Learning & How-To
BUILD YOUR OWN STAIRS: Article and Videos Shows Building...
Updated on July 8th, 2021
Late last fall I got an email from a friend, John, looking for advice on building a new set of stairs going down into...Continue Reading
Article
Warming Up Cold Canadian Floors
Updated on July 8th, 2021
Is the bedroom or bathroom above your garage cold and getting colder as winter comes on Is the floor especially frigid...Continue Reading
Article
3 Reasons Why 3M’s Painter’s Tape is Better ...
Updated on July 8th, 2021
Masking walls and trim effectively on your next painting job isn’t as easy as it looks, and ordinary masking tapes...Continue Reading
Article
LIFE IMPROVEMENT: Eat Better With a Root Cellar
Updated on May 17th, 2022
Back in 2009 a book publisher called me with an offer to write a book on root cellars and I thought it was the silliest...Continue Reading
Woodworking & Cabinetmaking
WOODWORKING: 4 Most Important Air-Drying Tips for Your N...
Published on April 1st, 2022
Do you need to dry lumber for woodworking and making furniture Want to learn how to air-dry furniture wood properly...Continue Reading
Article
We bought a new home and have a problem with the cold ce...
Updated on November 22nd, 2015
We bought a new home and have a problem with the cold cellarHelp! The roof is corrugated steel, on top of which has...Continue Reading
Home Building & Additions
STONE HOME FINALE: Watch Video of Last Stone Being Laid
Published on March 8th, 2024
On July 4, 1987, I laid the first stone in what would be the basement of my homestead house on Manitoulin Island,...Continue Reading
Buildings & Structures
OLDER HOMES: Deciding Which Issues Matter and How Much
Published on July 21st, 2023
A couple of years ago a friend of mine had enough of living in a dim, smelly, noisy apartment building, and on my...Continue Reading
Workshop
CHOOSING A TABLE SAW: Real-World Tips for Beginners
Updated on August 12th, 2021
A table saw is a stationary power tool that’s a mainstay of home improvements and renovation work because it makes...Continue Reading
Workshop
YOUR OWN HANDYMAN BUSINESS: More Opportunity Than Ever
Published on September 1st, 2023
Have you ever thought of putting your practical skills to use professionally as a handyman This article could be the...Continue Reading
Article
Bureaucracy a Roadblock to Green Homebuilding Innovations
Updated on August 12th, 2021
Technology isn’t always the toughest barrier to green innovations, and a contractor named Reiner Hoyer is...Continue Reading
Article
TOO HOT UPSTAIRS: Causes and Cures of this Widespread Pr...
Updated on July 8th, 2021
When I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada in the early 1970s, only one family in a neighbourhood of thousands...Continue Reading