Interior Panels

• Focus On Energy: The Benefits of Radiant Ceiling Panels

  Efficient radiant ceilings

   

• Frame-and-Panel Wainscot

  Paneled wall treatments require careful layout and methodical installation. A veteran carpenter and cabinetmaker tells how.

   

• Q&A: Wiring in Stress-Skin Panels

  Q: How is wiring accommodated in a house built with stress-skin panels? Is it possible to rout a channel in the panel to retrofit a wire?

   
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  Q&A: Splicing Hips and Valleys

  Q: Framers in our area typically splice long hip and valley rafters with the scarf joint shown in the illustration. Is this adequate to support the roof load?

   

• Q&A: Insulated Waterline in Crawlspace

  Q: I currently work in a mountain region where the winter temperatures go well below freezing. Water lines are set 4 feet below grade. In this climate, how would you recommend bringing a water line through a crawlspace and into a house? Code here requires a ventilated crawlspace.

   
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  Q&A: Taking the Twist Out of Wide Pine Flooring

  Q: We build a lot of reproduction Colonial homes and have problems with wide pine flooring shrinking, warping, and splitting. What is the best way to control this?

   

• Q&A: Foam Under Floors

  Q: Can I use rigid foam panels sandwiched between subfloor and finish floor to insulate over a crawlspace?

   

• Q&A: Leveling Existing Concrete

  Q: We need to level a concrete floor. Is there a way to grind or pulverize the old slab? Are there any other options?

   

• The Electrical Panel

  In this guided tour of a distribution panel, a master electrician tells how to make sure an electrical system is wired safely and correctly grounded.

   

• Glass Block in the Bathroom

  A master tilesetter shows how to incorporate glass block into a tiled bath.