Carpentry

How To Pick The Right Drywall Compound For Your Job

There are a variety of different Drywall Compounds available for installing and repairing drywall but the selection comes down to three basic types. Each one has its own use and although you can mix them up a bit best results will happen if you stick to their intended use.

The first type is self curing compound which uses a chemical process to cure. This is also called fast setting compound because it has a …

How To Kiln Dry Wood For Lumber And Furniture Building

If you are someone that lives in an area where you can get easy access to your own trees you might want to consider milling your own lumber. Trees like spruce and pine are pretty easy to come by throughout the country and other woods like Oak, Maple, and Walnut may be prevalent in your area.

Many people that make custom furniture for a living will find ways to get logs from people that …

How To Diagnose And Prevent Door Frame Rot

A friend of ours is asking for some help concerning their front door frame and rot that has occurred over time due to moisture.As you can see the damage is pretty bad and it penetrates from the outside of the door all the way through to the inside molding. Obviously this door frame and maybe some of the house framing behind it will need to be replaced but they also want to prevent this …

How To Diagnose Roof Trusses Showing Through Asphalt Shingles

A friend of ours just purchased a new home back in March of this year and they are having some concerns with their roof. Since the home is less than nine months old any problem with the roofing should be a concern to the new owner. Normally when problems show up this early it means that they won’t be getting better over time.

As you can see the problem they are having is Telegraphing of …

How To Make The Right Choice On Stain When Resealing Your Deck

Its Summer and one of our friends gave us a question about deck coatings and what might be the right products to use for his 5 year old deck that has never been sealed. Lets look at some of the possible options and when you might want to use each product.

The first thing to understand about pressure treated decks is that they do have an approximate lifespan of 15 to 20 years. The way …

How To Store Lumber

When you are working on projects sometimes you need to order your lumber early and sometimes you have extra lumber that you want to store for your next job. Either way the cost of lumber means that you need to take good care of it.

There are a few different ways that lumber might come to your home or work site. Often flatbed trucks will deliver your materials and if you are purchasing a full …

How To Quick Guide For Staining Decks

If you have a wood deck then it is important that you maintain its finish and keep it clean between stainings to extend the life of the materials and reduce costly repairs. Eventually you will need to replace boards on your deck from deterioration but with proper cleaning and staining you can expect 15 to 25 years from your deck.
Cleaning Your Deck Before You Stain It
As you can imagine its always important that you …

How To Make Better Use Of A Bricked In Garage Window

A friend is asking about a garage window on the side of their home that has been partly bricked in by the previous owner. It seems that previously it was fitted with a double hung window but now there is a pattern of brick that has been placed to offer ventilation and some light. Additionally it seems that on the interior the previous owner had ended up covering the window with plywood.

The first consideration …

How To Frame Stud Walls For A Rough Window Opening

If you are building your own home or if you are retrofitting your window openings for new windows it is important that you always follow the manufacture recommendations for door and window openings but in general all rough openings for windows and doors are made two inches wider and two inches taller than the size of the door or window that will fit the opening. Often this size is reduced to 1 inch on …

How To Timber Frame Building And Cutting Your Own Lumber

One of the most expensive aspects of Timber Frame Building is the cost of the large dimension lumber that you need for construction. Not only is it expensive but the ability to purchase the materials will vary depending on where you are located. If you are considering building your own timber frame building and you have the resources in your area to cut your own or purchase raw logs for milling then you might …