Finnish house designs have proven themselves to be cozy, warm, and resistant to seasonal conditions and the effects of time. Finnish builder Pentti Jurmalainen discusses the specifics of laying bases and foundations for such country houses. Do you know what the parts and elements of a house are called? If not, carefully study Fig. 1. Read more…
My new house is good in every way, but it has no gutter. Rain runs off the roof onto the foundation, and in windy weather it also hits the walls. In the store, drainage gutters with brackets and especially the elbow pipes with funnels inspire a quiet melancholy with their appearance. I did not want Read more…
The need for a large guest table at a country plot does not arise very often — only when friends or relatives come together to relax in the fresh air or to celebrate some family event or occasion. But it hardly makes sense to make special furniture for such a case, furniture that will remain Read more…
A diamond glass cutter cuts window glass perfectly, but using it correctly is not that simple. Unfortunately, the skill comes only after a dozen or two panes have been irreparably ruined, and even then a precise cut is far from always achieved. To prevent this, while cutting you must keep the tool constantly perpendicular to Read more…
Cockroaches: people have tried everything to get rid of these black and reddish-brown sneak insects, but… Exterminating such hardy pests is still a problem. Especially for residents of densely occupied apartment blocks, dormitories, and rundown Khrushchev-era buildings. Among quite promising ways to fight cockroaches, in my view, are even the simplest electroshock devices. I, for Read more…
In a hallway, even the smallest one, there is always room for clothes — a hanger of any design — and for shoes — a special floor rack or galosh stand. Even scarves, hats and gloves can be put away. Only umbrellas always seem out of place, especially after rain, when they are wet: where Read more…
I needed such a complex trolley to carry an inflatable boat. The one sold in stores takes up quite a lot of space, and keeping it in a rubber boat is not very convenient: the wheels stick out, as do the cargo platform and its stop. On my trolley everything folds, which made it quite Read more…
Not only the house itself, but also the fence around it can say a lot about the owner: for one it is a light enclosure, for another a hedge, and for a third a solid fence. But whatever the fencing may be, it needs to be kept in good order — then it looks completely Read more…
While making Eskimo anti-sun glasses (see “M-K” No. 4-2025), I delved into studying the culture and traditions of Arctic peoples. Nomadic conditions and the harsh climate left their mark on every area of their life and activity. Nothing superfluous — only what is needed! Dwellings, clothing, tools, and household items are all very functional and Read more…
“The saw grew white-hot from the work!” wrote V. Mayakovsky in his poem “Who to Be?” Meanwhile, heating of a cutting tool first of all means that it has gone dull. In this case a carpenter, as in the old days, takes a three-square file (a triangular file, in modern terminology) and sharpens the teeth Read more…
