I’ve been remodeling homes, using tools–and reviewing tools–for a long time. During that time I’ve cycled through generations of tables saws and impact drivers, nailers and worm-drives, wrecking bars and tool boxes. And while all tools employ what manufacturers call “consumables” (i.e. blades, wheels, discs, bags, whatever) I think the biggest consumable on my projects over the years has been my pants.
I’ve worn everything from old khakis that no longer cut it for biz-caszh to work pants that claimed to be tough yet didn’t last much longer than the khakis–and cost a whole lot more. Either way, if my pants were a power tool, the biggest “wear part” would be the knees. And whether I’m going for a client meeting after being on site all day long or I’m kneeling down install a new baseboard or plumb-up a fence post on an around-the-house project perforated pants serve neither form nor function.
We face difficult questions repairing our vintage homes. Should we repair what’s there or replace with new materials and techniques? This question arises in various…
Call me old-fashioned, but I like my pneumatic tools. And while I wish I could ditch the hose sometimes, the tools’ practically failure-free and no-futz…
Anybody who lives in an old house will surely tell you that storage is an issue. Closets–by modern standards anyway–are either small or non-existent. Hence,…
One of the major keys to any home improvement success–whether you’re fixing your own house or are a professional contractor–is organization. I could write a…