First of all, if you have never heard of houzz.com and you have been thinking of renovating or decorating your home – you are missing out on a truly excellent resource. It is the leading online platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish. In particular – we dig their Know Your House Ideabooks that offer educational insight on your home’s structural components. Why on earth would you want to know this stuff? Because knowledge is power my friends. Recent topics include the following:

• Meet the Studs » Two-by-fours are just the kind of strong, silent type every home needs. Get to know studs — and how they lie about their size — right here
• The Steps in Finishing a Basement » Learn what it takes to finish a basement before you consider converting it into a playroom, office, guest room or gym
• What Makes Up a Home’s Foundation »Learn the components of a common foundation and their purpose to ensure a strong and stable house for years to come
• What Makes Up a Floor Structure » Avoid cracks, squeaks and defects in your home’s flooring by understanding the components — diagrams included
• Components of Efficient Walls » Learn about studs, rough openings and more in traditional platform-frame exterior walls