November 2011 Table of Contents

A veteran stairbuilder explains his technique for making tight glue joints in any curved millwork. Read more

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, I supervised residential insulation projects in central Vermont while working with a couple of regional agencies. Read more

Proper flashing and a solid base of pressure-treated lumber and cellular PVC promise long life Read more

With a few specialized tools and techniques, you can cost-effectively hang drywall by yourself. Read more

Reinforcing wood with steel; economics of attic insulation Read more

Regulators consider new table-saw safety standard; repair guidelines for tainted drywall updated; New Jersey framer fined for fall-protection violations; more Read more

I do quite a bit of siding rehab work, much of it on relatively new houses. Read more

This month I want to talk about one of the most important aspects of a purchasing system: the ability to accurately capture, manage, and minimize unwanted job-cost variances. Read more

When I need a powerful gap-filling adhesive, I reach for a can of polyurethane foam. Touch 'n Seal is hoping roofers will do the same. Read more

Titebond says its new fast-drying PVA formulation for interior trim carpentry eases the hassle of assembling vertical joints. Read more

Endura's FrameSaver Door Frame is solid wood except for a 4-inch-long piece of composite finger-jointed to the bottom; this material, the maker says, is impervious to rot and insects and doesn't wick moisture. Read more

Dacor recently introduced a scaled-down version of its Distinctive Gas Cooktop. Read more

Homeowners who have difficulty reaching items on high shelves or bending down for low ones might appreciate the AutoPantry, a vertical closet carousel that brings everything within reach at the push of a button. Read more

Whirlpool's Resource Saver Double Oven Range fits two separate ovens inside the footprint of a standard-size range, for a total capacity of 6.7 cubic feet. Read more

Masonite says its new Safe 'N Sound Interior Doors are milled from a low-density fiberboard (called DorCor) that uses renewable wheat straw as its primary raw material. Read more

FlatWire is a paper-thin copper wire approved for use in low-voltage lighting, audio, video, voice, and data applications. Read more

Miele's stainless steel Telescopic Downdraft Hood tucks away beneath the countertop until it's needed, at which point it pops up with the touch of button, topping out at 14 inches above the cooking surface. Read more

The QMotion may look like a simple pull-down shade, but a motor and battery pack are concealed inside its roller tube. Read more

Not everyone relishes the challenge of coping and mitering crown molding. Read more

Adhesive tile mats - self-adhesive sheets with peel-off liners on both sides - allow you to fasten tile to surfaces without dipping a trowel in a bucket of glue. Read more

The older I get, the more I tend to favor smaller and lighter power tools that are easy to move around the job site. Read more

For folks who live in a northern climate, the hardest part of any winter workday is that gut-check moment when you turn off your truck's heater and trudge out into the cold. Read more

The Handle on Demand (HOD) uses suction to provide a convenient handhold on any nonporous surface. Read more

The EZ Shear SST is designed to cut wood, vinyl, and fiber-cement siding products silently, without electricity and without kicking up a cloud of dust. Read more

Unlike other snap-blade knives, Tajima’s Driver Cutter has a stiff tip on the front edge of the blade sleeve that can be used to drive slotted screws, remove staples, or pry open paint-can lids. Read more

With the new DSH-FSC Gas Saw Floor Cart, users of handheld gas saws can make precision cuts that would otherwise require a bulky, walk-behind saw, Hilti says. Read more

A remodeler encountering a layer of Cabot's Quilt inside an old building might mistake it for the tattered remnants of a Hawaiian grass skirt -- hastily stuffed into a wall, perhaps, during a police raid of some Prohibition-era costume party. Read more