home sectionhome section
The first time you prepare to meld the top of one plant to the bottom of another, it feels you are entering a sci-fi universe. But even though grafting is new to you, it is an asexual plant propagation method practiced by gardeners for centuries. Generally two plants are used for grafting: one, termed the root stock, produces the root system of the new plant, while the other, termed the scion, clones the shoot system of its parent plant, including branches, leaves, flowers and fruit. Like many procedures, grafting takes less time and effort if you prepare thoroughly before beginning.
Cedar chests are built to last a lifetime or longer, but it doesn't always work that way. Problems occur with the base when the chest is overloaded, pushed or slid along the floor. This can result in breaking the base. It may appear tilted to one side or the chest may collapse to the floor. Not to worry. It's a routine happening. Build and install a new base using a few tools that you may already have in your garage.
A wraparound porch, called a veranda in the South, can enhance the market value of a home significantly. The promise of employing the veranda for parties, family dining or relaxing in the evenings attracts plenty of prospective home buyers. A well-constructed verandah is suited to future enclosure, another selling point. The quality of the framing materials should supersede average porch framing materials, however. Your home's veranda should add visual strength to the house's architecture and should be able to withstand buffeting winds that the roof will encounter.
Wood filler, also known as wood putty or grain filler, covers holes, dents, chips and deep grains in wood, disguising them and smoothing the surface. You can use wood filler on stairs to make them more aesthetically appealing and comfortable to walk on. However, if you want an even-colored finish, you must apply the wood filler after staining the stairs. Stainable wood fillers rarely adopt an identical color to the surrounding wood. With a bit of time and careful application, you can disguise nearly any blemish on your stairs with wood filler.
Plywood is a popular choice for do-it-yourself furniture projects. It is readily available in a variety of finished veneers, has good dimensional stability in a variety of environments and is usually less costly than comparably-sized hardwood material. The only cosmetic drawback to using plywood over solid hardwood is the obvious difference in the exposed edges of your project. The traditional answer to this issue has been the application of matching veneer. In the past, good veneering results required specialized tools and practice. Modern pressure-sensitive edging materials reduce the complexity and material requirements for edge-banding projects.
Pressure-treated stairs, which are made from specially treated lumber that resists warping, are appropriate for all types of outdoor uses, including deck stairs, entry stairs for your home and garden stairways throughout the yard. Like interior stairs, pressure-treated stairs need to be structurally sound to be used safely. In some cases this means bracing the stairs for added strength after they are installed or once they begin to age. You can do this by installing an additional wood stringer or using metal brackets to reinforce specific parts of the stairway.
A wishing well is a unique decorative element for your garden or lawn. When you start looking at the available designs, you might notice that round designs are more common than square designs. Using a square planter as your base gives you the basic shape of the wishing well. Once you have the base, you just need to make the small roof that attaches to the top and decorate the sides, making it look more like a real wishing well.
Learning about the significance of water travel to commerce doesn’t have to be boring! Using images of Dutch barges -- which come in various designs -- as a basis for design, take part in a project to build a model Dutch barge from plywood.
Wood beams are at least 5 inches thick with a depth of more than 2 inches greater than the thickness, according to the United States Forestry Service. Because the load is applied to the narrow side of the beam, the widest part is uncovered, and becomes a perfect medium for decorating. Depending upon what type of decorative cuts you chose to make, a router with a specific bit will give you the most options for any decorative cutting you would like.
Deck posts support raised decks and create a space under the decking. Enclosing the space under the deck keeps out debris. In addition, animals may make their homes in the under-deck area. Enclosing the deck keeps critters and unwanted individuals out from under the deck. The material that encloses the space is known as the “deck skirt.” The deck posts provide the support structure for the deck skirt framing. Use decorative lattice to build the deck skirt. Before the lattice is attached, the deck skirt area must first be framed.
Cypress is a soft wood native to the southern United States, with approximately 25 percent of the country's commercial production originating in the south Atlantic states, according to the Woodshop of Texas website. Commercial sawmills produce 100 to 120 million board feet of cypress lumber every year, but it is possible to cut small quantities of your own cypress lumber if you have the proper tools and skills.
A hole in your plywood subfloor can compromise the appearance and structural soundness of your flooring material. Left unattended, a damaged subfloor will just get worse. You can repair a hole in your subfloor by replacing the damaged section with new plywood. By doing so, you increase the life of your flooring material and ensure the safety of those walking on your floor.
Knotty pine's honey color and rustic grain add warmth and charm to a room. Knotty pine paneling surrounds you with the wood's natural beauty. However, when the paneling loses its luster or starts to look more dated than cozy, it's time to refinish it. Although knotty pine is challenging to paint because resin can leach through the knots and cause staining, you can get excellent results with paint, stain or clear-coat if you prepare the surface carefully. The first step is to remove the finish.
Wooden deck boxes are a convenient outdoor storage option. It is possible to find storage boxes at your local hardware store but, in many cases, it is cheaper to build your own. If you choose to build your own deck storage boxes you can customize the size and shape to suit your particular storage needs. Once you have built your storage boxes you can paint or stain them to match the finish on your deck.
Moisture is a problem in basements -- because they are surrounded by soil, basement walls are subject to penetration of tiny amounts of water through concrete foundation walls. Regular exposure to water or moisture can cause wood to rot, creating a problem for those framing or finishing a basement, especially an older one, whose exterior foundations may not have a solid moisture barrier. One solution is to frame a basement with pressure-treated lumber, typically pine, with some copper-based preservative injected under high pressure. The most common type as of 2012 is an alkaline copper blend.
Proper framing is essential for sound wall construction. Close studs used to frame doors, windows and corners need added support from 2-by-4 spacers. These small spacers, once cut to fit, must be securely installed. The studs and spacers you install today will support your wall for the rest of its life. Measure and work carefully and you'll pull off a professional-grade job in a minimum amount of time.
Visible screws or nails greatly detract from the appearance of cabinets and other furniture made from plywood, and professional woodworkers avoid them when joining sheets together. A procedure for joining plywood corners that avoids visible fasteners and isn't too complex involves gluing and screwing braces to the plywood edges and using them to screw the sheets together from inside or underneath. Braces are easily made by ripping hardwood lumber into 1-inch strips, which can be then cut into appropriate lengths. The plywood corners look best if the sheets are first mitered to a 45-degree angle on a table saw.
Both birch and oak plywood are two of the most common types of plywood and are readily available at different retailers. When choosing between the two, you'll have more choices to make than just which looks better for your project. Plywood is often a confusing purchase if you're unsure -- especially due to the many factors that play into the different types of available plywood.
A plain wooden mantel has a very modern feel to it, but it can also seem quite stark and not homey. Carved mantels are wood craft projects that are displayed over the fireplace in a home or even simply mounted on walls. A range of carved mantels are available from stores, but for that truly unique look for your home, you can learn to make your own carved mantels.
Although its use as a construction material is thousands of years old, wood is still the standard for building houses, barns, fences and furniture. Trees aren’t classified as producing wood that’s suitable for interior or exterior use, but some trees contain high amounts of sap, oil and resin that make their wood more resistant to damage from moisture or insects. In addition to natural properties, chemical treatments and coatings can help wood resist outdoor elements.
Wood beams that span a ceiling create a dramatic statement in a room, significantly changing the personality of the room. They can also affect the perception of the size of the room, making it seem bigger. Installing exposed wood beams to a ceiling is made easier by the fact that interior design beams are made of lightweight material and are hollow.
Indian sofa beds have a mattress with framework on three sides, such as a rear board and two armrest boards. These beds are stained in a deep brown or reddish brown and arrayed with bedding that features an Indian influence, such as bright, deep colors, rich brocades or madras. These beds make excellent additions to a guest bedroom or living room as they can provide short-term guest seating in a pinch or a sleeping area for overnight visitors.
An outdoor grill allows you to quickly serve meats, vegetables and other grilled foods at backyard gatherings and social events. Kettle grills, such as Weber's line of kettle grills, help you prepare foods without heating up your kitchen. Some of the larger kettle grills are unwieldy and difficult to move. Building a cart for your Weber kettle grill lets you easily move the grill to your garage or shed, protecting it from rain and snow.
Identifying the types of input during validation of a control in your Microsoft Visual C# program will help you guide the user to enter the correct data. In C#, you can use the “Validating” event to identify the types you want to validate for the control. Validation is important when your program is collecting data to be saved in a database. Fields in database tables are of a certain data types and problems can occur when data of a different data type is being saved.
The most important aspect of laying a plywood subfloor is correctly spacing the nails in the floor. The plywood subfloor is an integral part of the flooring's foundation. An improperly nailed plywood subfloor may become loose, squeak in certain parts or even buckle and leave low spots in the floor. Most flooring materials installed over a smooth substrate require a 1/4-inch-thick plywood subfloor. This plywood flooring is nailed into the substrate beneath it with 1 1/4-inch nails.
There are several reasons why deck piers might be uneven, including builder error, warping and ground shifting. Uneven deck piers can detract from the appearance of your outdoor living space, particularly if the deck sits several feet off the ground. However, you can hide uneven deck piers by installing wood lattice panels between the outer rim joists and the ground. You can complete this project with basic carpentry tools.
Shiplap siding is an alternative material for homeowners who want a distinctive look to their homes. It can be used on homes, garages and sheds in a variety of climates. Before you decide to install shiplap siding, you need a basic understanding of what it is and why it would or would not work for you.
Sometimes the furniture and accessories you have in your living room are mix-and-match items that you have collected over the course of many years. This creates difficulty when you attempt to pull the look of your living room together. The pieces don't match one another in style or color. If your space has disparate elements such as black and white curtains, leather furniture and wood paneling all in one space, the way to make these pieces work together is to visually tie them together. You'll use your decorative accessories so that they layer the look of these items together, making…
Particle board, sometimes called chipboard, is a wood composite material. This type of material is commonly used in mobile homes as an underlayment on top of the subfloor. If you're planning on redoing your floors, you can simply lay plywood over the top of the particle board, without having to replace the original material, as long as you use thin sheets of plywood. This is a cost and time saving measure that will only require a few hours to complete.
Cutting your plywood underlayment to fit around a rectangular or square vanity unit is a fairly straightforward process. Shaping it to fit around an irregularly shaped vanity is a little more complicated, but by no means beyond the capabilities of those with basic DIY skills. Acclimatize your plywood underlayment for at least 72 hours before cutting and laying it around your vanity unit. Failure to do so could result in your flooring heaving and breaking apart.
Plywood walls often appear dull and unfinished. Invigorate tired walls with simple solutions that can be completed in a matter of hours. Whether your style is modern or leans more toward shabby chic, you can completely change the appearance of your walls from an eyesore to a conversation piece. Choose the style that fits your budget and skill level and enjoy the process of giving your home a new look.
Wood paneling was a common wall covering in many homes. If your walls still feature wood paneling and your redecorating options will not allow painting or removing the paneling, you could get creative to cover the paneling instead. Hide wood paneling with curtains, choosing a fabric that will complement the other decor in your room. Although you will need a large amount of fabric, you may reduce costs by using inexpensive fabric.
Reclaimed wood is economical and has a rustic feel, no matter what form it takes. A reclaimed wood coffee table with wrought iron accents is an excellent way to add practicality and beauty to any room. This table is so inexpensive and easy to make that you want to make a matching set. The wrought iron accents add dimension and strength to this table that fits well with any décor. As an added bonus, you'll know that you are keeping one more thing from piling up at the dump when you rescue and reuse a pallet.
ULX plywood is a proprietary brand of plywood formerly sold by Lowe's Home Improvement Stores. The plywood was available in 4-foot-by-8-foot sheets in thicknesses ranging from 11/32 inch to 23/32 inch. The product was graded BC-X, making it suitable for exterior use when properly finished, and was made of pine.
Plinth blocks act as transition pieces between door casings and baseboards. They typically appear at the bottom corners of door casings, or the wood trim that surrounds an entryway. Without plinth blocks to act as transition pieces, workers would be forced to butt door casings and baseboard trim against one another.
Standard plywood comes in 4-by-8-foot panels and finds wide use in the building trade. First used in the making of furniture, plywood is now the core of a multi-million dollar industry, due to the material's adaptability to many construction purposes. For example, it makes an excellent exterior and interior sheathing for home building.
Wood grain fillers are used to fill pores in naturally porous wood, such as oak, ash mahogany and walnut. If you don't use a wood filler on these types of wood, the air trapped in the pores will leak into the finish and cause air bubbles to be trapped. Some wood grain fillers can obscure the wood grain, while others simply seal the pores without altering the wood's appearance.
Any type of wood filler is suitable for fixing wood damaged by termites. Several brands of wood filler, including common brands such as Minwax, Elmer's and LePage, are available at most stores that sell this manner of product. When fixing termite-damaged wood, the preparation is just as important as the application of the wood filler.
Particleboard is dense and durable because it isn't made of a single sheet of wood. Instead, sawdust, wood shavings and other wood byproducts are combined with a resin and then pressed and heated to form a sheet. Particleboard is used for furniture making and also has specialized uses like covering the ice in professional hockey rinks. It works well in combination with other wooden materials like plywood, and gluing the two together forms a stronger, more durable piece than either one individually.
Landscape edging refers to the low walls or flush barriers that separate the various sections of a yard or garden. Stone, plastic and lumber edgers all create a visual distinction between surfaces and contain plant growth. Building homemade lumber edgers is a relatively simple process that can make use of the scrap wood that remains after completion of an outdoor building project.
A deck can be a addition to a home that improves the convenience, appearance and value of your property and residence. Decks provide additional space for recreation and outdoor socializing, often allowing for a hot tub, dining or barbecue area. However, before you start building a deck you need to design what type of deck you want, how large you want it to be and how much and the dimensions of the wood you are going to need in order to complete the job.
Whether you want to add new cabinetry to your kitchen or replace unattractive cupboards, you can build simple plywood cupboards on your own at home. By making your own cupboards you can save money on labor or contractor charges, and using plywood makes the cupboard unit inexpensive. Set aside a weekend for building your cupboards and leave them unfinished, or paint or stain the plywood as desired before installing them onto your wall.
Particle board is commonly used on stairs for the tread, or area that is stepped on. It is held in place by nails, screws and adhesive to the stringers, the jagged cut pieces on the side of the stairs, and the risers, the pieces that are at right angles with the treads. Particle board stairs are often used under carpeting. Generally, you'll remove particle board treads to replace them if they are broken or to remodel the stairs from carpeting to hardwood flooring.
If you plan to replace your current countertop, but not the plywood underlayment beneath it, the old surface may need to be leveled. Old plywood can shrink over time, especially if it has ever gotten wet, and the board may be slightly warped or distorted in places. If you don't take the time to level off this plywood, your brand new countertop won't look right and you may end up having to rip everything out and start over.
Particle board is a type of building material that is made out of pressed wood and a binder, like glue. Higher quality sheets will have a manufactured wood grain pattern, typically on one side. While most prefer to hide this wood grain with primer and paint, if you prefer the look of the original grain, you can recover it. There are three main ways to restore the wood grain of particle board. Pick the method you prefer, or use a combination to get the best results.
Birch veneer plywood is commonly used as a material for kitchen cabinets. It is prized for its light color that is easily stained or simply left natural. Unfortunately, over time, the veneer may begin to peel up or crack. Instead of replacing the affected cabinet, you can repair most of these common issues on your own. Bear in mind that if the veneer layer is severely cracked, however, replacement is your best option.
If you plan to hang your cabinets on plywood with adhesive, the surface of the plywood must first be scored. This is also true if the plywood will be used for tile or laminate countertops. The scoring creates small valleys in the plywood for the adhesive. This in turn creates a stronger bond when the cabinets are hung over it. You don't need any prior woodworking experience for this project and it should take just a few minutes to complete.
You can use pressure-treated lumber inside your home, but you need to observe several safety precautions due to the toxic preservatives that coat the wood. Avoid the risk that comes with using pressure-treated lumber. Instead use other non-toxic materials with many of the same properties as treated lumber.
Pre-built or factory-made wooden fence panels make your fence construction project easy and quick. Depending on the size and type of panel, vertical planks or pickets are attached to two or three horizontal rails in large jigs to ensure the panels are straight and square. To construct a fence using pre-built panels, fence posts are first installed with the same spacing as the width of the panel. A simple fence-builder's trick is used to ensure that the tops of the panels are level and form a straight, continuous line for a professional-looking finish.
One of the top manufacturers of high-end, built-in refrigerators is Sub-Zero. Although the company merged with Wolf -- a manufacturer of ovens, ranges and cook-tops -- in 2000, Sub-Zero only makes refrigerators. However, these are no ordinary, run-of-the-mill refrigerators. In fact, these refrigerators can be ordered in custom finishes for the most discerning homeowner.
