Found 444 results for the keyword ‘Techniques’
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How do you put a new drywall ceiling over an old ceiling?
Mike has an attic full of loose-fill insulation and needs to renew his ceiling. But he doesn't dare take the old drywall down because of all that insulation. So how do you put new drywall over the old? First locate the ceiling joists by the nailing pattern, and mark the ends of the joists on the... -
A Circular Saw Jig
One of the most useful jigs for cutting straight lines across panels with a circular saw is a piece of 1/8 inch masonite with a straight edge screwed to it on one side. Make it a bit to big and cut off the excess by passing your own saw along the guide edge. Now the outer edge provides you a vi... -
Fitting formed counter tops to an uneven wall
Peter in Selkirk, Manitoba is trying to fit his countertop flush to a wall that is not perfectly flat. If you look closely at the back splash part of formed countertops you will notice that they have an "L" shaped lip right up on top. This gives a bit of a hollow space behind the back splash. Yo... -
Tips to applying window shrink wraps for the winter.
Shrink to fit winter windows are really great draft stoppers and energy savers for old windows and patio doors. Plastic has almost no R-value Since plastic and glass have no real R-value, the dead air space created between the plastic and the window is as good as can be created with another ... -
Tips for working with fiberglass insulation
CUTTING FIBERGLASS STRAIGHT AND SQUARE It is always easier to cut fiberglass batt insulation if you compress it down as flat as possible. That way you can get through in one pass. Using a piece of plywood gives you a straight edge at the same time. There is a special devic... -
Pro: Tiles -- More than you thought you wanted to know
Probably one of the best ways to learn about good and bad building techniques is to work on the renovation or restoration side of the construction picture. Here is where you see the results of everything done before, especially when the results are a failed system. In the world of ceramic, stone ... -
The Spiro Vent -- never bleed a radiator again
When air gets into hot water radiators, either from new water in the system or even from problems with seals, it can make noise and reduce the heating effectiveness of the system. That running water noise is actually caused by a big air bubble at the top of a radiator and the water falls through ... -
Saw Blades -- How many teeth?
It may surprise you to find out, but for an optimum cut in wood, you should have fewer teeth on your saw blade when the wood is thicker. We know that you want fewer, even different types of teeth, for ripping than for cross cutting. But both when ripping or cross cutting, as the material gets thi... -
Insulating un-insulated outside wall corners
Often in constructing a house, the sequence of putting up walls, applying outside sheathing and installing insulation batts can leave the outside corner as a hollow spot with no insulation. The carpentry work was done and the hollow corner closed and hidden before the guys with the fiberglass eve...
Techniques for Installing Drywall