Guides and how-tos
Page 5 of 6, from 67 guides in all.
Pool Water Chemistry Basics: pH, Chlorine and Alkalinity
Five numbers run a pool, and they are not independent. Here is what each one does, how they pull on each other, and the order to fix them in.
ClearPool 7 min read 
Guyton-Klinger Guardrails: Flexible Withdrawals Explained
The 4% rule assumes you never change your spending. Guardrails write the adjustment into the plan instead. Here is how the four rules actually work.
FireCalc 8 min read 
Monte Carlo Retirement Projections: What a 95% Success Rate Really Means
A 95% success rate is not a 5% chance of destitution, and a 100% target is a mistake. How the simulation works, what the number hides, and how to read the fan chart.
FireCalc 8 min read 
Stair Stringer Layout: Rise, Run and the 7-11 Rule
Total rise divided by the riser height you want is the wrong first move. Here is how to lay out a stringer properly, with the code limits and the bottom-riser trap.
StringerPro 8 min read 
3D Print Filament Storage: Moisture, Drying and Shelf Life
Why wet filament pops at the nozzle, which materials go off fastest, safe drying temperatures for each, and the storage setup that actually holds under 20% RH.
PrintVault 7 min read 
Jobsite Photo Documentation: What to Capture and When
The photos that settle a dispute are the boring ones nobody thinks to take. What to shoot on a job, at which four moments, and what makes a photo record credible.
SiteProof 8 min read 
Sequence of Returns Risk: Why When You Retire Matters as Much as How Much
Two retirees with identical average returns can finish six figures apart. Here is the mechanism behind sequence risk, and what actually reduces it.
FireCalc 7 min read 
How to Winterize an RV, Step by Step
What actually splits when RV plumbing freezes, why pink antifreeze freezes at +16°F, and the order of operations that leaves nothing holding water.
RV Maintenance Log & Tracker 8 min read 
Coast FIRE Explained: When You Can Stop Saving
Coast FIRE is the point where your existing investments will grow into your retirement number on their own, even if you never contribute another pound.
FireCalc 5 min read 
The 4% Rule and Safe Withdrawal Rates Explained
Where the 4% rule came from, what its original study actually tested, and why the man who invented it now says 4.7% while others argue for 3.7%.
FireCalc 5 min read 
What Is My FIRE Number? How to Work Out What You Actually Need
Your FIRE number is roughly 25 times your annual spending, but the spending figure is where almost everyone goes wrong. Here is how to get it right.
FireCalc 5 min read 
How to Fix a Green Pool, Step by Step
A green pool is an algae bloom, and the fix is chlorine held high for days rather than one big dump. Here is the sequence that actually clears it.
ClearPool 6 min read