DEAR TIM: I read your column each week. Your last one talked about deck screws vs. nails, but I need to know about the different choices I have when it comes to deck flashing materials. What are my choices and can you discuss the pros and cons of each and any new and exciting materials? […]
Deck Screws vs Nails DEAR TIM: Recently a deck collapsed near where I live and people got seriously injured. The report blamed the failure on the use of nails that had corroded and couldn’t hold the weight. Could this be right? Every deck I know of has been built with nails and they seem to […]
If you want to really add that special touch to your deck, you should consider using two different colored decking boards. That's what I'm doing with a deck I'm building. I'm using Trex Transcend and my wife has selected the deep Lava Rock color along with the lighter Tiki Torch for the main deck boards. […]
"A few years ago, I stumbled upon a new invention that makes installing deck piers as easy as working with snap-together plastic building blocks children play with." Deck Pier Forms - Get Ones That Snap Together DEAR TIM: My wife has instructed me that I no longer can put off the deck project. I got […]
DEAR TIM: My last house had a basement that leaked water. I’m building a new home and want my basement as dry as the Atacama Desert. I’m confident that my drain tile was not put in correctly at my last house. What are the best practices when installing drain tile around a foundation? What materials […]
DEAR TIM: I’ve got an odd problem. I have concrete spalling on a sidewalk that leads from my concrete driveway to my home. The concrete driveway and sidewalk were poured at the same time. The driveway is in great shape, but the sidewalk has all sorts of places where the top surface of the concrete […]
DEAR TIM: My home is less than two months old and I already have a problem with my downspout drainage. Where the sidewalk comes up to my front porch a black corrugated plastic pipe extends through the concrete. The soil under the sidewalk has now eroded and each time it rains I can see water […]
Tim Carter shares some tips about nailing down a shed floor. It's important to keep the spacing of the nails about 8 inches on center. Carter prefers red chalk because it's more visible. For more DIY Shed building tips and information and to purchase the actual plans for the shed in this video, click the […]
Tim Carter shows of the finished shed floor plywood layout. Each row is staggered 4 feet from the row before. This adds to the overall strength of the floor system. Be sure to provide the spacing between sheets of plywood for expansion and contraction if you're worried about it. In Carter's case, he use treated […]
Tim Carter shows how to layout the first piece of plywood for a DIY shed floor. It's vital that you have the floor joists square and that you chalk a crisp line that's the width of the plywood. The first piece of plywood must be put along the chalk line with the corner of the […]
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