Installing

Tips from a renovation contractor, from his book Renovating Old Houses  by George Nash

Five steps, four hours, one window, zero mess by Rick Arnold

Made from cast concrete, so-called phony stone is good looking, affordable and easy to work with, but best of all, gravity is not required by Vladimir Popovac

Blown in behind the drywall, high-density cellulose air-seals as it insulates by Fred Lugano

Assembled with regular building skills, ICFs form airtight, insulating concrete walls that finish with standard materials by Andy Engel

Get it at the right height and make sure it's fastened to the framing; someone's life may depend on it by Sebastian Eggert

Lay out the curved plates with a trammel, then use them as a bending form for laminated trim by Spencer Horn

A belt sander will be your best friend when fitting factory-made laminate countertops to wavy walls by Steve Morris

An earthy alternative to the cold, austere look of marble, limestone is easy to work with and maintain by Tom Meehan

by Thor Matteson

A full-scale drawing reduces the chance of error by Carl Hagstrom

How to fit and fasten cabinets to wavy walls and floors by Tom Law

How to keep the sheets flat and the seams to a minimum by Charles Wardell

by Steve Becker