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Wall Structure

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    Building a Beamed Ceiling

    Prefabricating the paneled sections on the floor speeds installation.

     
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    On the Job

    Strong gable overhang; on site with Durisol

     
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    License decision judged unfair; cheap fix for plywood paneling; deck-ledger brackets; more

     
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    Framing the First-Floor Deck

    The work goes faster if you use a laser, install anchor straps instead of anchor bolts, and measure as little as possible.

     
  • Q&A: Offsetting Bearing Walls

    Q: There's a framing rule of thumb I've used for years that says it's okay to offset a second-story bearing wall from the first-story bearing wall below, as long as you don't offset it by more than the depth of the joist. We use this rule for standard dimensional lumber, but would it also apply to...

     
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    Framing a Spiral Staircase

    Painstaking layout made it possible to build this lighthouse stair with standard framing tools

     
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    Fast-Tracking a Pop-Top Addition

    Using wall panels and trusses, framing and roofing took only four days.

     
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    On the Job: Framing an Elliptical Staircase

    Framing an elliptical staircase

     
  • Q&A: Insulating a Block Wall

    Q. I'm renovating an uninsulated cape built with concrete-block walls. The plans call for gutting and reframing the interior and installing shingle siding on the exterior. Because the building needs to be insulated to comply with local (Long Island, N.Y.) code, I was considering adding a layer of...

     
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    Backfill: The Biggest Thing to Hit Town in 74 Million Years

    Barn-moving day

     
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    Framing Rake Walls

    Full-scale layout using actual rafters is fast and accurate

     
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    Toolbox

    PLS2E laser; drywall lift from eBay; specialty nailers; lifting equipment

     
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    Building With Structural Insulated Panels

    SIPs produce a tight, well-insulated shell that takes less labor to construct than an equivalent stick-framed building.

     
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    On the Job

    Steel I-beam rafter pair; rock-breaking tip; ice supports

     
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    Installing a Twenty-Foot Header

    Retrofitting a half-ton steel I-beam into an existing house calls for careful shoring and lifting.

     
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    On the Job

    Hanging a pergola ledger; quick barrel ceiling; more

     
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    Wall Bracing and the IRC

    Section R602.10 of the International Residential Code calls for "braced wall lines" composed of "braced wall panels." The location, width, and construction details of these braced wall panels, as well as the materials that can be used to build them, are spelled out in the code's text, tables, and...

     
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    Practical Plaster Repair

    Use plaster washers, joint compound, and drywall to repair cracked or broken plaster

     
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    Q&A: Mounting a Wall-Hung Sink on a Steel-Stud Wall

    Q: I used 25-gauge steel studs to frame the partition walls in an upstairs renovation. Now my client wants to install a wall-mounted lavatory in the bathroom. What's the best way to reinforce and block the wall so I can hang the sink?

     
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    Q&A: Narrow Shear-Wall Solution

    Q. I'm the project manager for a construction company that's building a series of townhouses. In one of our designs, the garage walls are only 10 inches wide. There isn't any room to expand these walls, but they still need to be reinforced to prevent rack