Archives: Home Improvement

Snow Blower Maintenance

By Todd Fratzel on Maintanence

Last year I bought a Craftsman 10HP Snow Thrower. Tomorrow’s weather forecast is for 6″ to 18″ of snow. So today I decided to do some maintenance in preparation for the years first snow storm. Each season you should get your snow blower out prior to the first snow fall and make sure it’s in…

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Disneyland Architecture

By Todd Fratzel on Design

This week while on vacation my family spent two days at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. My 2 year old son was in heaven and my feet wanted to fall off! Anyway, the point of this post was my amazement at the architecture in the new Toon Town part of the park. Yesterday while my son…

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Design-Build – Part I

By Todd Fratzel on Design

Over the next few months I’m going to be posting information about a topic that interests me both personally and professionally; Design-build. Design-build is a construction project delivery system where the design and construction aspects are contracted for with a single entity known as the design-builder or design-build contractor. This approach is quite different compared…

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Using Air Nail Guns For Metal Connectors and Joist Hangers

By Todd Fratzel on Power Tools

Bostitch Joist Hanger Gun The other day I wrote about how much joist hangers have improved the construction industry. However, anyone that has used these hangers can attest to the slow nailing process of using the special joist hanger nails. Because joist hangers typically are attached to a single ply of 1 1/2″ material the…

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Using Metal Hangers/Connectors For Wood Framing

By Todd Fratzel on Framing

One of the great products available for construction these days are the metal hangers and connectors. Almost every house built today uses some type of hanger to connect joists, beams and posts. We use a multitude of these hangers everyday. We use them for joists, trusses, beams, headers, posts, columns and walls. A great resource…

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Good Energy Saving Investments

By Todd Fratzel on Energy Conservation

Energy Saving Investments With energy costs soaring out of control I thought the following information would be helpful for people trying to cut their energy expenses. Try following a couple of these tips and you’re sure to see some reduced energy costs. Six Energy Saving Investments 1. Install an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat away from…

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Workshop Design

By Todd Fratzel on Design

Now that I’ve almost completed the new staircase to my workshop I need to start designing the layout. I must say I’m a bit overwhelmed at the idea of coming up with a great layout that will make me happy for years to come. The actual workshop will be approximately 28′ long by 12′ wide.…

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Selecting A House Lot For Your Dream Home

By Todd Fratzel on Design

Selecting A House Lot At work this week we broke ground on a new house lot for some customers of ours and it reminded me that choosing a lot is not always easy. There are many things to consider when evaluating a piece of land to build your new home on. Several key factors include…

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