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.

Ladder-Tite Stabilizes Your Ladder To Help Keep You Safer

By Todd Fratzel on Safety

Ladder-Tite – Ladder Stabilizing Brackets Climbing extension ladders can be quite dangerous and intimidating to the average home owner. One of the big dangers with ladder safety is having a ladder slip/slide to one side or backwards as you climb or work from the ladder. Years ago I had a pretty scary fall from a…

Continue reading »

How To Hang Christmas Wreaths from Vinyl Windows

By Todd Fratzel on Windows

How do you hang Christmas wreaths from vinyl windows? That is a question my wife posed to me as soon as we moved into our new house. Our previous home had wood siding, trim and window sashes so putting a small nail up to hold the wreaths was easy. Putting a nail into the vinyl…

Continue reading »

2011 Holiday Gift Guide & Black Friday Deals

By Todd Fratzel on Home Improvement

Gifts for the DIY’er and Contractor In Your Life First off I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and say that I’m extremely thankful for all of our long term readers and fans here on HCI.  Today while smelling the great Turkey roasting in the oven there are all kinds of conversations about…

Continue reading »

Ice Dam Problems

By Todd Fratzel on Insulation

Last year we saw some incredible ice dam damage in this part of the Country. With winter bearing down on us now is the time to take corrective action. This article should help you understand the issues of ice dams and how they are formed. Last year we ended up doing hugely expensive repairs for…

Continue reading »

Construction Estimating – Creating a Preliminary Budget

By Todd Fratzel on Construction Costs, Home Improvement Cost Savings

Construction Estimating Readers often email me asking how much a new home will cost to build. Construction estimating is a complicated process that takes years to refine. However, with a few basic guidelines a homeowner can create a preliminary budget for a new home. Land & Acquisition Fees Before we talk about the cost of…

Continue reading »

Energy Efficient Entry Doors – Wood Vs Fiberglass

By Todd Fratzel on Doors

Wood Vs Fiberglass – Which Will You Choose? Wood entry doors make a serious statement about the house you live in. With a world quickly replacing all things wood with plastic it’s hard to imagine a world without beautiful wood entry doors. So given the choice between a wood entry door and one made of…

Continue reading »

Installing Recessed Lighting – Fire Safety

By Todd Fratzel on Electrical

Recessed Lighting Fire Safety I’ve had several questions this month about fire safety and recessed lighting (or recessed cans). If you’re going to be installing recessed lighting or you’re going to be adding extra insulation to an attic it’s important to understand the dangers and potential fire hazards with recessed lighting. Recessed Lighting Housing Types…

Continue reading »

Genie PowerMax® 1500 Garage Door Opener – Giveaway

By Todd Fratzel on Giveaways

Update: And the Winner Is…. Congratulations to Ken who won our Genie PowerMax Giveaway contest. A special thanks to Genie for sponsoring this giveaway and helping us all learn more about the new PowerMax 1500. Also a huge thanks to everyone that entered. Be sure to keep an eye out for our next giveaway! Genie…

Continue reading »

Copyright © 2009-2023 Front Steps Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Home Construction & Improvement™ is a Trademark of Front Steps Media, LLC.