Using Concrete Pump Trucks To Pour Foundations

By Todd Fratzel on Foundations

Using concrete pump trucks to pour foundations is becoming quite popular. Pump trucks provide several major benefits which most concrete sub-contractors are taking advantage of on a regular basis. The concrete pump truck pictured on this site has a reach of 100 feet horizontal. Traditionally concrete trucks would pull up to the forms and dump…

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Forming Concrete Foundation

By Todd Fratzel on Foundations

As I continue to share with you the Total House Construction Series – Foundation to Finish the time has come to show you how the concrete foundation walls are formed. Forming concrete foundation walls is a very labor intensive and time consuming process. This new house is also rather large compared to typical houses. The…

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DeWalt Plate Joiner Review

By Todd Fratzel on Power Tools, Product Reviews

Plate Joiner Review The DeWalt Plate (Biscuit) Joiner is one of the specialty power tools that I own and highly recommend. Plate (biscuit) joiners are used to create really strong joints between two boards. You can use the joiner to splice together multiple boards in the same fashion you’d dowel them together. Some of the…

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Lawn Overseeding After Aerating

By Todd Fratzel on Lawn Care

Lawn Overseeding Overseeding your lawn in the fall is a great way to promote a healthy thick lawn. More specifically overseeding your lawn after your aerate it can be an extremely effective way of creating a thick luscious lawn next year. Recently I published Lawn Aerating Tips in which I explain some helpful tips for…

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Fireplace Chimney Draft Stop Plug Balloon

By Todd Fratzel on Air Conditioning, Energy Conservation

Chimney Draft Stop Balloon If you own a home with a large fireplace then you certainly know how drafty the fireplace can be in the winter. What’s concerning is the amount of heat that can be lost up through a chimney during the winter when you’re not using the chimney. Over the years I’ve seen…

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Building Concrete Footings For A New House

By Todd Fratzel on Foundations

As you probably know I’m documenting the construction of a new house with the Total House Construction Series – Foundation to Finish. This series will follow the construction of a new home with lots of energy efficient design features. Yesterday the concrete footings were built that will eventually hold up the concrete foundation walls and…

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Radon In Your Home

By Todd Fratzel on Safety

Radon gas is a dangerous contaminant that affects indoor air quality. Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. Radon is the invisible, radioactive atomic gas that results from radioactive decay of some forms of uranium that may be found in rock formations beneath buildings…

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Home Improvement Lead Paint Safety

By Todd Fratzel on Painting and Finishing, Safety

Chances are very good that if you enjoy doing home improvement projects you’ve probably been exposed to lead paint at one time or another. Most homes built before 1978 contain some amounts of lead based paints. Homes built prior to 1950 contained paints with even higher levels of lead. That is why lead paint safety…

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