Start with a 6 in. joint knife, a 12 in. taping knife and a mud pan, then add a hawk and corner trowels as the job grows. Bedding tape and the first coat go on with the 6 in. knife,...
Match the tape to the surface, then match the protection to the mess. Green and blue tapes handle most walls, delicate-surface tape is for fresh paint and wallpaper, and rough-surface tape is for stucco and brick. For floors and furniture,...
Pick the rock size for the job, then size the order with one rule: one cubic foot of rock covers about 4 sq. ft. at a 3 in. depth, or about 6 sq. ft. at 2 in. Fine gravel suits...
Choose the board edge first, because it decides everything else: grooved-edge composite boards install with hidden clips and leave a screw-free surface, while square-edge boards are face-fastened with composite-rated screws and are the right choice for stair treads, perimeter boards...
A framed wall is a bottom plate, a row of studs, a double top plate and headers over every opening, with blocking and connectors added where the plans call for them. For a typical interior or non-structural exterior wall, studs...
A code-compliant Los Angeles deck comes down to five material layers, built in order: concrete footings, posts and post bases, a joist-and-beam frame tied together with the right connectors, decking boards, and the fasteners that hold the surface down. Get...
For most deck, fence and patio-cover posts in Los Angeles, the right combination is an adjustable standoff post base anchoring the bottom of the post to concrete, a matching column cap connecting the top of the post to the beam,...
Acrylic sealers give a driveway a wet-look shine and the easiest DIY application, penetrating (silane/siloxane) sealers soak in invisibly and let the slab breathe, and epoxy coatings build a thick, chemical-resistant film that's built for a garage floor rather than...
