Helping you build projects without a big shop using Japanese hand tools and power tools
While we were looking around for gifts this year we came across a really neat antique wooden box. Using it as a recycle bin for inside the house immediately came to mind. The only problem was it would scratch the wood floors in the kitchen. Here’s what I did to make the old box wood Read More …
During the inspection for air leaks in our home I came across a drafty fireplace. The previous owner put a glass door in front, but that didn’t seem to stop the draft completely. Because we won’t use the fireplaces, we have two, I decided to seal both up with rigid foam insulation. Drafty Fireplace The Read More …
This is a portion of getting our house to be more energy efficient by decreasing the amount of cold / warm air that leave the inside of the home in summer and winter. Expandable foam is a great product for sealing larger gaps that can’t be filled with caulk. I kind of had an idea Read More …
I recently ran across a blurb in the October issue of Construction Concrete that talked about the effects of pet feces and urine on concrete. The smell apparently comes from bacteria growth within the matrix. The solution is to wash the concrete throughly and apply a product like StableCrete. StableCrete is absorbed into Read More …
I want to better winterize the home. I’m going to work from the cheapest solutions to the more expensive ones. My goal is to get all of this done within a month for the first two sections. The more costly options will have to be done over a longer period so we’re paying cash for Read More …
I’m not really sure how the big hole in the drywall near our water heater got there, but it finally got on my nerves enough to get itself fixed. I didn’t have any drywall tools, so the fix cost me a little more than $25. At least I got some new tools out of it, Read More …
Upon opening the last power bill we got, I nearly had a heart attack. The bill had doubled with no apparent reason. After the initial shock wore off, I decided to do something about the amount of electricity and power in general we use in the home. This is the first of three research post. Read More …
I have an Alpine RW3000G evaporative cooler for the garage, and the pads were getting pretty bogged down with mineral deposits. They were changed out the pads a couple of months ago at the beginning of the summer, but it was definitely time for a new set. Close-up Of Mineral Deposits The tools and materials Read More …
I’m almost embarrassed to say that it’s taken me this long to fix this. About a month ago I was driving in what was Las Vegas’ hottest day. It hit 115 or 116. Anything over 110 is brutal. Some movement caught my right peripheral vision. I focused in on that movement just in time to Read More …
Warning: There is a chance that popcorn ceilings can contain asbestos. If there is any doubt you should use a asbestos services professional to test for it. This is the final installment of what it took to remove and re-texture the ceiling in our library. The previous posts covered the preparation and removal of the Read More …