August 2007 Table of Contents

Features
Building an Energy-Efficient Spec House Building an Energy-Efficient Spec House

Going beyond Energy Star measures can earn a federal tax credit and produce a more comfortable home. Read more

Dressing Up The Garage Dressing Up The Garage

A high-tech floor coating, slat wall, and cabinets transform a single-car garage in three days. Read more

Laying a Flagstone Terrace Laying a Flagstone Terrace

For a smooth surface, cut the stones to fit and float them into place. Read more

Planning for Safety Planning for Safety

By setting up a company safety program, you can prevent injuries, improve efficiency, and maybe even save money. Read more

Plumbing and Straightening Walls Plumbing and Straightening Walls

This quick, accurate method prevents problems with the framing and finishes that follow. Read more

Letters
Letters

Open-cell foam in unvented attics; code clarification; bees in brick; Alaska energy code Read more

News
In the News In the News

New fact sheet on Hispanic immigrants; loyal clients help umberyard rally after fire; worker injured in scaffold accident; more Read more

Q & A
Q&A Stopping Condensation Behind Knee Walls

Q: A house we built about eight years ago here in Tennessee has ductwork running through the space behind the upstairs knee walls. The exterior side of the framing has been developing condensation, but only in extremely cold weather. There are no vents in Read more

Q&A Does a Bathroom Fan/Light/Heater Unit Require a Separate Circuit?

Q: Can a fan/light/heater unit be placed on the same circuit as the bathroom's required 20-amp receptacles, or does it require its own separate circuit? Read more

Q&A Will Radiant Heat Melt a Wax Ring?

Q: My company has been contracted to build a new bathroom. Plans include a tile floor installed over a radiant-heated slab. Will the heat generated by the hydronic tubing embedded in the slab cause problems with the wax seal between the toilet and the dra Read more

Business
Save Time With a Lead Sheet Business Save Time With a Lead Sheet

The first estimate my company ever produced was for a basement remodel. I spent an hour driving back and forth to the prospective client's house, two hours talking to her, and then several more hours doing a detailed estimate. Read more

Legal
The Minuses of Cost Plus Legal The Minuses of Cost Plus

My observation has been that customers like cost-plus contracts. Even though a cost-plus job and a fixed-price one cost the same — in theory. Read more

Kitchen & Bath
Kitchen & Bath

Water filtration; towel warmers Read more

Products
Products

Paints & coatings; builders' hardware Read more

Toolbox
Toolbox Toolbox

Makita 5377MG hypoid saw; demolition; measuring Read more

Backfill
A Master at Work Backfill A Master at Work

Watching from a distance as Fred Sprinkle quickly set pilings with his excavator, I had the impression he was handling much smaller sticks of wood. Read more

Close X