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Healthier kitchen cabinets are coming...quietly
2 commentsIf cabinet manufacturers are making healthier cabinets, why aren't we hearing more about it?
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Project House Weekly Wrap, Episode 8: Sweating the Details - Windows, Doors, and Insulation
2 commentsEditors Justin Fink and Dan Morrison review a smorgasbord of details at the Fine Homebuilding project house shop, including a mock up of how not to install fiberglass insulation, and the...
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Building Wood Windows On The Job Site
Nothing says Fine Craftsmanship like a site built wood window. In this video see how my carpentry crew build 5 large windows from Oak, African Mahogany, & Poplar.
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Design snapshot: Provincetown dune shack
2 commentsArchitect Katie Hutchison shares a House Enthusiast "Design snapshot" of a weathered retreat.
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Mounting Deck Ledgers to Floor Trusses
You can't just bolt or screw a deck ledger to open web floor trusses. Follow either the fabricator's detail or one from the SBCA.
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Mounting Deck Ledgers to Engineered Floor Systems
The 2012 IRC ledger attachment schedule only works on house rim joists made of solid-sawn lumber or Douglas fir laminated veneer lumber (LVL). You can’t follow it when mounting deck ledgers to rim joists made of engineered wood products. Instead we have to look to other resources to ensure these connections are made safely.
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Freestanding Decks Solve Ledger Attachment Challenges
Decks were not in the plans when many homes were built, so the framing was not designed to permit easy deck ledger attachment. Many homes framed with wood I-joists and floor trusses, for example...
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The Professor's House
A University of Oregon professor designed her family home to respect its steep, natural setting.
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Model and Measure: De-Mystifying Hip Roof Framing by Measuring in SketchUp
Measuring a modeled hip roof is a foolproof way to measure all the rafters for a complete hip roof. This third of 3 parts shows the process to obtain perfect measurements for rafter layout.
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Timber Framing Fundamentals - A book review
6 commentsA new collection of articles from the Timber Framers' Guild discusses subjects ranging from layout and engineering to joinery, raising and the enclosure of traditional timber frame houses.
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How to Live with Radiant-Floor Heat
2 commentsRadiant-floor heating systems often include concrete slab floors, a combination that should produce steady temperatures without the frequent ups and downs of forced-air systems. But there's a catch: because the slab is slower to respond to changes in temperature, whether to turn down the thermostat at night becomes more than a simple question.
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Project House Weekly Wrap, Episode 7: Story Poles and Other Ways To Get Siding Details Right
2 commentsExecutive editor Dan Morrison and carpenter Chris Green review pitfalls of a complex exterior siding and trim project at the garage workshop and discuss tools and techniques to get the job done...
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High-Tech Brushless Motors Hit the Cordless-Tool Marketplace
3 commentsSweeping changes to power tool technology don't come very often, but there's one coming, and it's brushless motors. We'll help you decide whether they're worth their premium price.
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Design snapshot: Esprit d'espalier
Architect Katie Hutchison shares a House Enthusiast "Design snapshot" of an espaliered, dwarf, pear tree with a barn backdrop.
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Patrick's Barn: It's Not Just a Barn, It's a Hands-on Lifestyle
4 commentsWith spring upon us, a new garden takes priority.
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A New Roof is an Opportunity to Add More Insulation
A homeowner in Baltimore needs to replace the built-up asphalt roof on his house, and wonders how to insulate it effectively at the same time
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Model & Measure: Hip Roof Framing De-Mystified by Modeling in SketchUp
2 commentsModeling hip roof framing components in the digital realm is comparable in complexity to cutting hip rafters on a jobsite. In either case, an understanding of roof geometry along with a handful of helpful hints makes for satisfying results. This tutorial will help de-mystify the process for modeling rafters with SketchUp
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Project House Weekly Wrap, Episode 6: How to Plan Siding Details for Rain Screen Walls
The Fine Homebuilding editors explain why laying out furring strips for shingles and clapboards on their garage shop was such a challenge
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Design snapshot: Pleasing pavers and plantings
2 commentsArchitect Katie Hutchison shares a House Enthusiast "Design snapshot" of a patio pattern.
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How to Clean a Large Paint Roller
10 commentsYou'll feel like a kid again when you use this slick tip for cleaning the messiest of painting tools
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How to Paint Fiber-Cement Siding
Painter Jim Lacey shares some tips for caulking and painting fiber-cement siding. read more

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