Thomas Martinez

Why did you choose that? Probably because it looks solid. That’s an easy size to understand. It’s one you’re used to seeing in framing. It … Read more

The calculator (above) handles math so we don’t have to guess at any conversions or coefficients; just input your roof size and how high you … Read more

The Gambrel Roof, For all of its structural integrity, the gable roof doesn’t provide much overhead space… Not enough for a house, anyhow. The gambrel … Read more

There’s quiet confidence in a single slope roof. Simple as that old shed roof, but how high does that pitch has to go so the … Read more

At some point during each of your roof framing projects, the abstractions of math turn into cold hard cash. Here’s how it plays out: You’re … Read more

A pergola can be seen by most homeowners as little more than a decorative framework to hang vines from. However, nature doesn’t like flat things … Read more

Staring up at the framing over your head in an incomplete room, you think: those rafters are just some pieces of lumber… right? Wrong! Every … Read more

Why do most people go wrong with their shed roofs? They do it before they hammer a single nail: in the planning stages. Because, after … Read more

That’s why the cantilever is the most difficult component to build in a deck; it contradicts all your intuitions about how things hold together. Wood … Read more

The idea starts out on the blueprint, open-concept living room, but when it comes time to do the math in the field, it’s got to … Read more

As you’re getting ready to screw down the first sheet of plywood, you notice the wobble and feel the floor flex under your boot heel. … Read more

Bad Driveways Have a Sound. Tires slap on wet mud. Stones crunch as they are pulled out of a hole. The first mistake every homeowner … Read more

If you’ve ever stood in an unfinished home and felt your boot bounce, take note: It’s not just embarrassing; it’s a red flag that something … Read more

It seems like a long way from one side of the room to another, standing there in the middle of an open basement. Or you … Read more