@winni.designs

Instead of butting rim joist boards end-to-end over a floor joist, run the first board past it, sister in a short block behind the joint, and nail both boards into it — way more holding power.

A hay hook gives you a handle on a big stone slab, so you can lift an edge, prop it, and fix the base underneath — without ever putting fingers under the stone.

Fit cheap, rigid strips around the gap the stone has to fill, hot-glue them into one template, and carry it to the slab — the cut piece slides straight into place with no trial-and-error trimming.

To fit a big hardscape slab against an irregular rock face, run a chunk of wood along the rock while it drags a marker across the slab — the scribed curve transfers the rock's exact profile, and a wet saw cuts to the line.