Mark Clement
Verified- Writer, Freelance
- Owner and Editor, MyFixitUpLife
- Expert Presentations, Professional Deck Builder Magazine
Ambler
Articles by Mark Clement
The Best Portable Table Saws of 2026, Tested and Reviewed Original
Photo: Mark Clement for BobVila.com We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More › Table saws are a baseline necessity in many homes and professional workshops. Portable models are the go-to tool for everything from deck building to DIY tasks, from remodeling to woodworking, and from trimming a house to home repairs.
Dewalt 2100PSI Electric Jobsite Pressure Washer
Here’s a detailed accounting of how often I deploy a pressure washer: Not often. I’m a remodeling contractor who has found a market strata building wood decks. I’ve heard from a lot of deck builders “I only use composite; get your customers to raise their budgets.” And I suppose there’s a conversation to be had here, but my first two cents will be that if I only used composite because wood was beneath me, I’d be saying goodbye to somewhere around 50% of my annual revenue.
The Best Palm Sanders for Woodworking Projects Original
Photo: Mark Clement for Bob Vila We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More › The finishing touches on a woodworking project can transform decent work into stunning craftsmanship, and nothing helps simplify the task like a palm sander. Some DIYers spend hours slowly sanding down wood projects by hand to achieve the perfect finish—a method that is undoubtedly rewarding but also time-consuming and tiring.
The Best Track Saws for Woodworking Projects
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More › For ripping sheet goods or trimming long boards to width, a track saw offers a level of accuracy and control that’s often easier to manage than a table saw, especially when working alone or handling large panels. Designed to ride on a guide rail, track saws excel at making straight, repeatable cuts in plywood, MDF, and lumber.
Jobsite Efficiency
Most tradespeople I have met, and all true professional ones, are always looking for ways to get better at their job, whether “better” means tighter joints, more resilient structures, or finer finishes. We search out and share techniques and test what performs best.
Metalworking Tools
2025 Digital Edition Only JLC subscribers have access to content from the March/April issue of JLC at this time. Articles will be posted online soon. In the meantime, feel free to browse the digital edition. Subscribe
Home Edition' Project Manager
'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'-the tearjerker television program known for changing lives-is being rebooted for another run on ABC in early 2025. When people find out that I'm a project manager for the show, they often ask me if we really (wink, wink) build a house in 7 days. My response: "No. No, we don't. The house is built in 106 hours. Day 1 and Day 7 are blocked for TV." The production company and on-camera talent block those 2 days to shoot befores, elements for the story, and afters.
5 Secrets for DIYing in a Hurry From an ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Project Manager
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More › Project Manager with the Extreme Makeover bus. ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’—the tearjerker television program known for changing lives—is being rebooted for another run on ABC in early 2025. When people find out that I’m a project manager for the show, they often ask me if we really (wink, wink) build a house in 7 days. My response: “No. No, we don’t. The house is built in 106 hours.
Air Quality
JLC subscribers have access to the Sep-Oct 2024 print edition at this time. Articles will be published online soon. In the meantime, you may browse the digital edition.
How to Replace Deck Boards the Right Way Original
Project Overview Working Time: 1 hour Total Time: 90 minutes Skill Level: Intermediate Estimated Cost: $100+ Before You Begin Replacing deck boards is one deck repair project that can help extend the life of your current deck. It's less than the cost of deck replacement or rebuilding a deck, but a deck board replacement does take some effort on an older deck. The method for removing an old deck board depends on how the deck board was installed.
How To Dig Post Holes - Pro Tips & A DIY Guide
By Mark Clement The Hole truth: Tips for digging the perfect Post-Hole A post-hole is more than just a hole in the earth. It is a shaft cut straight down into the ground to particular size in a particular place, despite all the root and rock obstacles between your shovel point and the bottom. It is also a heck of a lot of work, so I want to do it right the first time whenever possible. “Right?” You might ask. “Dude, it’s a hole. Taking yourself a little too seriously?
How to Sand a Deck Properly: Expert Advice Original
Working Time: 2 hours per 100 square feet Total Time: 3 hours per 100 square feet Skill Level: Intermediate Estimated Cost: $150+ Getting ready to sand is probably harder than actually sanding a wood deck. In addition to renting the floor sander and gathering all of the supplies, it’s important to start with a clean deck that’s not in need of any deck repairs and that has fasteners set below the decking surface.
How to Frame a Wall Like a Professional Carpenter
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More › Person in blue shirt framing a wall. Wall framing is a baseline skill for anybody doing a larger home improvement project. Even if you’re not actually framing a wall, knowing how a wall is assembled is important information to have so you can get the results you want.
How to Frame a Wall Like a Professional Carpenter
Working Time: 4 hours Total Time: 8 hours Skill Level: Intermediate Estimated Cost: $450 All walls are different. What is common among them is the skill set and tools required. This wall framing article details what you need to know about an interior wall framing layout for applications such as a basement, bathroom, or partition wall. While many of the steps cross over to wall framing for an addition, shed, or three-season room on a deck, I build my interior wall framing piece by piece.
Georgia Boot Carbo-Tec LT Work Boots
It has taken the lion’s share of my career as a deck builder and remodeling contractor to land on a boot style—and price point—that works for me. The combination of features I like is simple: full-grain-leather uppers, rugged sole, 8-inch height, and an unreinforced toe box.
Make Precision Cuts With Ease: A Bosch Track Saw Review
A track saw is a must-have for many contractors and DIY woodworkers. Its claim to fame is its ability to make cuts as straight as those of a table saw—without having to lug a table saw around. It’s a star at making precise on-site plunge cuts. In essence, it’s a circular saw that mounts to a guide rail, and for projects such as deck building and making bevels and crosscuts, it’s a time- and labor-saving tool.
Hands-On Tool Review: Did the DeWalt Narrow Crown Stapler Nail It?
We own a narrow crown stapler that gets a lot of use in our small woodworking and trim projects. This type of stapler is an indispensable tool, and the connections that the fasteners make are hard to beat.
Resurfacing a Deck
In my experience, deck builders have one of two approaches to resurfacing decks. For Group 1, it’s a hard “No,” and for plenty of sound reasons. For Group 2, the response is the opposite: “No permits. Ready-made revenue.” Neither group is wrong, of course. Much like the dump truck/dump trailer/dumpster debate, the choice depends on what works best for your business and what you’re set up for (I’m in the dump-truck camp, by the way).
How to Install Beadboard
Beadboard is a type of wood paneling that has raised half-round vertical beads milled between flat lengths of board. Beadboard adds visual interest and a cozy feeling to a space, and it’s particularly well suited to a traditional or modern farmhouse-style home. A common decorative finish in the 1890s, beadboard continued to be popular as wainscoting and for porch ceilings until it fell out of fashion in the 1950s.
Adapt and Overcome
This article first appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine. In 2020, I went for a mountain bike group ride in one of Vermont’s town forests. Greg Durso, an adaptive rider on a mountain trike, was on the ride. I didn’t know what that would mean; I had never ridden with an adaptive rider. Durso is paralyzed from the nipples down and as adventurous as anyone I know.
How to Install Cable Railing
First-time aluminum cable railing system installation and results. Even though I’ve been a remodeler and deck builder for a few decades, I’m still frequently asked to build and install items I’ve never built or installed before. When building things for a particular client—a deck detail, a new opening for a kitchen remodel, site-made trim, or a privacy screen —I must suss out how the continuous load path combines with drywall and trim details that look like they grew there.
A Value-Priced Track Saw
The Ryobi PTS01 One+ HP brushless 6 1/2-inch track saw is not the most powerful or rugged one on the market. But at $300—which includes the saw, a blade, two 27 1/2‑inch tracks, an 18-volt 4.0-Ah lithium battery, a charger, and accessories—it’s a great value. If you’re a power user, you could (and probably should) spend hundreds more for a “pro-grade” track saw. But not everyone needs pro-grade quality for what I consider to be a specialty tool for occasional use.
Trip-Saving Tool Hauler
The Worx Aerocart may seem like the DIY-est of infomercial-type wheelbarrows, but it’s not just a way to move mulch around the backyard—as a tool cart, it shines. I’m a deck and outdoor specialist, so I spend a lot of time lugging tools and supplies into backyards, and hauling trash out. Typical wheelbarrows are too big to live in my truck, but the Aerocart isn’t much larger than a folding hand truck and stores vertically, so it take up little space.
Compact Cordless Compressor
Upon receiving the Metabo HPT cordless compressor, my first thought was, “Come on, really?” I know there are very few outlets on some job sites, but in my entire career I’ve never been unable to find a place to plug in. So, I figured a cordless compressor was a solution without a problem—but I was wrong. The first time the compressor saved me 10 minutes was when filling the tire on my tractor, which was parked outside the radius of where I could easily run a cord.
How to DIY a Board and Batten Wall in 10 Easy Steps
Board-and-batten has traditionally been the stuff of barns and exterior cladding. Often rough-sawn and ready for the weather, the cladding style is designed to (a) last harsh conditions and (b) be made from locally available material. Originally a European style of siding, once colonists set up sawmills in North America, the technique was employed in and on many folk-style homes. Boards (1×12 or similar) were cut and applied vertically to the building frame.
6 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder and to help you win life
Want to learn how to work smarter, not harder? Regardless of who you are and what you do, there aren’t that many hours in a day to get everything done. As a result, many people end up feeling like they’re always left behind, so they resort to working many hours. But is working harder really the solution? Not necessarily.
Flex 6 ½-Inch In-Line Cordless Circular Saw
When I was editor of Tools of the Trade, I had a conversation with a tool designer who told me, “We’re innovating in a very small space.” What he meant, I believe, is that when it comes to circular saws, there’s not a lot to add to them that they don’t already have. A case in point is the Flex 24-volt 6 1/2-inch in-line cordless circular saw, which is innovative while at the same time being influenced by other tools, some long and sadly off the market. The saw is a bit of an oddball.
Compact Compound Slider
Ridgid’s 15-amp, 10-in. sliding compound miter saw solves an enormous number of problems for me. Let’s start with the slide mechanism. Two heavy-duty aluminum arms roll on bearings, and the action is very smooth. And because the slide mechanism provides zero rear clearance, you can set up against a wall. The size and weight of this saw is much easier to maneuver in my tool truck. My old 12-in.
Skil Jobsite Table Saw
I work alone, so I sign the contract, do the design, carry the tools, and pick up the trash. I also store the tools in my tool truck. Carrying and storing were the weak spots in my game, though, especially my table saw. It was too big and too heavy for what I needed it to do, and its folding stand served no purpose other than to waste space in the truck.
Power Trac PT425 Articulated Compact Tractor
The first powered machine I ever operated was a skid steer I found on a jobsite with the key left in it. This was 1980-something, and I was 13 years old. Over the years since, I’ve operated a variety of subcompact loaders, skid steers, and mini-excavators on my jobsites, and while I’m hardly an expert operator, these experiences dosed my plasma with at least a little hydraulic fluid.
Make This DIY Accent Wall in a Day
Forget filling that blank wall with framed pictures. Make a statement with a wood feature wall that can be created in an afternoon. Photo by Mark Clement and Theresa Clement Instead of trying to decorate a blank wall with pictures and other decor, consider creating a modern wood accent wall that can elevate a space by adding drama and dimension to the room.
Multi-Material Miter Saw
Tools & Materials Evolution Power Tools’ R255SMS+ 10-in. single-bevel sliding compound miter saw took what I call a “pinball path” to my shop, where it’s here to stay. Evolution Power Tools R255SMS+ Weight: 34 lb. Max crosscut at 90° 11-3⁄4 by 3-9⁄16 in. Max crosscut at 45° 8-1⁄4 in. by 3-9⁄16 in. Max crosscut 45° bevel 8-1⁄4 in. by 2 in. Price: $300 Evolution Power Tools’ R255SMS+ 10-in. single-bevel sliding compound miter saw took what I call a “pinball path” to my shop, where it’s here to stay.
The Best Portable Table Saws Tested and Reviewed in 2023
Tools & Workshop Portable table saws offer convenience and versatility for both professionals and DIY users. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more. Best Overall Skil 15-Amp 10-Inch Table Saw SEE IT Runner-Up Bosch Power Tools 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw SEE IT Best Bang for the Buck Craftsman 10-Inch Table Saw SEE IT Table saws are a baseline necessity in many homes and professional workshops.
Innovative Circular Saw
Flex Tools' latest circular saw implements a smaller blade size with the handle mounted on top of the motor Photos: courtesy of Flex Flex Tools calls its 24v in-line circular saw the “first of its kind.” Given how it’s set up, I think the description is fair. It has an in-line blade and motor arrangement, but not quite a rear handle like a worm-drive saw. Rather, the handle is mounted on top of the motor. Another twist is the blade size, which is 6-1⁄2 in. instead of 7-1⁄4 in.
What To Do When Your Sewer Backs Up
When sewage reverses its flow and enters your home, things can quickly escalate into a health hazard and costly repair. This guide walks you through the steps to take when faced with a sewer backup, from quick actions to long-term prevention tips. Understanding the causes, recognizing the signs, and knowing how to fix the issue can save you time and money. Whether it's a minor clog or a main line issue, we'll cover everything you need to know to handle this issue.
Summertime Deck Building Project
Deck building and design details with 30 photos By Mark Clement My usual tack when I write an article like this is to take you through the how-to in as deep a dive as I can. While I still get in there on this one, the scope of this project is a little much for Step 1, Step 2, etc. At the same time, I think a tour—a diary of the job of sorts—will be a helpful look at the problem solving and tools required (all of them)for a successful, code compliant, comfortable for the homeowner deck build.
How To Build a Custom Storage Shed
A Cool shed design if your shed wants to be a tiny house—or home office, or extra bedroom–when it grows up. By Mark Clement I have a unique take on sheds. And I have some really fun and forward-thinking customers who bear with me when I’m prattling like a little boy talking about blanket forts at our design meetings. Basically, it’s that the run of the mill sheds available at every big box, big city exurb whose denizens share the road with horses and tractors, are designed to be sheds. Just sheds.
Brush With Greatness
Tools & Materials Cutting in with this trim brush results in laser-straight edges in a quarter of the time. Like many of us in the sawdust arts, I don’t enjoy painting, and I’d give myself a B as a painter—not bad, but hardly great (or efficient or fast). Yet, in small batches, doing my own painting has saved or made me tens of thousands of dollars. I recently started using the Richard 13425 1-in. Elegance Trim Brush ($9 on amazon.com), which has really upped my game.
Looking for a Good Circular Saw? We Tested 11 Compact Models That Offer Big Results
Compact circular saws are designed to deliver power and precision in small, maneuverable packages, which makes them ideal for DIYers, remodelers, and pros working in tight spaces. To find out which models lived up to the hype, we tested 11 compact circular saws in our own workshops.
How to Load and Use a Grease Gun
If you own a tractor, zero-turn mower, utility trailer, boat trailer, motorcycle, or heavier piece of equipment like a loader, excavator, or dump truck/trailer you have fittings that need to be greased so they operate properly, but perhaps most importantly, do not fail during use and save you from costly repairs and wasted time.
How To Load and Use a Grease Gun
Homeowners can use grease guns to maintain different types of machinery and equipment, such as auto parts, construction equipment, lawn mowers, and chainsaws. Using a grease gun to keep tools in good working condition can better prepare you for repair jobs and save you money. Learn how to safely load and use a grease gun in our step-by-step guide below so that you can keep your equipment in good working condition. What Are Grease Guns?
Longer-Lasting Wood Posts
These plastic resin sleeves encase a buried portion of a post or pole to protect the wood from decay. When you call 1-877-WONT-ROT, you hear, “Post Protector! Ken!” Buying direct is worth it just to chat with the charismatic inventor, who initially created the Post Protector to help some friends build more durable and affordable pole barns.
Tough, Basic Work Pants
Tools & Materials These Dickies pants have a useful sacrificial double knee and no unecessary bells and whistles. In my lifetime, the styles and the complexity of work pants seem to have outpaced even the technological advances I’ve seen during the same period, which is why I like my Dickies Flex Double Knee Work Pants ($30). It’s their evolved simplicity I appreciate most. First, they’re wonderfully lacking in features.
How to Drill into Concrete
Some of us might remember the pre-power tool days of drilling holes in masonry and concrete. And it wasn’t that long ago that any larger masonry job had a blacksmith on hand heating and re-sharpening chisels. (There were dedicated hand-saw sharpeners too, but that’s another story). And in our age of microchipped tools, we’re lucky we don’t remember this because the last things pre-power tool concrete drilling was were fast or easy.
How To Drill Into Concrete
Drilling into concrete may seem intimidating, but it’s a skill you can master for home projects like mounting shelves, adding outdoor lighting, installing a channel drain, or applying stone veneer. The key to successfully working with concrete is understanding its properties and using the appropriate tools and techniques. In this guide, we share our expert advice to make your concrete drilling precise and effective.
How to Cut Granite Countertops: A Step-by-Step Guide
Looking to cut new granite countertops for your kitchen? The tools required aren’t terribly uncommon or much different from tools for cutting sheet goods like MDF, for, say, bookshelves or a closet makeover. In terms of skills, if you can cut a sheet of plywood straight, there’s no reason you can’t learn how to cut granite equally as straight. What to Know Before You Start Cutting Granite Caveat #1 This is a significant caveat.
How to Cut a Granite Countertop
Looking to cut new granite countertops for your kitchen? The tools required aren’t terribly uncommon or much different from tools for cutting sheet goods like MDF, for, say, bookshelves or a closet makeover. In terms of skills, if you can cut a sheet of plywood straight, there’s no reason you can’t learn how to cut granite equally as straight. What to Know Before You Start Cutting Granite Countertops Caveat #1: Use a Professional This is a significant caveat.
The Best Battery Chainsaws Tested in 2023
Most of us associate chainsaws with the earsplitting growl of a 110-decibel motor. Thanks to major leaps of innovation in cordless power tool technology, quieter battery-powered chainsaws are now becoming more competitive, and sometimes preferable, to their gas-powered counterparts. Among these battery-powered chainsaws, there are three categories: light duty, heavy duty, and heaviest duty that can tackle small branches to large tree trunks.
The Best Table Saw Blades
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More › While a good table saw makes large jobs easier and more accurate when it comes to cutting wood, a good blade is a thing of beauty. A high-quality blade used for the right job can help you achieve the intended results, but the wrong blade can quickly ruin a DIY project or let the smoke out of your table saw.
All About Window Tinting
If you stand near your sliding glass door or window in the summer and feel like you're in danger of actually melting, well, you might not even stop to ask, "Is tinting house windows worth it?" and move right into, "Why didn't I know about this until now!?" If you're looking for a DIY, or even Do It For Me project, that has all the earmarks of a rapid payback, window tinting is just such a project.
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