These series of articles will include pictures and email from Chip and Peg. They are embarking on building a new home for their family in northern Wyoming. They will do much of the work themselves with an eye on incorporating sustainable construction. They are building a home, shop and green house.

Tom received this letter from Daron and MaryAnn of Idaho. Sound familiar to anyone? Tom, Daron and I have a new segment for “Tips by Tom”. We found water in our basement a few days ago. We found out it was coming in around were the sewer line exits the house. Luckily there is a [...]

Brother-in-law, Dave, was in town over the weekend and filmed Tom welding up a few metal posts for Summit Structures out of Laramie WY. Summit will use these posts to help support structural beams for a house they are building. The metal posts are designed to rest on the top of a concrete footer. The bottom plate fastens [...]

This video shows how Tom built his dream shop/house.  The shell of the building was ordered through Fast Trac Buildings, Inc. in Colorado.  Much of the interior of the shop and home was purchased as was needed through local building supply houses and stores like Builders Square, Lowes, and Home Depot. The two and a [...]

Tom and crew pour a slab of concrete for his new building addition using the TTI Screedright Pro.  The TTI Screedright Pro utilizes a wooden 2X4 as a screed bar.  A wooden 2X4 allows for better screeding with no expensive screed bars to purchase.  A wooden board can be cut to any length for a [...]

              Tom chose to put 8, 4 foot by 4 foot  windows on the south side of the new addition.  The solid steel framed windows will allow the southern sun to come in and heat this part of the building.  Tom also included two slide windows with built in [...]

  Tom puts up the skeleton for the new steel building addition.  After the concrete footings and floor were complete, it was time to erect the steel structure.  The main frame steel is put up first.  Those are the large steel girders and serve as the main support for the metal structure.  Tom started in [...]

  A plate compactor compacts sub base for concrete and gets your ground to grade.  Tom added granite fines to the existing base for a level surface prior to pouring his concrete floor.  Leveling your floor surface allows for a more accurate estimate when purchasing concrete.  After grading the sub base, it helps to water [...]

    Water is important to concrete.  This article will explain why it is necessary to spray down your concrete after it has been laid. Concrete hardens through the hydration process.  It takes a lot longer than one thinks for concrete to full harden and dry.  A chemical reaction is at the root of a [...]

              Today Tom was busy working on a welding job at the University of Wyoming.  UW has experienced an explosion of construction growth in the past year.  Much of the building has to do with the state surplus that Wyoming enjoys from it’s mineral money.  The legislature has seen [...]

              Commercial and residential structures are popping up everywhere these days with metal roofs. New buildings and remodels alike are opting for this sustainable and economic choice without compromising on architectural design and function. Metal roofing will outlast most other roofing types. Metal roofing is more durable. Wind can [...]

              Having the ability to estimate the amount of concrete you will need to order is vital to the success of your concrete job. A four inch slab is probably the most common concrete project example.  Usual jobs include sidewalks, driveways, patios, etc. Four inches works into a cubic [...]

Digging the ditch for footings is made a little easier with use of a backhoe.  A basic spray paint can be used to mark the digging area.  A good backhoe operator will be beneficial when forming the ditch for the concrete footings.

Running the concrete chute for a concrete pour is an important job.  Most concrete arrives at the job site in a rear concrete truck.  The person in charge of the concrete chute is directing the entire job.  It is his job to instruct the driver, keep an eye on the muckers and control the concrete [...]

  Today we are ready to begin pouring concrete for our building addition.  After a day or so of digging up the ditch for the footings, Tom and crew do last minute prep work. Tom checks the ditches where the footings will be poured.  The dirt should be compact and clear of vegetation.  If  grass [...]

One of the first considerations when planning an addition for an existing structure is to examine the land on which you will build.  Drainage is key to the building process.  Utility placement is also very important. Dirt work may be required if the natural slop of your land flows toward the existing structure.  It will [...]

The first step in any building process is to shoot the grade of the ground.  The concrete footers will be the first concrete that Tom will pour.  He will then work on the concrete slab floor for the new addition to his shop.  This first step is vital to insure that the footings are set [...]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Join Tom for a quick tour of his metal shop.  Trade Tool Innovations will take you through adding on an addition this summer.  TTI needs additional room for tools and storage.  Tom built and designed the shop to coincide with TTI’s growing needs.  There is an area for larger jobs, enough room to pull [...]

Things here at Trade Tool Innovations have been busy! This spring (as soon as the ground is thawed) we will be embarking on a building addition. It is hard to believe that the process for our current shop/house began nine years ago on April 15, 1999. Tom was on his tractor leveling out the dirt [...]