As a Christmas gift to my wife, I made a growth chart for our son. It’s basically an oak board that looks like a giant yardstick and is used to decorate a wall. This is a neat little project if you have young kids, but I admit it isn’t a very “extreme”. In fact […]
Weekend Projects
Hillbilly Storage Racks
If you have old wooden shipping pallets laying around that are destined for the garbage dump, you can use them whip up some lovely storage racks to show off your spray cans and caulk tubes. My wife claims these things are atrociously ugly and she won’t allow them in our house. However, the one and […]
Fixing Rot on Wooden Windows
Wood rot is caused by a type of fungus that destroys wood. It is as damaging as termite or other insect infestation, and can wreak havoc on wooden windows. If the windows aren’t maintained with paint, caulk and glazing, then wood rot can take hold and completely ruin the casing. However, in some cases you […]
Reclaiming Old Wood
I spent last Friday pulling tongue-and-groove pine off an old house that was built sometime in the 1940s. The house had been used by my family as a barn for the last several decades, and the interior wood had a rich, distressed quality. My dad plans to demolish the house this fall, so it […]
Deck Stain Update
I recently spruced up a pressure-treated deck with the new Transformation Deck & Fence Stain from Sashco. This particular deck has very little shade during the day and takes a lot of abuse from the sun. The 2×6 boards were beginning to check even though I had re-stained the decking about 18 months ago. It […]
Bug Off—A Simple Screen Solution
Our house has a rear door that leads to a backyard deck. Both my two-year-old son and our cocker spaniel go in and out of that door several hundred times a day. That might be slightly overstated, but the door seems to be open constantly, and all sorts of flying insects invite themselves into the […]
How to Make Floating Shelves
Behold the latest Extreme How-To video — a great weekend project for the DIY’er with a table saw. Just click below to play…
New Remodeling Trends
For homeowners with a taste for the contemporary, a recent report projects the top home design and remodeling trends. The Neil Kelly Company, an award-winning design-build remodeling firm based in Oregon, enlisted a team of 20 experienced design professionals to come up with the top trends. “While every […]
Set a Temporary Post (for Halloween and more)
From yard signs to birdhouses to holiday decorations and more, homeowners may find all sorts of reasons to set a temporary post. To do this, you’ll need a post anchor, which is a sturdy metal stake that retains the end of a 4×4 post. You can find post anchors sold at hardware stores, home-improvement […]
Blade Runners: Lawn Edger Basics
It’s time to give your lawn its back-to-school haircut. Be sure to keep the edges neat when you do. A powered lawn edger provides a dramatic step up in cutting power from a string trimmer, utilizing a rigid steel […]