How to Paint Pegboard (And Give Your Workshop Some Much Needed Style!)
When Ethan and I set out to convert my garage into the OPC workshop, I knew from the start that I wanted the large back wall to be donned with two 4×8 sheets of pegboard. When I was growing up, my father’s workshop had sported a large sheet of pegboard, and I remember how cool it was that dad could find just about anything he needed on his pegs or inside one of his two large tool chests. Since Ethan and I knew we’d be using the shop as a backdrop for our blog photography, we thought we needed to make our pegboard a bit... Keep reading...
Steel City 6.5-Amp 10″ Contractor Table Saw Review (Model#35990G)
Quick update from The Better Half: Today Kim’s getting the girl’s DIY sharing party started again. Swing over and submit your own DIY project, or just check out the features! Also we’ve finally gotten the bugs worked out with our RSS feeds, and now OPC and TBH are completely separate. So if you want to keep up with the ladies’ projects, make sure to sign up over there! And now, for today’s article… — In my effort to create the ultimate man-cave workshop, I’ve been eyeballing table saws. No... Keep reading...
Finishing a Basement, Day 3: Electrical Rough-In
We’re back with another Pro-Follow update. Steve Wartman and his crew are working through a basement remodel, and today’s article focuses on the electrical rough-in. If you’re just joining us, here’s what you missed: Day 1: Framing the walls Day 2: Vapor Barrier and Ductwork In contrast to the electric rough-in for the other Pro-Follow basement, this job was relatively small and uncomplicated. The electrician only needed three additional circuits, and the breaker panel had several unused slots. There was no need... Keep reading...
Finishing a Basement, Day 2: Vapor Barrier, Installing Ductwork
Welcome back to our latest Pro-Follow update. Last week I introduced a new basement remodel project with contractor Steve Wartman. He and his crew have finished framing the walls, and you can read all about that in the first installment of this series. Many homeowners and do-it-yourselfers have questions regarding how to address moisture in the basement, and today’s article will focus on vapor barriers. Additionally, I’ll be showing you how the guys ran air supply and return ductwork throughout the basement. Vapor Barriers Concrete... Keep reading...
Big News: Introducing The Better Half!
Drum roll please……I am excited to invite you to The Better Half! As you may have heard, the boys have been working on creating a dedicated section of OPC to focus on the finer side of home improvement. For a long time, we have been struggling with how to reach both the men and women who read our site. We’ve found that most people (myself included) are not interested in both the hard-core home improvement projects (like Pro-Follows) and also the crafty, decor stuff (like making fabric flowers). In the past, both have... Keep reading...
Finishing a Basement, Day 1: Framing the Walls
Many of you have expressed how much you enjoy the Pro-Follow articles, and I’m excited to kick-off another series. If you’re a subscriber or regular reader, you know that every Pro-Follow is the product of shadowing a licensed contractor on an actual job site. Seeing the pros in action, getting expert tips and being able to ask questions is the best way to learn how to accomplish your next home improvement project, and I hope you take advantage of all of our Project Guides. I’ve partnered with contractor and carpenter... Keep reading...
How to Install Beadboard Wainscoting
Wainscoting is a great wall application for dressing up kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms and more. It’s also a great do-it-yourselfer project because with the right tools and proper planning, anyone can achieve great results. If you’re not sure how to tackle this project, what better way to learn than straight from a professional contractor? Today’s Pro-Follow showcases carpenter Steve Wartman and his crew as they install beadboard wainscoting in a small kitchen eating area. Stay current with all of our Pro-Follow articles... Keep reading...
How to Install a Patio Door
Welcome back to our latest Pro-Follow. If you read yesterday’s Pro-Follow update about replacing a door header, you’ll recognize this is the second part of that project. Steve and his crew discovered a poorly built header and replaced it before continuing on to replace the patio doors. Today’s article shares how to install a new patio door, including the steps necessary to waterproof and level the door. If you’d like to learn more about our Pro-Follows and the contractors with whom we’ve partnered, check out... Keep reading...
How to Replace a Load Bearing Door Header
Contractors can’t always foresee every possible scenario when they bid a job, and they often have to assume that previous tradesmen have done their work appropriately. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, and even simple jobs became much more involved. Professional contractor and carpenter Steve Wartman and his crew began the process of replacing a patio door when they uncovered a poorly built header. Steve couldn’t in good conscience continue with the project until they replaced the header, and here’s how... Keep reading...
Building a Fire Hydrant Table
Today we’re featuring a reader guest post from William. You’ll remember William from his article about restoring a scratch-and-dent Gladiator tool chest, and we’re really excited to share his fire hydrant table. Pro-Follow Update: Look for a brand new Pro-Follow update on Monday. If you keep up with OPC on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll know that Steve recently replaced a patio door, and we bumped into some unexpected problems with the header. Stay tuned to see how he tackled this latest challenge. For now, here’s... Keep reading...
A Perfect Strike, More Site Updates, and One Thing You Can Do for Us!
Ethan’s spent the last few days out at a Black and Decker PR event in sunny Arizona, which I’ve been hearing (via Facebook and Twitter updates) is going fantastic. The event covered Black and Decker’s new line of 36 volt yard tools. If you follow us on Facebook, you know that as part of the event Ethan won a raffle to throw out the first pitch at a spring training game between the Angels and the Royals. How cool is that? I hear he landed a perfect strike from the pitcher’s mound. Not too shabby! Meanwhile, the... Keep reading...
How to Paint a Three-Piece Crown Molding
Today we’re featuring a guest article by Ken from The Joy of Moldings Jennifer’s kitchen is getting a top to bottom molding makeover. I just installed the crown molding and door trim (a Greek Revival eared architrave style), but still have the baseboard and wainscoting to go. Since I get so many questions at The Joy of Moldings.com about how to paint crown moldings, I thought I’d share my painting techniques with One Project Closer readers. Project Price & Materials Crown Molding Materials From Lowes: $211.75 Primer:... Keep reading...
New Brushless Motor DeWalt 20v Max Impact Driver
There’s been a lot of talk recently about brushless motors. If you haven’t heard, this alternate style of motor has some great benefits like longer runtime, fewer potential points of failure, less heat output and a more compact design. To learn more about brushless motor technology, I’d encourage you to check out the Brushless Motors 101 article from ToolGuyd. Lots of the major tool manufacturers (Festool, Makita, Milwaukee, Hitachi, Bosch) have jumped on the bandwagon, and DeWalt has just shipped us their new brushless... Keep reading...
How to Install Pre-Hung Doors
Installing a pre-hung door is much simpler than purchasing the raw materials and building a door from scratch. Pre-hung doors come already fastened to the door frame, and you can order them to size. Pre-hung doors also eliminate the time-consuming process of routing a space for the door hinge and doorknob hardware (like the faceplates), and the holes are already cut for the latch and doorknob. With a pre-hung door, you can install a typical interior door in about 15 minutes, and this article will provide pictures and text to walk you through... Keep reading...
How to Wire Recessed Lighting (Tabletop Walk Through)
I’m not sure about you, but I learn best by seeing how something is done and then doing it myself. In that effort, I’ve put together a table top mock up for wiring recessed lights, along with steps and thoughts for running this lighting setup in a real home environment. Recessed lighting is a very popular home improvement project, and this article will help you better understand the wiring components of this job. The pictures below shows components of my entire table top “system” of new-work, recessed lights, starting... Keep reading...
How to Repair a Medium-Size Hole in Drywall
Repairing drywall is a great do-it-yourselfer task because tools and materials are cheap, and there’s very little risk (to you or the house). Plus, if you can master the repair, it’s a skill that will serve you well no matter if you own or rent. So before you call the local handyman next time, give yourself a chance to tackle this basic, home improvement project. Materials List Drywall (see below) Mesh tape (see below) Setting compound (see below) Backer boards (see below) 1-1/4″ Drywall screws Drywall: Also called... Keep reading...
How to Install a New Door Knob and Deadbolt
One of the questions readers are repeatedly asking us is how to change out a door lock and deadbolt. Fortunately, replacing existing door hardware is an easy project because you don’t have to worry about mortising the door or door jamb (like you would for a first-time installation). Swapping in a new knob or deadbolt can be done in as little as 15 minutes if you know what you’re doing. I tackled this project last weekend, and I took a lot of pictures so you can know what to expect when you change out your hardware. Remove... Keep reading...
Basement Remodel, Day 4: Hanging, Taping, Mudding Drywall
We are back with professional contractor Joe Bianco as he walks us through the process of remodeling a basement. Just like our latest series for building a deck, these Pro-Follows will (eventually) wrap up with an all-encompasing guide. It’ll be a great resource for anyone looking to finish their basement. So far we’ve covered: Day 1: Framing the basement Day 2: Rough-in plumbing Day 3: Rough-in electric Today’s update focuses on hanging drywall as two separate subcontractors work to get everything ready for painting... Keep reading...
How to Build a Deck (with 120+ Pics, Diagrams, Pro-Tips, & Helpful Links)
If you’re a regular reader, you know this detailed guide is the culmination of many days shadowing expert general contractor and carpenter Steve Wartman. I was on-site as he and his crew built this deck, taking pictures of the progress, documenting the work and discovering tips and tricks. I’m convinced that there’s no better way to learn how to tackle home improvement projects than following a licensed contractor through a build. If you enjoy this article, check out our other Project Guides. To stay current on all... Keep reading...
Johnson Magnetic Aluminum Box Level Quick Review
Pro-Follow Update: Before I jump into today’s article, I wanted to share that the composite deck we’ve been following has been completed, and I expect the full How to Build a Deck write-up to be published tomorrow! It should be a great guide for anyone considering building a deck or simply wanting to learn more about what to expect. I sincerely appreciate all the questions and comments you’ve written so far, as I’ll be able to incorporate those into the final article. Keep ‘em coming! The basement remodel... Keep reading...
Join 3,403 Subscribers!
Home Depot Coupons, Sales, Coupon Codes, 10% Off – May 2012
Lowes Coupons, Sales, Coupon Codes, 10% Off – May 2012
Sears Coupons, Sales, Coupon Codes, Sears Outlet, 10% Off – May 2012
Target Coupons, Sales, Coupon Codes, Sales, Deals, 10% Off – May 2012
How to Paint a Three-Piece Crown Molding
How to Install Pre-Hung Doors
How to Repair a Medium-Size Hole in Drywall
How to Build a Deck (with 120+ Pics, Diagrams, Pro-Tips, & Helpful Links)
The Best Compact Drill Drivers: We Test Five Popular 18V Models
How to Build a Shed (with a Record 100+ Pics, Vids, and Diagrams!)
How to Install Hardwood Flooring (Complete Instructions)
How to Build a Wall-Mounted Lumber Storage Rack
How to Make a Beer Tote: A Beginner’s Woodworking Project
How to Build a Heavy Duty Workbench
How to Paint an Epoxy Concrete Floor Coating (Quikrete Example)
How to Build Shed Storage Shelves
How to Use Self Leveling Cement to Level a Large Concrete Slab
How to Setup Multi-room Audio with an iPhone or iTouch, Airport Express & iTunes