Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Since the tape will tend to wear out after a few holes, a more permanent solution is to drill a hole lengthwise through a piece of 1” x 1” stock and slide it over the drill bit to act as a stop. Stop drilling when the tape brushes away the shaving, indicating that the desired depth has been reached.

Installing fiber cement siding (FCS)—such as HardiePlank®—is easier than you might think, though there are some important differences from traditional wood siding. Installation instructions may vary depending on the manufacturer, and check with your local building inspector for any code requirements.

Since the wrought-iron column on this ranch style house was rusty and had seen better days, it was replaced with a low-maintenance fiberglass one. While the column came prefinished, it can be painted a different color if desired. First, a temporary brace was installed to support the porch roof.

Raymond asks, “I am replacing my trim around the windows and doors and also replacing the baseboard. What is the secret in getting good fits in both places?” In a perfect world, all corners would be square, floors level, walls plumb, and lumber straight. Unfortunately, that is seldom the case. Like any good illusionist, a trim carpenter knows that it’s what you see that matters most.

Plaster walls in older homes are often plagued by cracks and other defects such as pitting and uneven texture. If cracks are simply filled with spackling or joint compound, they have a tendency to telegraph back through. To solve this problem, apply self-adhesive fiberglass mesh drywall tape over the crack for reinforcement.

A pegboard wall makes a great way to hang your tools in the shop for easy access. When we had finished building the workbench across the back wall of the shop, we covered the wall space above it with pegboard.

Capitalizing on a popular new trend, a morning bar was added to our Today’s Addition. Merillat helped design the cabinets maximizing convenience by integrating a high end coffee maker, a water supply, refrigerator, and microwave. The cabinets are from Merillat’s Classic line. Although the cabinets are very affordable, they included some great features including fluting, a tilt-out sink tray, a refrigerator door panel, and self-closing drawers. The end result is not only a mecca of late night convenience but also appealing to the eye.

If you’ve ever wondered why a two by four doesn’t actually measure two inches by four inches or what B&BTR means, you’re probably not alone. Unless you learn to speak the language, a trip to the lumberyard can seem like visiting a foreign country. The best way to begin is by understanding how lumber is made in the first place.

While lumber is commonly sold by the piece in building supply stores, wholesalers and hardwood dealers usually price their stock by the board foot. Ask for a dozen two by fours eight feet long at your local sawmill, and you’ll be told that what you really want is 64 board feet of lumber.

The outside of our master bedroom addition is now almost complete, and much progress has been made on the interior as well. We have now moved the webcam inside so you can continue to follow the project. If you were watching last week, you were treated to a behind the scenes look at Danny filming an upcoming episode of the show.