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Tips & Techniques

Tips & Techniques is a collection of methods, tools, and jigs that our readers have devised to get things done on their own construction projects.  Email photos and descriptions of your tips to us at [email protected]; post them with the #FineHomebuildingTips hashtag on Instagram; or upload them to FineHomebuilding.com/reader-tips for a chance to have them featured in an issue of Fine Homebuilding Magazine. Plus, we pay for any tips we publish.

Want to see a new Fine Homebuilding tip in your inbox every day? Then sign up for the Tip of the Day newsletter!

  • Nozzle declogging

    In my experience, it doesn't matter if I insert a nail or a screw into the nozzle of a partially used tube of caulk. The caulk will still coagulate into…

  • Warming caulk tubes

    When the weather turns icy up here in New Hampshire, construction adhesives and caulks get so cold they won't budge out of their tubes. To prevent this, I installed a…

  • Simple sturdy gate

    As a fencing and decking contractor, I'm asked to build a lot of gates. Instead of using the typical diagonal bracing, I place 2x4 blocks with mitered ends at each…

  • Stretching Screens

    Learn how to stretch screens like a professional using a DIY stretcher board.

  • Toolbox runners

    The corrugated plastic liner covering my pickup's bed helps to keep the finish in good shape, but its slick surface caused my tool boxes to slide from side to side…

  • Drilling Foam-Core Doors

    Like E. F. Bott (Drilling foam-core steel doors), I had to drill a few holes in foam-core steel doors for locksets. But not wanting to dull my hole saw, I…

  • Vacuum extension hose

    On a recent remodel project I had to remove the wall and ceiling sheathing over a stairwell. Before I started to install the new finishes, I wanted to clean up…

  • Scribing extension jambs

    Fitting extension jambs to the irregular walls of older homes can be time-consuming. Faced with this task, I get out my veneer saw. First, I rip the extension jambs slightly…

  • Shim-shingle jig

    Here's a table-saw jig that you can use to make shim shingles from scraps of wood. The base of the jig is a rectangular piece of plywood, with an angled…

  • Radial-arm saw stand

    My radial-arm saw came with a rickety bolted-together sheet-metal base. Whenever I moved the saw to a new job site, the base racked and twisted enough to throw the saw…

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 333 - August/September 2025
    • A Practical Perfect Wall
    • Landscape Lighting Essentials
    • Repairing a Modern Window Sash
  • Issue 332 - July 2025
    • Custom Built-ins With Job-Site Tools
    • Fight House Fires Through Design
    • Making the Move to Multifamily
  • Issue 331 - June 2025
    • A More Resilient Roof
    • Tool Test: You Need a Drywall Sander
    • Ducted vs. Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work

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