The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Guest Post: OSHA’s Updated Silica Dust Standard…

Curious about the newly updated OSHA Silica Dust Standard that has some in an uproar, well so was JB at Building Moxie. In short §1926.1153 aka the  Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard will start being enforced starting September 23rd for contractors. As most visitor’s to his site are not contractors & are DIYers, I did a brief […]

Safety Sunday: OSHA, Asbestos, & You

For this weeks Safety Sunday, we turn to Charles MacGregor, who is a health advocate that specializes in mesothelioma with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, a rare disease affecting 3,000 people in the U.S. each year. He works to spread awareness about the disease and push for an asbestos ban in the United States. This will actually […]

Natural Tips On How To Get Rid Of Ants From Your Home

You can tell when summer rolls around as people start going, my house is spotless but all of a sudden… just how can I get rid of these blasted ants? “There is absolutely no reason to accept that you need to live with ants and share your home with them. Instead, you can choose from a variety […]

Safety Sunday: Protect those feet – work boot options

In the Army there is a saying – you take care of your feet & they will take care of you. In construction this is well worth remembering and for most it starts with what boots you wear & when. In that vein we have a guest post from Michael Pierce. Michael describes himself as an […]

Choosing the Best Windows for Your Home

This week we have a guest piece from Bryn Huntpalmer who lives in Austin, Texas where she currently works as editor-in-chief of Modernize.com. Their goal is to empower homeowners with expert guidance and educational tools that they need to take on big home projects with confidence. So with a quick word of thanks and no further ado: How to Choose the Best […]

Guest How-To: Covering a Basement Support Post

Ahh the dreaded support posts seen in most basements… while you can wrap them in carpet (like this one was originally) or buy “wrap” kits at over a 100 each, how about a simple wood post covering. In this case these each ran about $50 a piece, but the cost could be less if you […]

Guest Post: How The 2015 Energy Code Affects Historic & Existing Buildings

So what happens when a couple of veteran construction editors get frustrated that construction media hasn’t really moved beyond magazines to an actual jobsite tool like, say your smart phone? Well they decided to create their own site to meet those needs and went live last June. Say hello to ProTradeCraft.com; a training and information resource site created for builders, remodelers, […]

Guest Musing: Practical Advice on surviving 5 plus years

I am honored once again to do a guest musing on Chris Hills Construction Law Musings. This one was inspired by him not only surviving but thriving 5+ years since going solo and another piece he did on making sure you classify an individual properly. This got me thinking about the changing landscape many new (and […]

Create your own custom Trivet

Trivet’s are great to avoid damaging your countertops – but trying to find one that matches your décor or will work great for large pans… Well that can be difficult. In my case I had some extra materials laying around after my kitchen remodel so I simply created a few of my own. In this […]