It may seem like too simple a question -- but it's a good one. When changing a door, we often just measure the door itself and get one to match. But if you want to replace the entire frame, you are best to take the trim off around the door and measure the size of the rough opening, from stu...
Don in Winnipeg wanted to make a wooden walkway. He wanted to fan the boards out at the 90 degree corner, but couldn't figure out how to calculate the angle to cut the boards to make them fit.
The first important reflection was that the center point of this fanning out should not be right in the...
When we are working outdoors we often need to create level lines over long distances. Up to about 8 feet, we can simply tape our regular carpenter's level onto a straight board. But there are many different ways to level over dozens, even hundreds of feet.
The least expensive and most common is ...
Measuring devices have gone from a folding ruler, to a tape measurer
-- and then -- the new electronic digital read-out type.
The digital tape measurer I had came from Starrett called the DigiTape. It could read in imperial and metric, the readout would flip for up-side-down reading. It would e...
Reflections on why someone with a scientific orientation like myself might give more credibility to those who worry about the health effects of cell phones and smart meters than to those who say there is no "scientific proof" of a health problem. The following is an extract from an exchange wit...
Jill writes: HI, my mom lives in a house built in 57'.She has a big crack in the wall above the doorway. How do you adjust the telepost to accommodate the settling of the property. Which way do you turn the post to adjust it, how much etc,
-------Response
I assume that the cracks are right abov...
Alternatives to paying hydro to not install a smart meter
In Quebec as in some other jurisdictions, the electrical utility has opened the door to refusing the installation of Smart Meters by consumers -- but at a consideral penality. Initially, in 2012, Hydro Quebec is imposing a $137 charge ju...
Yes you can check if your hygrometer or humidistat is giving you the right readings. Mix into a glass, one part water to two parts salt -- like 1/4 cup water to 1/2 cup salt. Mix it thoroughly. Now put this glass and the hygrometer into a sealed plastic bag at 22 degrees C, room temperature. Wait...
When hiring a contractor to replace your windows, DO NOT MEASURE THEM YOURSELF. You can give him measurements to the nearest inch with the very clear indications that these are "approximate measurements only and not to be used for ordering the window".
WHY HAVE A CONTRACTOR TAKE HIS OWN ...
Dan wrote in asking what is that little diamond mark on his tape measurer at 19-3/16 inches?
Look further down the tape and you will see it repeated every 19+ inches, always at some imprecise measurement, not really a multiple of 3/16 of an inch. Finally when you get to 8 ...
