Rookie framers always get stuck with the worst work, like cutting out doorplates and knocking down braces. They also get stuck doing work that's just plain miserable, like nailing off joist hangers. Anyone who's ever been sent into the dungeon to back-nail hangers knows what I'm talking about: trying to drive tiny nails in a confined space over your head. Pneumatic nailer manufacturers, however, seem to have heard our prayers (and curses), and are building tools that make the task of installing framing hardware faster and easier. More
Long before I became a builder, I used gasoline-powered portable cut-off saws in the Air Force for crash and rescue recovery work to cut through automobile and airplane wreckage and buildings. I left the Air Force long ago, but not the saws. Now I build homes in Santa Fe, N.M., and work with as much adobe, concrete, stucco, and re-bar as I-joists and OSB. My Air Force experience gave me a real appreciation for these tools, so anytime I have to cut concrete, masonry, or steel I reach for one. It also showed me that nobody in their right mind would look forward to using them?they're loud, expensive, and incredibly messy, whether wet cutting or dry. But when it comes to cutting tough materials, they're also the best tools for the job. More
I spent most of my career framing with solid-sawn lumber before the more stable, denser, and stronger engineered stuff started sliding off the truck. Now, my company, Framing Square in Albuquerque, N.M., works with engineered products all the time–laminated strand lumber (LSL), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), parallel strand lumber (PSL), and oriented strand board (OSB) to name a few. And sometimes we run into a problem working with them: Our air tools can't sink 12d nails in the tough stuff. I didn't spend big bucks on compressors and nailers so that my guys and I would be out there swinging our hammers, too. More
Getting framers to tool-test wormdrive saws is like convincing kids to eat ice... More
Q: I'm in the process of renovating a home with traditional louvered shutters. Some of them need to have the tilt rod replaced, but I'm not sure how best to reattach the staples that connect the individual louvers to the rod. Is there a special tool that can be used to squeeze the staples in place? More
I grew up on the jobsite,' says third-generation builder Kristin Beall of Mount... More
Should rebar be added to a garage slab that spans a utility trench, or should the... More
Q. I'm in discussions with an architect regarding the pros and cons of using Grace Ice and Water Shield or a similar membrane material as a housewrap. These materials are more expensive than Tyvek or 15# felt but can't be beat when it comes to the wind-driven rain we get here in the Florida Panhandle. My architect has cited Paul Fisette's articles on felt, housewraps, and flashings as his reason for requiring felt ("Making Walls Watertight," 12/95; "Housewrap vs. Felt," 11/98). But Paul Fisette works in a "heating" climate, not a "cooling" climate like ours. Would he recommend different details for a hot, humid climate? More
Q. I'm building a custom home for clients who have asthma and allergies. What building details should I pay particular attention to? More
