Installing A Built-in Bookcase

By Robert Robillard

Installing Built-in Bookcases Built-ins come in many shapes and sizes. Many times people place a built in into an odd or irregular spaced area other times people are looking to create an aesthetically pleasing effect or need more storage options. In this case the homeowners had a small irregular shaped, unused closet and a built…

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Designing with Rope Lighting

By Robert Robillard

Accent Lighting Basics: Installing Rope Lighting Rope lights are a super easy way to introduce accent lighting and color into your lighting design. There are many uses for rope lighting and they work so well because of their versatility.  A common use for rope lights is as a cove or accent light.  Rope lights placed…

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Repairing Wall Damage

By Robert Robillard

Recent child rough housing cased this damage to the wall. The weight of an 85 lbs kid being tossed into a wall was enough to cause the drywall to break at the seam, between two 2×4 wall studs. Repairing Drywall Damage The first step in this repair was to identify where the two studs were.…

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Back Priming Deck Boards

By Robert Robillard

Sealing Deck Boards Before installing wood decking like Ipe or Mahogany boards I always try to convince my customer to allow for the extra cost of back priming the deck boards to seal them from moisture. In most of these situations the deck boards are oiled or stained. In these cases I use a clear…

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5 Common Household Repairs

By Robert Robillard

Common House Repairs Many of the common home repairs I come across are actually the easiest to repair yourself. The five most common household repairs are the following: 1.  Sticking Doors: There are a number of causes for doors sticking, the most common is humidity. Depending on the time of year the door may work fine…

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Start Your DIY Project Out of Sight

By Robert Robillard

Start Your Project In The Least Conspicuous Spot As a new carpenter we often joked that it was nice to “learn as you earn” and “by the time we’re done with this we’ll be a pro – but probably won’t do this for another five years and have to start from scratch again. “When doing…

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Natural Fiber Cellulose Insulation

By Robert Robillard

Photo:  Concord Carpenter at Baltimore’s 2010 Remodeling show GreenFiber is a natural fiber cellulose insulation GreenFiber is a natural fiber cellulose insulation product that converts used paper materials that would otherwise be placed in a landfill into an environmentally-sustainable product that helps homeowners reduce their monthly heating and cooling costs. With eco-friendly living becoming a…

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Taping Electrical Receptacles

By Robert Robillard

Electrical Tape and Receptacle When remodeling I often have to remove live outlets temporarily from the electrical boxes. Anytime this is done I always advocate using electrical tape to wrap electrical receptacles such as outlet or switch terminals. This prevents accidental contact with your hands or tools with the live wires or terminals causing an…

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