Performance Measurement

• Tiling Over Plywood Subfloors (Subscriber content)

  For crack-free floors, limit joist deflection and install two layers of 3/4-inch plywood and a thinset membrane.

   

• A Stair Builder's Tool Kit

  For short cash and a little effort, you’ll save lots of time on your next handrail installation.

   

• Rebuilding a Church on a Higher Plane

  Builders give a Katrina-devastated structure a lift with concrete, steel, and SIPs.

   

• A New Interior for an Antique House (Subscriber content)

  Addressing structural issues first made the interior finish work easier.

   

• New Requirements May Mean Longer Wait for FHA Loans

  The FHA recently unveiled sweeping changes to its multifamily program, tweaking the underwriting standards on new construction and refinancing deals, while unveiling a slew of risk-management initiatives that may expand its already long transaction timeline.

   

• Toxin-Free Modified Wood Resists Insects and Microorganisms

  Titan Wood Limited’s Accoya pine lumber has been treated with a concentrated form of vinegar in a process called acetylation, which makes it inedible to insects and rot-causing microorganisms without adding toxins.

   

• Maine Builder Sees a Strong Year Ahead

   

• Wrong-Side Housewrap

  Q. While preparing for an extensive remodeling project, we discovered that the housewrap was installed underneath the exterior 7/16-inch plywood rather than on top. According to the scope of work, we are supposed to install 1/2-inch foam board with taped seams over the entire exterior. Will the...

   

• Amana Tool Carbide Wood Flooring Router Bit Sets

  Carbide Wood Flooring Router Bit Sets let you mill tongue-and-groove flooring from solid or engineered wood.

   

• A Shop-Built Conical Roof (Subscriber content)

  Truss-style construction simplified the framing of this serpentine roofline.

   

• Q&A: OSB Subfloor Over Decking?

  Q: We're building a four-season addition over an existing raised deck framed with PT lumber. Is it okay to install OSB subfloor sheathing directly over the wood decking, or should the decking be removed first?

   

• Products

  Toekick drawers; ductless cooktop exhaust; trimmable truss; low-profile smoke alarm; flexible cement board; light MDF; more

   

• Ike Report Draws Lessons from Success - and Failure

   

• Custom Door Trim On an MDF Budget

  You can mill five sets of casing from a single sheet.

   

• Building a Ceiling Dome (Subscriber content)

  Traditional plaster finishes off this simple, elegant bit of framing.

   

• In the News

  Energy Star adopts tougher window standards; Entran II settlement winds down; OSHA trainer charged with selling fake certificates; more

   

• Products

  Sheathing panels; wood countertops; closet light; extra-thick PVC trim boards; corded housewrap; more

   

• Q&A: Fire-Safe Decking

  Q: Does anyone make a fireproof deck board?

   

• Any Port in a Storm

  The top lenders aren't what they used to be.

   

• Cash-Out Refis Play Hard to Get

  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are getting tough on cash-out refinancings for multifamily borrowers.