Guides
Plain-English answers to the questions that come up while you are measuring: how deep, how many coats, how much extra, and what the numbers on the bag actually mean.
Concrete
- How Many Bags of Concrete Are in a Cubic Yard? — Bags per cubic yard
- How Thick Should a Concrete Slab Be? — Slab thickness
- How Many Bags of Concrete per Fence Post? — Concrete per fence post
- How Long Does Concrete Take to Cure? — Cure time
- What Drives the Cost of a Concrete Patio? — Patio cost drivers
Gravel
- How Much Does a Cubic Yard of Gravel Weigh? — Gravel weight
- How Much Gravel Do I Need for a Driveway? — Gravel for a driveway
- How Deep Should a Paver Base Be? — Paver base depth
Tile
- How Much Extra Tile Should You Buy? — How much extra tile
- How to Plan a Tile Layout Before You Start — Planning the layout
- How Much Thinset Do I Need? — Thinset coverage
- How Much Grout Do I Need? — Grout quantity
- Can You Tile Over Existing Tile? — Tiling over tile
Drywall
- How Many Screws per Sheet of Drywall? — Screws per sheet
- Drywall Sheet Sizes: 4x8, 4x10 or 4x12? — Choosing sheet size
- How Much Joint Compound Do I Need? — Joint compound
Insulation
- Blown-In vs Batt Insulation for an Attic — Blown-in vs batts
- What R-Value Do You Need? — Choosing R-value
- Faced or Unfaced Insulation: Which Do You Need? — Faced vs unfaced
Paint
- How Much Does a Gallon of Paint Cover? — Gallon coverage
- How Many Coats of Paint Do You Need? — How many coats
- How Much Primer Do I Need — and Do You Even Need It? — Primer quantity
- Paint Sheen Guide: Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss — Choosing sheen
- How Much Paint Do I Need for a House Exterior? — Exterior paint
Mulch & soil
- How Deep Should Mulch Be? — How deep
- Bulk or Bagged Mulch: Which Is Actually Cheaper? — Bulk vs bagged
- When Should You Mulch? Spring, Fall, and Why Timing Matters — When to mulch
- Mulch Types Compared: Hardwood, Bark, Cedar, Straw and Rubber — Mulch types
- How Much Topsoil Do I Need? — Topsoil quantity
Sod & seed
- When Is the Best Time to Lay Sod? — When to lay sod
- Sod or Seed: Which Should You Choose? — Sod vs seed
- How Much Does a Pallet of Sod Cover? — Pallet coverage
Square footage
- How to Measure the Square Footage of a Room — Measuring a room
- Square Feet, Square Yards and Square Meters: Converting Without Errors — Unit conversions
- How Much Flooring Do I Need? — Flooring quantity
- Linear Feet vs Square Feet: Which One Are You Buying? — Linear vs square feet
- How to Calculate the Square Footage of a House — House square footage
Roof pitch
- How to Measure Roof Pitch (Safely, From the Attic) — Measuring pitch
- How Many Shingles Do I Need? Squares, Bundles and the Slope Factor — Shingles & squares
- Hip Roof vs Gable Roof: Calculating the Area — Hip vs gable area
- How Much Underlayment and Ice Shield Do You Need? — Underlayment quantity
- What Is a Good Roof Pitch? — Choosing a pitch
Fence
- How Deep Should Fence Posts Be? — Post depth
- How Far Apart Should Fence Posts Be? — Post spacing
- How to Lay Out a Fence Line — Laying out the line
Deck
- How Far Apart Should Deck Posts and Beams Be? — Deck post spacing
- What Gap Should Be Between Deck Boards? — Board gap
- Deck Joist Spacing: 12, 16 or 24 Inches? — Joist spacing
Stairs
- How Many Stringers Does a Staircase Need? — Stringer count
- What Is a Comfortable Stair Rise and Run? — Comfortable rise & run
- How to Cut Stair Stringers — Cutting stringers
Hourly to salary
- How Many Work Hours Are in a Year? — Work hours in a year
- Biweekly vs Semi-Monthly Pay: 26 Checks or 24? — Biweekly vs semi-monthly
- How to Convert a Salary to an Hourly Rate — Salary to hourly
Overtime
- How Is Overtime Pay Calculated? — How overtime works
- Double Time vs Time and a Half: When Does 2x Apply? — Double time
- Is Overtime Taxed at a Higher Rate? — Overtime and tax
Take-home pay
- Gross Pay vs Net Pay: What Sits Between Them — Gross vs net pay
- What Is FICA Tax? The 7.65% on Every Paycheck — FICA explained
- Pre-Tax vs Post-Tax Deductions on Your Paycheck — Pre-tax deductions
Driveway cost
- Concrete vs Asphalt Driveway: Which Costs Less? — Concrete vs asphalt
- How Thick Should a Concrete Driveway Be? — Driveway thickness
- Rebar, Wire Mesh or Fibre: Reinforcing a Concrete Driveway — Reinforcement
Roof cost
- What Goes Into the Cost of a New Roof? — Roof cost breakdown
- Tear Off the Old Roof or Shingle Over It? — Tear-off vs roof-over
- Metal Roof vs Shingles: Comparing the Real Cost — Metal vs shingles
Deck cost
- What Drives the Cost of a Deck? — Deck cost breakdown
- Composite vs Wood Decking: What the Premium Really Buys — Composite vs wood
- Do You Need a Permit to Build a Deck? Code Basics — Permit and code