ArcaMax

I’ve been a master plumber for nearly four decades, and I used to do all the plumbing in all the houses I built and in the remodeling jobs that had a plumbing component. If you’re thinking of adding a bathroom to your existing home, I want to reassure you that it’s not as hard as you might think.

Plumbing is indeed a three-dimensional ...Read more

Ed, my golf league partner, asked me a few days ago if there was a product to fix some wood rot he had discovered at his home. You may be battling wood rot, too. In your case, it might be interior wall studs or floor joists that get wet from a plumbing leak. Or you may have some decorative exterior wood trim that’s falling apart. This happened...Read more

A week ago, my lovely wife and our 2-year-old American Dirus dog were on Mt. Desert Island in Downeast Maine. We rented a tiny cottage just 12 feet from the shoreline of Bass Harbor. If you’re unfamiliar with this part of the USA, I can assure you it’s a harsh marine environment. Anything made from wood or iron that’s not protected from ...Read more

My days have been getting busier and busier doing troubleshooting and coaching calls with homeowners just like you. Are you suffering from the heat and humidity like the young man I talked with in Chicago last week? If so, you’ll enjoy the following story. If you’re getting ready to build a new home that will have central air conditioning or...Read more

Houses are just like you and me. As they age, they develop wrinkles or cracks. Some people don’t like wrinkled skin. Just as Ponce de León was searching for the fountain of youth, many people look for products to recreate their smooth teenage skin. Home centers sell tons of crack-filling products each year that homeowners use in and around ...Read more

As I look back on the decades of giving advice to homeowners like you, one thing stands out in my mind. I’ve always tried my best to tell you the truth about how hard or easy some task might be. That’s the opposite tact of most of home improvement entertainment shows I see on TV. Most share half truths. I’m sure you’re aware that a half ...Read more

The inspiration for this column came to me one Sunday morning as I was greeting people at our church, where my wife and I are ushers. In between people dashing through the door to avoid the drops of rain falling from the steel-gray clouds, I looked across the street. A project at a multifamily building was finally completed.

The final job was ...Read more

You might assume, since I write a column about home improvement, that my house is perfect in every way. You’d be wrong. I suffer from a condition where I know how to do 99 percent of the projects around my house. A deep inner force within me causes me to tackle all of these tasks no matter the size. I often work alone.

For example, seven ...Read more

With home loan interest rates higher than they’ve been in years, you may not be able to move to a larger home. You might be able to obtain the added space you need by transforming unfinished space to delightful rooms.

Just a few weeks ago, I started to help my son increase the finished living space in his home by nearly 80%! Two years ago he ...Read more

In just a few weeks, my email inbox will begin to overflow. Homeowners like you will be asking what they can do to cool down their attics, garages, houses and sheds. After all, the summer solstice is just weeks away. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, this means the sun’s rays have to travel through the least amount of atmosphere to wreak havoc....Read more

Last week I wrote about my recent trip to Southern California. I was fortunate to spend time with a dear friend and his wife. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a person who’s more in love with a home than he is. Believe it or not, he’s lived in the same home for all of his 72 trips around the sun. It’s a stunning Craftsman home that was ...Read more