DIY: How to Build an Outdoor Potting Bench

Excited to start some gardening projects, but don’t have a dedicated space for repotting all your plants? Look no further than this outdoor potting bench plan. This plan can help you easily build a sturdy potting bench that’s perfect for all your gardening projects. It’s a great place to house your gardening equipment and offers a large surface area to pot your plants.    Continue reading “DIY: How to Build an Outdoor Potting Bench”

DIY: How to Build a Raised Garden Bed

Cultivate your inner green thumb and create a symphony of tastes and colors in your backyard. This raised garden bed is the perfect place to nurture fruits, vegetables or your favorite flowers. Even better, this raised structure allows you to optimize your plants’ growth by choosing your preferred soil and controlling its moisture levels. Build one or more of these stylish raised garden beds to add to the beauty and productivity of your outdoor space.   Continue reading “DIY: How to Build a Raised Garden Bed”

Tiny House Living : A DIYer’s Dream Come True

Simpson Strong-Tie marketing copywriter Sean Krainert made the decision to go tiny after realizing it fit with his minimalist lifestyle. Discover more about the tiny house movement and take a tour of his tiny house.

The phrase “tiny house” used to be a niche topic for discussion. Today, it has become the topic of conversation. With many binge-worthy reality shows balanced by documentaries that explore the physical and mental benefits of minimalistic living, this trend is gaining serious mainstream momentum, especially in the DIY community.

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DIY: How to Build a Picnic Table Using Screws

Looking to enhance your outdoor space? Make the most of meals and get-togethers in your yard by adding a picnic bench — a great, low-cost project that will give you extra seating and table space for barbecues, dinners and parties.   Continue reading “DIY: How to Build a Picnic Table Using Screws”

DIY: How to Spray-Paint Metal Connectors

While many people like the look of galvanized metal connectors on their DIY projects as we have shown with the Simpson Strong-Tie® Rigid Tie® RTC connectors on our DIY standing desk and heavy-duty workbench others prefer a painted look. 

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DIY: Nominal Lumber Size Versus Actual Lumber Size

Every so often a homeowner tackling a new project will reach out to ask why their lumber doesn’t fit the connector. We sympathize. Lumber size can be confusing, especially when someone is first getting started with DIY woodworking. Nearly every single time this question comes up, it comes down to “nominal” dimensions of the purchased lumber. 

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2020: The Year You Did It Yourselves 

It’s no surprise that with so many of us stuck at home for most of 2020, there’s been an increased interest in DIY projects. Homeowners have been using the time to build everything from desks to alternative dwelling units. That interest is reflected in where we see visitors going on our websiteWe’ve seen a significant increase in the number of people downloading free project plans and an especially high interest in free pergola plans 

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DIY Weight Storage: Using Simpson Strong-Tie Strength to Organize a Home Gym

One of the nicest outcomes of the COVID pandemic has been the reduction in commuting time for people who have shifted to working 100% from home. With less time in transit, many people have had to figure out how to work effectively from home.

Renegotiating time and space for work hasn’t been the only challenge, though. Not only did many places of employment close, but the businesses where people spend their time, like churches, salons, and gyms were also shuttered. When COVID restrictions began, most gyms were closed, and once restrictions were lifted and doors reopened to customers, only a small percentage of people could congregate inside at one time. For people whose workouts are a central part of their lives —stopping them altogether or waiting until things got back to normal just wasn’t an option. So, when my coworker described how she reimagined her family’s workout time, I was immediately inspired and couldn’t wait to share her story.

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5 Things to Know Before Building a Chicken Coop

So, you’ve decided to build a chicken coop for your yard — congratulations! But now you’re probably thinking, “Where do I even start? What materials do I need? How many chickens can I put inside?” Simpson Strong-Tie has partnered with the backyard chicken experts at Chickens and More to answer these questions and many more.

Building a chicken coop doesn’t have to be an intimidating or impossible project. As long as you have some basic woodworking skills (or a willingness to learn them), space, time, and determination, we’ll guide you through the rest!

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6 Free Pergola Plans (Plus: Pavilions, Patios and Arbors)

Free pergola plans by Simpson Strong-Tie will help beautify your backyard while providing your family and guests with shade to relax in.  

These pergola designs were developed by Simpson Strong-Tie engineers, so you can be confident that not only will they look great but they’ll be safe, strong structures. We’ve set out to create a diverse selection of architectural styles to make it easier for you to find the structure that best enhances your outdoor space. 

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