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Michael Maines

As a residential designer with a background in carpentry and engineering, FHB contributing editor Mike Maines pays attention to the practical, hardworking parts of a house, from materials such as mineral wool to spaces such as laundry closets. For design inspiration, he draws on nature and traditional, vernacular architecture. When not designing, Mike likes to work in his woodshop or tend to his homestead in rural Maine. www.michaelmaines.com

Retrofitting Foam Insulation on a Roof

June 21, 2018

Recommended reasons for removing a roof's shingles.
Bath-Fan Venting for Cold Climates

March 1, 2018

The common solutions to this ice problem are to use a higher-powered fan, use a larger-diameter, shorter duct run, and wrap the pipe with better duct insulation.
Get the Right Rigid Foam

January 8, 2018

Foam-board insulation can boost R-value, slow thermal bridging, and control condensation—but you better choose the right type.
The Beloved Farmhouse

July 7, 2017

Understand the hallmarks of this informal style, whether you’re designing a new home or remodeling a classic.
Bathrooms With Sloped Ceilings

May 10, 2017

Making a small bath that doesn’t feel small at all.
Cellulose: The Perfect Insulation

May 9, 2017

Cost-effective, versatile, and green, cellulose may be the hardest-working insulation available.
Evolution of a Floor Plan

November 2, 2016

How a challenging program influences whole-house design.
Roof Pitch and Orientation for PV

October 24, 2016

This design strives for reasonably low energy use, offset by photovoltaic panels to reach annual net-zero-energy use.
Three Reasons We Vented the ProHOME Roof

October 15, 2016

In places where it snows, a vented roof usually makes sense. Rhode Island, where the ProHOME is being built, is just such a place. The alternative to a vented roof…
Roof-Framing Design

September 19, 2016

How to handle framing a roof that may be "more complicated than it has to be."