Joel Houck of Simpson Strong-Tie shares the journey he took transforming his backyard into a family-friendly oasis with a pool and a stunning pavilion using Simpson Strong-Tie® Outdoor Accents® decorative hardware. In this post, Joel unveils the design process, delves into the construction details and shares the passion and effort that brought his outdoor space to life.
Category: Employee DIY Projects
A Deck-Building Odyssey from Australia
Fellow Aussie Nathan, a Trade Sales Specialist hailing from Simpson Strong-Tie Australia, DIYed a deck for his home this past year. He discusses the logistics of building a deck from the cut list to materials and shares his extensive career journey with Simpson Strong-Tie. Continue reading “A Deck-Building Odyssey from Australia”
Making a DIY Covered Firewood Rack Holder
Need a place to put your firewood? Simpson Strong-Tie software engineer Owen Shelton decided to build his own covered firewood rack holder with the help of our Strong-Drive® SDWS fasteners. This new shelter keeps his logs safe from the elements and was easy to make. Continue reading “Making a DIY Covered Firewood Rack Holder”
Meet Brutus, the Columbus, Ohio Branch’s Mascot
At our Columbus, Ohio branch, Simpson Strong-Tie Lean Innovation Technician Dan Dee — also referred to as our resident Mr. Wizard — created an Ohio State University Brutus Buckeye mascot statue using our Simpson Strong-Tie hardware. Learn more below about Dan’s career at Simpson Strong-Tie and the many creations he has helped build over the years at our Columbus branch.
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New Year, New You: How to DIY a Treadmill Desk
Looking for a way to fulfill your New Year’s resolution to be more active? Take inspiration from this DIY project that allows you to integrate exercise with workday functionality. Simpson Strong-Tie Multi-Family Business Manager Jackie Flemming DIYed a clever solution to staying active while working from home. Her DIY Treadmill desk allows her to be productive and allows her to exercise and add movement throughout her day. Continue reading “New Year, New You: How to DIY a Treadmill Desk”
A DIY Weekend Warrior Builds a Deck
Simpson Strong-Tie Dealer Sales Representative Andrew Slezak spent his weekends for the past five months working on building the deck of his dreams using our Simpson Strong-Tie hardware. Learn what went into his DIY deck build and how he can’t wait to spend more time outdoors this summer. Continue reading “A DIY Weekend Warrior Builds a Deck”
Pergola Planner Helps a Boy Scout Support His Community
Boy Scout Porter Shively shares a pergola he built for his community to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. He built this project using Simpson Strong-Tie® Pergola Planner Software™.
I’m a junior at William Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. I’m a wrestler at the school, very active with my Boy Scout Troop, and volunteer in our children’s program at church. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, playing Minecraft, and hanging out with my friends. After high school, I plan on getting a degree that will allow me to work toward becoming a zoologist.
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A Boy Scout Kiosk Build with Simpson Strong-Tie Outdoor Accents® Hardware
Literature Specialist Amy Mayne’s son, Trent, was quite busy last winter with his Boy Scout group building an outdoor kiosk with Simpson Strong-Tie products.
Last winter, as part of his membership with Boy Scouts of America, my son Trent chose a project to give back to his school district, as well as help him earn his Boy Scouts Eagle Award. Trent rebuilt the kiosk at the Bloom Carroll High School Arboretum.
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The Simpson Strong-Tie UK Van
Over the 2020 Christmas holiday, sales merchandiser Karl Warnett kept himself busy by fitting out his van with shelving and drawers for all his marketing needs.
Last Christmas I decided to kit out and build drawers and shelves in the back of my Volkswagen Caddy van as I was fed up with the untidy way my van was looking. I didn’t want my mobile “office” to appear unprofessional to customers and end users when I was visiting their premises. Continue reading “The Simpson Strong-Tie UK Van”
How Pergola Planner Software™ Helped Turn My Parents’ Patio into an Oasis
This past summer, my parents and I were talking about some of the latest home improvement projects that they had going on, and the topic of providing more shade for their backyard patio came up. For the last couple of years, they’d been looking into different ideas of what to do with this space, including sketching out on notebook paper layouts and particulars that would be nice to have. They’d tried portable patio umbrellas and various other ways to shade this area and had come to a decision that it was time to add a permanent structure that would serve as both a backyard shelter and an aesthetic complement to their home.
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