Key Takeaways What is beauty, exactly? It is one of the most important things in life, yet one of the hardest to define. Most people know beauty when they see it, hear it, or feel its presence, but putting it…
Home improvement matters for reasons that go beyond repairs, upgrades, and property value. At its best, it helps turn the shell of a house into a place where people feel safe, comfortable, and deeply at home. That is the real…
Have you ever been on a workshop date? Let Steve tell you about the workshop dates that he and his wife Mary do, and what they’ve made together on their last one.
If trees grow where you live, then making them into firewood is a great way to reduce heating costs and get exercise. I’ve been cutting firewood and heating with it for 35+ years, and there are five main steps to…
Key Takeaways Thinking about a home standby generator? This guide explains how standby generators work, what an automatic transfer switch does, how load shedding can reduce generator size and cost, and when a portable generator may be the better backup…
See Steve explain the difference between nitrile and latex gloves; understand how to choose disposable work gloves so they can be reused; watch unboxing of biodegradable disposable work gloves; recognize why protective gloves make sense in the workshop
Making delicious chocolate chip cookies in our homestead kitchen!
There are seasons in life when the best moments seem to live behind us — when memories feel closer than the people we miss, and yesterday feels warmer than today. “Better Days” grew out of that space. It’s a simple,…
In this week’s video episode, see how a seasonal cottage property is converted for year-round running water; watch a smart heating cable is installed directly inside a shallow water line; see how
pipe insulation and an outer protective casing is applied to the pipe; learn how more or less heat is applied along the length of the cable, depending on temperature.
Off-grid power technology is getting better quickly in surprising ways, and this means it’s never been easier to enjoy running water and electric power for lighting and small cooking jobs in cabins and lakeside cottages that can’t connect to utility…
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, discusses the decline of people entering trade jobs in Canada.
I’ve built houses from scratch from foundation to roof peak, and I’ve also managed and worked on a number of older home renovations and restorations. Because of that, I can say with confidence that these two types of projects are…