To cut a fence post square, mark the cut out on all four sides. Then use a hand saw or circular saw to cut about half an inch deep on one line, roll over to the next side and cut that line half and inch deep and keep working your way around the post. Don't go too deep with each pass and the saw...
Trying to get a square cut on the top of a fence post or deck post can be a difficult job. Rick sent us in his jig that does the job nicely. He nails two pieces of plywood together at 90 degrees and then puts small guide rails on the sides. He then takes his circular saw and cuts the jig off, ...
If a 6x6 or 4x4 wants to twist, it will do so and you can do little to stop it. However you can decide which end will twist!Buried pillarsIf you bury the 6x6 into a concrete pillar, the bottom will be fixed and the top will move, perhaps before you get around to locking in the rest of the deck f...
Often we need to mix things around the house and don't always have the best tools for the job. In this TV segment I showed two inexpensive tools that really help in this category.The Odd Job, available at many renovation centres, is a small barrel that was originally made for mixing small batche...
What are you doing Mr. Donaldson with your shop vac in the garden?He is showing me the Donaldson Hole Digging Technique. You loosen up the dirt in the bottom of the hole with a spike, shovel or even one of those garden soil turning spikes. Then you sit down in your chair and vacuum up the lo...
Jon welcomes Ron Sheppard of Perfect Post Hole in Toronto, a company that will come and use its power equipment to dig your fence or deck holes for you. If you want they will also install the posts.A service like this is a perfect example of how to combine hiring a contractor for the hardest wor...
The depth of the fence posts into the ground must be at least one foot below the frost level for your region. As well, one third of the total length of the post should be in the ground. This means that in mild regions the posts will be well below frost simply because of their length. In regions w...
Gates that swing out towards the street present a serious problem for latches. If you mount the latch on the gate itself, it will not work unless you install it on the street side. Out on that side it is simply not secure. If you mount it on the fence, then the shaft that catches the gate is a...
Floors spring or vibrate when they are not rigid enough for the distance they have to span between their supports.
You can always put another post in the basement under the center of the area giving you problems. That solves the problems easily on the top, but often creates an unwanted obstruc...
