Building on the ground is faster and safer than framing on the roof.
Solid bracing and strong connections are the keys to a durable, bounce-free structure.
Helical piers anchor a house on a sliding slope.
This 3-D modeling program can be tough to master. Here’s how three builders learned what they needed to know.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, I supervised residential insulation projects in central Vermont while working with a couple of regional agencies.
Proper flashing and a solid base of pressure-treated lumber and cellular PVC promise long life
With a few specialized tools and techniques, you can cost-effectively hang drywall by yourself.
As a full-time stairbuilder, I've learned that I can't always rely on premilled parts, especially when staircases get complicated.
Late last year, a couple called me about some leaking windows on the back of their 5-year-old stucco house. My company hadn't built the home; it was part of a tract development in Southeastern Pennsylvania thrown up during the recent housing boom.
Use premium materials and a methodical approach to achieve a cabinet-grade finish.
There are more than 100 million homes and approximately 20 billion square feet of clear-glass residential windows in the U.S. Most of those homes are more than 30 years old, and as a result, the market is growing for replacement windows with energy-efficient insulating glass.
As the punch-list guy for a high-end builder in Osterville, Mass., I end up installing plenty of top-quality solid-core doors. These doors are at least 1 3/4 inches thick and weigh 100 pounds or more, so I have to work smart.
Roll roofing was the wrong material for the flat roof under this second-story deck.
As a structural engineer with the APA/Engineered Wood Association, I perform forensic assessments of single- family homes after hurricanes and tornados.
This year Kohler added three bathtubs to its Rªve collection of modern geometric bathroom fixtures.
Lavi Industries recently introduced a complete line of stainless steel tubing, brackets, and fittings that can be used to assemble — without welding — almost any type of interior or exterior handrail.
With KleerSnap Post Wrap, it takes as little as 10 minutes for a single worker to trim out a post, says the maker.
When you need to increase air movement between rooms, the Perfect Balance In-Door Pressure Balancer offers a more elegant solution than leaving an enormous gap beneath the door.
Mansfield Plumbing Products recently added a line of air baths to its Pro-Fit collection of whirlpools and soaker tubs.
Wolf says its PVC Decking offers the performance of premium PVC at a more affordable price.
Drywood is a structural wall and roof panel with an integral weather barrier that eliminates the need for roofing felt, waterproof membranes, or housewrap.
Although BellaStone looks remarkably authentic — thanks to the real stone used in the manufacturing process — the 50-inch-by-24-inch panels weigh a fifth as much as traditional stone and install 50 percent faster, says the maker.
The Trex Transcend Decking & Railing System is made from the same durable, low-maintenance material as the company’s standard products, with one difference: The tops and sides of the boards have a hard-shell coating with a wood-grain pattern and low-sheen finish that allegedly resists stains...
The Ciencia solid-surface shower is primarily designed as a replacement for an outdated bathtub.
EcoShield Deck Tile is a wood-plastic composite that’s made with 95 percent recycled content and never needs staining or painting, says the maker.
Fiber-cement siding manufacturer Nichiha recently introduced a low-priced line of shakes.
Titebond says its new fast-drying PVA formulation for interior trim carpentry eases the hassle of assembling vertical joints.
Endura's FrameSaver Door Frame is solid wood except for a 4-inch-long piece of composite finger-jointed to the bottom; this material, the maker says, is impervious to rot and insects and doesn't wick moisture.
Dacor recently introduced a scaled-down version of its Distinctive Gas Cooktop.
Homeowners who have difficulty reaching items on high shelves or bending down for low ones might appreciate the AutoPantry, a vertical closet carousel that brings everything within reach at the push of a button.
Whirlpool's Resource Saver Double Oven Range fits two separate ovens inside the footprint of a standard-size range, for a total capacity of 6.7 cubic feet.
Masonite says its new Safe 'N Sound Interior Doors are milled from a low-density fiberboard (called DorCor) that uses renewable wheat straw as its primary raw material.
FlatWire is a paper-thin copper wire approved for use in low-voltage lighting, audio, video, voice, and data applications.
Miele's stainless steel Telescopic Downdraft Hood tucks away beneath the countertop until it's needed, at which point it pops up with the touch of button, topping out at 14 inches above the cooking surface.
The QMotion may look like a simple pull-down shade, but a motor and battery pack are concealed inside its roller tube.
Not everyone relishes the challenge of coping and mitering crown molding.
Adhesive tile mats - self-adhesive sheets with peel-off liners on both sides - allow you to fasten tile to surfaces without dipping a trowel in a bucket of glue.
When I need a powerful gap-filling adhesive, I reach for a can of polyurethane foam. Touch 'n Seal is hoping roofers will do the same.
Flame Fighter is a self-adhesive fire tape that needs no joint compound to make unfinished walls code-compliant.
According to Triangle Tube, the Prestige Solo Condensing Boiler is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly heating systems on the market.
Aerogel is an ultra-efficient translucent insulator that’s been used in commercial skylights since 2003.
Armstrong’s S-289 Releasable Sheet Floor Adhesive is a water-based low-VOC formulation designed to make residential vinyl-backed flooring easier to install and repair.
If you can’t stand the sight of cover plates, consider Bocci’s 22 Series Wall Accessories.
WarmWire floor heat cable makes it easy to incorporate radiant heat into a kitchen or bath: You simply tape cable straps to each side of the subfloor, weave the cable between the straps, and cover with a cement-based or gypsum-based mortar.
Instead of replacing a sound single-pane window, consider adding Solar Gard Silver AG 50 Low-E Window Film.
The Profile Smart Toilet conserves space as well as water, says the manufacturer.
Switch Bulb Co. says its new LED replacement bulbs combine the color and dimmability of incandescents with the efficiency and longevity of LEDs at an affordable price — $20 per bulb.
Fortis Arbor Wood Mosaics are hand-cut from scraps of bamboo, teak, and rosewood left over from furniture-making.
With the Dryer Duct Booster you can set up a laundry room almost anywhere in the house without worrying about the length of the exhaust run or the number of bends.
Fireclay’s Crush 100% Recycled Glass Tile is made from raw waste glass that’s been crushed, reprocessed, and fired.
OSI QUAD is a premium exterior sealant that sticks to wet surfaces, does not accumulate dust, and “self-tools” into a concave shape, says the maker.
Pyrolave is made from slabs of lava extracted from a volcanic crater in France, then glazed with enamel and fired in a 1,000°F kiln.
CertainTeed’s Highland Slate is a single-layer fiberglass shingle that duplicates the texture and color of natural slate.
Kohler’s Wellworth Toilet — which has been around for 75 years — hasn’t changed much on the outside, but its inner workings have been completely re-engineered.
Instead of replacing a leaky window or door, consider using Window and Door Weatherseals from Conservation Technology to fill in the gaps.
Designed specifically for overhead cabinets, the Aventos Lift System makes it possible to lift even the heaviest door with the touch of a finger, says the maker.
Looking for a way to capture water that doesn’t involve conspicuous rain barrels?
Formica says its 180fx laminates look just like natural stone countertops but cost a lot less.
The Kitchen Power Grommet provides convenient access to electricity on virtually any countertop.
Each board in the new Heritage Collection of 2x6 redwood decking is hand-picked and run through the planer at low speed to give it a refined finish, says the maker.
An easy way to add pizzazz to a humdrum kitchen is to upgrade the cabinet pulls.
The maker of the Combination-3D try square claims that it can do the work of a saddle square, a marking gauge, a bevel gauge, and a combination square — with no loss of accuracy.
Switch to Paslode’s Engineered Lumber Nails and you can eliminate the tedium of fixing proud nails and pulling bent ones, says the company.
Milwaukee has expanded its lineup of hand tools to include such new items as Tongue and Groove Pliers, Reaming Pliers, Aviation Snips, and a PEX/Tubing Cutter.
According to Metabo, the new ASR 35 Vacuum Cleaner was specifically designed to stand up to the rigors of continuous use in operations that generate clouds of dust.
The EZ Shear SST is designed to cut wood, vinyl, and fiber-cement siding products silently, without electricity and without kicking up a cloud of dust.
Unlike other snap-blade knives, Tajima’s Driver Cutter has a stiff tip on the front edge of the blade sleeve that can be used to drive slotted screws, remove staples, or pry open paint-can lids.
With the new DSH-FSC Gas Saw Floor Cart, users of handheld gas saws can make precision cuts that would otherwise require a bulky, walk-behind saw, Hilti says.
The Handle on Demand (HOD) uses suction to provide a convenient handhold on any nonporous surface.
The DustBuddie is a clear plastic shroud that replaces the factory guard on most grinders and - when attached to an effective vacuum - captures 99 percent of the dust generated by grinding, says the maker.
Bosch's new GLM 80 laser features a unique "two-axis tilt sensor" that can determine the height of distant objects and perform straight-line measurements.
Graco says its RentalPro Airless Paint Sprayers have been designed to stand up to the rigors of the rental market.
Though best-known for clamps and layout tools, Bora also makes a full line of spirit levels, which it says can take anything the job site dishes out.
Unlike most leveling devices, the Xtenda-Leg offers an unlimited range of adjustability.
Thanks to teeth that face in two directions, Dual Cut jigsaw blades can perform burr-free cuts on both sides of a workpiece, says the maker.
Until now, if you wanted to vibrate a small concrete pour, you either rented a commercial-grade vibrator or banged on the forms with a hammer.
General’s Digital Sliding T-Bevel can be used to replicate an angle or determine its exact measurement.