the Floor?”
A Reader Asks . . . Q: How should I arrange the heating ducts as I convert an unfinished basement space into a couple of bedrooms? Right now the heating ducts are up at the ceiling. Should I extend them […]
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