About the author

Todd Fratzel

I'm full time builder for a large construction company in New Hampshire. I run their design-build division that specializes in custom homes, commercial design-build projects and sub-divisions. I'm also a licensed civil and structural engineer with extensive experience in civil and structural design and home construction. My hope is that I can share my experience in the home construction, home improvement and home renovation profession with other builders and home owners. I'm also the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Tool Box Buzz. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or you'd like to inquire about advertising on this site.

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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Initial Site Work For House Building Lot

By Todd Fratzel on Foundations

Site work has begun on the new house that we’re building and I’m following here with the Total House Construction Series – Foundation to Finish. The site work for this house building lot consists of: Excavation for house foundation Installation of driveway Installation of waterline and electrical service conduits Construction of on-site septic system Installation…

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Replacing Plastic Toilet Seat Hinge Bolts

By Todd Fratzel on Plumbing, Product Reviews

Yesterday I wrote about the Defective Plastic SoftClose Toilet Seat Bolts on our Toto toilet. Below you can see a photo of the plastic bolts after I removed them from the toilet. The head of the bolts totally deteriorated and fell apart causing the toilet seat to become loose. I was wondering all day today…

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Replacement Windows

By Todd Fratzel on Energy Conservation, Windows

Home replacement windows are an excellent way to make your home more energy efficient. With today’s rising heating costs it makes sense to evaluate the need to replace your old drafty windows. Replacement windows can be purchased to fit any opening and match most any house style. Before ordering replacement windows you should consider some…

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