Synthetic millwork gives this front entry porch a classic look.
Coils guns are heavier than stick nailers, so look for a well-balanced tool.
Skip the exterior excavation and waterproofing -- an interior perimeter drainage system can work just as well.
Window details like profiled stools and aprons with applied moldings have helped this builder find a profitable niche.
Whether you're a small, one-person operation or a company with 50 employees, an effective marketing program will help you build a healthier business.
This simple rooftop unit was built in the shop and lifted into place with a crane.
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The best 1 9/16-inch models are fast and compact, and sport sturdy side handles.
A simple site-built jig made it easy to build this elegant outdoor staircase.
These devices tackle common plumbing predicaments without breaking the budget.
Nailing trim through stucco without proper flashing is a recipe for disaster
A modified mat slab saved this cottage from the sea.
Solar water heating has a proven record of cutting energy costs. Here's what you need to know to help customers choose the right system.
A pressure pot is the best way to apply this low-VOC finish
Sculptural steel columns and beams turned a two-car garage into a two-story living space
A good plan and shop-made parts simplify this classy detail.
Use this preconstruction checklist to head off trouble before the job starts.
Layering drywall is a simple way to dress up an otherwise boring surface.
What we found while tromping the aisles of K/BIS 2005.
To fend off rot, treat wood with borates and epoxy coatings, keep jambs and sills elevated, and provide ventilation wherever you can.
Ownership can reduce your dependence on subs and create new sources of revenue, but be sure to consider all the costs.
This carpenter-friendly design eliminates most of the nail holes.
To simplify the layout, think in terms of a hip roof.
Experience may be the best teacher, but when it comes to matters of job-site safety, sometimes it’s better to learn from someone else’s. Here are 11 cautionary tales from JLC readers.
The ability to communicate in Spanish could become your most valuable job-site tool.
This batten and clip system reduces the slate required to cover the roof by nearly half.
A good fence, versatile controls, and a long base for controlling snipe are key.
Our annual pick of products designed to help you work smarter, faster, and better.
To ensure good adhesion, use an acrylic mortar admix and make sure the faux stones are fully bedded.
Designs, methods, codes, and workmanship all played a role in Florida’s soggy storm experience.
Q. Fixing a Noisy Condo I'm renovating a condominium that shares a wall with the adjoining unit. Sound from the neighboring unit the ringing telephone, the dishwasher, and especially the TV travels right through the double 2x4 common wall, which has fire-rated drywall sheathing on one of the...
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Q. Dealing With a Peeling Floor Finish Recently, I removed wall-to-wall carpeting from an older maple floor finished with (I presume) polyurethane. While the finish had some paint splatters and stains, the flooring itself looked to be in good shape, so I simply scuff-sanded it with a pole sander...
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Q. Compressive Strength Of Cellular PVC Trim What kind of compressive strength do cellular PVC trim products such as Azek have? Can they be safely sandwiched between a supporting column and a bearing beam, for example?
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Q. My son's house has been sitting in 10 feet of water since the levee between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River broke following Hurricane Katrina. He's considering tearing the two-story home down to the studs. I'm wondering if wooden studs sta
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Q. Are Translated Policy Manuals Necessary? I believe an employee policy manual is required for general contractors in California, and employees must sign off on having read it. But many Spanish-speaking workers don't read English. How do contractors hand
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Q. What's the quickest and easiest way to bring a two-wire circuit up to code?
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Q. Is it necessary to use felt paper or Tyvek behind cedar shakes on gable walls that are not heated or cooled?
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Q. What causes nail pops in asphalt roofing shingles? Where I live, in the South, this seems to be a common occurrence. Is this an expansion/contraction problem? Are the wrong kinds of nails being used?
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Q. Do any I-joist manufacturers still use plywood webs? At my local lumberyard, I was told that manufacturers switched from plywood to OSB webs because the plywood tended to delaminate, but I suspect the real reason is that OSB is cheaper. I'd prefer to use plywood I-joists, because I think they'd...
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Q. I'm building a house that has an attached 24-by-24-foot garage with a master suite above. The owner is concerned about fumes getting into the living spaces next to and above the garage. What's the best way to seal out the fumes?
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Q. Many homes in the Dallas area are built on crawlspaces and use LVL beams. Most of these homes have dirt floors but are built to code with regard to crawlspace ventilation. In many cases, I'm finding that the engineered wood is rotting at the point wher
Q. Insulating a Knee Wall What's the best way to insulate a knee wall?
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Q. As a remodeler, I've hung and taped my share of drywall on small jobs, but knee walls and sloped ceilings always give me a problem. I'm never able to get a really straight joint on these irregular inside corners. How do the pros do it?
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Q. How many receptacles can I put on a 15-amp and a 20-amp circuit?
Q. A foundation wall in my customer's two-story home has a 2-inch bow in the middle of its 53-foot length and two stress cracks located 10 feet from either end, all probably caused by backfilling while the concrete was still green. As far as I know, no re
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Q. The last time I was asked to remove wallpaper and repaint the wall, much of the paper facing on the sheetrock underneath came off, too, resulting in a lot of extra wall prep. What caused this, and what's the best way to prepare drywall for a wallcoveri
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Q. My company installs prefinished millwork in a commercial environment, so we rely heavily on MDF-veneered products. Is there a fastener we can use in our pneumatic nailers that will prevent or at least minimize the "mushroom" that occurs when the fasten
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Q: Is it possible that a post-tensioned garage slab could literally buckle in half when the tendons are tensioned, or does rebar in the slab prevent that from happening? Also, why are these types of slabs so common in Las Vegas? Is it because of the soil?