ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST? Those “just one more thing” requests are brutal. Heated floors, custom wine cellars, ...

Honestly, I’ve tried just about every finish out there—brushed nickel, chrome, matte black, even unlacquered brass. They all have their quirks. Brushe...

Title: What’s a “Normal” Length for Construction Loans These Days? In my experience, lenders usually just want to see you’re in the process of gettin...

Totally get where you're coming from about the discipline factor. When we built our place, I figured a simple spreadsheet would do the trick... until ...

Masking tape can work in a pinch, sure, but honestly I'd steer clear of it if you have painter's tape handy. Masking tape tends to leave behind residu...

I've had soapstone counters for about five years now, and honestly, the oiling isn't a big deal. At first, I was pretty diligent—maybe once every mont...

Ran into something like this last year. Online maps showed nothing unusual, but when we started prepping for a pool install, the crew hit some ancient...

Good points here. I've done a few renos myself, and honestly, windows can be a tricky call. I remember one winter we were freezing in our family room ...

Good point on sealing gaps—it's easy to overlook how much air leakage contributes to noise and temperature issues. I swapped out fiberglass for blown-...