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.
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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…
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Sub compact Loader: Deck Builder’s Dirty Work
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…
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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…
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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
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
Mark shares his work glove criteria with Professional Deck Builder
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…
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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…
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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…
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Get Inspired: New Deck, New Door
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…
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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…
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Safety Program
If you’re tempted to skip this article because you think safety is boring, consider that having a safety program might help you and your crew…
26 Feb 2011
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
Manage Small Parts and Fasteners
It’s been said that the Romans were able to conquer the known world because they were organized. I don’t know if that’s true, but I…
28 Aug 2010
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
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…
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