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.

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Yearly HVAC Filter Changing Schedule

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Aug 02, 2011

In the old days, the only filter most folks had to worry about was in their furnace, but now that's changed. In today's airtight and precisely climate-controlled indoor spaces, a home...

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5 Ways to Make Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Machine

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jul 28, 2011

When we were kids, ice cream was ice cream. It was all good. It didn't matter if it came out of a giant plastic tub, a cardboard block or a paper cup with a tiny wooden spoon that tasted...

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10 Stupid Home Trends

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jul 21, 2011

In the interest of acknowledging progress, it must be said that a list like this would have been much easier to create several years ago, when things like 2-ton granite countertops...

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Outdoor Wiring Guidelines

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jul 18, 2011

Outdoor wiring is fairly similar to indoor wiring, with a couple of key differences. Outdoors, you have to protect all wiring and electrical devices from water and even excessive dampness....

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30 Things in Your House that Could Explode

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jul 12, 2011

Surely there's nothing funny about an explosion in a home, but in a kid-science sort of way it's fun to think about all the everyday things around you that can blow up. Without even...

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Easy Fixes for Smelly Drains

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jun 22, 2011

Considering what they do, it’s a miracle of sanitation science that drains don’t smell up our homes all the time. Thankfully, they don’t. So what’s up with a...

Pipes: Identifying Water Stains

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jun 18, 2011

Water stains showing up on a ceiling or wall surface is a classic heart-dropper for homeowners and renters alike: Is it a roof leak? Is it the upstairs neighbor’s shower (or toilet!)?...

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The Best Options for Cooling Bedrooms This Summer

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jun 15, 2011

Most people in most climates can tolerate hot days in the summertime (if allowed to complain ad nauseam), but it’s at night when the heat really gets to us. You lie there sweaty...

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How to Remove Concrete to Create a Garden

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jun 10, 2011

Concrete is great stuff, and it deserves its title as King of Building Materials, but some homebuilders (and remodelers) can use it to excess. If you’d like to look out your backdoor...

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Plumbing: Troubleshooting Your Toilet's Flushing Mechanism

Posted by Philip Schmidt | Jun 07, 2011

A toilet's flushing mechanism is one of the easiest house parts to love. It may look like a Rube Goldberg contraption, but it's really a simple system of reliable, inexpensive parts...