Carbon monoxide poisons nearly 5,000 Americans every year. While national building codes do not yet require CO detectors in residential construction, many state and municipal codes do. Here’s what you need to know to select and install the right detector. Read more
A long-time stair builder shows how to use a full-scale drawing to lay out rails, newels, and balusters quickly and accurately every time. Read more
When it comes to price versus performance, no one type of insulation is right for every situation. An insulation contractor explains how to use batts, blown insulation, and spray-in-place foams to best advantage. Read more
Let’s face it: Carpenters hate paperwork. But solid information from the field is essential to a company’s success. A veteran remodeler explains his system for teaching car-penters to take care of business on the job site. Read more
Exposed concrete slabs don’t have to look dull and gray. Here’s how to use dyes and stains, stamped patterns, and exposed aggregate to create an attractive and durable finished slab. Read more
Hitting a vein of potable water is half science and half luck — and there are no guarantees. A rural housing specialist tells how to make sure you’re getting a fair shake from your well driller. Read more
New low-density spray foam insulation, ADA seminars offered, buying lumber on the Internet Read more
Standby Hot Water, No Circulating Pump Needed
There is a simple way to provide "instant" hot water to a second-floor bathroom sink by installing a return hot-water line to a water heater in the basement. Read more
Q: Most sheathing manufacturers recommend that panels be spaced at the edges and ends. Since panels measure a full 4x8 feet, the only way I’ve been able to provide this spacing (and maintain standard joist and stud layout) is by trimming the ends and edges of the sheathing panels. Why don’t manufacturers size the panels 47 7/8 by 95 7/8 inches? Read more
Q&A: Cupping Clapboards Over Foam Sheathing
Q: We were recently called in to make siding repairs on a five-year-old home. The wall system consisted of 1/2x6-inch beveled cedar siding fastened over 1-inch foil-faced polyisocyanurate foam, 2x4 studs with R-11 unfaced fiberglass batts, and an interior poly vapor barrier covered by 1/2-inch drywall. The siding was cupped towards the interior of the building, and the stain originally applied to the siding was peeling off in many areas. When we removed the siding, there was no visible moisture on the back. What could have caused the siding to fail, and how can the problem be corrected? Read more
Designing for children Read more
Partnership vs. incorporation Read more
Preventing buckling in columns Read more
Cutting hvac costs Read more
Simple bay window for the kitchen sink Read more
Low-temperature paint, mahogany-veneered glulams, antivibration gloves, prefab job-site office Read more
Portable panel saw Read more