{I originally posted this back in Feb 2022. Since then, I’ve found new sources, and some are less valuable over time. It’s worth updating this post to include them. Read on…}
In the “old days”, if you had a project at your house, you had to have a friend who knew what he was doing and would come by to help (I’m looking at you Chris K.) . It was part of the neighborhood tradition- knowing who was a plumber, who knew electrical, etc. Today, everyone looks to social media. There are millions of people putting videos up on YouTube and beauty shots on Instagram. Owning a smartphone doesn’t make you an expert contractor though. I’ve seen more *bad* advice than good advice on social media. As a result, I’ve gotten pretty selective about what channels I follow, and who I trust for advice. This is my personal curated list of who I watch for what…
| Publisher | Area of Expertise | Content Description |
| Fine Homebuilding | Everything | I’ve been a subscriber to Fine Homebuilding magazine for over 25 years. The web site is more useful than the YouTube channel, but to get the really good stuff, you have to subscribe (web-only subscriptions are available). Well researched and vetted. (link to website) As a website member, you can post on the forums and get advice from industry pros. (Not as good for newbies- much better for nuanced discussions of deeper questions, like “does anyone have experience with xyz product? I’m doing a bathroom install…”) |
| This Old House | Everything | Tom Silva has been a general contractor for 40 years, and Rich, Norm, and the gang have decades of expertise. TOH only work on multi-million dollar projects, and their clients expect the highest quality work. TOH *brand* that is all about quality, so if they say “this is how to doit”, I believe them. Bonus: The “AskTOH” series is all about helping home owners do their own projects, so it’s a great resource for people just starting out. |
| Vancouver Carpenter | Drywall | I’m not knocking his other content, but he’s my personal go-to resource for drywall and finishing questions. He is thorough and explains the nuances well, so you get a good sense of how to replicate his work. He does a nice mix of really esoteric work and run-of-the mill stuff. |
| Drywall Shorty (NEW) | Drywall | I’m not usually a fan of YouTube videos where it’s a woman decked out in makeup. Someone who works in the trades isn’t going to the job site with full foundation, mascara, etc. But looking past that– she has chops. She’s good at explaining the differences in various materials, tools, and techniques to get the best result. Gotta respect that. |
| HomeRenoVisionDIY | General renovations | Jeff is an experienced contractor (also in Canada). The videos tend to be long and full of detail, so you aren’t left guessing how he got from one step to the next. He also tends to work through an entire project (e.g bathroom remodel) so you get to see how the various trades interact. He also shares his thoughts on particular products, though we can’t always get the same materials in the US that he gets in Canada. Update: I find I’m using Jeff less, though part of that is because I’m not doing as much work where I’m completely unfamiliar. He is also skewed toward cold-climate projects. He’s still valuable for folks just getting into things, though, so I’m leaving him on the list. But for deep expertise on a particular topic, I usually find someone who specializes. |
| StudPack (NEW) | General renovations | Since my original post, I’ve found the StudPack crew. This father-and-son team started out doing projects in Louisiana, and this year they moved to Texas to do a new house build from the ground up. The weekly episodes mix humility and experience with a lot of good advice. The answer a TON of their comments, so if you have a question related to something they did, ask them! |
| InsiderCarpentry (Spencer Lewis) | Trim carpentry | Spencer is a trim carpentry god. He does exceptional quality work – lots of stain grade stuff, so there’s no way to hide the flaws if you screw up. His videos tend to start with an overview, then break it down step-by-step while sharing all of the tricks (big and small) you’d expect a 16+ year professional to know. |
| Schluter Systems | Tile substrates | I attended Schluter training a while back, and it was an incredibly well-spent 2 days. As a result, I’m a total Schluter convert. They have very helpful videos that explain how to use their products- great to brush up on what you learned in the FREE class. (Hint: go to the class!) |
| Wood Whisperer | Fine woodworking | This may not apply to your projects unless you’re doing a lot of higher end work. I was a furniture maker before I got started on this work, so I admire his quality of work. Great info, but hard to define the niche it fits in for this discussion. |
| Tile Coach (NEW) | Tile setting | THis guy is a tile professional based in California. I learned a lot from his videos. He covers everything from the studs/ joists to setting the drain to building a shower pan to water proofing to setting the tile itself. Even more valuable, though- for a modest fee, he takes online appointments. I got to a point where I was stuck with a question. Wet work (inside a shower, over my dining room) is not a place where I wanted to be improvising. I was able to book a 30 minute video appointment with him. We chatted, I showed him my work, and he offered his thoughts. HUGE WIN! I highly recommend it if you’re stuck. Added bonus, I’ve had about a year to see the results of his advice, and it worked exactly as promised. |
| Sal DiBlasi (NEW) | Tile setting | Another great tile reference source. Sal is classic old school- what you’d expect if you cracked open a Yellow Pages and looked up tile installation. But under it all, he knows his stuff, and he stays current with both design trends and installation techniques. Great for step-by-step walk through of any project. |
Feel free to share your own links with me. I’m always open to learning about great new resources!
Entropy Properties LLC 