Practical Engineering: Building Strong Garage Door Walls
Not enough room for a full sheet of sheathing on each side of the garage door? Here's how to develop the required lateral bracing with end panels as narrow as 16 inches. Read more
A Curved Porch on a Grand Scale
A Rhode Island builder uses an I-joist layout grid to ensure accurate layout of the column piers for a complex porch. Read more
Gypsum-Board Firewalls
A multifamily builder finds that gypsum-board area separation walls have some important advantages over traditional masonry walls. Read more
Laser measuring devices can make once impossible measurements routine, simplify calculating square footage and surface area, and perform useful geometric functions. A veteran remodeler tests five of the most popular tools on the market. Read more
Protecting Existing Finishes
A high-end remodeler describes his simple system for protecting existing surfaces and new work with hardboard, tape, plastic sheeting, and other inexpensive materials. Read more
Painting Q&A
There's more to a lasting paint job than choosing a color. Two experts answer builders' questions about how to make sure the paint sticks. Read more
In the News
Wood and steel prices, prosecuting unintentional code violations, slimmed-down energy bill, using tires in septic fields Read more
Q. Fiber-cement siding comes primed. Can I go straight to a top coat? What's the best paint to use? Read more
Q. I am renovating a barn where the existing concrete floor slopes approximately 6 inches in 30 feet. The architect wants me to build a level floor using wood sleepers with foam insulation in between, then pour a minimum 11/2-inch-thick radiant slab betwe Read more
Q&A
Strengthening Garage Door Walls
Q. Can anyone explain the actual technical concern and reason that new building codes are requiring specific structural improvements on garage door "lug walls" (the short walls next to the garage door opening)? Read more
Design
Fitting the Main Stair to the Entry
All stairs, from the humblest flight of cellar stairs to the most elegant curved entryway stairs, share the same broad functional requirements: to provide safe and comfortable passage from one level of a house to another. Read more
Legal
When a Sub Is Injured on Your Job
What's your liability when a sub is injured on your job? Read more
Bath fittings; lighting Read more
