Archives: Home Improvement

Basement Insulation Detail

By Todd Fratzel on Basements, Insulation

Basement Wall Insulation Lately I’ve been swamped with questions about insulating basement walls properly. So I’ve written this article to share with you a Basement Insulation detail that I hope will clarify some issues. Moisture Problems Before you choose an insulation method for your basement it’s important to understand the moisture problems associated with basements.…

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Bostitch 3 Tool Compressor Combo Kit Review

By Todd Fratzel on Power Tools, Product Reviews

Recommended Bostitch Compressor Combo Kit One of the first major tools I bought when we moved into our first home was a Bostitch Compressor Took Combo Kit. Having a compressor and nail guns to work on home improvement projects is a huge bonus. That’s why I recommend you buy yourself a compressor combo kit. A…

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How To Remove Dust Mites – Allergies

By Todd Fratzel on Maintanence, Safety

Dust Mites & Allergies Recently our oldest child was diagnosed with severe allergies including many kinds of foods and dust mites. We knew about the food allergies from a very young age but we were extremely surprised to learn about his allergy to dust mites. So we’ve been learning how to remove dust mites from…

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Refinishing A Flood Damaged Basement

By Todd Fratzel on Basements, Design

Another homeowner has emailed me with questions about insulating a finished basement. This situation is a bit different and I wanted to share it with you. The homeowner recently had their basement flooded with over 4 feet of standing water. The house is located in a flood plain but has never been flooded before. The…

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Basement Insulation – Mold Problem

By Todd Fratzel on Basements, Insulation

I recently received an email from a home owner in Pennsylvania that’s having trouble with mold in their basement insulation. They are living in a new home built in 2006. The house has a walkout basement and the building inspector forced the builder to install insulation along the basement walls. So the builder framed 2×4…

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Some CFL Bulbs Are Too Bright

By Todd Fratzel on Electrical, Energy Conservation

We’ve been replacing most of our regular light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL’s). Last weekend I purchased a box of six 19 watt CFL’s (I didn’t actually pay attention to the box and had no idea they were equivalent to 75W regular bulbs). I wanted to replace the five regular bulbs in our dining…

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NTI Trinity On-Demand High Efficiency Boiler

By Todd Fratzel on Air Conditioning, Energy Conservation

On-Demand High Efficiency Boilers The new Energy Star certified home that we’re building at work for a client includes a NTI Trinity on-demand high efficiency gas (propane) boiler. This amazing on-demand high efficiency boiler provides all of the domestic hot water and hot water for the heating system. The heating system includes a combination of…

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Best Price for Rockwell Jawhorse

By Todd Fratzel on Power Tools

Best Price Rockwell Jawhorse One of the most popular tools purchased this holiday season was the Rockwell Jawhorse. This is a tool that we have tested and reviewed and we feel it’s a Great Gift Idea! This is certainly a tool that any handyman, carpenter, DIY’er and hobbiest would love to have. If you’re not…

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