Whoever invented the wood screw deserves a prize. Working with screws makes woodworking much simpler than having to peg everything and screws often provide a much stronger bond than nails. But screws and wood aren’t a perfectly matched pair. There are times when the screw hole is just made too big; other times when the … Read more
Natural wood products are beautiful. Who doesn’t like the warmth and intrigue of how the wood’s grain appears, whether straight, swirly or burls. Contrasting grain has a visual appeal that doesn’t show up in other materials. But that beautiful piece of wood can easily become damaged by the wrong adhesive. People use various adhesive products, … Read more
One important consideration for any remodeling project is the cost. Tied with that is the ROI (return on investment) when it comes time to sell the home. It’s rare to find a remodeling project with a 100% ROI, but finishing an attic is pretty far up there on the list. Over and above that, just … Read more
Pull up the carpeting in any home, and you’ll find either hardwood flooring, a concrete slab, or plywood. A lot of that depends on when the house was built, who it was built by, and how upscale the home was when it was built. Many modern homes use OSB, often mistakenly called chipboard, to save money. However, in reality, … Read more
A half-century ago, carpeting became the predominant flooring style for homes. While carpeting has existed much longer than that, it was reserved for the wealthy. Lowering costs and higher wages led to an increasing number of middle-class Americans installing carpeting in their homes. Many times, they covered up beautiful hardwood floors with it. For the … Read more