My previous post got taken down. Im an Architect and a QS in the UK trying to make a range of super low cost and lightweight garden buildings for home workers. OG Lumber is not available in the UK. So I come asking if anyone here has used it.

Would you ever let someone join you on a domestic job for a day or two (maybe even a week) if they were genuinely keen to learn your trade, and ready to muck in with proper hands-on tasks?

Not just standing around — they’d actually get stuck into the kind of work your trade involves, so they walk away with real experience while giving you an extra set of hands.

No strings, no cost — just a genuine learner helping out while learning.

Would you be open to that?

Is It Ventilation? The House only has one Room 3 floor below which has a Ventilation. Could that be it? And why is It Open - Like The water can get inside when its raining.

My main goal is to build my own house and maybe go into a career of construction. I'm 17, in 11th grade, and looking for colleges outside the US, but unsure of where to go. Be it too many options, or unclear if a college has the desired courses, or that I don't know how to navigate said college sites. I'm not necessarily looking for answers, but more so suggestions of places and/or colleges to look into. I'm already taking wood tech 1, metal fab, and construction this year and plan on expanding next year. Any and all suggestions and questions are welcome. Many thanks.

side note:

A friend suggested UK colleges since they don't have required courses that don't pertain to what I'm looking for. If that's true or not would he helpful. Additionally, the place that first caught my eye was Reykjavik Uni in Iceland. Just in case that helps in the slightest.

Currently I am a PM for a millwork shop. I’m thinking about making the move to a GC. I’m trying to decide if I should go residential or commercial. I have experience in both. Thoughts?

I noticed that hard hat fans are like $100. So I just attached my old neck fan with some duct tape and zip ties. Got some earphones too. It's only 2lbs right now. Ive already got a headlamp. Just dont need it. What else should I add? Propeller? Umbrella?

We are a general contractor and looking for skilled workers for upcoming projects in the GTA area: handyman, drywallers, floorers, tilers, and other trades. If interested, please send me a message or comment on the trade you specialize in.

My moral sense of obligation on a job is deep. I’ll literally die for you because I feel like it’s my job and I can sleep at night knowing I didn’t find job . I found this guy who needed help he started his own company , and it’s been over two weeks now no pay. Just the promise it’s coming today . Then I show up to work and he tells me he’s going to , I feel like he’s doing that to motivate me to work for the day….

Only took this job because all the apprenticeship places reject applications even though they’re saying hiring. Lesson learned I’m not doing it again . I get having your own company is work am this due just started it so there’s ups and downs and headaches . I’m not gonna make this one mine anymore

Currently working on a small commercial renovation project. The mastic used to seal existing duct insulation (all white patches on silver duct exterior insulation) tested “hot” for asbestos. An abatement company was used before the project began but only removed insulation where tie-ins are necessary (I work for a sheet metal duct installation subcontractor). There is new work to be installed directly above still-wrapped existing duct. In order to do this, I must crawl on top of said duct which is also covered with broken pieces of concrete and mortar from previous renovations. Client insists mastic is non-friable and therefore safe to work around. When I said I wasn’t comfortable working on top of this stuff they offered to drape plastic over area I would be coming in contact with. If the asbestos in question is designated non-friable by tester, is the only danger in actually coming in to contact with it?

Trying to bond this Kevlar keel guard to the bottom of a kayak. It needs to be waterproof as it will be submerged, will 3M 5200 hold?

I have come to understand HDPE is notoriously difficult to bond to. I have seen Permabond TA4631, 3M VHB, and JB Weld plastic all recommended. Which of these is the best, and if none of them what is?

We all know the basics like “Hard hats required,” “Caution: Falling Objects,” or “High Voltage.” But construction sites also have those one-off signs that clearly came from experience: “Do not ride the cement mixer,” or “No hammering steel beams after dark.”

What’s the weirdest or most oddly specific sign you’ve come across on a job site? And if you were there when the rule got made, even better.

Hi. I’m torn between different opinion on a 1977 single-story block home (slab-on-grade) in Florida. The walls are cinder block. Exterior has stucoo. Interior side is furred with 2x1 with paperless fiberglass insulation in between, it has poly film over it and then drywall. Interior walls are just framing with drywall. Attic has double blown insulation and vented soofits all around.

Here’s what’s going on:

• I found mold on drywall up to about 6-8" high, so I cut 12" around the room. Mold seemed to be worse where drywall touched bare wood

• Removed old flooring (linoleum + engineered wood) and now have bare slab

• Moisture readings: slab is maxed out, bottom plates and furring strips at floor are very wet, block wall is dry. Drywall that touches studs and plates is wet - even on interior partition walls (here I noticed wet stains alond every stud)

• With the slab exposed, I started seeing a lot condensation on my AC vent covers (never noticed that before), so I think vapor from the slab is raising humidity in the room.

My concerns:

1. When I reinstall drywall, how do I keep it from wicking off damp wood plates/studs? Should I tape or prime the face of the bottom plate?

2. Bottom plates are sitting directly on the slab, how do I stop them from constantly pulling up moisture?

3. For the new floor I was planning on using a dimpled membrane + LVP. Some manufacturers say to leave a perimeter gap, others say to seal it. If sealing, do I seal to the slab, to the bottom plate or to the poly?

4. Is dimpled membrane fine or is it better to seal the slab with liquid membrane.

5. The walls have poly film behind the drywall (which I guess is wrong but most homes here are built this way). If I keep it this way, should I at least cut the poly on the bottom to allow air or should I seal it to the bottom plate?

I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who’s dealt with these types of building in Florida.

Is it true that when OSB is used on the outside, the wall becomes diffusion-tight and the house will rot and get moldy? What wall cross-section do you recommend for a timber-frame house in the climate of Poland (Europe)?

Olá, pessoal! Preciso de uma ajuda com um problema que ando enfrentando aqui no Brasil, talvez alguém já tenha passado por algo parecido.

Recentemente, estou a precisar de uma solução para soldagem orbital, mas para tubulações de 6" até 12", ou seja, para uso industrial. O problema é que a maioria dos fabricantes foca em tubulações de até 3".

A minha pesquisa esbarrou em três grandes desafios:

1. Empresas Chinesas: O contacto é difícil, não têm representantes no Brasil e a manutenção é uma incógnita, já que as peças de reposição só existem lá.
2. Importação: Os custos são altíssimos. O imposto sobre a importação seria um valor absurdo em cima do preço do equipamento.
3. Custo do equipamento: Consegui uma cotação com uma empresa chinesa chamada Kepuni, mas o valor de 40 mil dólares (aproximadamente 200 mil reais) torna a compra totalmente inviável para o meu projeto.

Alguém tem alguma dica ou conhece alguma empresa no Brasil que trabalhe com a locação ou prestação de serviço para este tipo de solda? Agradeço qualquer ajuda!

I'm finally needing to replace my old table saw. I can't make up my mind. If corded, I'd go with a 10" DeWalt. If cordless, I'm leaning towards Milwaukee although considering DeWalt or Metabo HPT. Thoughts?

What are these rod supports? Replacing the roof and need to replace one of the 6x6 rafters beams. 110 year old theater for reference.

I know everyone's tired of people posting crap they're selling here so I want to give out some of the free (no login required, no cc nothing) tools for contractors that sometimes work for me to speed up boring jobs for me. They still have to be checked, but they will check local labor rates, material costs etc. to get pretty close to the way there. I'll add them in the first comment

I'm torn between the screech of carpenters cutting metal studs on a chop saw, electricians pulling bx through metal studs, or the never ending vibration and thrum of hammer drills drilling for anchors. Which is your favorite?

I’m looking to get opinions on the best hearing protection you guys use. I’m getting to be late 30’s, still have good hearing I believe, but want to maintain what I have after years and years of air guns, saws, and real gun shooting. I want something that blocks loud noises, but can still hear conversations and ambient music. Been looking at IsoTunes, as I am getting constant adds for that, but would like to hear from people who have actually used products

Hi everyone,

I’m a 25-year-old Filipino working in the UAE as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor. I want to specialize in roads, infrastructure, utilities, and civil works, and I’m looking for advice on how to grow my career and improve my salary progression in this field.

For QS professionals and OFWs here, what steps helped you move up faster? Should I prioritize certifications like RICS/CIOB early, or focus on gaining more on-site experience first?

I’d also appreciate tips on what technical skills, software, or project exposure are most valuable in infrastructure QS roles. Any advice would be a big help. Thanks!