I mean – Instructions – they’re a special thing, aren’t they? As a writer of instructions, you just don’t know what the individuals in your audience, well – know. (Key word “individuals.”) Surprisingly, as was the case with my assignment – instructions are not always written by writers, but rather by engineers. (And in a way, that simple fact seems to help give purpose to all us how-to bloggers out here, hacking away.)

You might ask – “Why’d you go do that?” Well, our campaign for this year was called (in full) “106 Yards to the Remodeling Show.” Hence – 12 American Feet = 4 American Yards, and we had 26 and a half of them made. (Actually kidding on that last part. ha!)

There are few projects that are more undervalued. When installing a new roof, the benefits in terms of added security, piece of mind, aesthetics and value are almost immediately felt.

This Hangout hosted by HomeAdvisor.com. Maybe you saw me promoting it. It paired me with old friends Mark & Theresa from MyFixitUpLife and a new friend David Silverstein – a roofer and remodeler from just around the way from me. The focus was on Summer and on the Spring Projects that lead up to it. It was even for at time featured on the Google Hangouts homepage.

(By John D. Poole) – The coffee pod concept has met with considerable criticism for its obviously negative environmental impact. Though it might excel at delivering a consistent cup of coffee, the pod itself clearly is an overly manufactured and wasteful piece of packaging for delivering something as simple as a single cup of coffee. Furthermore, the pod has no clear “recycling strategy”; once used, it retains its coffee grounds, and as such, shouldn’t be disposed along with empty plastic recyclables. The only immediately obvious thing to do is toss it in the trash, and that’s probably what most folks do.

It is part of what Amy Gath, Vice President of Marketing, called Formica’s mission to “make materials obtainable.” Gath continues, “Although granite continues to be popular, homeowners are expanding their material preferences to include new stone variations. Our latest laminate patterns are fresh, affordable and maintenance-free alternatives, making design trends accessible for all.”

The budget for this particular project – $0. Well, to be more accurate, the actual cost and the amount of equivalent gym time we had received totaled about $1000.

For the base coat, and working very closely with the manager at my local Glidden Pro Store, I selected their Concrete Coatings – a stain.

We used the existing lines, masking directly over them prior to applying any base coat.

The newest iteration marks a sorta evolution of the role, however. In this new role, the character acts as the appliances themselves. While the iconic blue suit and hat remain, he drops the “Repair” part of his moniker, and in true superhero form becomes only … Maytag Man!

(By Sean Lintow) – This year unfortunately JB wasn’t able to attend the Remodeling Show being held in Chicago. BUT, I managed to make it, as it just so happens to be in my new back yard, and eeks! I was now on the other side of the presentation podium. With that, here are my rambling thoughts on the two days I spent at the 2013 Remodeling Show. Product Coverage includes: Fantec, Panasonic and some surprises.

It, the Charm City Guide, is a list of resources, suppliers actually, that can be found in and AROUND Baltimore – my hometown. Basically, it was what I came up with after a little light reflection across two afternoons. And I’m writing today to point you both to it, and maybe in some ways to qualify it – you know, expound on it a bit.

An interview with Wilsonart’s Mike Lallo, a Segment Manager in Home Center Segments. Wilsonart and specifically Wilsonart HD was a sponsor of our 106 Yard Fund, which ultimately brought Sean Lintow, Sr. to Baltimore for the Remodeling Show. A recount of the panel discussion Looks for Less and a deep dive into Wilsonart products.

This year’s IKEA’s catalog hones in on the things that make life easier in a home with children. And really, if it makes it easier for children, it makes it easier for all of us, right? [Click to Read More]

As Gary puts it, the Katz Roadshow is one of the only hands-on, pier-to-pier construction education platforms in existence to today. I had passed on the opportunity to see the Roadshow in the past, but as I am preparing to run up to Providence for JLC Live (where Gary also will be speaking) – I thought this time it would make for the perfect primer. […]

A 3yd dumpster with the total cost of about $190 and yes, a few of our DIYin’ type friends did ask. I figure it saved me about 2 + trips to the dump and that for me, in Baltimore City, MD, is not a super easy proposition. And that too is not to mention costs sometimes associated with eliminating construction debris. Read on for our full review.

So, in December w put out our first ever readers survey. I took a little time to review and here is what I learned. DIY How Tos are a draw. And this is what else we learned.

In this post, I work with Beth of Beth’s DIY Workshop to build a birdhouse from scrap cedar. This birdhouse was my gift in a White Elephant Gift Exchange for this year’s Baltimore Bloggers Holiday Party hosted by One Project Closer. The Step-by-Step pictorial included; read on.

I can thank friends Ethan and Jocie, Fred and Kim @ One Project Closer for getting this whole thing a-rolling. They hosted a party this past Friday … officially – the Baltimore Bloggers Holiday Party. There, though – an opportunity. It was an opportunity to make a long-promised visit to Beth’s DIY Workshop. I decided I was gonna build that long-ago-joked-about … birdhouse.

Here for the final installment of “Month in the Life of an Interior Designer”, we close with a discussion of Elizabeth’s style, what it’s like working for a big firm, and Elizabeth’s tips for homeowner thinking about working with an interior designer.

Houzz, as the panel suggested, helps to create an ad hoc visual language, a language of design – if you will … shared by users of the site. Houzz formally added a Collaborate feature this year. To nutshell this, pros and homeowners can now develop ideabooks jointly. A pro or a homeowner simply creates this “collaborative ideabook”, and they may make it public.

Something like 700K+ images, most hi-res and professional quality, have been uploaded to Houzz. These images then become “available” on the site. Most are uploaded by home professionals looking to build an aforementioned online portfolio. For me, though, as a webgoer and further as a blogger, Houzz creates a single central source for inspiration.

A few weeks back I popped in to the grand opening of Baltimore’s newest Ace Hardware. A guest of the beaming Gina Schaefer, her company “A Few Cool Hardware Stores” is responsible already for five (soon to be six) Ace locations in DC. This location, in Canton, makes their 3rd in Baltimore. […]

As mentioned above, the HD line was launched in 2005 and was built toward the principle of affording dream kitchens on real budgets. Offering consumers what the company calls, “a look for less,” this collection yields the luxurious look and feel of natural stone, but with the performance, durability and affordability that today’s modern family desires.

And as the story goes, I simply asked (paraphrased here): “Hey guys. Would you ever consider providing a vanity which I would install and then later document?” Well, they (St. Paul) agreed. That’s how I found myself installing a St. Paul Home Products 30″ Classic Vanity Combo (in Antique White) at Dave W.’s house.

Through the Life Improvement Project, Ikea works with media outlets (like This Old House) to bring us in-store seminars covering various aspects of … living. And this past weekend I had the opportunity to swing into Ikea Baltimore for — Creating a Cook Space that Works for You. Alex Bandon (Online Editor) and Amy Hughes (Features Editor) hosted.

Houzz is a collaborative online resource featuring some 300K+ images, most hi-res and professional quality. Most images are uploaded by home professionals looking to build an online portfolio or presence. As a visitor, you can then browse by Style or by Space and organize what you find into your own “Idea Books.”

That link was posted yesterday to one of (the several) Facebook Groups I have now found myself a part of. With it, the poster wrote the phrase: “Flying machines: the contractors of the future??” Of course this intrigued me. […]

But really, from the get go, this one was simply a no brainer for me. Owens Corning ihmo kills it (in a good way) with their marketing on this one. While they likely had my moxiful self at . . . “Many people are quick to admit they lack the confidence to tackle home improvement projects. . . . “ The DIY Guy campaign sealed the deal. Haven’t seen it . . . ? Well . . . my post on it >> Building Moxie: This Here DIY Guy. Or . . .

Kevin, owner of National Lumber, talks of the delicate balance between always doing the right thing for customers, but also being loyal to vendors (whom he refers to as partners). As I point out my own recent visit to the Remodeling Show/Deck Expo and commenting on the number of deck fastener systems that were represented, he agreed that there are — quote “so many products.” Read on to see what makes this Local Lumberyard different.

“Fine Quality Custom Cabinetry Handcrafted for Your Entire Home.” That’s exactly how it reads in Crown Point Cabinetry’s own tagline. “Kitchens, Baths, Laundries, Offices, Home Bars” . . . *breath* . . . “Islands, Pantries, Breakfast Nooks, Closets, Built-Ins.” They build every cabinet to the exact specifications for your project, and really anything you could imagine . . . in terms of cabinetry. True Custom.

Maybe you know Cyra DuQuella makes handcrafted decorative tiles (yes, each and every one by hand.) Tiledecorative.com. You may know that that she specializes in Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts and Deco tile. You may know that she can customize borders and accents to fit almost any installation. You may know that she offers 300+ colors of glazing, but can match and perfect almost any color through her custom design services. [ . . . ]

An RPM International company, Dap Products, Inc. is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. They are a leading manufacturer of caulks, sealants and adhesives. Just a half an hour drive from their offices in the trendy Canton area of Baltimore, you’ll find one of the company’s two manufacturing plants. Rather striking from the highway, the complex’s six large branded silos. They rise from among the plant’s main buildings and look like, well . . . giant tubes of caulk.

Generically known as “formstone” a sort of “stamped stucco” remains on the street-facing exterior of many (row)homes in Baltimore, Maryland. It was applied widely from the 1930s to the 1960s. But as many of Baltimore’s urban areas experienced renewal in the late ’90s-early ’00s it became the norm to remove the now/then archaic finish. I have heard it said that formstone spread as wildly as a band-aid fix for the “cheap brick” used in the construction of many rowhomes. Rumor has it that some of these homes, built in the early part of the 20th century, employed brick salvaged from Baltimore’s Fire of 1904.

This is a 9×12 (approx) Karastan rug; Design = Sarouk; Pattern = 724. I only know this because I flipped over the edge and found the label . . . . To the left of that label, you’ll find Use and Care Instructions. (Note: While it is hard to see — nowhere on it does it mention the benefits of adding one or more cats.)

I was asked: “What’s your favorite show on TV? What’s the show you’re hooked on but are kind of embarrassed by?” And my pick — as I said more geek than guilt and if I have to pick just one, it’s This Old House. Read on to learn why.

I have known that licensing varies state to state, but I decided to ask around, and few friends of our Facebook page (go ahead like it) responded with what was required in their states. What I found basically — the regulations under which home improvements can be performed legally vary widely (like the grand canyon) from state to state, with some variations rolling down even to the municipality level. Read on to see what I got.

Let me propose an alternative though . . . enter Homie – as introduced this post. The best part of the holidays for me, and maybe there are few others out there — is, well, going to other people’s houses. It’s there that I feel up their *errrmmm* woodwork. (<< No, seriously!) [ . . . ]

Ford’s background as a tradesmen gave something of an everyman quality to his acting. There was a rugged depth to his early character work that made his action heroes believable. [ . . . ]

. . . I think the whole home inspection/negotiating/concession/repair/allowance/”Woot! we got our dream house” process is kinda whack. (And yes, that’s the construction-dude in me talking.) I mean – I understand the argument . . . especially when safety, such as fire, is a potential issue . . . and the little things are those that are all too easily forgotten. But come on! Do you really think that someone that is looking to get *out* of a house really cares about how well an issue in it is corrected? (No, not that much, and yes, that is the cynic in me talking.) [ . . . ]

Haunted Houses are amazing. Not real Haunted Houses (though they may be) but the kind which spring up all over America in late October every year. I thought I might do my first technical post about the moxie behind these spontaneous fright show attractions. Read on to learn how to stage your own haunted house.

******* I guess you are doing something right when a peer — met only recently — asks for your opinion on a newly developed blog.  Paul Coates — the driver behind Da Vinci Remodeling (@DaVinciRemodel) was quick to engage me shortly after I posted the Building Moxie fan page. We discussed, though only briefly, his plans to develop […]

(By Sean Lintow, Sr.) – I am from the government and here to help you is often joked about as being ten of the most terrifying words that one could expect to hear in their lifetime. Now it appears that would fall to second place if you replace the word help with the word protect. Effective April 22nd, the EPA has a new regulation that goes into effect affecting anyone living in or working on pre-1978 houses that may contain lead. As a homeowner, there is nothing in there that says you have to follow, or even care about the regulation, but it is still going to affect you in many ways.

An inexpensive digital camera (or smart phone camera) comes in handy. For uses for a camera during home improvement. Add more in the comment section below. Thanks!

These conditions are due, in part, to the temporal and fading nature of things. Much as a car’s odometer rolls with every tenth of a mile accumulated – your home loads on mileage, too, with each passing year. Short of noting proactive discretionary improvements, and extending beyond the mechanical equipment found in your home, all parts in, on or of your home will wear and ultimately fail (if left unchecked). [ . . . ]

I walked into it, as my wife was putting the girls down for the night. The first thing I heard was, No, dear. Ain’t isn’t a word. The wife then turns to me, and she says, Isn’t that right?

Well, you know me. And I am not sure why this time, I unexpectedly answered, Well, Evyn . . . it really depends how and when you use it.

I guess it was the mood I was in – and after about 30 seconds of my wife’s ranting – I was ready for the debate. She ends by saying, And You . . . You were an English major! Hrrrmmmph! — (or some other equivalently weighted monosyllabic grunt). [ . . . ]

While the use of the word free could remain open for debate; this strategy, in principle, is an efficient, effective and proven means of executing promotions. And — it should be said — efficient promotions, i.e. maximizing output with minimal input, in theory, helps keep cost down – for both the seller and, well, the buyer. [ . . . ]

We then took our dough and kneaded it in some flour (wow, what a mess). We now had to take it and split it into 3 equal parts. What the instructions didn’t count on was that the girls had been hitting it up for minutes. They systematically licked everything clean, the bowl, the utensils, while simultaneously consuming any piece of dough not firmly attached to our mound lying there. [ . . . ]

On an interior wall, possibly already probed with a stud finder, I guess I’d probably grab a drill. Having removed the shoe molding and being careful not to damage the floor, I would drill two, I don’t know, 1″ holes where the baseboard meets the floor. These holes would be spaced maybe 3 1/2 apart – and they would represent the base of my arch.

I would then probably grab my compass (remember from geometry). After finding the center point between the outside of edges of both holes, and holding the fixed point off of the floor slightly, I would scribe the arch in a dark pencil line. [ . . . ]

. . . Basically, there are two types of gas or oil-fired residential heat. Forced air and/or hot water/steam Radiant. Now, I have said this frequently, I mean, you can’t hardly walk down the street without bumping into a Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) guy that knows his fair share about your forced air furnace. The boiler guy, however, is a little bit more of a rare breed. His markings with four wheels and the words on the side paired as such: “Plumbing AND Heating. [ . . . ]