Q. I've heard all kinds of things from friends about concrete foundation piers. To say the least, I'm confused. Some say you just dig a hole and fill it with concrete. Others say you need to be sure ...

The biggest concern for any woodworking project should be safety—especially if you're building something that will see a lot of foot traffic like a patio or walkway. To build something that is ...

POP Projects is a collection of new and classic projects from more than a century of Popular Mechanics. Master skills, get tool recommendations, and, most importantly, build something of your very own ...

Form-A-Tube, developed by Centennial Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Arizona, Mo Ehsani, PhD, PE, SE., allows contractors to instantly construct forms for shoring up pilings with ...

You may be temped to DIY your own concrete countertops, but our expert warns that you could end up seriously affecting both ...

Kevin Parr has been a contractor for 40 years. His experience as a contractor led him and Jimmy Schau, a Union Laborer of Local 1149 to engineer and develop Green Key Telescoping forms. “Over the ...

Question: My wife has instructed me that I no longer can put off the deck project. I’ve got the confidence to do all the work above ground, but I’m worried about the deck foundation. What do I need to ...

For decades, concrete walls and foundations were made the same way. Plywood or plain boards are built into forms that contain steel reinforcing bars (rebar) and into which wet concrete is poured. When ...

Progressive builders and developers of homes and commercial buildings have been championing the use of insulated concrete forms (ICFs) for the past several years as a replacement for wood framing due ...