May 2020 Table of Contents

Features
A Framer's Guide to Shear Wall Construction A Framer's Guide to Shear Wall Construction

Tim Uhler explains how he builds braced walls that will meet code in seismic and high wind zones. Read more

Cutting a Big Hole in a Brick Wall Cutting a Big Hole in a Brick Wall

How Jake Lewandowski and his crew shored up and expanded a door opening in a brick veneer block wall. Read more

Training the Trades
Replacing a Rot-damaged Window Casing Replacing a Rot-damaged Window Casing

Instead of installing exterior window trim one piece at a time, it’s more efficient to preassemble a 'trim kit'—and install it as a unit. Read more

On The Job
Exterior Molding Repairs That Last Exterior Molding Repairs That Last

Clients that own historic homes are often proud of the exterior details. Restoration carpenter Tom O’Brien explains how to make them last. Read more

Prepping an Old Bathroom Floor For New Tile Prepping an Old Bathroom Floor For New Tile

How two Maine builders remediated sagging floor joists in a century-old structure for a new tile finish. Read more

Efficient, Squeak-Free Stairs Efficient, Squeak-Free Stairs

How to build well-crafted, rock-solid stairs on site that rival the quality of pre-fabricated units. Read more

Business
Job Pricing Blunders Job Pricing Blunders

A hard look at how construction business owners often fail in how they price jobs. Read more

Energy
Insulating Parapets and Balconies Insulating Parapets and Balconies

In New York City, balconies and parapets now require continuous insulation. Here's how one architect is tackling that tricky detail. Read more

Q&A
The Secret to Painting Mitered Casing Q&A The Secret to Painting Mitered Casing

Expert painter Scott Burt breaks down how to avoid brush marks when painting tricky miter joints. Read more

S-Traps vs. P-Traps S-Traps vs. P-Traps

One of them is prone to siphoning off, which allows sewer gas to escape through the drain pipes. Do you know which one to avoid? Read more

Tools
A Primo Cordless 12-Inch Miter Saw A Primo Cordless 12-Inch Miter Saw

Mark Clement checks out Milwaukee’s new M18 Fuel dual bevel 12-inch sliding compound miter saw. Read more

Backfill
Review: ‘The Remodeling Life’ Review: ‘The Remodeling Life’

The biggest obstacles to growth are often the limitations of the business owner. Read more

Products
Floating Floor System Floating Floor System

Daltile’s RevoTile system adapts the company’s porcelain tile offerings to a new floating floor system designed to reduce installation time. Read more

Thin, Lightweight Brick Thin, Lightweight Brick

Made from real fired clay, the product can be installed nearly anywhere, including on vaulted ceilings, as fireplace facings, and for backsplashes. Read more

Tankless Water Heater With Scale Prevention Tankless Water Heater With Scale Prevention

A.O. Smith designed its new line of gas/propane tankless water heaters to eliminate the need for regular scale-related maintenance. Read more

Energy-Efficient Radon Fan Energy-Efficient Radon Fan

Installers can adjust the fan speed on Fantech's new Rn2EC to accommodate different soil types. Read more

Composite Board Cladding Composite Board Cladding

Trex Cladding is derived from square-edge Trex Transcend deck boards. Read more

Compact Polyurethane Foam Compact Polyurethane Foam

A low-pressure, low-density, two-component spray polyurethane foam from Icynene-LaPolla for contractors looking to complete touch-ups on the job. Read more

One-Man Hole Digger One-Man Hole Digger

If you're tired of digging post holes by hand, check out this 1.3-horsepower auger. Read more

Wood-Grain Top Rails Wood-Grain Top Rails

Feeney is offering a wood look in a powder-coat finish to top off its cable railing systems. Read more

Bidet Toilet and Seats Bidet Toilet and Seats

Customizable features include nozzle position, water temperature, seat temperature, and spray strength. Read more

Vertical Cable Railing Vertical Cable Railing

Preassembled sections with pretensioned steel cables speed up installation. Read more

Multipurpose Roof Tape Multipurpose Roof Tape

IKO GoldSeam tape is designed to prevent ice and water infiltration as well as rodent and insect infestation. Read more

Concrete Repair Epoxy Concrete Repair Epoxy

Simpson Strong-Tie’s new line of structural epoxy products can be applied at a wide range of temperatures. Read more

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