Copyright (c) 2012 FineHomebuilding.com en-us Fine Homebuilding - "Editor's Notepad" blog entries http://www.finehomebuilding.com/blog/editors-notepad Sat, 26 May 2012 14:43:01 -0500 Fine Homebuilding - "Editor's Notepad" blog entries http://www.finehomebuilding.com/assets/images/cs_logo_sm.jpg http://www.finehomebuilding.com/blog/editors-notepad Wed, 23 May 2012 16:12:00 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23640/sustainable-temporary-stairs http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23640/sustainable-temporary-stairs Posted by ChuckB
New product - temporary stair-system can be re-used over and over. It's safe, elegant and fool-proof. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23640/sustainable-temporary-stairs Tue, 22 May 2012 09:01:52 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23419/how-to-stay-cool-with-a-metal-roof http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23419/how-to-stay-cool-with-a-metal-roof Posted by ScottG
David Martin is thinking about a new roof, and he likes the idea of a standing-seam metal roof. The roofing is durable, recyclable and may actually cut his energy bill. Or will it? ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23419/how-to-stay-cool-with-a-metal-roof Mon, 07 May 2012 13:39:36 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23460/patricks-barn-insulating-with-garbage http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23460/patricks-barn-insulating-with-garbage Posted by patrick_mccombe
Salvaged insulation is both our project's greatest attribute and its greatest headache. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23460/patricks-barn-insulating-with-garbage Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:35:00 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23110/the-trade-offs-of-downsizing http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23110/the-trade-offs-of-downsizing Posted by FHBdotcom
n this "Feedback" article, homeowner Marilyn Widner writes about how she and her husband moved from the 3000-sq.-ft. home where they had lived for 26 years and into a new 800-sq.-ft. cottage in the backyard. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23110/the-trade-offs-of-downsizing Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:32:26 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23008/should-vinyl-siding-be-installed-over-furring-strips http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23008/should-vinyl-siding-be-installed-over-furring-strips Posted by ScottG
As builders and homeowners get more energy-savvy, they often choose an exterior wall assembly that includes rigid foam insulation over the sheathing, followed by furring strips and then the siding. But is this technique appropriate for vinyl siding? ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23008/should-vinyl-siding-be-installed-over-furring-strips Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:23:00 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17609/the-downside-of-using-structural-steel http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17609/the-downside-of-using-structural-steel Posted by ScottG
A Seattle homeowner worries that steel I-beams used to support cantilevered floors in this modernist design will wick in cold temperatures from the outside ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17609/the-downside-of-using-structural-steel Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:45:04 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22840/healthier-kitchen-cabinets-are-comingquietly http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22840/healthier-kitchen-cabinets-are-comingquietly Posted by debsilber
If cabinet manufacturers are making healthier cabinets, why aren't we hearing more about it? ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22840/healthier-kitchen-cabinets-are-comingquietly Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:03:59 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22680/timber-framing-fundamentals-a-book-review http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22680/timber-framing-fundamentals-a-book-review Posted by ChuckB
A 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. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22680/timber-framing-fundamentals-a-book-review Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:07:06 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22449/how-to-live-with-radiant-floor-heat http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22449/how-to-live-with-radiant-floor-heat Posted by ScottG
Radiant-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. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22449/how-to-live-with-radiant-floor-heat Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:46:46 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22344/patricks-barn-its-not-just-a-barn-its-a-hands-on-lifestyle http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22344/patricks-barn-its-not-just-a-barn-its-a-hands-on-lifestyle Posted by patrick_mccombe
With spring upon us, a new garden takes priority. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22344/patricks-barn-its-not-just-a-barn-its-a-hands-on-lifestyle Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:48:52 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17892/a-new-roof-is-an-opportunity-to-add-more-insulation http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17892/a-new-roof-is-an-opportunity-to-add-more-insulation Posted by ScottG
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 ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17892/a-new-roof-is-an-opportunity-to-add-more-insulation Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:35:55 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22452/whats-the-best-way-to-install-rainscreen-siding http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22452/whats-the-best-way-to-install-rainscreen-siding Posted by ScottG
A builder planning a new house plans to include a rainscreen, an exterior detail that separates the sheathing from the finish cladding with furring strips. He'd like to install the furring horizontally instead of in the more typical vertical orientation. Is that a problem? ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22452/whats-the-best-way-to-install-rainscreen-siding Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:00:49 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/16348/how-to-store-solar-energy-under-a-concrete-slab http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/16348/how-to-store-solar-energy-under-a-concrete-slab Posted by ScottG
Some builders have successfully experimented with storing heat in a thick layer of sand under a slab and using the insulated thermal mass for heat. But skeptics still think the idea is mostly hot air. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/16348/how-to-store-solar-energy-under-a-concrete-slab Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:31:15 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22305/heres-how-to-do-a-pour-in-place-concrete-countertop http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22305/heres-how-to-do-a-pour-in-place-concrete-countertop Posted by ChuckB
A great video from concrete pro Buddy Rhodes shows a better way to form and pour a counter top in place. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22305/heres-how-to-do-a-pour-in-place-concrete-countertop Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:40:14 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22229/patricks-barn-wrapping-up-the-exterior http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22229/patricks-barn-wrapping-up-the-exterior Posted by patrick_mccombe
It took a little longer than expected, but the barn's shell is nearly finished. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22229/patricks-barn-wrapping-up-the-exterior Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:11:58 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22091/patricks-barn-the-dirt-cheap-high-r-building http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22091/patricks-barn-the-dirt-cheap-high-r-building Posted by patrick_mccombe
Salvaged polyiso and a prograde foam gun make a supercheap, energy-efficient wall. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22091/patricks-barn-the-dirt-cheap-high-r-building Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:00:57 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22046/cool-stuff-from-the-builders-show-day-2 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22046/cool-stuff-from-the-builders-show-day-2 Posted by patrick_mccombe
I’m continuing my quest for the best new stuff at IBS 2012. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22046/cool-stuff-from-the-builders-show-day-2 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:50:19 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22033/cool-stuff-from-the-builders-show-day-1 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22033/cool-stuff-from-the-builders-show-day-1 Posted by patrick_mccombe
Walking the show floor reveals some clever new products. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22033/cool-stuff-from-the-builders-show-day-1 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:12:34 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22021/dewalt-debuts-brushless-motors http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22021/dewalt-debuts-brushless-motors Posted by patrick_mccombe
DeWalt shows off some cool new tools at a press event timed to coincide with the International Builders' Show. ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22021/dewalt-debuts-brushless-motors Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:48:38 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/18022/protecting-a-sips-roof-from-decay http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/18022/protecting-a-sips-roof-from-decay Posted by ScottG
Structural insulated panels do an excellent job of keeping energy losses to a minimum, but they're also susceptible to moisture damage unless detailed correctly ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/18022/protecting-a-sips-roof-from-decay