Mark discusses the merits of using pressure treated southern pine for a variety of outdoor projects.
Mark and I had the opportunity to build a pressure-treated Southern pine playset for the Chicago Boys & Girls Club at the Craftsman Experience in…

Mark & Theresa take you through the steps to build a custom backyard playset using pressure-treated southern pine. For the complete project plans, materials list,…


Theresa hints at a secret feature of the Real Wood playset from the set of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Joplin, MO—part of the special …
The real Outdoor living team pitched for the use of outdoor wood on the Joplin build, both to further aid Joplin residents and to complement…
Home improvement expert Brad Staggs talks with Mark & Theresa about everything from satellites to decks to banana hands. Brad also shares the details about…


We made a mini-deck and a wood platform for our new grill. No deck, no patio? No problem. Make a grill platform. We did. Our…
Tooling Up in Joplin’s Cunningham Park with Extreme Makeover. It took 10,000 volunteers and multiple builders to make Extreme Makeover: Home Edition‘s 200th—and final—episode a…
I love seeing things in my daily life that make MyFixitUpLife better. Such was the case when I spotted this cool real wood retaining wall…
When Mark and I heard that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was planning to build 7 houses in 7 days in Joplin for families affected by…


Site work tips: Turning not-so-level-earth into an even surface that drains water and supports your project is crucial to creating a project that will last.
We are thrilled to announce that the Spittal Family received their Real Wood, Real Fun playset today! Delivered in modular pieces to the family’s home…
Maybe it’s because one of the most formative periods of my home improvement life was building swim-floats and docks in Cape Cod’s salt water bays…
Kris Malkowski, GM from Craftsman, shares news about their 77 new products for 2011 at the Ford Trucks booth at the International Builders’ Show. Some…


Mark & Theresa take you through the steps to build a custom backyard playset using pressure-treated southern pine. For the complete project plans, materials list,…
In all my years as a home improvement professional, the project that brings the biggest smiles — and requests to work along side me during the project —…
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[…] this project is made from Southern Yellow Pine (and a few logs from the adjacent woods). The wood is secured with their favorite Spax fasteners […]