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...]
EcoStud Track & Stud Framing System A Green Framing Solution I first saw the EcoStud® Track & Stud System at a trade show. I was intrigued it's innovative and practical approach to solving interior, non-load bearing walls or partitions. EcoStud is made from 100% recycled resin (post-consumer and post-industrial content), and is ideal in moisture prone environments like basements and coastal areas. Installing … [Read more...]
Window Condensation What do houseplants, a boiling pot of pasta and your shower all have in common? They all add moisture to your home’s interior. And, while some humidity in the home is good, excessive moisture can be uncomfortable. “We often get calls from homeowners who are concerned that their windows are ‘sweating’ or leaking either inside or outside the home because they see moisture on the … [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...]
Insulated Garage Doors A leaky, uninsulated garage door may not be an obvious culprit in rising monthly utility bills, but it’s worth a second look if you have an attached garage. Replacing an older garage door with a new, energy efficient model can reduce energy loss through the garage by up to 71%, according to a comparison study conducted by engineers at Clopay Building Products, the nation’s leading manufacturer of residential garage … [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...]
On a recent Concord Carpenter TV Show we installed a Therma-tru fire rated garage door. I was impressed with the Therma-Tru’s fire-rated, fiberglass door. What Is A Fire Rated Door? Fire-rated Doors allow you and your family time to escape in the event of a fire. A fire rated door is designed to have more resistance to fire and is used to reduce the spread of smoke and fire. In residential construction and remodeling we typically … [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.
Connect with A Concord Carpenter