A New Hip

I have been doing construction-type work since the early 1990s in a variety of capacities. My first business was a deck building business where I had to dig holes, move dirt, pour concrete, and lift truckloads of lumber. Over time I increased my skills and became...

How To Patch Drywall

A very common question that I get is, “How do you patch a hole in drywall.” This process can be somewhat tedious, but a careful DIYer can accomplish it with a little effort. See the photos below for step-by-step directions. This customer had a leak...

Converting A Baseboard Vent Into A Floor Vent

A customer wanted us to convert a baseboard heating vent into a floor vent. No problem, I said. See the photos below. The original baseboard heating vent. Crimping new ductwork. Duct ready to accept boot. Floor boot added. All...

A Foamy Situation

Most kitchens have at least one outside wall which needs to be insulated. In many kitchen the standard has always been to use fiberglass batts, which give a R15 insulation value (the higher the R the better). Naturally, this is an imperfect solution, but it is cheap...

From Tree To Planks

An oak’s life is normally from 150-300 years. Trees don’t live forever and they eventually die; most of them become mulch or firewood unless they are specifically harvested to be used for lumber. This seems to be a waste, as many local trees are beautiful...

A DYI Guitar Display Wall

My 13 year old son is an avid guitar player, and I wanted him to have a place to display some of his classic guitars. I decided to create a shiplap wall for that purpose. You can buy shiplap, but I made my own because I wanted one out of oak. My friend, Mike and I...