I learned deck building from a production deck builder. While he could build decks quickly, he could have been even faster if he’d used more task-specific tools.
Related Posts
Mark shares his ‘Lightweight Hammer’ with Professional Deck Builder
If you’re old enough, you remember nailing off decks with fistfuls of hot-dipped-galvanized sixteens. Your bags were loaded with pounds of nails, and your hammer…
26 Mar 2013
How To: Time-Saving Deck Guardrails
No matter how you slice it, installing effective, good-looking guardrails takes time. Cutting, plumbing, shimming, and fastening the numerous individual parts is not full-speed, turbo-charged…
03 Aug 2008
Under-Deck Drainage Systems
Building a deck creates two distinct spaces. Topside, gleaming deck boards and guardrails invite customers to enjoy the outdoors. But if a deck is far…
03 Nov 2008
Lightweight Hammer
If you’re old enough, you remember nailing off decks with fistfuls of hot-dipped-galvanized sixteens. Your bags were loaded with pounds of nails, and your hammer…
01 Oct 2011
How to Refurbish an Old Porch
There’s a lot to consider when you set out to refurbish an old porch. They’re challenging, and not just because every porch is different.
26 Feb 2011
Check Out Mark’s ‘Miter Saw Workstation’ Featured in Professional Deck Builder
Miter-saw set-ups can range from just a couple of sawhorses and a truck bed to something so nitpickingly complicated that I would break it in…
19 Mar 2013
Making the Switch From a PC to a Mac
Like most small-business people, I’ve used personal computers (PCs) to manage my business. My wife, who runs the office, has also used PCs. Plus, I…
19 Feb 2011
Designing a Pergola From the Ground Up
I’ve heard people call a pergola anything from an arbor, a colonnade, or a trellis to “one of those garden things.” But regardless of what…
14 Feb 2009
MyFixitUpLife talk show: Decked out!
May 20: Decked out! Mark & Theresa are talking decks on this week’s show. They’ll be sharing what you need to know to make sure…
22 May 2010
Aggressive Reciprocating Saw Blade
When I’m on a deck or porch site, the way I usually figure out that a scraggly bush needs to be limbed or removed isn’t…
28 Nov 2011
Versatility and Accuracy in One Package!
For porches – think beaded ceiling material and crown – a miter saw is a must. I use a DeWalt DW718. DeWalt nailed this tool:…
28 May 2008
Tool Review: Bostitch LPF33PT Framing Nailer
TOOL KIT Light and Compact Framing Nailer By Mark Clement Stanley-Bostitch 800/556-6696 bostitch.com Street price: $250 As dependable as screws are for decking, about the…
06 Jan 2013
Tool Kit: Lightweight Hammer
Today, of course, our hammers hang from our belts, and we drive most of our nails with pneumatic tools, so who cares if there is…
25 Oct 2011
So what is new in decking?
I remember when there were roughly a billion fewer choices of deck boards and railing systems. The first decks I worked on as a carpenter’s…
28 May 2008
Check Out the Playground Built in Joplin, MO featured in Professional Deck Builder Magazine!
The combination playground-memorial was designed by Theresa Coleman Clement as part of an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project in October 2011 that also included building…
18 Jun 2012
