Q: When our dog was a puppy, she chewed the wood by the French doors leading to our deck. As time went on, it got progressively worse. Now a piece of the wood has fallen out and the area around it ...

Wood is some incredible stuff. It literally grows from the ground and it’s durable, attractive, and easy to cut and shape—no wonder 90% of new houses are still framed at least partially using wood.

Years ago, it was common practice to embed porch and patio posts in concrete. It was simple: dig a hole, set the post, and pour concrete around it. The idea was to enjoy the added strength provided by ...