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
A high-tech floor coating, slat wall, and cabinets transform a single-car garage in three days. Read more
Laying a Flagstone Terrace
For a smooth surface, cut the stones to fit and float them into place. Read more
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
This quick, accurate method prevents problems with the framing and finishes that follow. Read more
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 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: 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: 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
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
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
Water filtration; towel warmers Read more
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
