What Is Wainscoting? Styles, Height and Materials
Wainscoting is paneling on the lower part of a wall. Learn the main styles, how high to run it, the best materials and where it works, bathrooms included.
Jeff Wiegmann
Types of Crown Molding: Profiles, Sizes, Materials
The main types of crown molding explained: cove, ogee, dentil, egg-and-dart and built-up crown, plus sizing to ceiling height, materials and corner joints.
Fireplace Mantel Ideas: Styles, Sizing, Clearances
Fireplace mantel ideas for a custom mantel: shelf or full surround, five styles, sizing to the firebox, clearance rules near heat, wood choice and styling.
Cabinet Hardware Placement: Where Knobs and Pulls Go
Cabinet hardware placement explained: where knobs and pulls go on base doors, wall doors and drawers, how to size pulls, and how to drill them right.
Plywood Grades for Cabinets: What A, B, C and D Mean
Plywood grades for cabinets explained: face grades AA to E, back grades 1 to 4, core types, and which grade belongs on each part of a cabinet.
What Is a Coffered Ceiling? Height, Materials, Cost
A coffered ceiling is a grid of beams that forms recessed panels. Learn how much ceiling height you need, what it is made of and how it compares to a tray.
Crown Molding for Kitchen Cabinets: Sizes, Styles, Install
Crown molding for kitchen cabinets: how it attaches, what size fits the gap to your ceiling, which style suits your doors, and how to handle soffits.
What Is Custom Millwork? Types, Wood and Process
Custom millwork is woodwork built for one room: cabinets, built-ins, paneling, mantels and moldings. Learn the types, the woods used and how it is made.
Best Wood for a Bathroom Vanity
Maple and quarter-sawn white oak are the two species my shop reaches for most often on bathroom vanities. Wood species isn’t the variable that decides whether a vanity survives a bathroom long term, though. Finish quality and ventilation matter more, since no wood species is truly waterproof. Every species eventually fails if water sits against… Read the Full Guide: Best Wood for a Bathroom Vanity →
Why Do Painted Cabinets Chip?
Painted cabinets chip because paint sits on top of the wood as a film instead of soaking into it the way a stain does. Any film coating fails first at a point of impact or stress. That’s why chipping shows up at corners, edges, and hinge points long before it shows up on a flat… Read the Full Guide: Why Do Painted Cabinets Chip? →