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For most people, it’s a pile of 2x8s; for structural engineers, it’s lumber with all kinds of variables that determine whether you get sagging or … Read more

It’s one of those projects, building a fence, that make you all gung-ho when the idea first comes to you, but leaves you underplanned. And … Read more

Notice the header above the garage door? It’s sagging 1/2″. As a result the door will not close propery. I’ve seen this with many homeowners … Read more

When shopping for aggregate, the supplier only deals in units of cubic yards, whereas you’re measuring your house in feet because, hey, that’s what a … Read more

There’s that corner of your basement where you’ll be putting a big aquarium or a heavy power rack. It has carried the load of boxes … Read more

Once the concrete truck pulls up and starts pouring, there’s no going back. Even though everything was perfectly laid out with rebar, sinking steel into … Read more

You know that feeling: You’re halfway up a wall and discover you can’t finish it. You only has mortar to lay three more bricks. Uh-oh! … Read more

A simple flat pattern of a sheet metal part isn’t just two straight lines meeting at an angle. It’s a mathematical puzzle in which one … Read more

Every fabrication project has a moment. It’s that moment where you realize something went wrong with your math and there you stand in front of … Read more

When your heat comes on in January, sometimes that’s just heat leaking out and up through your attic, not doing anything but making you shiver. … Read more

The average do-it-yourselfer grabs some lumber, sketches out the wall, then assumes the roof pieces will simply fall in place. Sorry, doesn’t always work that … Read more

The roof pitch affect how much material you need because of the slope. It’s not something that a basic floor plan consider. To compensate for … Read more

Stainless steel plates is heavy. You think it through, you get out the tape measure and mark it off on the ground. You know there’s … Read more

Stainless steel is heavy; if you’ve picked up a sheet, you know how fast it makes your back hurt. Stainless steel has a sleek and … Read more