Building a wall with steel studs is surprisingly easy. In fact, if your upcoming remodeling project requires building a new, non-load-bearing wall, consider building that wall fully or partly with steel — especially if you don’t own a nail gun. Steel studs are easily cut with a tin snips and assembled with a screw gun or reversible drill — little noise, little mess, and no rattling plaster off the walls with your hammering. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

You may be able to sell it without an agent. When my wife and I were about to sell our home in Southwest Portland a few months ago, we decided that before we hired a realtor, we would try for a few weeks to sell the house ourselves. It cost us about $150 to buy several “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO) signs and advertise in the Oregonian classifieds for four consecutive Sundays. And $150, we felt, was worth risking to possibly save ourselves... more

I’m a journeyman-level carpenter, a mason, and I’ve written about construction for a few years now. I was once very scared of the permit process. After years in the construction business, I cannot remember anyone ever complain about how hard it is to build a foundation the right way. But permits, bureaucracy, inspectors – these are the stuff of legendary frustration. I cannot remember any contractor I’ve worked for, any architect I’ve interviewed, nearly anyone at all... more

By Jeremy Vesbach Many volatile organic compounds (VOC) stink, some cause environmental damage, and some are known to cause health problems. And unless you pay attention to which paints, varnishes, and adhesives you use, it’s easy to inundate your home with harmful VOCs during a remodeling project. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →