This straightforward approach combines basic shop methods with simple site joinery to create an elegant frame-and-panel archway.
Inspecting the frame before drywall ensures the trim will look its best, and can save a bundle in repairs.
Have to finish your own drywall? You may want to take a look at this tool.
The best models cut fast, vibrate less, and make blade changes easy.
You won't go wrong with any of these tools, but vertical cutting capacity, portability, and innovative features
separate the winners from the runners-up.
With a couple of specialty tools, you can offer this sleek look to your high-end customers.
Quacks in the siding aren't always a problem.
Find out which models will be used and review the installation specs before rough-in
A retrospective on 25 years of builder technology: How did we get here, and where are we going next?
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We ask a panel of building scientists and builders — all keen, experienced observers of wood-frame performance issues — to answer some of the questions that never seem to go away.
This method uses calculations and layout shortcuts to speed production.
The construction industry's leading researcher explains why what we think is true often isn't, and how some of our best hunches, based on observation of field performance, have paid off with problem-free attic assemblies.
Use basic geometry and scale drawings to find the angles.
Turning a profit on a home-center cabinet job starts with the first site visit.
Personal attention to clients, a strong relationship with vendors, and well-organized records are key.
Improper flashing, unprimed cedar, and a southern exposure had all contributed to a moldy mess.
Whether designed for regular use or emergency power, the system your clients choose should match their particular needs.
Going beyond Energy Star measures can earn a federal tax credit and produce a more comfortable home.
A high-tech floor coating, slat wall, and cabinets transform a single-car garage in three days.
For a smooth surface, cut the stones to fit and float them into place.
By setting up a company safety program, you can prevent injuries, improve efficiency, and maybe even save money.
This quick, accurate method prevents problems with the framing and finishes that follow.
Our annual pick of products designed to help you work smarter, faster, and better.
Stormwater runoff flows right through this porous concrete pavement.
Get publication-quality photos with a digital camera and expert lighting techniques.
Cut carefully to preserve the building paper, and hide the missing stucco with rotproof trim.
You can make old double-hungs operate as smoothly as any modern alternative — and look a whole lot better.
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Q: We have a client who would like interior door hinges that are totally hidden when the door is closed. Are there any hidden hinges available that are relatively easy to install and have some adjustability?
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Q: When installing stone tiles over Schluter's Kerdi waterproofing membrane, is it okay to use modified thinset mortar? I know that Schluter recommends unmodified thinset mortar, but my supplier suggests that the large and heavy tiles will be easier to install with a polymer-modified no-sag mortar.
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Q: Can gutter downspouts be connected to 4-inch pipes that lead to footing drains? The footing drains eventually terminate at daylight, away from the house.
Q: While we've never had problems with our tile-shower installations, new surface-applied waterproofing membranes and waterproof backerboards have me wondering if it's time to change our approach. We typically install cement backerboard over a poly membra
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Q: A customer asked me about sealing a brand-new garage slab to keep oil drips from penetrating the concrete, in case she decides to have the slab finish-painted in the future. Is this necessary? What product should we use?
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Q: A client wants to locate her dishwasher in a peninsula several cabinets away from the kitchen sink. Are there any limitations on the distance that the discharge hose can travel, or should it be plumbed separately?
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Q. As a building inspector, I understand Article 250 of the most recent National Electrical Code (2005 NEC) to mean that any potential grounding electrodes available to each electrical service must be bonded together into that service's grounding electrod
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Q. Some of the brickwork on a house I built has developed a white stain that resembles efflorescence but is limited to only two areas: a mailbox and a window. The gutter above the window overflows occasionally, but the water doesn't appear to actually fal
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Q. When a floor is covered by wall-to-wall carpeting, is it possible to fix squeaks without taking up the rug to get to the subfloor?
Q: We recently completed a residence with a basement garage and a single 20-foot-wide garage door. The door is equipped with a commercial opener attached directly to the framing. Because the homeowners - who have a master suite directly above the garage - have complained about the noise the door...
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Q: We've been called back to repair the ceiling of a vacation-home addition we built last year. The 5/8-inch fire-rated drywall ceiling is covered with 14 inches of blown-in insulation. All the tape joints performed well except those within a 6-foot radius above the wood stove; they've lost...
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Q: Last spring, I installed floating engineered flooring over the original vinyl-covered concrete-slab floor of an old New York City apartment. Even though I followed the manufacturer's installation guidelines, the 8-inch-wide planks began to cup, and cracks measuring 1/32 to 1/16 inch opened up...
Q : When we install vinyl flooring, we like to fasten the underlayment with staples because they install quickly and don't need setting or filling afterwards. But occasionally we've noticed minor squeaking in some of our floors. Assuming that we're using the correct number of fasteners, would we...
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Q: A house we built about eight years ago here in Tennessee has ductwork running through the space behind the upstairs knee walls. The exterior side of the framing has been developing condensation, but only in extremely cold weather. There are no vents in
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Q: Can a fan/light/heater unit be placed on the same circuit as the bathroom's required 20-amp receptacles, or does it require its own separate circuit?
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Q: My company has been contracted to build a new bathroom. Plans include a tile floor installed over a radiant-heated slab. Will the heat generated by the hydronic tubing embedded in the slab cause problems with the wax seal between the toilet and the dra
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Q: Would an attic that has a properly sized and installed soffit and ridge venting system benefit from the installation of a power vent?
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Q: The label on my bottle of Rhino Ultra Glue states (in capital letters) "Keep from freezing," but doesn't say what to do if you don't. Can polyurethane glues be thawed and reused? When they freeze and then thaw, is it obvious that they've been affected? Even though these glues are pretty...
Q: My clients want to add another light and a second switch to one of their existing lighting circuits, a wall sconce controlled by a single-pole switch. Power feeds the light before running to the switch; because of existing conditions, the easiest option would be to replace the single-pole switch...
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Q: A client has asked me to build a practical outbuilding with a wood floor system. For simplicity's sake, I'd like to place it on a Sonotube foundation and use continuous-span wood I-joists. The bottom of the I-joists will be about 16 to 24 inches off the ground, and the perimeter joists will be...