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Issue 189

On the Cover

Signature Details for Kitchen Cabinets

Seven creative cabinetmakers show what a small shop can do that a cabinet factory can't.

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Features

  • Keep Your Basement Dry With a Curtain Drain

    If your house is under assault from groundwater, make perforated pipe your first line of defense.

  • 6 Great Miter-Saw Stands

    The best models help you to handle a multitude of carpentry tasks by setting up quickly, moving easily, and providing solid support.

  • Accent Lighting for Your Deck

    Integrated with posts, railings, and stair risers, a new generation of exterior-light fixtures provides a wide range of deck-lighting options.

  • How to Trim a Basement Window
    How to Trim a Basement Window

    When trimming windows in thick walls, you need wide extension jambs and a deep stool.

  • Personalizing an Everyday Ranch

    Open up the space, add smart lighting and sharp design, then, watch a humdrum house become a real humdinger.

  • using-a-factory-framed-floor
    Save Time with Factory-Framed Floors

    Crane-hoisted panels get a floor in fast, flat, and cut for ducts and utilities.

Article

  • A Basement Bedroom Demands an Egress Window

    Providing natural light, fresh air, and a code-compliant exit can be the most important aspect of any basement remodel.

  • Additions Need Not Apply

    Before-and-after photos highlight an interior remodel that produced a one-of-a-kind ranch in California 

  • Interview with a Cabinetmaker

    Six skilled artisans talk about their craft

  • Less is More: An Interview with David Getts

    The Seattle cabinetmaker and designer talks about his work

  • Never the Same Thing Twice: An Interview with Joel Wheeler

    The New Mexico cabinetmaker and designer talks about his work

  • Keep it Simple: An Interview with Joe Lanza

    A Massachusetts architect, builder and cabinetmaker talks about his work

  • A Handle on the Trade: An Interview with Rex Alexander

    The Michigan cabinetmaker and designer talks about his work

  • Built to Outlast: An Interview with Jon Frost

    The Minneapolis cabinetmaker and designer talks about his work

  • The Ecstasy of Possibility: An Interview with Louis Mackall

    A Connecticut architect and woodworker talks about his work

  • More Miter-Saw Stands Reviewed

    Comments on seven additional stands reviewed by our testers

  • The Best Way to Insulate a Rim Joist

    Stop energy losses with a spray-foam kit.

Cross Section

  • Building science goes ballistic

    Does a house of foam stand up to flying projectiles better than a house of wood? Yes, but not as well as a house of laminated glass, according to recent…

  • Call Before You Dig just got easier

    Last year, 675,000 underground distribution lines were damaged, estimated the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a consortium of utility companies. The culprits are mostly homeowners who failed to call a dig-safe…

  • 10 technologies you can use right now

    The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) announced their updated list of the 10 top technologies that are job-site tested and ready for implementation. PATH selects technologies based on their…

  • Oregon considers 'building envelope' certification for builders and subs

    In response to a rash of construction litigation resulting from moisture leaks, Oregon’s legislature is considering competency training and certification for builders and subcontractors who work on any part of…

Tools & Materials

  • Slap-cap stapler

    Stinger CH38 cap hammer

  • Temporary chalklines

    Dust-off chalk

  • Belt sander built for scribing

    Compact belt sander, model 371K

  • Do-it-all trowel

    Magic trowel

  • Zipbolt UT rail bolt - an easier handrail connection
    An easier handrail connection

    Zipbolt UT rail bolt

Letters

  • Reader Feedback: Issue 189, August/September 2007

    More details, less white space I am one of those old crotchety guys who have every issue of Fine Homebuilding. I have seen lots of changes over the years—enjoyed some…

Finishing Touches

  • Porches with Personality

    Whether your porch is for shelter, relaxation, or reflection, a world of design choices await you.

What is the Difference

  • What's the Difference: Disposable respirators

    What do their ratings really mean?

  • What's the Difference: Connecting PVC pipe

    Both PVC cleaner and PVC primer be used to create a strong joint, but one is required by code

Building Skills

  • unclogging a garbage disposal
    Replacing a Garbage Disposal

    Here's what to do when troubleshooting reveals a quick garbage-disposal fix or repair is not an option.

Master Carpenter

  • Making a French knot

    Through the proper combination of butt and miter joints, a flooring specialist shows how he likes to raise the stakes in a new-floor installation

Drawing Board

  • Designing accessible entries

    With the right guidelines, everyone can easily construct and benefit from an accessible entry to their homes

Video

  • Factory-Framed Floors

    Go inside a floor-panel factory and outside at a job-site installation

  • Build a Cutting Gauge

    Simple to make, you won't want to lay another wood floor without this handy gauge

  • Video Vault: Repair Garbage Disposals Safely

    Learn how to clear a jammed garbage disposal and replace the unit properly.

More? View Past Issues

Ask the Experts

  • Will a rooftop fan cure a stuffy upstairs?
  • Drywall cracks above a door
  • Ring-shank nails for clapboards
  • Kitchen-lighting basics
  • Leakproof drain in a shower

Readers Tips

  • Cutting Miter Returns
  • Low-Tech Hole-Cutting Tip
  • The Big Drawer
  • Customize Caulk Colors
  • Pickup-Bed Debris Control
  • Site-Built Peashooter
  • How to Outsmart a Rock
  • Production Pipe-Soldering

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 316 - July
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency
  • Issue 315 - June 2023
    • How to Craft a Copper Roof
    • 5 Lessons from Building in a Cold Climate
    • The Advantages of Cellular PVC Siding
  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams

Fine Homebuilding

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