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  Podcast 189: Heating with Pellets, Stabilizing a Collapsing Cottage, and Keeping an Accessory Dwelling Unit Close to the Ground

  Kiley, Matt, and Patrick hear from listeners about brick row homes and Bonfig walls before taking questions about heating with wood pellets, the lack of control on modern shower valves, and rebuilding a rustic cabin.

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  Don’t Forget the Flashing

  Easily overlooked and sometimes installed incorrectly, flashing keeps water out and rot at bay.

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  How to Cut a Straight Edge on a Crooked Board

  Securing your wavy piece of wood onto a perfectly square guide board is the key to safely ripping it in a straight line.

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  Tiny House Kits: An Online Buying Trend

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  Optimal Function

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  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.

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  Windows in Thick Walls

  Design/build contractor Michael Maines explains the difficulty of installing windows in thick, highly insulated walls. With a series of detailed illustrations he presents a number of options for installation, including…

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  Confessions of an Energy Dinosaur

  Builder Scott McBride reflects on the reasons most carpenters get into the business and the disconnect between the act of building a house and making it energy efficient.

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  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,…

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  Cabinets and Countertops Are the Focal Points of a New Kitchen

  Favorite details from our own home inspire choices for the most hardworking room in the house.

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  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.

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  Solo Window Install

  Unless a window is very large, I usually install it by myself. Over the years I've played with a few variations of how to install a window without it falling…

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  Video: Sharpening on the Go

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

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  Reinforcing an Existing Deck Guardrail

  Secure a weak guardrail system by installing metal connectors or blocking and screws to reinforce the structural guardrail posts.

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  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.

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  Finding the Sweet Spot

  This backyard had a basic back deck with an unnecessary railing, which had to be painted every year. The homeowners look out to the space from their kitchen and access…

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  Top 4 Things We Learned in 2018

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

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Other Recent Blog Posts

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  Finding the Sweet Spot

  This backyard had a basic back deck with an unnecessary railing, which had to be painted every year. The homeowners look out to the space from their kitchen and access…

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  Podcast 189: Heating with Pellets, Stabilizing a Collapsing Cottage, and Keeping an Accessory Dwelling Unit Close to the Ground

  Kiley, Matt, and Patrick hear from listeners about brick row homes and Bonfig walls before taking questions about heating with wood pellets, the lack of control on modern shower valves, and rebuilding a rustic cabin.

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  Tiny House Kits: An Online Buying Trend

  Three tiny house advocates weigh in on Amazon’s latest home product.

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  Porch Design Inspiration

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  Breaking the Thermal Bridge With Tstuds

  Seasoned remodeler Brad Stokes and architect Marc Sloot weigh in on this hotly debated alternative to conventional stick framing.

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  The Private Spaces

  The upper floor of this new home feels open, inviting and peaceful when you walk up the stairs into the common space. The bedrooms face the southeast with views of…

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  When Did I Become a Locksmith?

  This is what a carpenter resorts to when the job is supposed to be done in a week but the faulty custom door lock would take weeks to replace.

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  Spotlight on the Summit: Avoiding Stucco Failures and Making High Performance Easier to Build

  A closer look at some of the presenters and their courses scheduled for our seminar this October.

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  Podcast 188: Smoothing Plaster Ceilings, Enforcing Airtightness, and Better Brick Walkways

  The crew reviews feedback about carpenter bees, home sprinklers, and grade-level decks before taking questions on finding contractors for small jobs, removing textured ceilings, and blower-door testing.

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  How to Cut a Straight Edge on a Crooked Board

  Securing your wavy piece of wood onto a perfectly square guide board is the key to safely ripping it in a straight line.