March 2008 Table of Contents

Features
Creating a Curved Coffered Ceiling Creating a Curved Coffered Ceiling

In this JLC Classic, Gary Katz breaks down how he and his brother installed a coffered ceiling in a barrel vault. Read more

Dressing Up a Truss Roof Dressing Up a Truss Roof

How stick-frame details can be used with roof trusses to build a home with multiple gables, deep eaves, and exposed rafter tails. Read more

Tool Test: Hardware Nailers Tool Test: Hardware Nailers

Dedicated nail guns that will pay for themselves quickly. Read more

Surviving Tough Times

Take these common-sense steps to help your business weather a slowdown. Read more

Working With Setting Compounds Working With Setting Compounds

These versatile joint compounds are ideal for small jobs, quick repairs, and tough field conditions. Read more

Building With Precast Concrete Panels Building With Precast Concrete Panels

Produce industrial-strength energy-efficient homes with hollow-core planks and precast wall panels. Read more

Letters
Letters Letters

Building fire-resistive eaves; drywall butt joints and code; making arched panel molding Read more

News
In the News In the News

Nail prices spike; remodeler and homeowner spar over found money; carbon monoxide kills worker; more Read more

Q & A
Fixing a Leak in a Stucco Wall Fixing a Leak in a Stucco Wall

Don't assume that it's the stucco itself that's leaking, and don't use elastomeric paint to solve the problem. Read more

Q&A Finishes for Garages

Q. Are there any code-approved sheathing materials for a garage under a living space other than the typical 5/8-inch drywall? My clients complain that drywall doesn't hold up well in our environment, so I'm wondering if fire-retardant plywood would be a good substitute if the joints are properly prepared. Read more

On the Job
On the Job: ICF Retaining Wall On the Job: ICF Retaining Wall

ICF retaining wall; no-sweat plumbing; overhead lift trailer Read more

Business
The True Cost of Labor Business The True Cost of Labor

How much does an hour of labor really cost your business? Read more

Legal
How to Reduce the Risk of Mold Claims Legal How to Reduce the Risk of Mold Claims

Mold has been around for millennia, but in recent years public concern about its presence in homes and buildings has metastasized into near hysteria. This has spawned a legal atmosphere in which it's relatively easy for unscrupulous owners to fabricate huge mold lawsuits against contractors. Read more

Kitchen & Bath
Kitchen & Bath

Kitchen sinks; bathtubs Read more

Products
Products Products

Gutters; hardwood flooring Read more

Toolbox
Fluke 566 Infrared Thermometer Toolbox Fluke 566 Infrared Thermometer

If several thousand dollars for an IR camera isn't in this year's tool budget, consider an infrared thermometer like the Fluke 566. Read more

Bacharach Telescopic Mirror Set Toolbox Bacharach Telescopic Mirror Set

For my money, small telescopic mirrors are among the most useful inspection tools out there. Read more

Flir Systems BCAM SD Infrared Camera Toolbox Flir Systems BCAM SD Infrared Camera

One of the most important diagnostic tools in the building-forensics toolbox is an infrared camera. Read more

Greenlee Fish Stix Toolbox Greenlee Fish Stix

Still using that curly steel fish tape? Try the sectional fiberglass rods now favored by electricians and telecom contractors. Read more

Toolbox Custom Truck-Bed Tool Storage

Like many tradespeople, I'd always lusted for a shiny new work truck with utility-bed locking boxes. Read more

Porter-Cable 371 Compact Belt Sander Toolbox Porter-Cable 371 Compact Belt Sander

There are few things more satisfying than scribing a piece of trim and having it fit perfectly on the first try. Porter-Cable's 371 belt sander should make such precision scribing a lot easier. Read more

Backfill
Where Have All the A-Frames Gone? Backfill Where Have All the A-Frames Gone?

If human scale is as essential to good design as architects say it is, the classic 1960s A-frame got it just right. You can confirm this by putting a ladder against an interior gable-end wall and climbing until your head is nestled snugly in the peak, as if you were wearing the structure like a dunce cap. Where have all the A-frames gone? Read more

Close X