When you need to cut heavy sheet metal, like the fire-rated door cover that we saw in this TV show, regular shears are not good enough. You could do it with a metal cutting blade in a jig saw, but that is very slow.
The professional will use electric shears that make the job easy, but they are o...
Bruce from Chatham, Ontario had a peculiar noise problem with his floor. His heating ducts were made by simply nailing sheet metal to the floor joists, and every time he walked on the floor the sheet metal would ripple, sending rock-music-like sounds throughout the house.
He solved the problem b...
Welcome to the Eakes' Origami Guide to the Building Code -- or "how to actually build new flashing requirements in the building code".
Water leaking in around windows and doors represents one of our major construction problems. The building codes seem to be constantly changing in an effort to mi...
One of the most successful, but most expensive ways to keep leaves out of rain gutters is to place a solid shield over the top.
Using the principle of surface tension of water, the water flows over the shield and wraps around its outside curve. That curve extends out over the rain gutter itsel...
Tools change so fast that is even hard for me to keep up with them. I think it is all a conspiracy to keep us buying new tools long before the old ones wear out. Of course I have to admit that my shop is rather over stocked as I am constantly receiving samples to try out, so I rarely manage to we...
The best way for air to move through a duct is to have a straight duct with a smooth inside wall and a round form will have the smallest surface area to cause the air to slow down. That straight smooth round duct is what is considered the benchmark for good ducting.
Everything else is measure...
Drum Cymbal noises --> Furnace Ducting
Gina in Saskatoon is complaining about drum cymbal-like crashes that happen every time her furnace goes on. This is common when you have smooth flat ductwork. The heat and pressure of the air can cause the large flat surface of sheet metal to flex eithe...
THE RAIN GUTTER’S PRIMARY JOB
We need rain gutters to collect the rain that falls on a roof and then take it far away from the foundation of the house. That, together with landscaping that slopes away from the house, can solve 80% of all water leakage problems in basements, especially dur...
Oscillating Tools