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Hidden Doors, Secret Rooms, and the Hardware that makes it possible!
5 commentsEveryone loves a house with hidden door or secret rooms, but these are tricky details to pull off successfully. Here are a few of my recent projects with hidden doors and my favorite hardware to accomplish these works of craftsmanship.
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Insulating an Advanced-Framed House - A Hybrid Approach
10 commentsInsulation advertisements would lead you to believe there products are perfect for every situation. In fact a hybrid approach is more likely to yield the high performance home I'm after. See this video to see how I used three types of insulation on this new Advanced Framed House I'm building in Austin Texas. -Matt Risinger
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Bargain ERV for Hot Climates - Panasonic's Whisper Comfort Review
In our Hot Humid Texas climate an ERV does a great job of bringing in Fresh Air but rejecting the humidity (Energy) that typically comes with that air. Panasonic's bargain priced ERV is a great choice for fresh air in our climate.
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Texas Deep-Energy Retrofit Remodel
When you hear about a deep energy retrofit project most people think of the snowy North Eastern US. I can tell you that the strategy for a Northern remodel with energy efficiency in mind is very different that our strategy for Hot/Humid Texas. In this video I'll show you 6 things we are doing to making a dramatic difference in this 1950's slab on grade house's energy bills.
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Flashing A Recessed Window using Liquid Tyvek
1 commentFlashing a recessed window is tricky, this new product from DuPont Tyvek called Fluid Applied (Liquid Tyvek!) makes the process much simpler. In this jobsite video we will take you through the steps to form a water tight, air tight, and vapor permeable window install.
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Hot Water Without Wasting Cold - Metlund D'Mand Pump
How long does it take for your faucet to get hot water? As you wait for that hot water a typical faucet might dump 1-2 gallons of water down the drain. The solution for this problem is a smart circulation pump. Metlund makes a great system to deliver how water to your faucets without waste.
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How To Work With TimberStrand Headers
Window & door headers are typically a large source of thermal bridging. In this video I'll show you how to frame with TimberStrand engineered headers and easily achieve a well-insulated & very strong header.
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How To Prevent Termite Infestion - Using Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel, what builder doesn't love using SS? Check out this video on how to use SS Termite Barriers for a lifetime of protection for Slab Foundations.
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"I can't install this" - Poka-Yoke on the job site
5 commentsHow do you prevent job site mistakes? The Japanese Management Technique of Poka-Yoke of course! See how I use this principle on my jobs to ensure we don't cover up a mistake that could cause problems years down the line. -Matt Risinger
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Building A Modern Craftsman Staircase
4 commentsBuilding an exposed stringer staircase with reclaimed Long Leaf Pine is the job for a Master Carpenter. See my carpenter Darryl build this modern detailed staircase in a 1920's house my company remodeled.
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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
