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More stories about FEATURE

  • Building a Simple Passive House

    In September 2009 I completed a deep energy retrofit on a small house in Point Reyes Station, Calif., some 50 miles north of San Francisco.

  • Combining Two Condos

    Real estate is scarce in Hoboken, N.J., so a few years ago our client decided to double his family's living space by buying the condo next door to his own and connecting the two units.

  • Expanding a Kitchen

    We were wrapping up the latest in a series of renovation projects on a suburban Maryland split-level home when I casually mentioned to the owner that her Thanksgiving family gatherings would be a lot more enjoyable if her small kitchen weren't separated from the dining and living areas by a wall.

  • Hydronic Heating for Low-Load Houses

    With the right hardware and layout, hot-water heating saves energy and makes ideal use of the sun.

  • An Energy Retrofit in Stages

    I'm a building energy consultant in central Wisconsin. I recently had a chance to perform a major energy retrofit on a modest ranch-style house just south of Lacrosse, Wis.

  • Building a Curved Handrail

    Thanks to bending rail, it's not that difficult to form curved handrail sections for a circular staircase on site.

  • Inline Circular Saws

    As a framer, I prefer inline saws to sidewinders because they're more durable and less likely to bog down in heavy cutting.

  • Innovative Products 2011

    A sampling of the tools and materials on exhibit at JLC Live in Providence, R.I.

  • Permanent Wood Foundations

    Pressure-treated wood foundations (also known as permanent wood foundations, or PWFs) have been around at least since the 1940s, and my own experience with them dates back 20 years or so.

  • Tightening A House Shell From The Outside

    Our construction company recently completed a major remodel and energy retrofit of a split-level home in northern Vermont.