Thomas Martinez

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

When planning a round concrete slab, it sounds easy enough, until you have to think about geometry. After all, rounding off the corners of a … Read more

When digging a hole, if you ask most folks, they’ll tell you it’s about how hard you have to hit the dirt with shovel. But … Read more

You might notice something that causes panic: there is no way for the rebar cage to extend out to where the footings are on each … Read more