Radiant Heat Floor Insulation

By Todd Fratzel on Air Conditioning, Insulation

Radiant Heat Insulation Thea in Maine recently emailed us a question about radiant heat insulation. He has radiant heat tubing stapled to the bottom of the plywood sub-floor in his house and the insulation that was installed by the builder is falling down and doesn’t appear to be installed properly. Thea asked me what method…

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How To Connect A Propane Grill To House Propane Supply

By Todd Fratzel on Appliances, Decks & Porches

Disclaimer: You really should consult a certified gas fitter for this type of project. Be sure to check all local building codes prior to attempting a project of this nature. Connecting Gas Grill To House Propane Supply Connecting your propane gas grill to your house propane supply is a great way to ensure you can…

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How To Cut Dados With A Router

By Todd Fratzel on Finish Carpentry, Power Tools

Cutting Dados With A Router In this article I’d like to show you how to cut dados using a Plunge Router. More specifically this method is very useful for cutting dados in the sides of a book case. It would be very difficult to cut these dados using a stacked dado in the table saw…

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How To Fix A Scratch on Hardwood Floors

By Todd Fratzel on Flooring, Maintanence, Painting and Finishing

Today’s post is an answer from a reader about how to easily repair a scratch on hardwood floors. If you actually live in your home then theres no way to avoid scratching hardwood floors. My wife reminds me daily that we have to live in our house not sit back and admire it. So, kids,…

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Colonial Mantel with Slate Surround

By Todd Fratzel on Finish Carpentry

Colonial Style Mantel The first mantel that I ever built was a colonial style mantel with a slate surround and hearth. The photo shows the mantel and surround that I built in our first home. I really wish I kept photos of the fire place before this project so you could see the dramatic change.…

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Plan Your Future Basement Bathroom Before You Build

By Todd Fratzel on Basements, Bathrooms, Plumbing

If you’re getting ready to build a new home then you should be planning a future bathroom before you begin construction. Today more than ever people are building living space in their basements to increase the available living space and value of their home. Having a basement bathroom is a huge bonus for the functionality…

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Reverse Privacy Lock Sets to Child Proof

By Todd Fratzel on Doors

We have child proofed a couple of doors in our house by simply reversing the privacy lock sets. In particular we have used this method on the door leading to our basement stairs and the utility room in the basement. This is a really simple method to child proof doors without having bulky door knob…

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How To Use Swanson Speed Squares

By Todd Fratzel on Power Tools

Do you know how to use a Swanson Speed Square? I’m sure you’ve seen a speed square before, most every carpenter you run into has one hanging from their tool belt. Learning how to use a speed square is a very valuable carpentry skill. Most people use speed squares as a perpendicular cross-cutting guide for…

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