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Randy Boerstler

I started as a home-stalker... visiting brand new homes under construction in the neighborhoods near my house. That inspired me to write about home building and home renovation projects -- chronicling homes during different phases of construction from a consumer's point-of-view. Basically, the tips you'll find in my articles are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building or remodeling a quality home.

FlatWire is just that... flat wire (similar to Ghost Wire). It lets you hang light sconces without seeing the ugly wiring. Is it worth the cost? Find out!

Vintage Christmas ornaments are highly collectible and harder to come by as time moves on. Keep your eyes peeled at yard sales and search online. Here are some links where to find some of them and reminders of Christmas ornaments from half a century ago and a few others thrown in just for fun.

If you have a large space that needs a lot of air flow, look no further. These fans are the world's largest and will get the job done in commercial, industrial and residential settings. Innovative design puts Big Ass Fans in the forefront of moving large amounts of air in an efficient manner for a more comfortable environment in which to work and live.

Determining the carbon footprint of your building project just got much easier than ever before, thanks to Green Footstep. Their aim is to free the global economy from dependence on fossil fuels. There's no better time than in the planning stages to reduce the carbon emissions of your project and this tool gets it done.

Pierced brick walls are an attractive alternative to traditional screens. Their durability can't be beat and they make a handsome hardscape addition to your landscape.

Check out this gorgeous outdoor fireplace. It's the focal point of a backyard playground complete with outdoor kitchen and gunite swimming pool.

If you've got a little bit of exterior wood rot to repair and it makes economic sense to fill the hole rather than replace the whole piece, I know of a product that fits the bill. It's a good value and nice to have on-hand when something comes up needing a little miracle, especially when you're about to paint.

I have a solid oak door that wasn't opening or closing properly. It was rubbing the bottom threshold just a little too heavy so it needed to be dealt with. Time to get the plane out and make things right.

Painting bathroom cabinets isn't nearly as difficult as you think. Here are the steps we took when refinishing bathroom cabinets in our home, start to finish.

Save yourself some time and energy during your next DIY painting project by wrapping your paintbrushes and rollers in plastic wrap while you're waiting for the paint to dry or if your painting day is over and you want to continue another day and time. It's so simple and cheap...but it truly works. Hey...aluminum foil works, too.

Learn how to make and install a bathroom mirror frame yourself. This is a fairly easy DIY project that makes a mirror go from "boring" to "cool!" in no time. All materials and instructions are provided to complete the job. Customize it any way you like to make it unique.

Do those guys holding real estate directional signs grab your attention enough to make you follow the advice of the sign? Sign twirling is an effective and annoying method at the same time, yet oddly entertaining...until the traffic light changes.

If you have a mudroom in your house then you know how useful they are. They give you a place to hang your coat and hat and take off your shoes at the end of your day. You'll also know exactly where to look for those same items when you begin your day.

Laundry rooms are essential to good house plan design. Everyone has laundry to do so making everything as convenient as possible to getting it all done in an efficient manner makes life just a little nicer.

Attention Avid Readers! Loads of links and photos and a little DIY content showing various types of hidden bookcase doors for that home library that you've always dreamed about. There are more applications than you might have thought of for these types of doors.

These best-selling house plans have a lot in store for today's home buyers. One-story plans are beginning to take over and higher square footage house plans are interesting to note. Feature-laden plans are the norm for 2009.

Closet organizing systems constructed of wood are a positive option to wire shelving. No...I do not like wire shelving. Yes...I'm a fan of closet organizers made of wood. Buy it or build it. Either way I've got it covered.

Line drying your clothes on a clothesline may seem old fashioned but you must admit that it has lots of benefits that a dryer doesn't offer. Don't know what those benefits are?? Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Line Dry Your Clothes.