Building a Coffered Ceiling
Gary Striegler explains how prefabricating the paneled sections on the floor speeded the installation of this elegant ceiling. Read more
Designing Accessible Kitchens
Start with ADA guidelines, but base your kitchen designs on the actual needs and capabilities of your client. Read more
Installing a ScapeWel
This oversized window well adds emergency egress, light, and ventilation to basement living spaces. Read more
Insulating Unvented Attics With Spray Foam
Closed-cell polyurethane foam provides the insulation, air barrier, and vapor retarder necessary for an unvented attic assembly. Read more
Using an Airless Paint Sprayer
Look for equipment that will move the heaviest coating you're likely to use. Read more
In the News
Unions sue feds over safety gear; Lennar demands givebacks; energy efficiency earns tax credit; more Read more
Q&A
Do Brick-Veneer Weeps Need Screens?
If the wall behind the veneer is detailed properly, critters shouldn't be able to get into the house. Read more
How to Repair a Stained Plaster Ceiling
The fix can be easy or hard depending on the type of coating on the ceiling and on its texture. Read more
Q: My clients want to update their bathroom by installing new tile over an existing tiled tub surround. The old tile is in good shape, but it stops about 18 inches from the ceiling; my clients want their new tile to completely cover the walls and ceiling. Read more
Preventing Condensation Under Basement Flooring
There are products you can use to retrofit new flooring to an existing slab; if the slab is new, sub-slab insulation and a vapor barrier are still your best bets. Read more
You're looking at an invitation to bid, complete with plans and specs. It would be a big job for you — very profitable. Read more
Going green; ovens Read more
Backfill
On Assignment in Iraq
Contractor Rob O'Brien is an active-duty Marine. In August 2005, when he learned he was to be deployed to Iraq, he fully expected to participate in some of the riskier support operations his unit would be performing from its base in Al Anbar Province. Read more
