House Renovation Tips

Perforated plastic drainage pipe, embedded in a gravel trench at the footing of a foundation wall, drains water away from the foundation before it can build up pressure. Before filling the trench, line it with filter fabric to keep fine soil particles from clogging the drain gravel over time.
Retrofitting foundation drains is a grueling job. [...]

Why Wood Decays
The fungi that destroy wood have simple needs: Air, water, moderate temperatures, and not too much sunlight, thank you. Whenever the moisture content of the wood in your home is greater than 19 percent (it feels damp to the touch), ever-present fungal spores begin to grow. As the wood dries out, the fungi [...]

Wooden structures not built with insect-resistant wood can become fodder for termites. To prevent an infestation, try to avoid contact between earth and wood (termites must draw water from the soil every day). Concrete footings make it difficult for termites to reach the structure. Still, termites may attempt to bridge the gap by building brown [...]

Avoid using smooth-shank nails to put up drywall; gypsum drywall nails are stronger and are rosin coated to improve anchoring. Better yet are drywall screws, which can be driven with an electric drill and won’t pop out later.
If you drive a nail and it misses a stud, pull it out; if you don’t, it will [...]

Plan ahead when you’re laying dry-wall. It’s best to minimize the number of joints you’ll need to tape and to position those joints in places where they will be least noticeable.
The standard dimensions of a sheet of drywall are 4′ x 8′, but the sheets come in longer lengths as well. If you’re working on [...]