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 by observation and planning. That’d be too smart. Only after it’s gouged my legs repeatedly, or I trip over the thing for the eighth time, do I get the idea and reach for a saw.
The first sub compact loader I ever used arrived by accident. I’d ordered a full-sized skid steer from the rental yard, but instead the delivery…
For porches – think beaded ceiling material and crown – a miter saw is a must. I use a DeWalt DW718. DeWalt nailed this tool:…
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…
I have specific criteria for work gloves. First, the gloves have to fit, meaning that when I’m wearing them, the answer to the following questions…
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…
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…
A toolbelt is a lot like a spouse: If you choose one in haste, odds are you’ll regret it. MyFixitUpLife Mark & Theresa created this…
For many homeowners, adding a deck can lead naturally to thinking about ways to connect the new outdoor living space with the inside of the…
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…
In 2004, after dominating the market for more than 70 years, wood treated with CCA (chromated copper arsenate) was withdrawn from residential use due to…
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…
Confused by the alphabet soup of wood-treatment chemicals flooding the industry? Read on. In 2004, after dominating the market for more than 70 years, wood…
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.
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…
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…
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[…] Old House contributor Mark Clement shares a few tricks and tips on how to utilize the shoe of the saw to its utmost potential. The shoe is often adjustable, which allows greater access to different […]