The following tools come in handy for any exterior paint job: Paint scraper: img: 123rf.com The best tool for removing flaking paint from flat surfaces. A 3″-wide model with replaceable blades is a good choice. Read more…
Painting the exterior of your home is a time-consuming task that takes patience, planning, and a lot of preparation. Many homeowners opt to hire professional house painters, who often charge by the hour. Exterior painting, Read more…
The type of finishing you should use on a deck depends on the material. Redwood or cedar decking: img: timbertown.com To maintain the wood’s natural appearance, apply clear (or slightly tinted) wood preservative, rolled on Read more…
The longer the stairwell, the more difficult it is to construct—stairs quickly become heavy and difficult to maneuver, especially if you’re working alone. Making staircases is now easier than it was before, thanks to galvanized Read more…
When it comes to decking boards, as previously stated, you have a lot of options. Redwood, cedar, and composite lumber are all excellent choices. However, since the decking craze began in the early 1970s, pressure-treated Read more…
Though joists are extremely sturdy and rarely deflect under pressure, they can easily shift from side to side. The unsupported span between two adjacent joists can rise from 14″ to 18″ if they bend away Read more…
Once all the posts are marked with a level line, measure down from this line a distance equal to the depth of the beam. 1. Using a square, mark all the sides of each post Read more…
The posts are the deck’s principal vertical elements. They bear the weight of the beams and joists above them and transfer it to the concrete foundation piers (and ultimately to the ground below the frost Read more…
The finest deck foundation is made out of a series of piers, or concrete-filled tube forms, one under each deck post. Each pier’s bottom should be supported by four pillars “crushed stone or washed gravel Read more…
Before building anything, lay out the site accurately so that you know exactly where the deck will be located. Start by installing the ledger and marking the joist locations on it. Then install batter boards—layout Read more…
Good planning can make any job turn out better. Here are 10 ways to keep ahead of the problems. 1. Start with a site inspection. For most houses, the best spot for a deck is Read more…
There are almost as many different decks as there are different houses. Most feature one of three basic designs. Flat Decks A flat deck is the easiest type of deck to build. Because it’s built Read more…