• 

  Podcast 208: Problem-Solving Tools, Cooling a California Workshop and Soggy Straw Bales

  FHB’s Facebook followers share their favorite problem-solving tools. Listener questions lead to interesting discussion on radiant barriers, orphaned water heaters, building repairability, and WRBs.

View All

• 

  Choosing Disposable Gloves

  The choice depends on what you're handling and how much you're willing to spend.

View All

• 

  How to Cut Extreme Angles on Your Miter Saw

  Make a simple jig from scrap wood to make safe easy cuts at angles greater than 45 degrees with your compound miter saw or chop saw.

View All

• 

  Cost-Effective Passive Houses

  Nova Scotia–based engineer and builder Natalie Leonard designs plans for affordable super-insulated homes based on solid building science research.

View All

• 

  True to Tradition

  Laura Medicus Interiors brings elegance to a historic working kitchen.

View All

• 

  Changes to the Building Codes

  Code expert Glenn Mathewson explains how changes are made to the International Residential Code, with a chart detailing the code-development process.

View All

• 

  Windows in Thick Walls

  Thick-wall assemblies offer better comfort and energy efficiency, but installing windows presents a challenge for builders.

View All

• 

  Working With Wood Gutters

  Builder Scott McBride recounts his time cleaning and rebuilding wood gutters, including the advantages to wood gutters and the key to wood-gutter longevity.

View All

• 

  To Vent or Not to Vent?

  I recently purchased a 1930s-era home that has a low-pitch hip roof over an enclosed porch that has been opened up to the living space. The roof is unvented and,…

View All

• 

  Exterior and Interior Finishes in the Kentucky Fine Homebuilding House

  Photographs of the finished build showcase a mix of modern and traditional elements in both the private spaces and open areas for entertaining.

View All

• 

  Easy Shingle Cutting With a Pneumatic Cutter

  Hand-held pneumatic roofing cutters make fast, easy work of what is typically a frustrating, knuckle-scraping job.

View All

• 

  Better Fit for Baseboard

  A drywall screw acts as an adjustable shim for making tight inside corners on trim.

View All

• 

  Video: Sharpening on the Go

  Building Skills video: Watch this durable, portable, and affordable sharpening method that’s ideal for remodelers.

View All

• 

  Micro-Adjust Deck-Baluster Spacing for an Eye-Deceiving Layout

  No math, no measuring—just a simple jig made from an elastic band is all you need to lay out a good-looking deck railing.

View All

• 

  Why I Build: Brent Kelosky, Wood-Flooring Specialist

  A second-generation flooring contractor explains how a job well done is as much about the way you run your business and treat your clients as it is about your level of craftsmanship.

View All

• 

  Mansard-Style Home, Part Two

  Featured here is the renovated original part of a circa 1890s Second Empire Mansard style house. The once single-family home was remodeled into two private and spacious apartments. The footprint…

View All

• 

  Top 4 Things We Learned in 2018

  Let's recap the year's lessons about business, marketing, web design, and social media.

View All

Other Recent Blog Posts

• 

  Math, Measuring, and Layout Tips for Home Building

  Browse this collection of reader-submitted shortcuts for laying out framing, trim, cabinetry, fences, and more.

• 

  FHB Summit: Pretty Good House Insight Session

  “How do we get better energy efficiency [in our homes] and how do we convince clients to get better energy efficiency?”

• 

  True to Tradition

  Laura Medicus Interiors brings elegance to a historic working kitchen.

• 

  FHB Summit: An Interview with Justin Fink

  Editorial director Justin Fink reflects on the experiences shared between our expert presenters and attendees at the FHB Summit.

• 

  FHB Summit: The Future of Building in 2039

  Peter Yost shares his predictions for what the world of building will look like 20 years from now, and how to prepare for it.

• 

  How to Cut Extreme Angles on Your Miter Saw

  Make a simple jig from scrap wood to make safe easy cuts at angles greater than 45 degrees with your compound miter saw or chop saw.

• 

  Podcast 208: Problem-Solving Tools, Cooling a California Workshop and Soggy Straw Bales

  FHB’s Facebook followers share their favorite problem-solving tools. Listener questions lead to interesting discussion on radiant barriers, orphaned water heaters, building repairability, and WRBs.

• 

  FHB Summit: Making the Most of Minisplits

  Energy-modeling specialist and HVAC systems designer Jordan Goldman discusses the pros and cons of high-performance electric heat pumps and how to install systems that work well in today's well-insulated homes.

• 

  Cost-Effective Passive Houses

  Nova Scotia–based engineer and builder Natalie Leonard designs plans for affordable super-insulated homes based on solid building science research.

• 

  Podcast 207: Home Maintenance, HVAC Zones, and Dangerous Dryer Vents

  What’s the right book for learning home maintenance? How to properly insulate a garage ceiling? How can you improve the comfort of a big house with a one-zone heating and air-conditioning system? Is it okay to vent a dryer into a garage?