Posts by Brian Schnee
My Battle With Termite Damage Comes to A Close- Chapter 6 “Installing the New Floor Joist”
Man oh man, this was one of the hardest projects that I have undertaken. Every step of the way, a new challenge presented itself. Almost done! One more step to…
Read MoreMy Battle With Termite Damage Continues Chapter 5- “Removing the Damaged Floor Joist”
The Big Question: How do you remove a 12′ long damaged floor joist, in the basement, that has: wires, gas pipes, heating pipes, hot and cold water pipes, in the…
Read MoreA Student Takes The DIY Challenge
Every so often, one of my students takes the DIY Challenge; calls me for advise, and shares their experience with me. It is so rewarding, as your Home Improvement Teacher,…
Read MoreMy DIY Battle With Termite Damage-Chapter 1
Look What I Found! Why did I not see this 35 years ago? When you buy a house, a mandatory part of the mortgage application is a termite inspection, which…
Read MoreCall for Help, My Toilet Bowl Is Leaking!
Brian, I need your help! I received a call from Don, one of my students. He had water leaking from one of the toilets in his house. He needed a…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter 11 “WHAT I LEARNED”
Organization, planning, thinking out of the box, hard work, dedication, communication, and companionship helped Pamela and me accomplish an unbelievable amount of work in three weeks. Pamela and I worked…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter 10 “Stairway To Heaven”
Liliane’s Post and Beam house has two levels. On the first floor is the kitchen, living room, bathroom (not really), master bedroom, wood burning stove, and dining area. Upstairs is…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter Nine “Face Lift”
I could’t believe it, just a few years ago Hope and I spent two weeks taking care of the exterior of Liliane’s house. We pressure washed, repaired damaged trim, painted,…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter Eight “Really X 2”
We have to be proactive in taking care of our homes. As we saw in chapter six, this did not happen; we had to rebuild the rear staircase and landing.…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter Seven: “A True Wilderness Experience”
A True Wilderness Experience Many of you asked, what it was like to live off the grid in the wilderness of Moosehead Lake. Well, not too bad. Challenges: If it…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter Six “A Time To Flop”
It is now June: We usually entered Lil’s house using the steps in the rear, as this led to a mud room. Suitcase in hand, I started up the stairs.…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter Four “Kerb Appeal”
The stakes just got higher, and the family was raising the ante. Prior to our departure the decision was made to put the house and property on the market. Not…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter Three “Getting My Ducks In A Row”
Chapter Three is all about getting the project organized. I had to create a to-do list for simple projects and a project planner for more extensive challenges. Did I have…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter Two “Me and the Propane Tank”!
So, I kinda left you guys in the lurch, wondering what happened with the tree and its new friend, the 1000 gallon propane tank. Here’s What Happened I turned off…
Read MoreMy Great Maine Adventure Chapter One
“How I spent My Vacation Rebuilding Mum’s Home” You remember Liliane, my 96-year-old mother-in-law who helped me build the peg board pot rack. Well, Liliane owns a beautiful Post and…
Read MoreFire Prevention Week
A few years ago, I attended a Commercial Construction Certification Seminar in Philadelphia. At 3AM my hotel phone started ringing. Hope was on the other end, it seems that the…
Read MoreOk, it did not go on, but they learned how to use the scientific method to find out what went wrong, THEY LEARNED.
Baron Of Whitfield’s DIY Story “Greetings Brian, I need your advice on how do I determine if the switch is faulty? I get a short in power when I turn…
Read MoreIs Your House Ready For Winter?
Insulation Insulation Insulation Student question to me: ” how do you know if you are in need of insulation in your attic. I answered ” do you have insulation in your…
Read MoreOMG Page 26
Just to let you know, Nassau Community College holds a special place in my life. It was a stepping stone for me, my kids, and many other students. It is…
Read MoreThe Great Planter Challenge
Other than my family, there are two things that I really love in life: a challenge and helping out other people. So, when one of my online students challenged me…
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