Philip Schmidt

Philip Schmidt

Philip lives in Colorado with his wife, two daughters, and too many leftover building materials. He has been teaching readers how to do things for almost two decades. A former carpenter, project designer specializing in houses and everything we do with them and longtime writer and editor, he is the author of 24 books, including PlyDesign: 73 Distinctive DIY Projects in Plywood (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007T1PJ36/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds: 12 Miniature Structures You Can Build to Enhance Your Yard or Neighborhood (https://www.amazon.com/Little-Free-Libraries-Tiny-Sheds-ebook/dp/B07QFG3ZBP), Black and Decker the complete guide to treehouses: Design and Build Your Kids a Treehouse (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008D1PIT6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), The Complete Guide to Greenhouses & Garden Projects: Greenhouses, Cold Frames, Compost Bins, Trellises, Planting Beds, Potting Benches & More (https://www.amazon.com/Decker-Complete-Greenhouses-Garden-Projects-ebook/dp/B005CDCX50), The Complete Guide to DIY Greenhouses, Install Your Own Solar Panels: Designing and Installing a Photovoltaic System to Power Your Home, DIY Solar Projects - Updated Edition: Small Projects to Whole-home Systems: Tap Into the Sun, The Complete Guide to a Clutter-Free Home, The Complete Guide to Contemporary Sheds: Complete plans for 12 Sheds, Including Garden Outbuilding, Storage Lean-to, Playhouse, Woodland Cottage, Hobby Studio, Lawn Tractor Barn, Schaum's Outline of Elementary Algebra, Decorating with Architectural Details, Install Your Own Solar Panels: Designing and Installing a Photovoltaic System to Power Your Home, Ultimate Guide: Trimwork, Upgrade Your House: 100 DIY Repairs Improvements For Under $100, The Complete Guide to Attics & Basements, The Complete Guide to a Green Home: The Good Citizen's Guide to Earth-Friendly Remodeling & Home Maintenance, Craftsman Router Techniques; A Comprehensive Guide to Using Routers, Molding & Medallions: Four Easy Weekend Projects (eHow Easy DIY Kindle Book Series), McGraw-Hill's 500 College Algebra and Trigonometry Questions: Ace Your College Exams: 3 Reading Tests + 3 Writing Tests + 3 Mathematics Tests, Black Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Treehouses: Design and Build Treehouses for All Ages, Don't Sweat It... Hire It!, The Complete Guide to the Green Home, Decorating with Architectural Details, and The Complete Guide to Treehouses.

Don't flush these.  Photo: Basykes/flickr

How Bad for Plumbing Are Disposable Wipes?

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jun 02, 2011

Are disposable wipes bad for plumbing? Is the sky blue? To plumbers and sewer treatment personnel, the answers here are equally obvious. Disposable wipes are designed to get past your...

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How to Secure Your Windows on the Cheap

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jun 01, 2011

So you’re living in the city and you’re not exactly neighbors with the governor or any good Ponzi scheme operators. You’re pretty sure your place isn’t too secure,...

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15 Household Uses for Bike Inner Tubes

Posted by Philip Schmidt | May 24, 2011

If you’re prone to daydreaming about such things, you might see a parallel between conventional bike inner tubes and the incandescent light bulb. Both technologies were cool and...

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Guidelines for Painting Outdoor Metalwork

Posted by Philip Schmidt | May 13, 2011

If success with any paint job starts with the surface prep, the same rule goes double for metals, and triple for outdoor metalwork. The good news is almost any metal around your ho...

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Landscaping: Spring Lawnmower Maintenance Guide

Posted by Philip Schmidt | May 09, 2011

The most important spring maintenance items for a gas-powered lawnmower are the things you’re actually supposed to do in fall, before you store the mower for the winter. This...

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Plumbing: The Considered Washing Machine Hook Up

Posted by Philip Schmidt | May 04, 2011

Like most plumbing systems, hookups for washing machines work extremely well if done properly, and if not, almost certainly cause problems ... sometimes big problems (like flooding...

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Troubleshooting a Gas Stove

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Apr 27, 2011

In addition to cooking performance that’s vastly superior to that of electric stoves, good old gas stoves and cooktops tend to be very easy to fix. Usually the problem is gunk—mostly...

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Hiring Electricians: What's Normal, and What's Not

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Apr 21, 2011

Homeowners seem to have a lot of questions about electrical work. This is partly because most people don’t understand home electrical systems, understandably, and partly because...

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Solutions for Rusty Water

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Apr 21, 2011

If your water tastes like it’s been sitting in an old frying pan and your white laundry has acquired an orange-ish “patina,” you have rusty water, otherwise known...

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5 Behind-the-Scenes Parts of Your Bathroom You Should Know About

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Apr 13, 2011

Bathrooms are pretty complicated little rooms and are subject to more than their fair share of building codes. This is primarily due to all the water that gets used in there, whether...