Thomas Martinez

Masonry walls consist of concrete masonry units (CMUs), which appear sturdy from the outside, but in fact aren’t until their hollow cores is filled with … Read more

Here’s the deal: You’re standing in an empty room, holding a pile of lumber in one hand and a tape measure in the other, wondering … Read more

When you enter the room, your footfalls are unsteady, almost as if something is wrong with ground beneath you. You notice the floor moving slightly … Read more

A brick column sounds like a pretty good idea…until you try to build it and find out that you need each corner cut just right … Read more

The problem is that rectangular bricks don’t match the shape of a perfect circle, in fact, there geometry fights you from the very first unit. … Read more

The empty space between those blocks is what you’re really measuring. That’s why there isn’t just one formula for the number: it depends on block … Read more

Filling a container to capacity gives you a rough idea of volume… except for a long, skinny object such as a drainage pipe. How much … Read more

Before you begin a retaining wall project, work on soil on the other side of it. Soil is heavy and doesn’t care about how you … Read more

It’s easy enough to calculate units of any retaining wall, but here’s how to know which figures go into that simple calculator so the structure … Read more

When you order brick veneer for your house, you know how many pieces to cover square footage of the wall so you can get look … Read more

If you’ve ever witnessed the expression on your foreman’s face as he gazes at a pile of 2-by-4s and groans in frustration because all four … Read more

Sometimes you have to cut a stair nosing for a smooth look, sometimes you have to wrap flat steel around a tank. Until it dawns … Read more