Building Materials & Supplies

A custom frame accents any work of art, whether surrounding an original canvas, a piece of photography or your favorite finger paint masterpiece. But because professional framing can be expensive,...

Tile cutters don't actually "cut'' the tile, but rather break it to size, which is much easier. The cutter works by scoring the surface of the tile, then snapping it at the scored line. Cutting...

Cutting and working with treated lumber is similar to working with regular or cedar lumber except for a few key differences. There are also certain safety precautions that you should take and ways...

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...

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...

A spiral saw is a type of router which works by running a spinning bit sideways against whatever material you're cutting. The bit comes down through a flat base with a hole in the center that...

When building a new home the most visible parts are the exterior siding and trim. Recently, a new type of siding and trim has come to market that is made of concrete: Hardie Siding and Trim. These...

Whether you are building a dog house or a room addition you must have accurate measurements.

Steel roof decking is a cost effective and durable material with seemingly limitless applications. This roofing material is made in rectangular panels at modular sizes; however, most roofs to...

Concrete block is among the most widely used construction materials because it is a strongly built rigid material. Concrete block may need to be cut for partial wall sections or openings or...

Corrugated roofing is a material that has been used for over a century, and is now available in either metal or plastic to fit nearly every application need. One of the greatest qualities of...

Hydraulic hose, unlike many other hose types, cannot by cut using snips, scissors or a knife. This is due to the fact that hydraulic hose has steel belting like a tire inside of it. Hydraulic...

Selecting the right saw blade is important if you want to get proper, smooth cuts on the material that you are going to use your saw on. There are steel blades, abrasive blades, high speed blades...

Micarta is a high-pressure composite laminate made by Norplex-Micarta . The material is manufactured by curing paper, linens and various cotton fibers with resins. The company uses these...

There are numerous ways to cut standard-sized ceramic tiles, depending on the kind of cut you need to make. The preferred method for straight cuts is a score-and-snap tile platform cutter, while...

Hardiplank siding is a type of cement fiberboard that can look like wood, stucco and other types of siding, such as vinyl. This type of siding is tougher than other materials that are used for...

Cotton insulation is a type of environmentally safe insulation used in commercial and residential construction projects. The material contains over 85 percent recycled natural fibers, including...

Soapstone is widely used for carving and counter tops. It is the perfect material for do-it-yourself projects because of its ability to be cut and shaped without special tools. Making your own...

Wood veneer is a building material made from very thin sheets of lumber. The veneer is glued over a plywood or hardboard base to create furniture, woodwork and other architectural elements. Wood...

Aluminum beverage cans are one of the most recyclable materials on the commercial market today. Aluminum and steel can be recycled indefinitely, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 95 percent...

Dowels are solid, cylindrical poles made of wood, plastic or metal. They are some of the most common and versatile of all building materials. Use them as spokes in a staircase or as hangar rods...

Cut nails, sometimes known as masonry nails, are created by machine from a steel plate and cut on all sides to produce four edges. The nails have a wedge shape that ends in a blunt point and are...

Crown molding is the most challenging kind of trim to install. It sits out from the wall at an angle, which means that, at the corners, there are two angles that have to be cut in conjunction with...

Cutting Drywall is an important part of any drywall project. Getting a straight, clean cut is necessary if you do not want to waste your drywall. You need a good clean cut so that the pieces of...

Foam core board is a handy material that has a variety of uses in the home. Foam core board looks somewhat like oversized sheets of plywood, only they're made out of a dense foam material. This...

All miter saws share some similar parts and functions, but a compound miter saw is capable of making two cuts at one time, a miter cut and a bevel cut. Every miter saw made has a saw table,...

Cutting angles in wood -- say, for trimming around corners -- used to be a lot harder than it is today. The advent of the power miter saw takes the guesswork out of it, because the saw is designed...

Crown moldings at the top of your cabinets can give them a classic, elegant look. The process of installing them yourself is not simple, but you can do it if you plan ahead and work carefully.

A mitered cut is the 45-degree angle you see in the corner pieces of picture frames. That's a basic miter, and today it's generally cut with a power miter saw--essentially, a circular saw mounted...

A jig saw is a small but crucial part of any power tool collection. Its reciprocating vertical blade can cut wood, metal, vinyl and other materials in ways that no larger blade can. While a jig...

HardiePlank is a fiber cement siding and trim product chosen for its durability, ease of use in installation and low maintenance requirements. HardiePlank's trim pieces and decorative finishes...

If you are cutting material for a project and are tired of wearing out your basic cutting machine, or are upset that the material was warped from cutting, consider using a laser cutter. The...

Circular saws are one of the most convenient and powerful supplies in any carpenter's arsenal. Convenient and easy to carry, the circular saw quickly becomes the good workman's best friend. A...

Here's a brand new spin on cutting a simple circle. Follow these simple steps below and with a little practice and a little patience, you'll be impressing your friends with your table saw skill....

Coroplast is a brand of plastic that is similar in structure to corrugated cardboard. It is often sold in sheets, but most people will not need to use the entire sheet. This means that you will...

Glass cutting is an age-old technique, performed by people all over the world. There are very few limitations when cutting glass. You can create almost anything using block-cutting techniques:...

One of the greatest discoveries in mechanical action has been the gear. It links together two more more separate axles to transmit power. By changing the ratio of teeth between two gears, you can...

A biscuit joint is a method of joining together two flat planes of wood at their edges in a manner that's designed to be easier and more secure and cause less-visible alteration to the wood than...

Most people use a wet saw to cut through stone such as granite and marble because the surface of the stone is extremely hard. The wet saw makes precise cuts, keeps the dust down and cools the...

Cutting your own sheet metal will allow you to use sheet metal for a variety of projects. Sheet metal cuts very easily with the proper tools, however, there are safety considerations to be taken...

Unless you're trying to break out of prison, cutting steel bars is a very easy process with the right tools. Some say that it's possible to cheaply cut steel bars with a mitre saw and an abrasive...

Crown molding can be used with great effect to dress up the appearance of a room. Inevitably, however, you'll need to navigate a corner with your crown molding, which means that you need to know...

When it comes to using tile to cover a wall or a floor or a tabletop, many people are intimidated by the thought of having to cut tiles. However, with a little education you will find that cutting...

A table saw outfeed stand will come in handy when cutting long lumber to be used as moulding or in finished work. Although the stand can be built with minimal effort, it will assist you in larger...

Crown molding adds dimension and architectural interest to any room. Wood ceiling molding, also called crown molding, is installed at the top of the walls along the ceiling line. Installing wood...

Plexiglas is a synthetic substitute for glass used in hundreds of applications where glass is not as safe or as suitable for the job. Manufacturers have their own ways of cutting and molding this...

Constructing a tile floor can add a pleasing dimension to any remodel. It can spruce up a kitchen or add class to a bathroom. If you are installing your own stone tile, you'll eventually run...

There are various types of home insulation, all with their own installation methods. The type and method you use will depend on the climate in which you live, where you are placing the insulation...

It is very easy to cut dry wall. All you need is a T square and a utility knife.

Finger joints, named so because of their resemblance to interlaced fingers, are a sturdy joint that you would find in a lot of wooden boxes. These joints are usually secured in place with wood...