Igave my electric pressure washer a vigorous workout this weekend. I cleaned 1,100 square feet of composite decking, 100 feet of guardrails, and a 16-foot long staircase. The project spanned two days. The decking I cleaned was marketed years ago as being maintenance-free. Bah humbug!

Allow me to provide some context. I remember when I was a young carpenter. I purchased my lumber from Hyde Park Lumber Company in Cincinnati. The orange and blue big-box retailers were not yet a glint in the eye of the founders.

Deciding whether to tackle a DIY project or hire a contractor? Here are the pros and cons

I walked into the lumber company to purchase materials and saw a placard on the counter advertising new maintenance-free pressure-treated lumber. Yes, at one time, residential pressure-treated

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