Every year, product and tool manufacturers vie for your attention with the latest, greatest releases guaranteed to help you work faster, better, cheaper. Here’s our pick for 2001. Read more
Installing Central Vac
Central vac is gaining in popularity, both in new homes and remodels. Here are the rules to follow for trouble-free installations, from experts of 20 years’ experience. Read more
Making Brick Repairs Disappear
Initial foundation settlement can leave vertical cracks in brick veneer cladding, which, though ugly, pose no structural problem. A North Carolina builder describes how he makes the repairs, using tricks gleaned from masons. Read more
Have Asphalt Shingles Improved?
Eight years ago, JLC took a look at widespread reports of cracking and splitting in fiberglass-mat shingles. In this update, we report how shingle manufacturers have responded to complaints, and how new product standards are making it easier to judge w Read more
A Rhode Island builder tells how teaching free classes in his community brings a stream of prequalified prospective clients. Read more
Q&A: To Pigtail or Not to Pigtail?
Q: I have always thought that the best way to wire a receptacle is to use a pigtail lead from the supply wires to the receptacle. My electrician prefers to run the supply wires, and also the wires to the downstream receptacles, to the screw terminals at t Read more
Q: A customer wants me to install hickory flooring over radiant heat. Does hickory present any unusual problems in this application, compared to other species? Read more
Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of dense-pack cellulose versus damp-spray cellulose insulation? Read more
Staggering Rafters at the Ridge?
Rafters don't necessarily have to be aligned at the ridge, but it's a good idea. An engineer explains why. Read more
Q: In a heating climate (central New York), I would like to know how to determine whether adding more insulation results in diminishing returns in terms of energy savings. Is there any reason to include more than R-50 insulation in an attic, assuming the Read more
Q: When rebuilding a chimney above the roofline, is it okay to reuse the existing bricks? I have heard that mortar does not stick as well to reused bricks as it does to new bricks. Is this true? Read more
Q: We will be installing ceramic tile flooring in the kitchen of an existing house. The subfloor consists of 1/2-inch plywood over 3/4-inch particleboard (not OSB). The joists are spaced 16-inches on-center. My plan is to install 1/2-inch cementitious bac Read more
Making tall deck posts look less spindly Read more
Screening enquiry calls to find the right customers Read more
Just what is a “foreseeable” delay? Read more
Trade Talk: More New Homes Getting Structured Wiring
Wiring for the future comes to the present Read more
Built-in refrigerator on a budget Read more
The drill doctor comes to call Read more
Builders in the doghouse Read more