Framing

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  Insulating With Exterior Spray Foam (Subscriber content)

  Closed-cell foam acts as air-sealing, insulation, and secondary drainage plane in this unique home.

   

• Synthetic Decking As Quality Advances Preference Becomes a Matter of Appearance

   
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  Insulated Framing

  Weyerhaeuser has introduced a line of framing material designed to reduce thermal bridging.

   
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  Prefab Arches

  Want to avoid the hassle of fabricating curved framing on site? Consider sending the plans to Custom-Arch and letting someone else do the work.

   
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  Staining Steel Garage Doors to Look Like Wood (Subscriber content)

  As the owners of a San Clemente, Calif., specialty painting company called Rags 2 Rich's, husband-and-wife team Rich Howe and Cindy Miller do a wide range of faux-finish work, including convincing renderings of masonry, plaster, and marble.

   
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  Adjustable Level

  The Plumb Perfect Level features end gauges that can be dialed in or out to compensate for imperfect framing (or to establish a slope).

   
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  Framing an Elliptical Staircase (Subscriber content)

  Use a trammel to scribe a perfect pattern.

   
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  Tool Test: Framing Nailers (Subscriber content)

  Look for a gun that toenails well and can consistently set fasteners in dense material.

   
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  Restoring an Old Porch (Subscriber content)

  Solid piers, strengthened framing, and durable finish materials promise a long life for this rejuvenated beauty.

   
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  Siding With Cedar Shingles (Subscriber content)

  Install a tight weather barrier, choose top-quality shingles, and use smart production techniques.

   
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  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.

   
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  Rescuing a Spreading Roof (Subscriber content)

  A horizontal beam and steel tie rods resist rafter thrust with little disruption to the rest of the structure.

   
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  Weathertight Windows (Subscriber content)

  How a wet-climate builder details the layers to keep out the rain.

   
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  Quick Porch Enclosure

  Over 20 years ago, on a vinyl siding job, I screened in a deck that had a shed roof.

   
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  Backfill

  Builder Ted Kellogg convinced his bride-to-be that a brand-new covered bridge over the rocky stream behind his farmhouse would make a perfect spot for their summer nuptials.

   
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  High-Performance Homes on a Budget

  Well-thought-out details make energy-efficient houses both attractive and affordable.

   
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  A Stair Builder's Tool Kit

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

   
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  Reclaimed Wood Flooring From HomerWood

  HomerWood. Reclaimed Hardwood flooring is crafted from slow-growth Appalachian timber from deconstructed barns in Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The kiln-dried wood features character markings such as nail holes, cracks, and mineral streaks. It comes with the companys low-luster Oil Naturals...

   
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  A New Interior for an Antique House (Subscriber content)

  Addressing structural issues first made the interior finish work easier.

   
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  Low Emissions

  UltraStock-Free MDF by Temple-Inland has no added urea formaldehyde, meaning that it contains only trace amounts naturally found in the wood-fiber ingredient itself.