Thomas Martinez

In the finished basement, you walk in and notice how the floor feel alive beneath your feet. When you step onto the rug, it bounces; … Read more

Guess what? You’re likely doing this: You’ve estimated the size of your roof from ground and have tried a mental calculation about how much material … Read more

First up, you have a giant blank ceiling that feels slightly too big for the room. How do you give it more architectural weight? How … Read more

A concrete footing is not just something to throw some mix in and call it good. Tons of folks dig out a hole, dump some … Read more

When framing a rake wall you have a straight bottom plate and a sloped roof line. That means that your vertical wall studs is all … Read more

Roof replacements are one of those jobs where failure precedes leakiness. You know it’s time for a new roof when: 1) the shingles is faded; … Read more

First, there’s a roll of tape measure. And then there’s nothing but hole in ground. There’s no wall here. You are just standing in the … Read more

Most failed tiles aren’t bad tiles. They’re tiles with something wrong behind them. Most often, it’s some unseen void that traps moisture and allows water … Read more

Almost all of these start with that little metal bracket. It’s too big, too small, the wrong finish, screwed on with wrong screws. Usually it … Read more

The problem arises when you’re standing in a hardware store staring at lumber: You have your tape measure and your deck plans, but reality doesn’t … Read more

When most people think of building a deck, they picture themselves stacking some wood and cinching down some screws. Half of it is aboveground; the … Read more

For most folks, “pouring concrete” is synonymous with “dumping gray slurry in a hole and waiting.” The truth is, the hidden steel within it, called … Read more

When a water main pressurizes, the water inside wants to escape. If it encounters a dead end, a tee, or a bend, that pressure become … Read more