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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!

  • Spray-Foam-Gun Cleanup

    I am a fanatic about proper air-sealing on my remodeling projects, and nothing plugs those energy-sucking nooks and crannies as well as canned spray foam. Instead of buying single-use straw-dispensed…

  • Extracting Hard-to-Pull Nails

    Recently, I had to replace some termite-infested redwood 2x6s. They had been secured to their pressure-treated retaining-wall 2x8s with 16d hot-dipped galvanized nails 25 years ago. The 2x6s came off…

  • Simple, Effective Sanding Block

    One thing that comes with me to every job site is a simple block made for hand-sanding. I take a 2x4 and rip it to just less than 3 in.…

  • Sawhorse Booties Boost Load Capacities

    A lot of contractors in my area prefer to use a portable fold-up metal sawhorse. You can’t beat them for portability and ease of use, but they have a drawback.…

  • Control the Mess When Cutting a Ceiling

    I had to install two bath-vent fans and a whole-house fan, and I was dreading the mess from the plaster dust I would create as I cut the holes in…

  • Compass in a Pinch

    If I don’t have a compass handy and need to draw a small arc or circle, I reach for a reciprocating-saw blade. As shown in the drawing above, I tack…

  • Post-Formed Countertop Cutting Guide

    A lot of my remodeling projects use off-the-shelf post-formed countertops. Cutting countertops to length on site with a circular saw is a challenge that requires two perfectly aligned cuts. These…

  • A Better Way to Fold Tarps

    I got this technique from a man who learned to fold backdrop tarps in theaters. As shown in the drawings, lay the tarp on dry ground fully extended (1). Bring…

  • Corralling a Wandering Hole Saw

    I was replacing some old-style doorknobs with newer ones, and I ran into a problem. The old knobs went through a hole about 1/2 in. dia., but the new knobs…

  • Adjustable Bumper-Mounted Workstation

    This adjustable-height work support with a rotating design is convenient and portable.

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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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