Avoiding Problems With Spray Foam
To make sure you’re getting a good spray-foam installation, choose a certified contractor and run regular material tests. Read more
When the going gets tough, the tough spend more on marketing. Read more
Shoring Up a Sagging Floor
Manny Silva explains his methodical approach to installing Lally columns. Read more
Adding a Point Load to a Post-Tensioned Concrete Slab
If it's necessary to cut through the slab to pour a pad footing for a column, make sure you don't sever one of the slab's tendons. Read more
Are Mountain-Climbing Harnesses Okay On the Jobsite?
A long-time rock climber wonders if his climbing harnesses can also be used for job-site fall protection. Read more
When to Use a Heat-Pump Water Heater
Q: A customer wants me to install one of the new heat-pump water heaters in the ground-floor utility room of a house built on a slab. I don't have any direct experience with them, but since they work by drawing heat from the surrounding air, won't any energy savings in the winter be at least partly offset by the cost of heating that indoor air to begin with? And could the outflow of cool air from the utility room cause comfort problems? Read more
Frost Protection for an Existing Foundation
How a Pennsylvania contractor retrofitted the shallow foundation of a three-season sunroom with rigid foam insulation before converting it to fully conditioned living space. Read more
Quick Folding Chop-Saw Stand
I hate it when I go to a job site and see some carpenter trying to cut a long molding while his $800 miter saw is balanced on a piece of drywall set on a plastic trash can. Read more
Using Save-and-Sync for Backup and More
Online backup systems like Carbonite and MozyPro do a great job of protecting your data from a catastrophic loss, but that's about all they're good for. Read more
Hard Rock
Compared with standard drywall, ToughRock Gypsum Board is less likely to crack, sag, or absorb moisture, the maker says. Read more
Polymer Roof Underlayment
Surround SR Underlayment is a waterproof synthetic polymer that’s 40 percent lighter than 30-pound roofing felt — as well as more durable and slip-resistant and less prone to tearing, says the maker. Read more
Durable Doors
Nantucket Collection solid wood exterior doors are built to withstand whatever nature throws at them, says the manufacturer. Read more
No-Leak Membrane for Concrete Footings
The Delta Footing Barrier is a three-ply impermeable membrane that goes on top of freshly poured footings before the foundation is built. Read more
Electronic Sump Pump Switch
LevelGuard is a submersible electronic sump pump switch designed to replace a mechanical float. Read more
Filter and Softener
The Kenmore Elite Hybrid Water Softener does more than soften water and prevent scale buildup in fixtures and appliances. Read more
One-Piece Bath Vent Fan
The company best-known for making silent remote-mounted ventilation products now offers a lineup of conventional bath fans. Read more
Simplified Rough-In Box For Tubs and Showers
The new GrohFlex universal valve system uses a one-size-fits-all rough-in box to serve a wide variety of tub and shower fixtures. Read more
Light and Stiff
Easi-Lite gypsum board weighs up to 30 percent less than standard gypsum board and has a high-strength core that allows it to span 24-inch on-center ceiling joists without sagging, says CertainTeed. Read more
High-Class Mud
-777 Premier All Purpose Ready Mix Joint Compound may not be a household name, but its maker says it contains less air than better-known products and yields more working time with less tool drag. Read more
Double-Duty Stapler
Arrow’s new T50elite is a manual tacker that fires 1-inch brads as well as 9/16-inch staples. Read more
Ergonomic Jigsaw
The M12 Cordless High Performance Jigsaw is one of the newest entries in Milwaukee’s M12 lithium-ion line, which now contains more than 30 tools. Read more
Miter Finder
Don’t let its Rube Goldbergian appearance fool you: The Bora Angle Master is basically a T-bevel that determines both angle and miter settings. Read more
Large Pneumatic Compressors to Go
Jenny Products recently introduced four skid-mounted air compressors — two single-stage and two double-stage. Read more
The Music of the Spheres
Spherical buildings present some obvious practical challenges. But because a sphere provides the largest possible interior volume per unit of surface area, the form has long fascinated designers and architects, and quite a few reasonably successful spherical structures have actually been built. Read more
