Practical Solutions To Everyday DIY Challenges!
Spend-A-Little Save-A-Lot Home Improvements: Money-Saving Projects Anyone Can Do A friend of mine, Brad Staggs, recently wrote his own home improvement book. Brad Staggs has written, produced and directed feature stories for The Nashville Network and also produced and hosted features for Decorating with Style and Today at Home on HGTV. Today, Brad is seen on HGTV's HGTVPro.Com Weekly and on the syndicated Rebecca's Garden and The … [Read more...]
Deciding whether to retrofit or replace your deck There are approximately 40 million decks in the United States and only half of those are code compliant. Every year we hear about decks that collapse under the weight of people or snow load. If you have an existing deck that is more than 3 years old you should have it inspected for safety issues and make necessary corrections by retrofitting safety hardware to make your deck safer and bring … [Read more...]
When it comes to adding some extra space outdoors, a deck is a great way to create a place for the friends and family to gather. There are a ton of choices when thinking about adding a deck such as: freestanding vs. securing to the house piers vs. blocks wood vs. alternative materials face-fasten vs. hidden fasteners railings vs. no railings hiring a contractor vs. DIY Local code will dictate some of these decisions and it is … [Read more...]
Dressing Up A Garage Door With Crown Molding Do you have a garage door with flat trim casing on all three sides? Crown molding applied to the top of a garage door can make a dramatic statement and increase the curb appeal of your garage entry. Curb appeal is the first impression the house makes to a visitor from the outside. On a recent project we were asked to dress up a garage door with 4" crown molding. The customer … [Read more...]
Fypon Trellis When contractor Steve Roth purchased a dilapidated 1900s era two-story home during a foreclosure sale in Archbold, Ohio his mind was set on transforming the structure into a duplex home. He used a variety of low-maintenance building materials to replace rotting exterior materials. One of the products he used, a PVC trellis system from Fypon, helped create a welcoming entryway for part of his new duplex. “Every product I use … [Read more...]
Everything has a lifespan ~ choose your materials to last: This week we were called to a home to repair a porch. As soon as I saw this porch listing to the right it was obvious that non-pressure treated wood was used. I broke the news to the homeowner that we would need to completely re-build her porch from scratch. What many people do not grasp is that it sometimes involves more money trying to repair something that is too far gone, … [Read more...]
Steel Deck Framing System eliminates the need for pressure treated wood deck frames Trex Elevations™ will manufacture and market new Trex Elevations Steel Deck Framing – a deck framing system that offers superior longevity performance and aesthetics as Trexdecking and railing products. Trex Elevations is a dual-coated, galvanized steel, which not only looks great but is stable and lasts along time too. Because it is steel it … [Read more...]
Concealing Your Fasteners Translates Into a Quality Job! I just finished installing a bunch or PVC trim around a garage door opening. One thing I wanted to do was install the PVC securely and hide the fasteners. I've used the The Cortex Concealed Fastening System many times before [see post on Installing an Acorn Finial] and have found that is is one of the fastest and easiest way to conceal the fastener heads when installing PVC … [Read more...]
Robert Robillard is the Editor of A Concord Carpenter, Host of the Concord Carpenter cable tv show and the Principal of Robert E. Robillard Finish Carpentry & Renovation, LLC, a carpentry and renovation business located in Concord, Massachusetts.
He writes on all aspects of home improvement and remodeling, specializing in problem solving for all aspects of home maintenance.
In his spare time he enjoys reviewing new tools and products and restoring old tools back and using them on projects: A Concord Carpenter.
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