Framing the First-Floor Deck
The work goes faster if you use a laser, install anchor straps instead of anchor bolts, and measure as little as possible. Read more
Solution for a Common Brick Veneer Problem
When you can't support brick veneer on a masonry foundation, code allows you to use steel angles bolted to the framing - with strict limitations. Read more
Q: Can you skim-coat plaster over regular drywall? If not, is there a way to prep standard drywall so that a veneer plaster finish can be applied over it? Read more
Q: I live in northern coastal California, in the heart of the redwoods. We're currently remodeling a simple structure (in a highly visible town-square location) into an elaborately detailed storefront, in keeping with the surrounding 1880s architecture. While all the vintage storefronts (and their framing) are constructed of old-growth redwood, we would like to use modern alternatives — such as engineered products — that would be more environmentally responsible. Since the exterior will be painted, the panels, columns, and crown and detail moldings can be built with any product that will withstand our moist climate. Do you have any recommendations? Read more
Q: There's a framing rule of thumb I've used for years that says it's okay to offset a second-story bearing wall from the first-story bearing wall below, as long as you don't offset it by more than the depth of the joist. We use this rule for standard dimensional lumber, but would it also apply to wood I-joists? Read more
Business
No More Bids: Switching to Negotiated Contracts
I used to run my business the way most contractors do: I'd visit potential clients, review the plans their architects had drawn, agree to bid against a group of other contractors, and then spend 10 to 100 hours estimating the work. Read more
Legal
Managing Material Costs With an Escalation Clause
When lumber prices skyrocket and your contracts become potential money-losers, you need a strategy for staying solvent. Read more
Countertops; kitchen faucets Read more
Backfill
Straw-Bale Vault
It's not every day that a world-famous artist asks you to design and build a retreat honoring the work of Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy — in highly seismic Joshua Tree, Calif., to boot. Read more
