DIY

It’s easy to pick up some Southern Yellow Pine 2x4s for your weekend project, but do you know where your dollars are going? You might be surprised to know that there’s a big business behind your wood, and the lumber economy is actually one of the largest industries in the United States. Though the wood […]

There are thousands of different species of wood with varying colors and characteristics (talk to a forester, they’ll tell you all about it). Of those thousands of species, we usually divide wood into two types: hardwood and softwood. But are softwoods actually soft? No way. The magnificent cellular structure actually builds an intensely strong piece […]

We had such a fun time working with Sarah from Ugly Duckling House. She had a goal of transforming her backyard from a big piece of blah into something truly amazing. We’re happy to share the journey with you. The biggest thing Sarah learned during this process is that she’d have to use Ground Contact […]

By WIR Contributor Mark Clement Shorter days and colder temps are where outdoor DIY comes alive. When the weather cools off, I walk through my yard and think about what I want to do, fix or make for outdoor project season that I look forward to every year. I have a raised garden bed that […]

From Wood Magazine: “A deck is essentially an outdoor floor supported by a frame, posts, and footings secured in the ground; assembled in stages; and built from the ground up. The following terms define all of the important components of a typical deck.” Source: my.woodmagazine.com When you start on a journey of planning, building, or […]

By Mark Clement I get this question, a lot – do I have to re-build my whole deck, or can I just replace the deck boards? While scenarios vary widely as to why a deck may need a big renovation, the answer is yes, many can be salvaged. I’ve seen an alarming number of “deck […]

The hardware store can be an overwhelming, floor-to-ceiling overload of all of the tools you ‘have to have’ in order to become a well-supplied DIYer. Thankfully, in reality you don’t need a million tools to be able to get to work on your next project. There are some must-haves, though. Here are four must-have saws […]

Trying to decide what type of material you’re going to use for your next project? Let’s help you make the case for SYP with four reasons why it’s awesome. If you have a hard time seeing this infographic, click here.

In an age where we all have computers in our pockets and the latest technology moves at lightning speed, it’s good to remember that Mother Nature continues to provide new and sustainable ways for us to live. T3 Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota Take, for instance, the perfection of a single tree. One mature tree offers […]

You need strong, beautiful wood when building a deck. Truthfully, the average person doesn’t know much about what types of wood they should even consider, let alone what type will work best for them. You have more things to think about than the qualities of wood. You also have plenty of options. But one stands […]

A little side table with a big impact. This project is a great one for a novice builder. You’ll go from a small pile of pressure treated lumber to a neat table in a few hours. A DIY’ers biggest challenge will be connecting the butt joints for the legs. That’s why we suggest using biscuits […]

A bench. A cooler. Put them together and what do you get? The most amazing Cooler Bench you’ve ever seen. After searching online for plans that incorporated a cooler into a bench – without also having to take that cooler apart and build it into the bench itself – we decided to take a crack […]