Mike Guertin

Fine Homebuilding Ambassdor

Remodeler/Builder/Trainer/Writer
East Greenwich, RI

The only thing Fine Homebuilding editorial advisor Mike Guertin likes better than building new homes is remodeling old ones. After 35 years, he’s still challenged every day to find more-efficient ways to build things better. Like a true Rhode Islander, he doesn’t take jobs farther than 15 minutes from his home in East Greenwich. Mike’s written over 100 articles for FHB and appears in dozens of videos.

Instagram: @mike_guertin

Website: www.mikeguertin.com

Building a Knowledge of Building

Print and online publications, internet discussion boards, and an extensive network of tradespeople are all sources of tips, tricks, and techniques of the trade.
Does My Deck Need Posts?

Set the beams right on the post-base connectors when there's no room for posts—but make sure to use lumber treated for ground contact.
Panel Placer

An unexpected garden tool make it easier to lower subflooring.
7 Common Fireblocking Locations

Builder Mike Guertin outlines fire-safety code requirements and suggests acceptable fireblocking and draftstopping methods and materials.
Setting Up Roof Jacks

Working from roof brackets and staging planks is the safest and most efficient way to shingle a pitched roof.
Preparing Vertical Lines on Hip Roofs

Establish control lines perpendicular to the eaves edge.
Establishing Control Lines on Roof Planes with Jogs

A roof with multiple eaves complicates the layout, requiring a number of adjustments.
Pyramid Pattern for Three-Tab Shingles

Follow these layout and installation guidelines when shingling with the pyramid pattern.
Shingle-Installation Patterns

You have two basic layout choices: a racking pattern or a pyramid pattern.
Avoiding Shingle-Color Variations

Use asphalt shingles from the same lot number for consistent color shading over the whole roof.