I was talking with my good friend Doug Mahoney yesterday. Doug is editor of ToolSnob, and writes the tool columns for Popular Science and Popular Mechanics, but his real job is as a builder in Boston. One of the subjects we talked about was upcoming trends in tools and products. We have seen the new […]
Building Materials
Survey Results of EHT Readers
About a week ago I polled 10,000 readers regarding various areas related to Extreme How-To. Thank you to all who participated. Surveys help us better target future “How-To” articles to areas of your interest. I wasn’t surprised by the responses on the numbers of you planning on painting or gardening/landscaping, but the numbers of you planning bigger […]
Tool of the Day, Bosch Nailkiller Has Escaped
Auger bit users dread few things worse than encountering nails hidden in studs, joists, or sill plates. Until now, those hidden nails typically meant two things – the end of an expensive bit and a very sore wrist at the end of the day. With the introduction of the Nailkiller™ Auger Bit this week, Bosch […]
Can You Imagine the Size of the Needle? “Improper Use of Caulk”
(Editor’s Note, The complete story is found on NJ.COM link is at the end of the blurb. Wow, this one is even too weird for Stupid Home Improvement Tricks. Would this be considered home improvement for tax purposes?) NEWARK — Six women from the Essex County area who wanted fuller bottoms ended up in hospitals […]
Copper versus Pex Plumbing
PEX plumbing is being used more frequently in today’s construction, tell us about your experience with it. Have you used it in existing construction or new construction and does its advantages outweigh copper pipe? From a cost perspective, which is less expensive. I have used it in vacation homes that have experienced freezing problems in the past. And yes […]
Working with Solid Surface Material such as Corian™, a Follow Up
I was talking to Kyle Carpenter at Solidsurface.com a few weeks ago about working with Corian™ and some of the other materials used in solid surface countertops. I asked him to send me a scrap piece or a drop end for me to practice some cuts, seaming and edge build-ups that I could form into a […]
Obama’s federal government can weatherize your home for only $57,362, or Red Tape Meets Duct Tape
Unbelievable was my response to this article. Matt Weber, EHT Editor-in-Chief brought this to my attention and after further discussion of this program you may soon see advertising for Weber and Jones Caulking. We are still hashing out the sordid details of our company, I am holding out to add duct tape to our specialties and I am […]
Extreme Log Home
Well, I must admit I am a sucker for log homes and log homes that stretch the boundaries of affordability I can’t resist. When I saw the square footage of this behemoth, I had visions of a log home that was larger than some hotels I have stayed in. Besides, 18,000 plus square feet for […]
Solid Surface Countertops like Corian®, Would You Consider Installing
We are putting the finishing touches on a step-by-step installation guide for solid surface countertops for the DIY homeowner. Would you consider installing this material yourself or would you think it’s better left to the professional? If you are concerned about installation problems, ask us so we can better address those in the article. If […]
Skil’s New Flooring Saw Is EHT’s Tool of the Day
Several months ago we were asked to test a prototype of Skil’s new flooring saw. I had an installation of 1100 square feet of flooring waiting that I needed to get done before spring 2010, so we agreed to use the new saw and run it through its paces. When the saw arrived, Matt Weber and I both picked up the saw and wondered if maybe the saw had been shipped in two different packages. It was that light. We opened the package and everything was there, but the saw itself was smaller than we expected and Skil used an aluminum base to save weight.