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Featured Articles

With its uncanny knack for backstopping out-of-control vehicles, the historic New Boston Store has provided repair work for generations of local carpenters. Its located at a sharp bend in the road, tight against a bridge.

Roadside Attraction

This historic Massachusetts store is a magnet for out-of-control vehicles

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Dressing Up A Garage Door

Wooden “skins” add a classy touch to an insulated steel overhead door

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Upgrading the WRB With a Drainage Mat

Installing one of these membranes can help prevent rot behind stone and masonry veneers

 
 
 

Browse Exterior Subtopics

Decks & Porches

Fences & Retaining Walls

  • Long-Span PVC Deck Rail

    The Azek Rail spans a full 10 feet between posts

     
  • Three Ways to Vent a Soffit

    Cor-A-Vent corrugated polypropylene vents offer a low-profile soffit alternative to metal strip vents and perforated fiber-cement panels

     
  • Mounting an Ornamental Iron Railing

    Q: The low-slope roof on the addition I'm building has an ornamental iron railing at the edge. Since the roof won't be used as a deck, it's just there for appearance.

     

Paints & Finishes

  • Small EIFS Repairs

    A stucco contractor explains how to patch minor nicks and abrasions in EIFS while matching the original finish

     
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    Door Saver

    Cetol Door & Window Finish works better than polyurethanes and varnishes, says the maker

     
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    Premium Paint

    Sherwin-Williams' Emerald Acrylic Latex comes in interior and exterior versions

     
 

Exterior

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    Duo-Fast Cap Nailer Does Double-Duty

    Just push a button on the DF175-CN to shut off the cap feed

     
  • Does Code Allow Ground Supported Decks?

    Although not directly addressed by the code, model code provisions seem to permit their use

     
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    Two-Part Urethane

    Originally developed for boats, SilverThane SA-2100 is suitable for any application that requires a waterproof gap-filling adhesive

     
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    Prepainted Trim

    Finished Elegance molding comes in 27 profiles

     
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    Lead Cleaner

    According to the maker, Ledizolv detergent is biodegradable and dissolves lead dust more effectively than multipurpose cleaners or chemicals

     
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    Clean Glue

    Safecoat Almighty Adhesive construction adhesive is environmentally safe and nontoxic, says the maker

     
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    Mortar for Glass Tiles

    Laticrete says its Glass Tile Adhesive cures to an ultra-white color that enhances the appearance of translucent tiles

     
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    Five-Sided Dust Barrier

    The Encapsulator Workbag upacks into a 5x8-foot "clean room"

     
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    Appliance Trim

    There's a Micro-Trim kit to fit almost any microwave, range, or cooktop, says the company

     
  • Big Crown

    Keeping miters tight in large crown molding profiles

     
  • Retrofitting an Insulated Cold Roof

     
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    Working With Helical Piers (Subscriber content)

    Engineered steel piles are an affordable foundation option for small jobs and tricky sites

     
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    Door Saver

    Cetol Door & Window Finish works better than polyurethanes and varnishes, says the maker

     
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    Lightweight Semi-Slate Roofing

    The slate you can't see from the ground has been replaced by a sheet of underlayment

     
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    Keeping Water Out of Stucco Walls (Subscriber content)

    Assume that 3-coat stucco leaks, and detail the building envelope with careful flashing and a double-layer water-resistive barrier

     
  • Is There a Way to Predict Which Pieces of PT Lumber Will Twist?

    Matching grain orientation at both ends of a piece of lumber indicates stability.

     
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    Premium Paint

    Sherwin-Williams' Emerald Acrylic Latex comes in interior and exterior versions

     
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    Healthy Billing

    Valspar Plus paint is certifiably "allergy friendly," says its maker

     
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    Asphalt Shingles

    StormMaster shingles are designed to look like wood shakes or slate

     
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    Stabilizing a Brick Exterior (Subscriber content)

    Unstable brick is tied to the floor framing with standard hold downs, threaded rod, and compression plates