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Issue 197

On the Cover

Installing and Flashing Windows Correctly

If you don’t include housewrap, use a sill pan, and flash the flanges, the work is far from watertight.

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Features

  • Man installing exterior siding
    Factory-Finished Siding

    Factory finishes for wood and fiber cement offer countless color choices and a paint job guaranteed for up to 25 years.

  • Trim Routers

    These compact tools are handy for small routing tasks, but most have room for improvement.

  • Elegant Wainscot From Drywall Scraps

    Use strips of drywall to create custom paneling that will add detail and charm to most any room.

  • Window Installation Done Right

    Doing everything to ensure a leakproof job? If you don’t include the housewrap, use a sill pan, and flash the flanges, the work is far from watertight.

  • A Tiny Addition for a Growing Family

    Dining, living, office, laundry, bathing, sleeping, and storage space built in just 650 sq. ft.

  • engineered floor joists building
    Frame a Strong, Stable Floor With I-Joists

    Engineered floor joists are straighter, faster, and flatter, but they aren't installed the same way as dimensional lumber.

Article

  • using a story pole for siding
    Keep Siding Straight With a Story Pole

    A simple layout tool aligns siding with window and door trim, and helps you to finish where you started.

  • coffered ceiling with box beams
    How to Build a Coffered Ceiling with Box Beams

    Built of plywood and MDF, these beams go up quickly, resist movement, take paint well, and even level a wavy ceiling.

  • Taping and Mudding Inside Corners

    For drywall novices, there's nothing more challenging—or messy—than finishing inside corners

Cross Section

  • Mandatory lead-safety certification coming in 2010

    In less than 2 years, any contractors looking to disturb lead-based paint in homes will need to obtain EPA certification

  • Pipe-settlement deadline is near

    If you're looking to have leaky pipes that were installed in your house replaced for free, time is running out

Tools & Materials

  • Better saw, bigger price tag

    Festool's new Kapex KS120 SCM delivers on features, precision

  • Hole plugs for composite decking

    Cortex concealed fastening system

Letters

  • Reader Feedback: Issue 197, August/September 2008

    The economics of home buying Kevin Ireton’s essay “Is green building too expensive?” (FHB #195), as thoughtful as it is, misses some important considerations in the cost of buying a…

Finishing Touches

  • Open-door Policy

    Our perceptions of a house start with the entrance design 

What is the Difference

  • What's the Difference: Floor-Finish Applicators

    The time you spent on your hardwood floors will be in vain if you don't choose the right finish applicator

  • What's the Difference: Galvanized nails

    Which type of zinc-coated nail is the best at preventing corrosion?

Building Skills

  • Drywall: Finishing an inside corner
    Finishing a Drywall Inside Corner

    For a professional finish, you have to tape, then wait.

Master Carpenter

  • Matching a Finish

    Although never an easy task, these techniques help simplify a tough job

Great Moments

  • The house of our dreams

    When it comes to deciding whether your house should be conventional or a carnival, something's gotta give

Drawing Board

  • Designing a recycling center

    In the United States, the recycling rate for aluminum cans has hovered around 50% for years. Cans that don’t make it into the recycling stream add up: Every three months,…

Video

  • Findings from a Home-Energy Audit

    After the test equipment is put away, a home energy auditor explains what to do next

  • Energy Savings Begin with a Home-Energy Audit

    Almost painless, a home-energy audit can reduce energy costs and improve comfort

More? View Past Issues

Ask the Experts

  • Locating an Expansion Tank
  • Rough openings on the coast
  • Saving energy on lighting

Readers Tips

  • A Big Table for a Portable Tablesaw
  • Dust Control When Cutting Concrete
  • New life for old balusters
  • A Stud Finder That Marks Location Without Leaving a Mark
  • Reciprocating-saw/wire-brush combo
  • A better work light for cramped conditions
  • Insulation T-lift
  • Dialing in Accurate Miter-Saw Cuts
  • Dust Control for Your Glasses

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • 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
  • Issue 311 - November 2022
    • 7 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job
    • Options for Smarter Home-Energy Tracking
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: James Metoyer
  • Issue 310 - October 2022
    • Choosing a Tile-Leveling System
    • Choosing Between HRVs and ERVs
    • Custom Built-in Cabinets Made Easy
  • Issue 309 - Aug/Sept 2022
    • 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets
    • How to Get Sturdy Walls Without OSB
    • Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job

Fine Homebuilding

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