Appreciation post: I used to set all my posts in concrete without a gravel base...

Watched a 20 year old cedar fence I built in Boise start to lean after just 3 winters, and the inspector pointed straight at the soggy clay under the footings. Anyone else in a wet climate skip the gravel and regret it later?

I packed a full-size hair dryer for a trip to Chicago and it was a disaster.

I used to think I needed it for my routine, but the airline made me gate-check my main bag because it was overstuffed, costing me $75 and 45 minutes waiting at baggage claim. Now I use a tiny travel dryer that fits in my packing cube and I never check a bag. What's the one bulky item you finally stopped bringing?

My uncle told me to always use a mirror on a stick for a quick inspection, but a job in Spokane proved him wrong.

A chat with my neighbor in Boise about his cracked patio made me rethink expansion joints.

He pointed out a hairline crack running across his slab and said, 'I thought the guys who poured this just did a bad job.' I explained it was likely from not putting in enough control joints for the size of the pad. Seeing it from a homeowner's view made me realize we don't always explain why we cut where we do. How do you guys figure your joint spacing on residential pours?

Unpopular opinion: I see way too many shops using the wrong clear coat flash times

I watched a crew in Austin rush a job last week, giving the clear only 5 minutes before the second coat. The finish looked fine for a day, then started to peel. The tech manual for that specific paint line says 10 to 15 minutes at 70 degrees, and ignoring that costs you a comeback every time. Has anyone else had to fix a job where the flash time was the real problem?

Just found out the original boilers on the SS Badger were rated for 450 psi back in the 50s

I was reading an old maintenance log from the Lake Michigan car ferry and saw the pressure rating. That's a lot of steam for a ship that's still running today. Makes you think about the quality of the steel and the welds they were doing back then. Anyone here ever worked on a vessel with that kind of original, old-school pressure spec?