From The Ground Up DIY

Home
United States
Greensboro, NC
From The Ground Up DIY

Woodworking & Home Improvement Content🪚🔨

10/31/2026

Building a 12’ x 12’ Gambrel Garage! Part 7: Installing Floor Post!

With all the materials delivered and organized for the subfloor, it was time to get the floor post installed!

I started by cutting the 6x6 posts slightly longer than needed. Then, using my Bosch Professional Power Tools And Accessories rotary laser, I was able to dial in the exact height and cut each post accordingly. Once everything was trimmed down, the post were all level and ready to go! The finished garage floor will sit approximately 16” off the ground!

To secure the posts to the bases, I used Simpson Strong-Tie #9 x 2-1/2” SD Connector Screws. I also double-checked for level by using the OX Tools USA Speedframe Extendable Level!

In the next video, I’ll be cutting half lap joints in all the post to get the rim joist set!

10/25/2026

How to Cut Concrete Sonotubes!

This was my first time cutting concrete sonotubes, and I learned pretty quickly what didn’t work!

After measuring where I need to cut with my rotary laser, I tried using my 4-1/2” circular saw to make the cut. Unfortunately, both saws I tried stalled out on me.

The best method I found was using my jigsaw! It felt way more natural to control and I was able to follow my cut line with ease.

What’s the best way to cut concrete sonotubes? Is there a better tool or technique I should try? Please let me know!

10/22/2026

Building a 12’ x 12’ Gambrel Garage! Part 6: Installing Concrete Wedge Anchors and Post Bases!

When I poured the concrete footings, I intentionally left three of them without anchor bolts so I could demonstrate an alternative method for securing post bases after the concrete has cured and that is with concrete wedge anchors!

To install the 5/8” wedge anchors, I marked the center of each footing and used my RIDGID Power Tools NUKE Subcompact Hammer Drill to drill a 5/8” hole approximately 4” deep. I then used a mini sledgehammer to set the anchors in place and an impact wrench to secure the Simpson Strong-Tie ABA post bases to the concrete footings.

Just when I thought I was almost finished, I noticed one of the anchors was slightly off-center. I couldn’t leave this post base out of alignment with the others, so I installed a second anchor to get everything lined up properly.

With all the post bases installed, I can proceed with getting all the 6x6 post cut to size for the rim joist!

10/07/2026

WEN 4500-Watt Inverter Generator

WEN Products

The WEN 4500-Watt Inverter Generator features a 181cc engine that runs at a quiet 62 decibels, a fuel shutoff that helps drain the remaining fuel from the carburetor before shutdown, a lightweight 53 pound design, and a 1.27-gallon tank with up to 5.6 hours of half-load runtime.
The panel includes two 120V three-prong receptacles, one 12V DC receptacle, one 120V RV receptacle, two 5V USB ports, and an intelligent data meter.

I put the generator to work with my shop vac while working on the footings for the gambrel garage, using it to remove rainwater after a storm.

I also found a surprise guest hiding in one of the footings! 😯

10/01/2026

Building a 12’ x 12’ Gambrel Garage! Part 5: Placing Landscape Fabric & Gravel

With the concrete footings poured, it was time to clean up around the footings, lay down the landscape fabric, and cover the entire area with gravel.

I used approximately 3 cubic yards of gravel to cover the whole area. My Gorilla Made wheelbarrow and yard cart made moving all that gravel much easier, and my DEWALT 10” hand tamper helped compact everything into place.

In the next video, I’ll be installing the remaining wedge anchors and securing the Simpson Strong-Tie post bases in place!

09/26/2026

RIDGID NUKE Subcompact 18V Oscillating Multi-Tool!

RIDGID Power Tools

The RIDGID NUKE Oscillating Multi-Tool features speeds up to 20,000 OPM for fast cutting, reduced vibration, and a variable-speed trigger with 3-speed selector for controlled cutting. The compact design also makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces.

I recently used this multi-tool to remove the exposed form tubes around my concrete footings. The multi-tool was able to cut quickly through the tubes, allowing them to come off fairly easily and leaving the footings with a much cleaner look!

09/23/2026

Building a 12’ x 12’ Gambrel Garage! Part 4: Pouring Concrete Footings!

We used approximately 33 bags of Quikrete High-Strength Concrete to pour the footings for the gambrel garage!

After using the pencil vi****or to consolidate the concrete and smoothing everything out, I placed 5/8” x 12” anchor bolts in the middle of the footings. These bolts will secure the Simpson Strong-Tie ABA post bases to the footings, which will hold the proposed 6’ x 6’ posts in place.

In the next video, I’ll be removing the exposed form tubes to give the footings a clean, finished look. I’ll also show how to install wedge anchors as an alternative!

09/17/2026

Second cut with the WORX Landroid Vision Cloud 4WD!

WORX Tools

I was able to start mowing earlier this time around and managed to finish the entire backyard. It took about 3 hours to complete the yard, and the mower went through two 4Ah batteries and one 5Ah battery during the cut.

When the batteries get low, the mower automatically returns to the charging station. I manually swapped the batteries once it returned to the station, but the cut would have taken considerably longer if I had let the mower recharge on its own.

The grass was still a little wet from rain we had the day before, which caused it to clump together and resulted in a less than ideal looking cut.

I’ll continue providing updates as I use the Landroid throughout the rest of the mowing season. Stay tuned for more!

09/16/2026

Building a 12’ x 12’ Gambrel Garage! Part 3: Setting Concrete Form Tubes!

With the footings dug, it was time to set the form tubes to prepare for concrete.

We placed and compacted approximately 6” of gravel in each footing before setting the form tubes.

To ensure the footings are at the correct elevation, I used my Bosch Professional Power Tools And Accessories rotary laser level to establish the proposed height, then transferred that measurement to each form tube.

From there, I used a jigsaw to cut the tubes to the correct heights and doubled-check everything with my hand levels. Since the area slopes slightly downhill, the form tubes gradually get taller as they move toward the back of the garage.

In the next video, I’ll be getting the concrete poured and setting the j-bolts for the foootings!

09/10/2026

WORX Landroid Vision Cloud 4WD 1/2 Acre Robotic Lawn Mower - Set-up/First Cut

WORX Tools

Near the end of July, I finally put the WORX Landroid Vision Cloud 4WD to the test and let it make its first cut in my backyard!
The Landroid Vision Cloud 4WD is packed with some impressive technology, including 4-wheel drive which handles slopes up to 40°, a terrain-adaptive body to help keep all four wheels planted over rough terrain, RTK Cloud positioning for satellite-guided mowing, and Vision AI to help navigate more complex areas.

It also features a cut-to-zero offset for cleaner edges and electronic cutting-height adjustment from 1.57” to 3.54”.

Setting the mower up was pretty straightforward. After completing a few firmware updates and manually mapping out my yard, the Landroid was ready to go!

I wasn’t able to finish the entire yard on the first cut because I received an “insufficient light” error. The mower automatically returns to the charging station before dusk unless you have the FlatLux light, which allows it to continue mowing after dusk.

I still have a few adjustments to make with the cutting height and other settings, but overall, I was pretty impressed with the first cut!

Now it’s time to get everything dialed in and see how well this robot can really handle my yard.

Would you trust a robotic mower to take care of your entire lawn?👇🏿

Address

Greensboro, NC

Website

https://linktr.ee/fromthegroundupdiy

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when From The Ground Up DIY posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.