Carpentry

Lucite is a brand of acrylic plastic sheeting used in place of glass for its strength and durability. For quick cuts, Lucite can be scored and snapped to size much like glass. A table saw is...

All lumber cut on a sawmill, from trees or logs, is called green lumber. Green lumber signifies that the boards are not properly dried. There are two basic methods to drying green lumber, air...

Laminate is a form of plastic in thin, hard sheets that seals off countertops and other surfaces, providing a tough, waterproof work area. It is installed over the countertop using contact cement,...

A sill plate is nothing more than the bottom of the stud-frame wall that you will be erecting on your cinder-block foundation. You'll need to anchor the plate down to the top of your foundation in...

Wood paneling gives a great, rustic look to any room in your home. Wood paneling is easy to install, but it is flimsy. If you pick up a long sheet or try to pry the paneling too hard, you may...

Every homeowner should be aware of the fact that, sooner or later, your roof is going to have to be replaced. Although some roofs, such as metal roofing and clay tiles, have thirty or fifty year...

Many people don't consider refinishing their wood furniture after it becomes old, scratched and damaged. They usually throw it way and purchase a new piece. Refinishing wood is not overly...

Keeping a band saw well tuned makes the saw not only more efficient, but also an easier tool to operate. Regardless of the vertical band saws use, keeping the cutting blades sharp and aligned are...

Adding multiple layers of design elements creates interest. A chair rail can add elegance and dimension to a room. Place a chair rail to separate two wall colors, top wainscoting, or to simply add...

Latex caulk provides good protection from moisture in joints for up to 10 years, but as it ages the protection lessens, which can lead to damage of the wood surface below. In order to best apply a...

You can fix a garage door window pane when the glass breaks. Most garage doors use single strength glass in their glass panels. The glass is relatively inexpensive and available at hardware...

Double-hung windows are the top choice for residential window replacement. They offer energy efficiency to reduce utility costs, and qualifying Energy Star products can mean a tax credit for...

Screws are versatile fasteners that you may need on many home carpentry projects. They come in a variety of sizes, thread and drive types, and head shapes. Each have their uses, and it's almost...

Installing chair rail moulding in a room serves to protect the walls from chairs being banged or bumped into the walls and can also be decorative. There are many types of moulding on the market...

Oak trim adds a natural and elegant accent to your home and décor. Use pre-finished oak trim in new homes, or to replace old or damaged trim. Pre-finished oak trim allows you to bypass the...

Garage floors, or slabs, are one of the easiest projects to form. You can make cement forms out of wood planks and have the whole thing ready in half a day for your concrete. As long as you have...

The caulk around your tub provides a waterproof seal between the tub and the tile or other wall material, spanning the gap without allowing moisture to seep through. If your caulk is corroding,...

Corners of wood picture frames sometime need reinforcing after being damaged by falling off the wall, being generally mishandled or having their glue joints dry out. Any of these things can cause...

Before you commit to pouring concrete in your slab forms, you need to make sure that the slab is in "square." Being "in square" means that all corners are at 90-degree angles. No matter what shape...

Once your concrete slab is poured, you are ready to stud the concrete. Studding the concrete is a cool way of saying "attach the sill plate for your walls." Sill plates are the bottom run of wood...

Cedar shake siding can provide an attractive and durable look for a house. This low-density, lightweight softwood weathers and changes color naturally, and it can remain untreated. But homeowners...

Protect wood by applying a clear-coat sealant, especially if the wood resides outside, such as decking or outdoor patio furniture. A clear water-repellent sealer will waterproof your wood and...

Most of the time, when you need to keep a door shut, it is as simple as turning a deadbolt, twisting a lock or using a door chain. When a door needs to be held shut, but locking the door is not an...

Since its introduction in 1913, Clorox Bleach has grown from a popular household laundry aid to being tagged "the miracle bottle" because of its many other uses--from sanitizing Rover's dog bowl...

An exterior door is usually an expensive item and careful thought should be given before you replace it. If you have a door that is showing signs of age, wear and tear, you may want to consider...

Dadoes are an ideal way to attach shelves in cabinets or bookcases. They provide strength and stability to the project and help reduce warping when using solid wood for shelving. The most common...

Some kitchens are designed with counters that do not run all the way to the wall. Whether this is part of a purposeful design, allowing for access to a garbage can or other items, or because the...

Dado sets (or jumps) are groups of circular saw blades that stack together to cut wide slots in wood. This is often done to make joints for shelves, but dado sets are useful for lots of other...

Dado saw blades are used to cut wide slots in wood, typically the slots are such that you can slide another board into it to create a joint. If you are going to use a dado set, a Freud dado set is...

Baseboard moldings run along the bottom of the wall. With hard surfaced floors such as hardwood, tile, linoleum or stone, the baseboard molding will usually be finished with a quarter round...

When a kitchen is old and begins to show signs of wear, one of the easiest ways to spruce it up is with new countertops. Countertops can be ordered from most home improvement stores, full service...

Sediment builds up in all storage hot water heaters. Sediment is sand, gravel and minerals that come from wells and other environmental sources and end up in your water supply. Most hot water...

Green lumber is a term for wooden boards that have been freshly cut on a sawmill. The lumber is "green" since it still contains large amounts of moisture. Store-purchased lumber is dried in...

Flat screen TVs are taking consumers by storm. They have a great picture and can look great mounted on a wall. Here’s how to do it:

Plumbing in a basement can run along the ceiling or between the floor joists and may be an eyesore that you want to conceal or cover up. One way in which you can cover plumbing is to install a...

Crown moulding is the trim around the top of a wall. Often painted a glossy white, it can add a touch of class to a room. Since crown moulding is set at an angle, making the mitred cuts for a...

Crown molding provides the finishing touch to a room. The broad step of edging that finishes the wall at the ceiling can add an elegant flair. The hardest part about installing crown molding is...

Installing a wall shelf is easy with the right tools but still possible with limited equipment. Let me tell you how.

Whether you're building a basement staircase for a new house or adding a staircase to a new addition or to reach a deck or a second level, it's important to properly calculate how many steps you...

"Skil Saw" is actually a trade name for a circular type saw. The electric-powered, hand-held saw is used to cut boards and rip plywood into smaller pieces. A problem with the circular saw is...

You can use epoxy resin as both a coating and an adhesive. As a coating, it provides an almost impenetrable barrier to the elements. As an adhesive, it is usually harder than the material it...

Beautiful woodwork is the hallmark of quality home construction, and crown molding is no exception. It is truly the "crowning" touch of a finished design. Well-installed and maintained crown adds...

Even a minor or inexpensive kitchen upgrade usually involves new pulls or knobs for the cabinets. If you're using pulls that are approximately the same size as the old ones--you may be able to use...

Rust can build up on any exposed metal surface. This is especially true for saw blades. Whether that blade belongs in an electric saw or is a handheld type, the overall process for cleaning the...

During remodeling or new construction it is sometimes necessary to cut down a counter top. Perhaps it was ordered too long or the design requires the end to be cut. Whatever the reason, if a...

Removing rust the from the top of a table saw not only will increase the cutting performance, but also will make the saw safer to operate. Rust on the table surface can impede the flow of a...

Teak oil is commonly used to finish outdoor furniture because it waterproofs it. It is also used on indoor furniture in high- humidity climates, to keep it from warping. It is durable and does its...

Garages always seem to collect all the extra stuff in the house. An empty corner can be the perfect place to build a set of shelves to help with organization. Use 1x2 boards as stringers to...

Door jambs occasionally suffer damage because of a mishap or break-in and can lend a shoddy appearance to your home if not repaired promptly. If you are handy with tools, you can replace this unit...

French doors add style to a room and allow for ease of movement, especially when moving furniture or other large objects in and out. Like single doors, French doors are prone to sticking along the...