Hot Construction & Repair Posts

How To: Roll Up an Extension Cord. Good One!

How to roll up an extension cord. Rolling up an extension cord. Extension cord. It sounds like a basic skill but it's amazing just how many people just don't know how to roll up an extension cord. For the DIY'er and tradesman alike there are probably two main methods. There's my way of doing it (which l show in this video titled how to roll up an extension cord) and the other is similar to the method used by skydivers to roll up their parachute cords. They are both good and you could use eith...

How To: Frame a Wall. What You Need to Know.

Wall framing. How to frame a wall. Whether you're re-sheeting an old wall or building a new timber frame wall, before you install the plasterboard or drywall, take the opportunity to have a really good think about what services or insulation qualities you might want to have in that space. There are issues to consider like electrical, plumbing, noggins for wall fixtures and insulation.

How To: Unlock a Bathroom Door

How to unlock a bathroom / bedroom door that has a privacy door handle set installed. Have you ever been in that situation where you have accidently locked yourself out of your bathroom or bedroom, or your toddler has accidently locked themselves in the bathroom / bedroom and you can't get them out! The first thing to do is not panic! Don't call the locksmith and don't reach for the closest sledge hammer and commence smashing the door in. it really is easy to open the door when you know how.I...

How To: Install Drywall Anchors

Wall Anchors. Drywall Wall Anchors. Plasterboard Wall Anchors. I discovered these plasterboard (drywall) anchors / plugs a few years ago and think they are fantastic. They are ridiculously easy to use and are extremely effective in attaching fixtures to walls. One of the main things to be aware of (as with all things that have fixtures hanging from them) is the recommended maximum weight loading of each size of anchor. What ever the packet says, adhere to it.

How To: Remove a Door

How to Remove a Door. How to Remove Hinge Pins. Todays video we will look at how to remove a door by taking out the hinge pin, followed by planing off the bottom of the door so that once the door has been re-installed, the door won't rub on the carpet. In a nut shell you will learn how to:

How To: Adjust a Sliding Door

How to adjust a sliding door. Sliding doors are great when they are sliding but can be a real pain in the bum when they don't. Today's video will concentrate on adjusting the wheels to help alleviate some of these annoying issues. It doesn't matter if it's a robe sliding door, a closet sliding door, a glass sliding door or a patio sliding door, the principle is still the same. Obviously there can be other factors like the sliding door track or the sliding door wheels being in a state of disre...

How To: Build an Outdoor Brick Fireplace

This is a how-to video on how to build an outdoor brick fireplace. It has 5 parts and is a total of about 45 minutes long. It covers laying brick, acid washing, installing firebrick, installing flue tubes, and installing a stainless steel grill. It also covers brick string guides and cutting bricks.

News: Bat Cave in San Francisco

What do you do when you desperately need to put a parking garage into the bottom floor of your Victorian apartment building, but the city's Department of Planning says "No". The simple and expensive answer: Create an elaborate secret garage door. If you own a pretty building, it is well within the jurisdiction of the Landmark Commission to inform you that even though you own the piece of property, you cannot remodel it any way you want. Seems un-American. But in San Francisco, specifically th...

How To: Combine Two NYC Penthouses into One

Here's a rich man's problem for you: two NYC East Village penthouse condos and the need for one combined living space. What do you do? Simply add a helical slide! When the homeowners came up with this fun idea for combining their two condos, they contracted architecture firm TCA to design and construct two separate options to descend and ascend between the two living spaces— an Italian-made "Rintal" stair (an open spiral staircase), or the much speedier and much livelier option: a stainless s...

How To: Build an outdoor rabbit run

Run rabbit run! Well, your rabbit can't run unless you build it a place TO run! Check out this video and see how-to make a space in your backyard for your bunny to get its hop on. You'll need some tools, including a saw, screw gun, or hammer and nails and a skill saw. The dimensions are 80L x 43W x 36H. (measured in inches) This project takes about 4.5 hrs to build. Get building and give your fluffy little pet some outdoor love. Know what? He'll return it in leaps and bounds. And hops.

How To: Install patio doors in a brick wall

If you've got a brick wall and you're thinking of installing a door, you may have thought you were out of luck. Not so! This helpful how-to walks you through the steps so you can see how it's done. First off, know that this is not a simple task, so be prepared to wield a brick cutter, which is a serious tool in itself. After that you'll be framing out the door, shimming it up, and installing the door. Go for it!

HowTo: Build Your Own Anti-Slip Ice Claws

Ever experience a devastatingly embarrassing fall on the ice? Perhaps as a child in front of, say, an entire school bus of your peers? (Let's just say I haven't tread lightly on icy sidewalks since the age of 12.) If you've been battling icy terrain this winter, you may want to avoid such embarrassment and consider building a pair of cheap ice cleats. All you need is a couple screws, two metal plates, and some mesh straps, and you'll be prepared for the slipperiest of situations.

How To: Repair Cracks in Your Asphalt Driveway

Weather - there's no escaping it! Mother Nature can be hard on asphalt: if you live in an area where there are extreme weather changes from season to season then your asphalt will eventually become damaged. As the ground freezes and thaws there is movement that flexes the asphalt. Repeated flexing can cause weakness to occur. In many cases the first damage you will see will be cracks forming in your asphalt driveway.

How To: Move A Safe

Moving a 2000 pound safe isn't easy... I was working as manager for a construction company that was performing an up fit on a century old building in downtown Concord, N.C. The owners wanted us to move a two thousand pound (that's a ton!) safe up to the second story so that it could be displayed in their new office. The safe was located between the first and second floors in a small office that was used for accounting purposes in the old days when said building had been a hardware store.

How To: Plan bathroom renovations on a budget

Times are tight, but no one deserves to stare at an old, fugly bathroom day after day. If you simply can't stand the hot pink paint the previous owners left on the walls anymore or your linoleum floor is falling apart, check out this video to learn how to plan bathroom renovations wisely and on a budget.