Mother Earth News Ask Our Experts - Do It Yourself

Do you have plans for building a wood bed frame?

Mother Earth News — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:17:43 CST

Recommendations for building a wooden bed frame and how to customize the plans.

Do you have building plans for making a cradle?

Mother Earth News — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:59:36 CST

Build this unique, natural-looking cradle of oak.

How do I build an inexpensive cold smoker?

Mother Earth News — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:35:33 CST

Instructions for building a cold smoker (and three other things you can do with steel oil drums).

I would like recommendations on ventilation of a root cellar.

Mother Earth News — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:54:10 CST

Without ventilation, the produce in your root cellar could spoil. Here are some tips for ventilating a basement root cellar to control temperature and humidity.

How do you string wiring through SIPS panels?

Mother Earth News — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:05:54 CST

When you build with structural insulated panels (SIPs), wiring isn't as much of a challenge as you might think.

Is it possible to use my own trees for my timber frame house?

Mother Earth News — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:47:07 CST

Yes,�it's possible to harvest trees from your own property to build a timber-frame structure. But here are a few things to consider before you decide to go ahead.

I'm trying to build a passive solar heat box. Where can I find the insulation I need?

Mother Earth News — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:32:06 CST

Find the right type of insulation for Mother's Solar Heat Grabber.

I bought new laminate flooring to install myself. But the sub-floor has wet spots from pets and steam cleaning. What should I do prior to laying the floor?

Mother Earth News — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:17:15 CST

Here's some helpful advice about how to clean up dust, mold and stains on your subfloor.

How do I remove rigid insulation from an old water heater so I can make a solar batch heater?

Mother Earth News — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:53:54 CST

Cleaning up an old water heater just requires two simple tools.

When building post and beam in straw bale, what if I substitute concrete block columns for the wooden posts? Will they draw moisture into the straw?

Mother Earth News — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:12:34 CST

Concrete block columns aren't typically used in straw bale buildings, but here's how you can make it work.