Home Construction Improvement - Expert Tips & Advice

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Inground Swimming Pools

Choosing An Inground Swimming Pool Choosing an inground swimming pool type can be confusing, frustrating, and overwhelming. My first advice (which is the same with any construction project) is to arm yourself with information and meet with and get estimates from several different contractors. Spend time asking friends and family for referrals if any of…

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Inground Swimming Pools

Choosing An Inground Swimming Pool Choosing an inground swimming pool type can be confusing, frustrating, and overwhelming. My first advice (which is the same with any construction project) is to arm yourself with information and meet with and get estimates from several different contractors. Spend time asking friends and family for referrals if any of…

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Outdoor Fire Pit and Patio

Above are some 3D renderings that I made while planning this project. I used these to discuss the project with a landscaper. (Side Note: projects like this can be done as a DIY, however, they are quite complex and better suited for a professional.) The renderings really helped him understanding of what we were looking…

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WoodTrac Ceiling System Review

WoodTrac Ceiling System I’m a huge proponent of using suspended ceilings (drop ceilings, acoustic tile ceilings) for finished basements because they allow easy access to electrical, plumbing and heating utilities that are typically suspended from the floor framing above. Lots of my customers cringe when I make this suggestion because they don’t like the appearance…

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How To Make a Tablesaw Crosscut Sled

Precision Tablesaw Crosscut Sled A precision tablesaw crosscut sled is one of the best workshop jigs you can make for woodworking projects. I’ve been putting this project off for such a long time and finally it made it to my priority list. I’ve got a really fun chess board project coming up and this will…

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Build A Shed Series Part 1 | Planning The Build

Get the Permit I live in a town with “Lake” in the name so the town has stricter rules than most on the amount of impervious surfaces allowed on a lot. The more impervious surface, the more run off into lakes and streams. With run off comes a lot of sand and salt from the…

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Full List of Home Improvement Topics »

Structure

How Many Roofing Nails Per Square of Shingles

Estimating How Many Nails for a New Roof When it comes to estimating materials for building construction it's…

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Mechanical

Benefits of an ERV System (Energy Recovery Ventilator)

Benefits of ERV Systems (Energy Recovery Ventilator) If you're building a new home or doing a major renovations…

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Workshop

How To Build Floating Bar Shelves

Floating Walnut Bar Shelves Floating shelves are extremely popular and it's not a surprise due to the clean…

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Paver Patio -9

Landscaping

Building A Paver Patio – Part 2

Building A Paver Patio - Part 2 This article is Part 2 in a series describing step by…

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Finish Carpentry

Durgin and Crowell Enhance™ Pre-Coated Pine

Enhance™ by Durgin & Crowell We're very fortunate to build homes in an area of New Hampshire filled…

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Kids and Tools -6

Safety

Teach them young: Kids and tools

Teach Them Young: Kids and tools Kids and tools can strike fear into many parents. I get that,…

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About 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.

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