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Issue 198

On the Cover

Is Wood Heat the Answer?

By installing a modern wood-heat appliance, you can save money this winter and reduce your environmental impact.

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Features

  • Trim Router and D-handle Router
    Router Tricks for Trim

    Armed with two routers and three bits, an experienced carpenter shares five problem-solving tips for trim, cabinets, doors, and stairs.

  • Install Your Own Seamless Gutters

    Looking to save money? Have custom lengths of aluminum gutters rolled out on site, and get out the ladders.

  • Stop Drafts with a Drop-Down Door Seal

    This hidden mechanism retracts when the door is open and eliminates the need for a bulky threshold.

  • A Brick Rehab Meets LEED's Highest Standards

    Solar panels aside, you can’t see the upgrades that make this downtown remodel so energy efficient.

  • Why Pay More for Paint?

    Because the binders, pigments, and additives that make long-lasting, durable finishes don’t come cheap.

  • Tool Test: Laser Measures

    Handheld laser measuring tools are more affordable than ever, but are they accurate enough to replace a tape measure?

Article

  • Durable Deck Stair Basics
    Durable Deck Stairs

    Ipé decking covers beefed-up stringers and a newel-post assembly that won’t rack.

  • Proper Paint Preparation

    Click before you dip. For a quality paint job, the first thing you need to do is consult our collection of tips and advice from the pros.

  • running baseboard
    Master Class Video Series: Running Baseboard

    Learn the Ins and Outs of running baseboard in this video series.

  • Job-Site Router Techniques

    Gary Striegler shares the skills—and the tools—that make better site-built cabinetry, casing, brackets, and flooring 

Cross Section

  • Use of home-energy rating index grows

    HERS Index allows more latitude for recognizing reductions in energy consumption

  • A new home in half the time

    Study results: Structural insulated panels win out over conventional framing 

Tools & Materials

  • The perfect circular saw?

    Fuego 6 1⁄2-in. Compact Circular Saw

  • Solar panels disguised as skylights

    Solar water-heating system

  • Spinning Screed for Concrete Finishing

    The Spin Screed system helps you easily tackle an otherwise-tedious step in finishing a slab.

Letters

  • Reader Feedback: Issue 198, October/November 2008

    A Not So Big anniversary It has been 10 years since The Taunton Press first published architect Sarah Susanka’s book The Not So Big House, the company’s best-selling book of…

Finishing Touches

  • Traditional Trim for Timeless Style

    Few design details can match the impact of well-crafted casing, crown, or wainscot

What is the Difference

  • What's the Difference: Metal-twist drill bits

    High-speed steel, black oxide, titanium, or cobalt

Building Skills

  • Cutting with a Worm-Drive Saw

    The secret to making accurate cuts while preventing kickback is letting the saw do half the work.

Master Carpenter

  • Cutting and Bending Curved Floor Parts

    Whether you achieve your curve with a saw or by lamination, a homemade template and jig ensure a tight fit.

Great Moments

  • Bells are Ringing

    Great moments in building history: The installation of a new wheel for a church's bell tower gets somewhat complicated

  • In plain sight

    A few years ago, I had the pleasure of working with a team that built an award-winning private golf clubhouse and spa in Scottsdale, Ariz. A seasoned crew of old…

Drawing Board

  • Designing Doors for Large Openings

    Custom sliding, swinging, and overhead doors reinforce a house's architectural style and invite the outdoors in.

Video

  • Handheld laser measuring tools

    Laser measures do the math for you. Can your tape measure do that?

  • Using a Worm-Drive Saw

    Know where to put your hands and use this heavy saw's weight to your advantage

  • Creating Curved Flooring

    Use a jigsaw and a router to cut the shape and laminate the thinner strips for a decorative accent

  • There's a Better Way: Tool-Belt Pencil Sharpener

    A tip for when the point is to have a sharp pencil on hand

  • Prompt Power-Cord Polarity

    A simple square of tape saves time and aggravation.

  • There's a Better Way: Working With Tough, Sticky Tape

    A single-edge razor tucked into the roll keeps you from tearing your hair out

  • There's a Better Way: Stud Finder On a Chain

    Locate studs easily with a simple magnet and chain device

  • coping inside corner
    Coping Inside Corners

    Finish carpenter Tucker Windover demonstrates how to achieve a perfect inside corner when running baseboard.

  • Mitering Outside Baseboard Corners
    Mitering Outside Baseboard Corners

    Once you've coped the inside baseboard corner to make a perfect joint, it's time to fit, measure, and place the outside corner. 

  • locating stud
    Locating Studs for Baseboard Installation

    The trim won't hold up if there's nothing behind it. Finish carpenter Tucker Windover shares his method for finding studs.

  • prepping baseboard
    Preparing a Room for Baseboard

    A pro explains how he ensures trim will run square to the floor with joints that are clean and tight before the work even begins.

More? View Past Issues

Ask the Experts

  • When Dryer Vents Need a Boost
  • The path to a perfect finish

Readers Tips

  • Rope Tile Spacers
  • Working with tough, sticky tape
  • Stud finder on a chain
  • Help for shoulders carrying lumber
  • A dehumidifier alternative
  • Quick template for cutting curves in panels
  • Prompt power-cord polarity
  • Tool-belt pencil sharpener

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • 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
  • 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

Fine Homebuilding

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