There are many water spill or flood detectors on the market; some hard wired, some battery operated, some free standing, some tied to central alarm systems. The battery operated models are quite mobile and good for seasonal tasks like spring flooding or specific tasks like the bathtub overflowin...
Pneumatic tools are amongst the most indestructible power tools you can buy - and yet we manage to kill them. So I took a trip to a few repair shops to find out what can possibly be done to maim, cripple and kill pneumatic construction site tools.
Let's start with the killers: dirty or moist air...
Johanne from Laval, Quebec writes: "Could it be damaging to my new shingle roof to climb up on it in the winter time to install a satellite antenna? If so, what would be the ideal temperature to do work without any damage?"
Aside from slipping on ice, winter is not a bad time to walk on th...
When it comes to installing screens into a screen door I have always had problems keeping the mesh straight and avoiding wrinkles in the corners when I followed the standard instructions of starting at one corner and working my way around, unless I was working with someone else to help hold it al...
When it comes to loosening rusted bolts, some ways are more ecologically friendly than others.
Heat
Simply heating the nut will sometimes expand it before the bolt heats up, breaking the rust lock and allowing it to come off.
Chemicals
Lubricants and ordinary oils will not break the bonds of ...
Have we really moved to a new generation of Pressure Treated Wood?
With the introduction of MicroPro treated wood to the Canadian market in the spring of 2013, some are saying that we have a game change in exteriour wood and building decks. It has taken several years to get this technology adap...
Tired or damaged hands from computer mouse use
Years ago I had a serious problem caused by overwork with a computer mouse dealing with very detailed graphics work for several days non-stop. My hand was going numb and losing its functions because of my “death grip” on that little mouse. The doct...
Îpe is a beautiful hardwood from Brazil’s Amazon forest that is popular as a premium decking material. There are social, moral and sustainable reasons why you should not buy Îpe. Click here to read the Green Peace documentation of the tragedy of this beautiful wood: “Blood Stained Timber – Rura...
Back Pain and arthritis are probably the two primary health problems that cause people to give up manual trades and even renovating or repairing their own homes. Back pain in particular can step in while people are quite young.
It doesn't have to be so.
I have always had a peculiar pro...
From top to bottom:
1- Check the spark arrestor or rain cover, whichever you have on your chimney. Its most important function may in fact be to keep animals and birds out of your chimney.
2- The liner needs to be in good shape. Check the part that is visible from above, and occasionally have a...
