One unexpected kitchen tool ensures just the right amount of chunks.

A mortar and pestle is a tried-and-true kitchen tool that’s been around for centuries—and it’s still as useful as ever today. If you’re not familiar, mortar refers to the sturdy bowl where you place ...

DEAR TIM: My 10-year-old house developed some cosmetic cracks in the mortar. I got some bids to have tuck-pointing work done and nearly gagged when I looked at the cost. I’m wondering about using a ...

DEAR TIM: It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I had my brick building repointed with new mortar, and it has deteriorated quickly. Do you have any idea what caused it to happen? The building ...

Experienced builders are plenty familiar with when to use cement, concrete, and mortar. But in the popular parlance, things get a bit confused—people often say "cement" when what they really mean is ...

If you plan on drilling into brick, concrete, or stone, you’re going to need to use a masonry drill bit. These specialty bits have strong carbide tips for boring through hard materials, and wide ...