Keep Couch Off Baseboard Heater

By Robert Robillard

Save Heating Costs and Shorten Warm Up Times With A Couch Stand-Off Jig Here’s a jig you can make to keep couch off baseboard heater and increase baseboard heating efficiency in your house. Pushing a couch up against a wall with a baseboard heater can restrict airflow, which causes the heater to function inefficiently, take longer…

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Roof and Gutter Heating Cable

By Robert Robillard

Warmup Roof Ice and Snow Melting Cables Some homes are predisposed to ice dams – and the leaks that can result from them. Lack of insulation, warm air leaks, and complex roof designs all contribute to ice dam formations. Preventing roof leaks requires addressing these issues and ice dams themselves, but that’s not always easy…

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How To Remove Rust Spots From A Driveway

By Robert Robillard

Cleaning Your Driveway, The Right Way It’s easy to know the right thing to do after you’ve made a mistake. A few months back I was cutting a bunch of metal rods [rebar] and I did NOT anticipate all the microscopic metal dust staying on my driveway and leaving  unsightly rust stains. My first thought was to pressure…

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How To Install A Dryer Vent

By Robert Robillard

Installing A Dryer Duct and Vent – Best Practice The type and length of your dryer duct can have a significant effect on the efficiency of your dryer as well as increase or reduce the risk of a fire. Use Metal Duct Pipe – Best Practice The best duct pipe to use is 4” solid,…

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Cleaning a Bluestone Patio

By Robert Robillard

How to Clean Bluestone Many homes have concrete and blue-stone walkways, steps and patios.  The problem is leaves, pollen and rust stains that develop can very difficult to remove. This article will address using a pressure washer as best practice for cleaning a Bluestone patio. Use A Pressure Washer The most effective and safe cleaning method…

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How to Clean Granite Steps

By Robert Robillard

Cleaning Exterior Granite It wasn’t long after I started working as a carpenter that I started advising clients to replace their rotting wooden stairs with stone and granite steps. Granite makes an excellent choice for front entry stairs because of its hardness and resistance to ice melt products.  Additionally granite compliments gives and a sense…

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Preventing Patio Weed Growth with Polymeric Sand

By Robert Robillard

Using Polymeric Sand To Refresh A Patio I have a Blue stone patio with ¾” wide paver joints between the pavers. Weeds are inevitable and the best way I’ve found to eliminate them is with Polymeric sand. Preventing Patio Weed Growth with Polymeric Sand is considered a “best practice,” by many landscape designers and masons.…

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Mold In Attic

By Robert Robillard

The Underside of Roof is Wet – Frost In Attic Moldy, wet roof surfaces in the attic is not a good thing. There is a myriad of reasons for moisture buildup in the attic. Normal thinking would tell you that having enough airflow or ventilation would solve this problem. That is not the case for…

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