Features

• Foundations & Site Work

  Building roads * Retaining walls * Footings * Walkout foundations * Stem walls * Slabs * Frost-protected foundations * Foundation repair * Half wall foundations * Tying-in to existing foundations * Foundation details

   

• Foundation Drainage

  Preventing frost action * Perimeter drain design * Details for removing roof runoff * Placing drain tile

   

• Structural Steel

  Steel specs * Wood beam to steel beam comparison * Attaching steel to wood * Splicing steel I-beams * Sizing flitchplates * Building flitch beams * Column cap & baseplate connections

   

• Framing Guidelines

  Notching & boring joists & studs * Structural rules of thumb for wall, floor & roof framing * Shed dormers * Structural ridges * Framing solutions with metal connectors

   

• Seismic & High-Wind Framing

  Shear walls * Hold-downs * Foundation anchors * Hardware layout * Retrofitting seismic connectors & shear walls * Nailing shear panels * Wood-to-wood and wood-to-masonry roof connections * Roof diaphragm details

   

• Framing Techniques

  Anticipating lumber shrinkage * Plumbing & lining * Hanging barge boards * Stacking roof trusses * Truss uplift solutions * Steel framing details * Roof framing with wood I-joists * Framing & insulating cathedral ceilings

   

• Energy-Tight Framing

  Tight attic penetrations * Insulated partition catches * Common thermal bypasses * Sealing the band joist

   

• Kitchen & Bath Rough-In

  Tub, shower, toilet rough-in dimensions * Sink and lav dimensions * Framing & waterproofing a platform tub

   

• Interior Framing

  Pocket doors * Tray ceiling details * Radius stair * Laying out & attaching newel posts * Soundproofing walls & floors

   

• Exterior Details

  Drainage EIFS * Brick veneer * Wood deck ledger * Flashing a window

   

Letters

• 

  Letters

  Sealing Dutch doors, progress payments, asphalt-saturated felt

   

News

• Notebook

  Fears of a housing "bubble," international code adoptions, smart wiring, recycling Thai railroad ties

   

By Design

• 

  By Design: Designing Low-Cost Houses

  Designing low-cost houses

   

Business

• Strictly Business: Five Reasons Contractors Lose Money

  Five reasons contractors lose money

   

Computers

• 

  State of the Art Contractor: Top Five Office Tools

  Top five office tools

   

Engineering

• 

  Practical Engineering: Retrofitting a Patio Door

  Retrofitting a patio door

   

Energy

• 

  Focus On Energy: Shedding Light on Radiant Heat

  Shedding light on radiant heat

   

Resources

• 

  Resources: A Swiss Army Knife of a Book

  A Swiss Army knife of a book

   

Kitchen & Bath

• 

  Kitchen & Bath: Prepping Wood-Framed Floors for Tile

  Prepping wood-framed floors for tile

   

Products

• 

  Products

  Router collection, outdoor speakers, elastomeric epoxy, PVC rain diverter, fibrous ridge vent, job-site radio

   

Toolbox

• 

  Toolbox: The Rise of the Inline Saw

  The rise of the inline saw