Building Materials & Supplies

If you read my article on sound insulated walls or' Quiet walls' you may have realized that having sound insulated walls helps but the doors leading to those rooms surrounded by these walls was...

When I built my last house my sons were eight and ten respectively and just on the verge of teendom, I knew the combo of their loud music and my night shift schedule would make it hard on all...

Moisture content, as the term suggests, refers to the natural qualities of moisture retention in wood. Lumber manufacturers develop methods of measuring moisture content in order to produce lumber...

Lithium grease has a wide range of operating stability and can be used in high or low temperature conditions. Lithium is used as a thickening agent, giving the grease the required consistency for...

Cutting a perfect hole in a ceramic tile requires a specialized hole saw---and even then is difficult to get right. Luckily, you seldom need to cut a perfect hole in the tile. Usually, a hole is...

A gambrel roof is a well-known and much-used style of roof. It looks like the classic barn roof, with two slopes on each side and with the lower slopes slanting at a sharper angle than the higher...

Old-time porcelain tubs--clawfoots, built-in soakers and other classic varieties--are actually cast-iron tubs with a porcelain coat over them. The porcelain inevitably wears, dulls and discolors...

Everybodies roof wears out over years and it is costly to replace the shingles. With the right know how you can do it yourself.

The three easiest ways to find free building materials are here for the taking, all you need is a mode of transportation and a pair of gloves.

Compared to conventional stick frame building techniques there are many different means and materials to construct a house.My personal favorites is straw bale . To me this is among the greenest...

Ensuring the use of effective quality control measures in concrete projects prevents the addition of concrete to the project that fails to meet the regular standards attributed to quality...

Hiring contractors for a bathroom remodel comes with its fair share of stress. Paying the contractor is often one of the most stressful parts of the job. Not only do you part with your hard earned...

Grout is the cement-like substance that fills in the spaces between your shower tiles. If it starts to crack and crumble, it means either that it wasn't properly installed in the first place, or...

When you're installing a new tongue-and-groove floor, there are two basic kinds of cuts you'll have to make: lengthwise cuts along the whole span of the first and/or last course or flooring; and...

Using plastic, formica-style laminate to build rugged work surfaces and countertops has become a skill that the average cabinet maker takes for granted. To the uninitiated, it may seem like...

The costs of a home remodeling or building project can easily grow beyond expectations. The steps in this article will help decrease the costs of your next project.

Plaster has been a part of civilization for centuries. Today, plaster of paris is used for a wide range of roles, from building to art. It is particularly useful as a coating on walls, where it...

Band saw blades pose a storage dilemma. From hooks to drawers, band saw owners have tried many things to store these sometimes large and unwieldy blades. Hanging the blades causes damage to the...

You may think your kitchen cabinets are solid wood --- and the doors and drawer fronts probably are --- but look closer at the body structure of the cabinet itself (the part that's attached to the...

Grout and stone or clay tiles look impenetrable, but in fact neither is completely waterproof in their natural, unsealed states. Applying liquid sealant over the grout lines is simple, unless...

Oriented strand board, or OSB, is made from small strips of wood scraps pressed together with resin to provide a surface similar to particle board. Like particle board, OSB isn't the best surface...

Oil-based stain and polyurethane gloss are more difficult to work with than water-based products. Oil-based stain and polyurethane produce more potent fumes, cleanup is more difficult (you must...

Wire rope clamps are composed of a saddle, U-bolt and two hex nuts. This simple device makes a structurally strong connection when creating an eyelet in the end of a wire rope or splicing together...

"Shower pan" is the term that refers to a properly built shower floor structure around a drain. The top layer of a shower pan is Portland cement that's sloped toward the drain from all sides. Your...

When shortening a piano hinge, you must ensure that the thin rod that comprise the hinge does not receive damage. If you apply excessive pressure to the hinge or use the incorrect cutting tools,...

A wall tile that's loose, cracked or broken can ruin the look of an otherwise nice tiled wall. It can also literally ruin the wall, if moisture gets under it and migrates beneath the other tiles,...

The first step in refinishing a wood floor is to remove the old finish. Removing the old finish is a complicated process because you have to take up the hard shell of polyurethane (or varnish, or...

More than half of a home's energy use comes from cooling and heating, making insulation an important consideration. But insulating with materials that keep your utility bill low without harming...

The 3M SandBlaster sanding sponges are small, angled blocks that have two different types of abrasive. One side has a fine grit, similar to 150-grit sandpaper. The other side is coarse grit,...

It is common to use a treated wood post as a support in a structure, but sometimes treated wood posts are not attractive and do not match the rest of the project. There are several easy ways to...

A tile backsplash protects the wall behind your countertop from splattered water while also providing a decorative element to the countertop and tying it to the wall. There are numerous ways to...

Using premixed thin-set adhesive takes a bit of the prep work out of laying marble tiles. By using the premixed thin set you can save time on tile installation, quickly applying the adhesive to...

Travertine is a form of stone rich in mineral deposits, air holes and other variations. When cut into tiles, it creates a distinctive look of pockmarks and holes throughout the tile face. Since...

Ceramic tile is generally the easiest kind of tile to cut, owing to its relative softness compared to stone, and its tendency to break in a straight line. For straight cuts, all you need to do is...

Ceramic tiles are an attractive and durable tiling choice for any surface. The tiles come in a variety of sizes and colors and can last decades provided they're given adequate maintenance. Placing...

Cedar has a number of characteristics that make it desirable for outdoor projects including decking, siding and construction. Cedar takes on a wide variety of colors, is low in pitch and resin,...

Eye bolts are typically used to attach ropes, string or chains to objects. Many people string wire from eye bolts on the back of picture frames, for instance, to allow them to rest on hooks or...

If you want to cover your old laminate countertop with a new surface---whether it's tile, wood or new laminate---you must first scuff up the existing laminate. Laminate is a thin sheet of plastic...

Old-fashioned bathtubs are usually cast-iron bodies topped with a porcelain coating. The iron is practically indestructible, but the porcelain will wear, fade and become dull over time. Since...

Jack posts are designed to provide adjustable leveling of floors and beams, both in new and re-modeling situations. Some are one piece while others are designed for either crawl spaces or full...

Crushed rock is often used as a base for stone patios, concrete applications and footers. Crushed rock is strong and durable but will allow moisture to drain through to the soil below. It is easy...

When affixing wood to concrete, one of the best, and easiest, methods is to glue the wood to the concrete with epoxy. One suggested glue is PL-400. It comes in a caulking tube and is sold at...

Applying a paint to treated wood is a good idea no matter how the wood is used. Whether it is a deck, railing, or other purpose, painting or staining the material will lengthen the life of the...

Applying wood sealer to wood used outside is a good idea---no matter how the wood is used. Whether it is a deck, railing, or porch, sealing the lumber will lengthen the life of the wood. It's also...

What if you have to a cut a hole in a tiled wall to install a plumbing fixture? The simplest way is to buy a masonry hole saw, which bores through the tile at any size you want and makes a perfect...

Whether you're installing floor trim, a chair rail, or framing a window, there will come a time when you have to create a corner with a miter cut. This is simply two cuts at opposite angles on two...

Wooden dowel rods are commonly used in woodworking projects. They are circular rods that come in many different widths and can be used for many different functions. Dowel rods are commonly used to...

Treated lumber is treated with a chemical that makes it resistant to rot and decay. The treatment only offers a resistance, not a cure from rot and decay, so some basic maintenance is required to...

Plywood is attached to the side of a wood house as a siding and a cover for windows and doors during intense storms, like hurricanes and tornadoes. Plywood is used because it is lightweight and...

Cork is great natural sound dampeners due to its cellular structure. It is made up of millions of 14-sided cells that form a honeycomb of sound-absorbent material that is durable, sustainable and...