Framing

If you have an old house or plan to partition your garage, you might find the floor is not perfectly even. Although it does make the process of framing a wall a bit more complicated, it is possible to do it yourself, taking into account the sloping floor surface. To frame a wall on a …

I’ve never framed an entire house myself but I have certainly framed my share of garages, walls, and add-ons. I’ve also rehabbed houses and contracted out new homes. So let’s get to it. Framing a house requires a lot of planning and hard labor, but it can be made easier by doing your research and …

You want to finish your attic, but first, you need to make the opening big enough for the stairs. You have some home renovating experience, but you’ve never done a job like this before. How do you enlarge an attic opening?  Here are 7 tips and tricks that will help you enlarge your attic opening: …

Construction frames have traditionally been built using wood. Any time you pass a building site you can see the familiar skeleton of wooden studs, joists, and rafters that serve as bracing for the rest of the house.  But can you frame a basement with metal studs? Many contractors frame basements with metal studs because metal …

You have a to-do list a mile long. The newest addition to your list is a set of shelves to display all the knick-knacks you decided you just had to have while you were secluded during the quarantine. Choosing the type of wood is your first step. You have narrowed it down to the options …

Plywood is an essential part of any major construction project. Whether you are building scaffolding, creating a theatre set, or filling out the walls of a backyard shed, plywood will come in handy. As plywood is often used as a load bearer, you may be concerned about how much of a load plywood can bear. …

To stop a porch swing from squeaking, first examine the potential causes. Squeaking can be caused by a lack of lubrication, structural issues, environmental corrosion, and breakdown from use. There are a lot of reasons a porch swing may squeak, so this article tackles some common ways you can identify and resolve issues with your …

If you want to hold a porch swing from a single joist or beam, you need to use a 2×8. If you’re going to do it from a 2×6, you will have the weight dispersed over two joists. Always use stainless steel materials to hang the swing from the porch. I’ve made some mistakes hanging porch …

Selecting the right engineered wood for a project can be a tricky and overwhelming endeavor, especially if two or more of them have similar properties. OSB and MDF are often confused, but they are different materials that have other uses. Understanding what they are made of and ensuring that you are picking the right material …

So you’re building a pole barn, and you’re wondering how far apart you should set the posts. Whether you’re using a manufactured pole barn or building one from scratch, properly setting the posts is crucial for smooth building experience, and a quality finished product.    Pole barn posts should be set up either 8 or 12 …