Do Not Use Pens, Felt Pens or Chalk Lines!
When you are doing your next drywall project, moulding installation, or any other project that will be visible in your home and painted… do not use any ink based marker (felt pens or ink pens) or chalk lines on any surface that will be visible on completion. These types of markers will bleed through latex primer and paint. Considering that 90% of paint used in homes today is latex, it is a safe bet you will be using latex paint as well.
Play it safe and only use pencils for marking out cut lines, holes and so on. Pencil marks will not bleed through latex paints
Hard To Find Reproduction Antique Hardware
Do you love the look of antique hardware, lighting, wall plates and other accents used in older homes? Do you own an older home and have trouble finding hardware to match your existing hardware?
Well, look no further, Visit the House of Antique Hardware. Even if you aren’t buying, you’ll love the selection products on this website. They carry everything you could dream of using in an older home (or a new one) and I found the prices reasonable when compared to typical hardware used in many new homes.
WCB Coverage – It’s a Must…Sometimes Even as a Homeowner
It can be confusing at times to know when you need WCB coverage, especially as a homeowner. Even as a contractor, trying to figure out what you need to do to meet WCB regulations and requirements can be a bit like doing your taxes – a pain in the #!s. However, like taxes, you have to do it right, or you could end up in hot water, and with WCB, failure to have coverage when it is required can put you at a very high financial risk – or worse.
If you are required to register and don’t, you could be fined and charged the total compensation costs of an injury should one of your workers, or worker on your property be injured, plus retroactive insurance premiums. In some cases, if an injury is due to negligence on your part, you could face other fines and charges. These fines can get as high as $1,200,000 in severe cases (workers death due to negligence), and could include both fine and imprisonment – not something you want to mess with!
Cutting a Hole In The Ceiling? How To Keep Drywall Dust Contained!
If you have to cut a hole in a standard 8′ high ceiling for a skylight, pot lights or anything else, there is an easy way to keep all the drywall dust from covering everything in the room – or rooms if you have a slight draft in the room (and when you cut open in attic space you will get air movement). Instead of trying to cover everything in the room as I have seen many contractors and homeowners do, it is much easier to contain dust within the area you are working.
This can be done in less than five minutes and cleanup afterwards only takes a few minutes. All you need is a small roll of thin plastic 10′ wide and a few feet longer than the perimeter of the work area (see diagram below) , a package of regular sized push pins and a tarp (plastic or cloth) that is larger than the area you will be working in (see diagram below).
The Secret To Buying Name Brand Power Tools Dirt Cheap!
As every contractor or serious handyman knows, good quality tools are expensive. I’m talking about Dewalt, Porter-Cable, Bosch, Milwaukee and so on. But there is a secret to buying good tools at very low prices!
Have you ever wondered what happens to all those tools people return to stores? They get reconditioned and sold through other tool companies that specialize in selling factory reconditioned tools.
My favorite is Tool King Reconditioned Tools in the USA (even though I live in Canada). I recently ordered from them and the order only took 6 days to arrive. I picked up a ROTOZIP for $35.00 and Dewalt Drywall Screw gun for $59.00, overall I saved about $120.00 and both arrived in brand new condition…

