Paul

As a homeowner, I am constantly experimenting with making the structure of my house more energy-efficient, eliminating pests, and taking on DIY home improvement projects. Over the past two decades, my family has rehabbed houses and contracted new home builds and I've learned a lot along the way. I share my hard-learned lessons so that you can save time and money by not repeating my mistakes.

We’ve all been through the excitement of cleaning your car or patio, and when you start your pressure washer, it instantly revs up with that all-powerful purr you’ve gotten used to hearing. But after a few minutes, it shuts off. You start it again, only to have it die on you after a few moments. …

Pressure washers tend to be pretty dependable but one issue that comes up often is a tendency to stall when the trigger is released. There is a common cause for this and a simple fix. If a pressure washer stalls when the trigger is released, this usually indicates a fault in the unloader valve. It …

We have all experienced the frustration of trying to hang a picture on the wall and not locating a stud to securely attach the frame. You think to yourself, “there must be no studs in this wall!” And yet, without wall studs, the wall would have no structural support. Can a wall not have studs? …

When building a house, a common question is whether to build a two-story or one-story home. Likewise, when remodeling a house, you may be trying to decide between a one-story addition or adding another story. These choices all have vast cost differences. The confusing issue is that the advice for new construction is the opposite …

Many brick homes built before the 1980s, and especially earlier, were not built with current standards of insulation. Usually, exterior brick walls built before this time have little or no insulation, in fact (source). I ran into this with an old house that we were renovating a few years ago. The methods for insulating exterior …

Framing a window for a remodel or during new construction requires basic tools and a fair amount of patience. It’s super-simple for a pro but can be done by a DIY enthusiast with the proper tools. Framing for a new window can be accomplished through the steps outlined in this article. I will also walk …

If you are planning a remodel to a basement or garage on a slab, you will need to secure the bottom plate of the walls to the concrete. I’ve had to do this many times over the years and there are a number of ways to do it. Attaching the bottom plate of a wall …

New flooring can make a huge difference to the look and comfort of a home. Whether you are replacing old carpeting, installing new laminate or vinyl planks, or splashing out on hardwood floor or tile, it is important to prepare the floor to receive the new material. When choosing underlayment material, many people consider using …

We’re familiar with tankless water heaters providing on-demand hot water for domestic appliances. But can that same type of tankless water heater be used to heat a pool? A tankless water heater can be used to heat a pool, although the type used for domestic hot water isn’t designed for this purpose. You may need …

When it comes to thermal insulation, foam board insulation is regarded as a great alternative to the fiberglass batt, which cannot compare in terms of R-value. Foam board insulation is compact, durable, easy to install, and serves to control a building’s energy use efficiently, which essentially lessens energy cost. Foam board insulation products are generally …