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Issue 192

On the Cover

Working with Manufactured Stone

Man-made stone might get a bad rap, but installed correctly, it can have a long life and can appear deceptively real.

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Features

  • Interior doors
    Build Your Own Interior Doors

    Loose-tenon joinery and applied moldings keep door construction simple and strong.

  • The New Age of Photovoltaics

    Increased efficiency and better incentives are driving builders and homeowners alike to a cleaner source of electricity.

  • Testing Worm-Drive Saws

    Still powerful and durable, the newest models have lost weight and gained some useful features.

  • Green Appeal, Craftsman Feel

    Testing an attainable approach to green practices, an architect designs his own home for a friendly fit in a historic district.

  • windows
    New Life for Old Double-Hung Windows

    With new weatherstripping, weights, pulleys, and ropes, you can improve performance without compromising historical authenticity.

  • What's the Best Multibit Screwdriver?

    The $80 one, of course, but you can do pretty well for $10.

Article

  • Why Add a Tank to a Tankless Water Heater?

    Instant water heaters save energy and offer endless hot water, but not without some problems. A small tank and a big pump can fix the flaws.

  • Ceiling Remodel: From Flat to Cathedral

    Reframing exploits unused attic space and helps to open up a cramped ranch house.

  • Extending a Tablesaw's Work Surface

    An infeed support arm and outfeed table improve extra reach and stability.

  • Fit New Sashes in Old Jambs

    A restoration carpenter gives a primer on fitting plumb rails into crooked jambs.

  • Boosting Tankless Water Heaters

    A solar water heater and radiant-floor heat maximize efficiency

  • Restoring Montpelier's Exterior

    Preserverving a historic home brick-by-brick

  • restoring-history
    Restoring Montpelier's Historic Framing

    Another chance for Montpelier's wood beams to shine

  • Montpelier's Walls Take Shape

    A look at the lath walls and ceilings that make up James Madison's home

  • Support When You Need It

    This handy infeed support stores flat when not in use

  • Build an Outfeed Table

    This support for long stock also makes a great working surface

  • A Custom Hinge Mortising Template

    This time-saver helps turn slabs into ready-to-hang doors

Cross Section

  • James Madison's home is almost finished—again

    What started as a simple roof-framing repair turned into years of history lessons and headaches.

  • California codes improve fire protection

    Taking effect in January, California’s updated wildland-urban interface building codes aim to improve fire protection in vulnerable areas where homes encroach grassy brushlands. The codes will address building materials, construction…

  • A national green-building standard is on the way

    With the proliferation of regional and national green-building rating systems, it’s hard to choose the best one. To complicate the situation further, or perhaps to simplify it, the National Association of…

Tools & Materials

  • New antimold drywall, same green color

    Sheetrock Mold Tough

  • Fuss-free door hanger's jig

    Jambmaster

  • Does "One Coat" House Paint Really Work?
    Does "One Coat" House Paint Really Work?

    Aura interior paint with Color Lock technology is a step in the right direction.

  • Versatile sink-installation tool

    Ridgid introduces a new type of faucet wrench

Letters

  • Reader Feedback: Issue 192, December 2007/January 2008

    Two takes on green-building coverage I want to let you know why after many years I will be dropping my subscription. I am tired of being preached to about green…

Finishing Touches

  • Framing the flames

    A mulititude of fireplace designs can help accentuate the ambience of your home

What is the Difference

  • What's the Difference: Safety footwear

    Decifering the acronyms listed on the labels of shoes and boots

  • What's the Difference: Phillips-head screwdriver bits

    Choosing the right bit helps prevent stripping screws

Building Skills

  • Hinge Adjustment for a Door's Final Fit

    Easy adjustments to screws, mortises, and hinges on interior doors contribute to a perfect fit.

Master Carpenter

  • colonial-home
    Modern Techniques Restore a Historic House

    There's no point in living in the past, so use these techniques to bring an old structure into the present

Great Moments

  • No Sanctuary

    Great moments in building history: The importance of aligning the latch mechanism of a lock with its body can never be underestimated

Drawing Board

  • Designing the Right Roof Rake

    One of the most important details on a roof is the rake, the sloping edge along the end wall of a gable, shed, or gambrel roof.

Video

  • Video Vault: Cutting Curves with a Circular Saw

    Learn how to build like a pro—use a worm-drive saw to make curved, plunge, and drop cuts

  • Upward Expansion

    Adding a third floor doesn't always mean on top of the second story

More? View Past Issues

Ask the Experts

  • Why brace some truss webs, but not all?
  • Tapping in to a cast-iron waste pipe
  • A Bad Splice Might Indicate More Problems

Readers Tips

  • Extrastrength Magnetic Screw Holder
  • Rolling Scaffold Storage
  • Inexpensive Multimaster Sawblades
  • User-Friendly Spray-Can Caps
  • Measuring Out-of-Level Floors
  • Tablesaw-switch refinement
  • Snapping angled chalklines on sheathing
  • Fixing Woodpecker-Pecked Shingles
  • Removing Big Mirrors Safely

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 320 - Dec 2023/Jan 2024
    • How to Reuse Salvaged Wood
    • Chainsaw Retrofit and Energy Performance
    • Maximize HVAC Efficiency
  • Issue 319 - November 2023
    • Nearly Net-Zero ADU
    • An Easy Approach to Coffered Ceilings
    • Understanding Types of Roof Vents
  • Issue 318 - October 2023
    • Make Mudsills Square and Level
    • Turn Up the Heat With Induction Cooktops
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: Lloyd Alter
  • Issue 317 - Aug/Sept 2023
    • Finishing Drywall With Seamless Results
    • A Flat Roof in a Cold Climate
    • Compact Cordless Shop Vacs
  • Issue 316 - July 2023
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency

Fine Homebuilding

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