Building a Custom Fire Pit
Today we’re featuring a guest contribution by Matt from the DIY Village on building a custom fire pit. If you don’t know Matt and Jacque, hop on over to their site. It’s chock full of awesome DIY articles! When it comes to transforming a back yard, an outdoor fire pit rates high on everyone’s DIY to do list. When my wife, Jacque and I purchased our new home a few years ago, we were moving from a townhouse. One thing that always bugged me about living there was that we were restricted on what we could modify outside... Keep reading...
Performing a Professional Home Energy Audit
Recently a friend was having a professional home energy audit performed, and I asked to tag along. I was curious to learn what tools and techniques a professional uses to analyze the efficiency of a home. I also wanted to learn what actions an auditor would recommend. The audit was performed by James from Energy Services Group, a local business specializing in residential energy conservation since 1981. If you live in central Maryland, Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) is probably your energy provider. The state of Maryland requires... Keep reading...
Rust-Oleum Deck Restore Review
Early this year Jocie and I attended a Rust-Oleum media event. They shared information about several products, and the one that really piqued my interest was the Rust-Oleum Deck Restore. They described it as a thick coating that fills gouges and cracks and buries splinters. It also hides imperfections, and the textured surface is slip resistant. In short, Rust-Oleum Deck Restore sounded like the perfect product for my old, weathered deck. When Jocie and I purchased our home, the deck was already a bit neglected. It was bad enough that... Keep reading...
Giveaway Extravaganza!
It’s been a little quiet around OPC recently. That’s partly because we’re in-between Pro-Follows and partly because we’re working on improving the site. We recently had a site evaluation, and now we’re working to implement many of the suggestions so expect to see some changes in the coming days. If you have a site design suggestion, we’d love to hear it. The best way to do that is email me with the details. Just this morning I restocked the Rewards Center, and there are lots of good items especially... Keep reading...
13″ Ridgid Thickness Planer Review
The 13″ Ridgid thickness planer is a new addition to the OPC workshop, and it fills a huge void in our tool arsenal. This planer enables me to process rough-cut boards and true-up lumber before starting a woodworking project. It can handle stock up to 13″ wide and 6-1/8″ thick, and the resulting finish requires very little sanding afterward. Best of all, it’s about $100 – $200 cheaper than comparable models!Ridgid provided the R4331 Thickness planer for review, and I’ve already put it to good use... Keep reading...
How to Refinish Hardwood Floors
Welcome back to our latest Pro-Follow series focused on how to refinish hardwood floors. Refinishing a hardwood floor is a great way to bring new life to a floor that is showing too much wear and tear or if the finish is no longer protecting the floor. It’s also a necessary part of extending an existing hardwood floor like we showcase here.All of our Pro-Follow articles are the result of shadowing expert, professional contractors on actual job sites. There’s no better way to learn about home improvement than straight from... Keep reading...
Refinishing a Hardwood Floor, Part 2
If you read my most recent Pro-Follow, you know that I’m working with a new-to-OPC hardwood flooring contractor named Danny Riter. Danny is the owner of Signature Hardwood Floors Inc., and he and his crew are in the process of refinishing an existing hardwood floor and extending it throughout the kitchen. You can read more about laying the new floor and weaving it in with the old here:Refinishing a Hardwood Floor, Part 1What’s even more exciting than the new floor is seeing Danny and his crew refinish the existing hardwood... Keep reading...
Refinishing a Hardwood Floor, Part 1
I’m excited to kick-off another Pro-Follow and to introduce you to a new pro named Danny Riter. Danny is a hardwood flooring contractor and owner of Signature Hardwood Floors Inc. Danny brings more than 20 years of experience in the industry, and he’s very knowledgable. I hope to bring you more Pro-Follows with Danny in the days to come. For this project, the homeowners have brought Danny in to replace a tile kitchen floor and refinish the existing hardwood floors to match. If your interested in learning more about installing... Keep reading...
Behind the Scenes Tour of the John Deere Factory
A couple of days ago, I had the great privilege of touring the John Deere Horicon Works factory in Horicon, WI. It was truly an amazing tour, and I loved getting an inside look at why “nothing runs like a deere.” The tour started with an overview of their company history, and in 1963 Horicon Works started building riding lawn equipment. Pictured below is a 1963 mower, and it was #60 off the assembly line. This year John Deere is celebrating half a century of quality lawn equipment.On the factory floor, we got a look at... Keep reading...
DIY Pipe Shelf
Some of you may remember the pipe shelf I built in the OPC workshop several months back. In the original article, I mentioned replacing the pine shelf with a piece of reclaimed wood. Well I inherited a few items from my grandfather, and I decided it was time to upgrade the shelf and show them off. I’m really pleased with the look and functionality of the pipe shelf so I wanted to share the update with all of you. Plus, these new pictures are much better. Because I’m sure somebody will point it out, I’m aware that the... Keep reading...
Porter Cable Bench Sander Review
I’ve just finished a Pottery Barn farmhouse table knock-off, and already Jocie has put in a request for more. As I delve deeper and deeper into woodworking, the lack of certain tools has become very obvious, and it makes completing these projects even more challenging. If you keep up with OPC on Facebook, you know that we’ve had some new additions to the workshop. Lowe’s offered to provide a sander, and I’m excited to put our new Porter Cable 4″ x 8″ Belt / Disc Sander to work!The Porter Cable 4″... Keep reading...
Fred & Kim’s Basement Remodel, Flash an Existing Deck
I’m back with another Pro-Follow update, and today’s article focuses on waterproofing a leaky deck ledger board. A few years ago, Fred and Kim had their small deck replaced with a much larger one. It’s a beautiful deck. Unfortunately, the contractor did not properly flash the ledger board, and Fred discovered a leak in the basement. If you’re a regular reader, you know that Fred and Kim have hired Joe Bianco to remodel the basement, and part of that remodel is to permanently address the leaky ledger board.When... Keep reading...
How to Install a Tile Floor (Complete Guide)
This is a comprehensive guide with detailed instructions for installing a ceramic or porcelain tile floor. Below you’ll find tutorials for every step of the process, with expert knowledge and tips from professional tile contractors. Read on for links to the individual articles and recommended tools for laying tile. We hope you enjoy the series!This series covers everything for installing a ceramic or porcelain tile floor, including leveling the floor, installing underlayment, marking guides, laying tile and grouting joints. Just... Keep reading...
How to Grout a Tile Floor
Tile Subfloor, Thickness, Deflection Installing Electric Radiant Heat Pouring Self Leveling Mortar Leveling (Flattening) the Subfloor Installing Cement Board (CBU) Installing Schluter DITRA Marking Guidelines for Tile How to Lay Tile How to Grout Tile JointsGrouting tile joints is last step for installing a tile floor, and what better way to learn than from two seasoned, professional tile installers. Jim and Rich are the guys from Diamond Tile located here in Maryland, and each of them have over 27 years of experience laying tile.... Keep reading...
Dig a Drainage Trench to Avoid Basement Flooding
Flooded basements are a very serious problem that can result in considerable damage to your property and possessions. It’s also a health concern as wet basements promote mold. It’s important to resolve poor drainage issues rather than clean up the aftermath year after year. Plus, flood insurance will only protect you for so long. If you’re looking for a DIY solution, French drains and drainage trenches are a great way to divert water away from your home. How a French Drain WorksWater will follow the path of least resistance.... Keep reading...
How to Lay Tile
Tile Subfloor, Thickness, Deflection Installing Electric Radiant Heat Pouring Self Leveling Mortar Leveling (Flattening) the Subfloor Installing Cement Board (CBU) Installing Schluter DITRA Marking Guidelines for Tile How to Lay Tile How to Grout Tile JointsIf you’re just joining us, we’ve been working through a series of articles all about installing a tile floor, and I’ve partnered Jim and Rich from Diamond Tile here in Maryland. Jim and Rich are expert tile contractors, and at this point the floor has been “leveled”,... Keep reading...
How to Mark Guidelines for Installing Tile
Tile Subfloor, Thickness, Deflection Installing Electric Radiant Heat Pouring Self Leveling Mortar Leveling (Flattening) the Subfloor Installing Cement Board (CBU) Installing Schluter DITRA Marking Guidelines for Tile How to Lay Tile How to Grout Tile JointsWelcome back to another Pro-Follow. I’ve been working with Jim and Rich from Diamond Tile as they tile Fred & Kim’s basement floor, and it’s been great to see how professional tile contractors tackle this job. The guys have finished installing DITRA, and... Keep reading...
DIY Pottery Barn Farmhouse Table
If you keep up with Jocie and The Better Half, you know that she’s been busy giving our dining room a makeover. She has done a great job, and so far Jocie has painted the walls, refinished an old buffet, created a very cool plate wall, and incorporated some furniture we just inherited. Well Jocie has been pining for a farmhouse table to go with the new decor, and she really liked the Keaton Dining Table from Pottery Barn. Don’t bother clicking on that link. The PB table costs $1,600 + $100 delivery! That’s a bit out... Keep reading...
How to Install Cement Board (CBU) for Floor Tile
Tile Subfloor, Thickness, Deflection Installing Electric Radiant Heat Pouring Self Leveling Mortar Leveling (Flattening) the Subfloor Installing Cement Board (CBU) Installing Schluter DITRA Marking Guidelines for Tile How to Lay Tile How to Grout Tile JointsCement board replaces the old plaster and lathe underlayment for tile. It’s a lot easier to work with preformed cement board rather than laying a bed of mortar on the job site, and it still carries the same great qualities. Cement board is moisture and mold resistant,... Keep reading...
Tile Subfloor: Deflection, Thickness, Common Substrates
Tile Subfloor, Thickness, Deflection Installing Electric Radiant Heat Pouring Self Leveling Mortar Leveling (Flattening) the Subfloor Installing Cement Board (CBU) Installing Schluter DITRA Marking Guidelines for Tile How to Lay Tile How to Grout Tile JointsThere’s a lot of information (and mis-information) online about what constitutes a suitable subfloor for tile, and it’s tough to find a clear answer. The difficulty is that tile can be installed over a number of substrates, and each requires specific preparations... Keep reading...
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