Andy Engel

Although I now work as a magazine editor, I'm a carpenter at heart - that's what I did for fifteen years before hanging up my tools in favor of a keyboard. I also run Engel Decks and Outdoor Structures, LLC (www.engeldecks.com), and a website dedicated to how regular, rural New Englanders live (www.TheSwampYankee.com). Nearly as much fun as carpentry is helping others master the craft. That was what brought me into publishing, first as an assistant editor at Fine Homebuilding magazine. I rose through the ranks there to be the executive editor, which title I resigned in 2004. I've bounced around since then, working as a carpenter, a freelance writer, and an editor at Fine Woodworking. I'm currently the editor of Hanley Wood's Professional Deck Builder magazine (deckmagazine.com), and I give clinics on siding and moisture management trade shows such as Hanley Wood's JLC Live. Personally, I'm a husband and a dad. I've been a Scoutmaster and I'm a member of my local Board of Ed. And I'm always happy to correspond with readers.