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.

Finding Good Deck Contractors

By Todd Fratzel on Decks & Porches

Deck Contractors I get tons of questions from readers and friends about how to select a good deck contractor. This is an interesting topic worth discussing so that you find a good deck contractor if you decide to hire someone to build yours. Decks are extremely popular today so it seems everyone that doesn’t have…

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Re-Roofing Over Architectural Shingles

By Todd Fratzel on Roofing

Can Architectural Shingles Be Installed over Architectural Shingles? Several readers have recently asked me if they can have architectural shingles installed over existing architectural shingles during a re-roofing project. With the growing number of architectural shingles being used today it’s no wonder the question keeps coming up. So in this article I’ll go over this…

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Cement Board – Alternative Siding and Trim

By Todd Fratzel on Siding & Trim

Cement Board Siding & Trim Cement Board siding and trim is becoming a real viable option for many home owners looking for an upgrade from vinyl siding while trying to avoid the maintenance issues of wood siding and trim. We’ve been installing James Hardie fiber cement siding for years now and it’s a great option…

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Rockwool Insulation

By Todd Fratzel on Insulation

Stone Wool Insulation Commonly Known as Rock Wool Quite a few readers have been asking questions about rock wool type insulation so I thought it was a topic worth discussing. If you’re not familiar with the term rock wool insulation, sometimes called mineral/stone wool insulation is fire resistant insulation product. In addition most stone wool…

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RIDGID 18V Impact Driver Kit Giveaway

By Todd Fratzel on Giveaways

Congratulations to Rick Monroe who won our Ridgid 18V Impact Drive Giveaway Contest. Special thanks to Ridgid for sponsoring this months giveaway! RIDGID 18V Lithium-Ion Impact Driver Kit Cordless Impact Drivers are all the rage and now’s your chance to try and win one FREE from RIDGID. One lucky reader from this site and our…

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House Building Lot

By Todd Fratzel on Design

Selecting A House Building Lot Probably one of the most important things to consider when building a new home is selecting a house building lot. While the building lot may seem fairly straight forward the reality is a good lot selection can save you time, money and lots of headaches later on. The adjacent photo…

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STOK Quattro Gas Grill

By Todd Fratzel on Appliances, Product Reviews

STOK™ QUATTRO™ 4-Burner Grill Gas grills never seem to change much they just seem to pick up more and more features like larger cooking surfaces, rotisseries, side burners and even ice chests. To say things haven’t changed much in the last 10 or 15 years isn’t an understatement. So when the folks from STOK asked…

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WORX JawSaw Review

By Todd Fratzel on Gardening Tools, Product Reviews

WORX JawSaw – Electric Limbing and Trimming Chainsaw The folks from WORX Tools sent me their new JawSaw to test and review. They claim that the JawSaw is the World’s Safest Chainsaw for cleaning up storm damage and serious piles of brush. The concept is really cool but I was a bit skeptical. Read on…

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