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How it Works

Get clear explanations of essential home-building and remodeling topics. This ongoing series covers everything you need to be familiar with to build durable, comfortable, high-quality homes, including, framing, insulation, mechanical systems, and more.

  • how it works wood beams

    How it Works: Simple Wood Beams

    Beams, defined as elongated members that are loaded perpendicular to their long axis, are critical to the structure of a house.

  • electrical breaker panel

    How it Works: Electrical Breaker Panels

    The job of the breaker panel is to distribute the incoming power to the separate circuits throughout a home’s electrical system.

  • Ice Dams

    Ice dams are not a roofing problem; they’re an air-sealing problem.

  • Drain-Waste-Vent Systems

    Although hidden behind walls and in floors and ceilings, the pipes that make up a house’s drain-waste vent system are the balance of the plumbing equation.

  • How it Works: Wood Rot

    No wood is completely immune to rot, so it's important to know how it works.

  • How it Works: Ground-Source Heat Pumps

    Heating and cooling, courtesy of the earth.

  • How it Works: Circular Sawblades

    Despite having no moving parts, circular sawblades are surprisingly complex.

  • How it Works: Septic Systems

    The mechanics of your septic system.

  • How it Works: Paint Failure Troubleshooting Tips

    How it Works: Paint Failure Troubleshooting Tips

    Paint failure not only looks bad, but it invites water and weather inside.

  • sketch of a house with wires

    How it Works: Household Electricity

    Electrician Cliff Popejoy explains the ins and outs of household electricity.

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 297 - Feb/Mar 2021

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  • Issue 296 - Dec 2020/Jan 2021

    • Insulating Glass Keeps Getting Better
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  • Issue 295 - Kitchens & Baths

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    • Row-House Remodel
    • Rise of the IAQ Monitor
  • Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020

    • Schoolhouse Reimagined
    • Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses
    • A Better Way to Build Tall Walls
  • Issue 293 - Aug/Sept 2020

    • A Practical Guide to Fall Protection
    • Installing Frameless Cabinets
    • Make Any Tablesaw Safer

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