Copyright (c) 2013 FineHomebuilding.com en-us Fine Homebuilding - "There's A Better Way - Fine Homebuilding Reader Quick Tips" contest entries http://www.finehomebuilding.com/contest/reader-quick-tips Tue, 21 May 2013 06:21:21 -0500 Fine Homebuilding - "There's A Better Way - Fine Homebuilding Reader Quick Tips" contest entries http://www.finehomebuilding.com/assets/images/cs_logo_sm.jpg http://www.finehomebuilding.com/contest/reader-quick-tips Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:28:16 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28539/questions-to-ask-yourself-and-your-contractor-before-you-build-a-custom-home http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28539/questions-to-ask-yourself-and-your-contractor-before-you-build-a-custom-home Posted by ShafferHomes
If you're considering building a custom home, your head is likely full of questions, like "is this a smart move?"  "Can I afford it?" "How do I find a contractor I can trust?" Building a home can be... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28539/questions-to-ask-yourself-and-your-contractor-before-you-build-a-custom-home Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:22:02 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28507/how-to-and-when-to-remove-potential-property-nuisances http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28507/how-to-and-when-to-remove-potential-property-nuisances Posted by wmyer
As homeowners or potential homeowners, there will come a time when the renovation to the property must begin again. Sometimes these renovations like adding a garage or a second story are planned and... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28507/how-to-and-when-to-remove-potential-property-nuisances Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:37:44 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28334/rollup-bungee-bag http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28334/rollup-bungee-bag Posted by portsMouth
I purchased a 24-pocket shoe bag, made to hang on a door or wall, for my bungees. One bungee goes in each pocket; then I roll it all up and store it in my trunk. Now I don't have to deal with tangled... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/28334/rollup-bungee-bag Sun, 27 Jan 2013 20:04:15 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26955/combine-power-cords-and-dust-pickup-hoses-on-sanders-planers-saws-etc http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26955/combine-power-cords-and-dust-pickup-hoses-on-sanders-planers-saws-etc Posted by RWN
When using hand power tools like belt sanders, planers or a contractors saw for example, the power cord and sawdust or chip pickup hose often tangle or catch on the edge of a bench or project forcing... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26955/combine-power-cords-and-dust-pickup-hoses-on-sanders-planers-saws-etc Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:17:59 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26326/getting-ready-for-winter http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26326/getting-ready-for-winter Posted by jaypreston
  As I was preparing for another season out in the cold, you know…cleaning gutters, stringing up Christmas lights and all of the other winter tasks; I was not looking forward to spending much time... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26326/getting-ready-for-winter Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:01:22 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26202/make-a-better-allen-wrench http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26202/make-a-better-allen-wrench Posted by InspectorReuben
Cut the end off your "L" shaped allen wrenches so they'll fit in your drill.  Any project will go a lot faster after you do this.  Here's a quick video of me demonstrating how to do it - make a... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26202/make-a-better-allen-wrench Fri, 14 Dec 2012 05:08:59 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26162/saving-space-in-the-home http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26162/saving-space-in-the-home Posted by alexpeters
Saving space on cluttered worktop surfaces has been a problem for a long time in the home. Now, new innovation in the design of the S-Box haS helped designers and kitchen planners alike, rethink... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26162/saving-space-in-the-home Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:01:32 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26120/drill-a-hole-in-your-wall-without-making-a-mess http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26120/drill-a-hole-in-your-wall-without-making-a-mess Posted by InspectorReuben
I heard Adam Carolla mention this quick tip, and it really works.  I had to pass this along.  If you need to drill a hole in your wall and you don't want to make a mess on the floor, just use... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/26120/drill-a-hole-in-your-wall-without-making-a-mess Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:39:10 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25924/recessed-retrofit-led-trim-kit http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25924/recessed-retrofit-led-trim-kit Posted by SmartbuildingGrp
I have a number of recessed incandescent light cans in ceilings that have a normal attic above them. I'm concerned about air leakage into the attic even though they are covered on top with insulation... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25924/recessed-retrofit-led-trim-kit Tue, 13 Nov 2012 06:13:21 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25765/sniff-out-the-symptoms-of-defective-drywall-in-your-house http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25765/sniff-out-the-symptoms-of-defective-drywall-in-your-house Posted by HumzaHemani
Drywall in the USA is usually from North America. If it's not from the USA itself, it's from either Canada or Mexico. During the housing boom from around 2004 to 2007, with so many houses being... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25765/sniff-out-the-symptoms-of-defective-drywall-in-your-house Tue, 13 Nov 2012 01:01:36 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25607/5-question-to-ask-yourself-when-constructing-home http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25607/5-question-to-ask-yourself-when-constructing-home Posted by ChristinaFusano
A house is not a home... it's a common saying, and for a good reason. A house is a piece of land surrounded by walls that you are legally allowed to occupy to live in. A home is where you have... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25607/5-question-to-ask-yourself-when-constructing-home Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:39:24 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25271/repair-a-hole-in-drywall http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25271/repair-a-hole-in-drywall Posted by lahatte
For repairing holes, small or large, in drywall, I like to use a 'backer' material, such as a scrap of OSB, or whatever, anything that is thin but can accept drywall screws. Cut a strip of the backer... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25271/repair-a-hole-in-drywall Tue, 01 May 2012 14:55:13 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23399/integrated-night-lights-a-worthy-weekend-project http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23399/integrated-night-lights-a-worthy-weekend-project Posted by triedandtrue_design
Navigating your house in the middle of the night, in the dark, might be easy for you, but what about your occasional houseguests? What about your kids? Mine seem to always have a reason to rouse me... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/23399/integrated-night-lights-a-worthy-weekend-project Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:41:13 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22862/38-drill-bit-extension-long-as-you-need-it http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22862/38-drill-bit-extension-long-as-you-need-it Posted by barker
Well, I had to have a short extension for my 3/8 inch drive Forstner bit. Just had to. I went to three hardware stores and was pretty well convinced that they don't sell such a thing. 1/4 inch... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22862/38-drill-bit-extension-long-as-you-need-it Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:40:33 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22029/concrete-vibrator http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22029/concrete-vibrator Posted by Noecom
This tool uses any 3/8" (chuck) drill and a length of rebar #3 or #4. Cut rebar to comfortable length allowing insertion to the full depth of the form or trench. Put a little wiggle in one... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22029/concrete-vibrator Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:45:44 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21836/painful-skin-cracks http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21836/painful-skin-cracks Posted by Realestatelady
Good response by dermatologist in Q&A of Feb/March 2012 issue as to question of painful skin cracks.  But she omitted the best, easiest, quickest tip:  a drop of Super-Glue on the crack takes pain... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21836/painful-skin-cracks Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:35:10 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21577/protecting-birch-trim http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21577/protecting-birch-trim Posted by Luber
With Birch window and door casing, I'm reluctant to use my pneumatic nailer because it's never 100% sure to get the heads below the surface and it's hard to fix things when that happens. So I'm using... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21577/protecting-birch-trim Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:23:19 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21310/the-hole-punch-protection-method http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21310/the-hole-punch-protection-method Posted by marissadmoore
Here is an easy way to spackle or paint small areas with very little clean up, while protecting surrounding areas. All you need is painters/masking tape and a hole punch. Just rip a small piece of... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21310/the-hole-punch-protection-method Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:39:10 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21103/temporary-no-pest-vent-cap http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21103/temporary-no-pest-vent-cap Posted by swc_boise
Before closing up our Idaho remodel for the season, I made a final walk-around to check for openings where pests might find their way in over the winter. I noticed an open plumbing air vent pipe... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21103/temporary-no-pest-vent-cap Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:49:52 -0500 http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/20086/installremove-eyescrews-and-hooks http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/20086/installremove-eyescrews-and-hooks Posted by fogmann
I used to painfully install hooks and eyescrews with a screwdriver through the hole. Predrill an appropriate sized hole, and then mount a matching hook or open eye bolt onto your drill chuck. Hand... ]]> http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/20086/installremove-eyescrews-and-hooks