Well, our latest giveaway has come to a close. A big thanks to the folks at Black & Decker for offering up a great cordless trimmer / edger.

If you want to learn more about this sweet tool, check out the full Black & Decker Cordless Trimmer review. In the end, we only have one winner [...]

Well, our latest giveaway has come to a close. A big thanks to the folks at Black & Decker for offering up a great cordless trimmer / edger.

If you want to learn more about this sweet tool, check out the full Black & Decker Cordless Trimmer review. In the end, we only have one winner [...]

Well, our latest giveaway has come to a close. A big thanks to the folks at Black & Decker for offering up a great cordless trimmer / edger.

If you want to learn more about this sweet tool, check out the full Black & Decker Cordless Trimmer review. In the end, we only have one winner [...]

Well, our latest giveaway has come to a close. A big thanks to the folks at Black & Decker for offering up a great cordless trimmer / edger.

If you want to learn more about this sweet tool, check out the full Black & Decker Cordless Trimmer review. In the end, we only have one winner [...]

From New York to Tokyo, holiday displays of party lights and decorations bring joy and cheer in the Christmas season.

Space is a limited quantity in my house so I’m very cognizant to maintain versatility. Simple things like an expandable dinner table or having a laptop (read: mobile office) can make a big difference. For my basement workshop, this mean keeping the workbench open and uncluttered.
This presents a problem for tools like a bench-top grinder [...]

Lighting is an important element in any room for functional and ambient reasons. A child’s room will need a bright main light to see clearly by and softer lighting for relaxation. If the child is older then the light will need to be sufficient for them to do their homework and read without straining their eyes, if younger then a nightlight is a good idea for those who don’t like to sleep in the dark.

By Mark J. Donovan
This past Saturday I attended the Lakeside Living Expo in Gilford, NH and got a chance to see some of the latest in green technology. Of particular interest to me was the geothermal heating and cooling system offered by Dragin GeoThermal of Meredith, NH. In the winter time, a geothermal system works [...]

This week’s Before and After shows us that even a small basement space can be transformed into a cozy modern family room and office.  Greg MacLellan over at GroogsBlog remodels his basement, changing it from an old storage area with a spare refrigerator into a modern entertaining space complete with plasma TV and leather sofa [...]

Saturday, July 24, 2010 is being deemed as National Enjoy Your Deck Day- a day encouraging people to enjoy their decks and spend time with family and friends.

Celebration includes a huge national deck party – host or attend a local deck party in your city at http://www.meetup.com/National-Enjoy-Your-Deck-Day/
Numerous ways to celebrate with fun deck activities, game [...]

My day job got a couple iPads for development purposes so I thought I’d take one for a spin. Readers probably won’t look here for an iPad review, so that’s not the topic but it’s a cool side-note. I’ve decided to try and write this entire post from the iPad. It seems fitting that this [...]

Increase the Value of your Home by Building a Deck this Summer
Mark J. Donovan
What better way to enjoy the great outdoors than with a backyard deck. Summer is the perfect time of the year for deck construction. A deck addition provides exterior living space to your home and is highly prized by homebuyers.
Before contacting a [...]

Kenmore is right in the middle of an awesome pre-order special. If you’re in the market for a new dishwasher with all the features, now is a great time to act.
The revamped Elite line of dishwashers come equipped with the new 360° PowerWash Technology that goes “beyond the circular spray pattern of traditional models”. Match that [...]

This article provides detailed instructions for installing hardwood flooring over a wood substructure. It chronicles tutorials for each step of the process, derived from our installation of 3/4 inch solid, tongue-and-groove Brazilian Walnut hardwoods in our own home.  At the bottom, we provide links to posts on the tools we use and frequently recommend for [...]

Mark J. Donovan
Not surprisingly new housing sales data suggests that the United States is entering a double dip housing market recession. Home sale prices stagnated in June, only increasing 0.1% and in a number of areas of the country home sale prices actually declined several percentage points.
As I have said before, this should not come [...]

Fluorescent lighting is all the rage in industrial and commercial properties as it is inexpensive, bright and requires little maintenance. Homeowners are now demanding it as they realize it can help them save on their power bills, and they look good in any room. Look online for fluorescent table, floor and ceiling lights.

Porter-Cable is back in the spotlight with a relatively new offering- a 15 Amp Heavy-Duty Circular Saw, model #PC15TCSMK. This professional grade saw is a great addition for any contractors or avid do-it-yourselfers looking for a dependable, lightweight circular saw.

Porter-Cable recently shipped us a PC15TCSMK as part of a test kit and overall, we’re very [...]

Porter-Cable is back in the spotlight with a relatively new offering- a 15 Amp Heavy-Duty Circular Saw, model #PC15TCSMK. This professional grade saw is a great addition for any contractors or avid do-it-yourselfers looking for a dependable, lightweight circular saw.

Porter-Cable recently shipped us a PC15TCSMK as part of a test kit and overall, we’re very [...]

Our next Before and After is brought to you by Kate @ Centsational Girl. Kate is a great friend who shares a lot of DIY projects with her readers. You may remember this little gem from last year- her awesome staircase renovation.
For being this weeks winner, Kate will receive a $50 gift card to Amazon, Lowes, [...]

Baseboard and shoe molding dress up a new hardwood flooring installation. After you’ve put in the time installing the new floor, trimming it out frames the floor, showcasing the hardwoods just like a quality frame showcases quality art.
Baseboard comes in many different shapes and sizes and should be picked based on a balanced approach to [...]

In our review of the DuoFast Floormaster 250BN we make substantial reference to the term blind nailing when describing fastening the first few and last few hardwood boards in place. If you’ve never heard the term blind nailing, you’re probably wondering what exactly it means.
Blind nailing is setting a nail into the hardwood flooring board [...]

There are several designers famed for their chandelier designs, Murano are a familiar name for their glass products, mainly their series of chandeliers. Made to exceptionally high standards they are an outstanding display of skill, craftsmanship, tradition and elegance, a delight to see, and regarded as a good investment.

Many hardwood installations require you to transition from one room to another, sometimes around a dividing wall that has an outside edge that will require a new first board. An outside edge occurs when you install hardwoods around an object and are effectively left creating a new starting row along the outside edge of the object. [...]

Every hardwood flooring install requires a solid finish nailer to tackle key parts of the installation.  You use a finish nailer to blind nail the first few hardwood boards, blind nail and face nail the last few boards (in locations where a hardwood flooring stapler won’t fit), and attach the baseboard molding to studs on the [...]

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes [...]