Issue 200
Features
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Tool Test: 16-Ga. Finish Nailers
The right tool can improve the speed, accuracy, and quality of your trimwork.
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Frame a Classic Shed Dormer
If you start with a full-scale layout on the subfloor and plan for the finished details, the framing is relatively painless.
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Glass-Block Shower on a Curve
This shower-stall alternative lets in the light, offers privacy, and makes a small space feel roomy.
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A Faster, Easier Approach to Custom Cabinets
Create desks, bookcases, pantries, and more with a slick hybrid design and problem-solving pocket-screw joinery.
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Unfinished-Attic Insulation Upgrade
Seal air leaks first, then blow in extra insulation for an energy-saving improvement that offers a great bang for the buck.
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An American Bungalow: Before and After
Transformed into a classic Craftsman home, this Sears kit house lives, looks, and performs better than ever.
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11 Wood-Flooring Problems and Their Solutions
For flawless wood floors, avoid these installation and finishing mistakes
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Tubular Skylights Should Leak Only Sunlight
Mike Guertin demonstrates his step-by-step process for bringing the sun's rays into a dark hallway
Article
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Should you switch heating fuels?
BuildingGreen.com has an interactive online calculator to make comparing fuel costs simple
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New code requirement for fire sprinklers
The International Code Council, the governing body responsible for the International Residential Code (IRC), recently approved a proposal to require fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes and…
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Five Things You Didn't Know About Paint
Stats on everything from paint sales and components to factories and labor costs
Cross Section
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New 12-in. miter saw leads the field
12-in. sliding compound-miter saw (6955-20) by Milwaukee
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Fireplace draft stopper
3-Ply poly Chimney Balloon keeps hot air where it should be
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Alternative to anchor bolts
Titen HD screw anchor by Simpson Strong-Tie
Tools & Materials
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Kindling Creativity
A fireplace not only adds warmth to any room, it also sets the tone
Finishing Touches
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What's the Difference: Safety glasses
Should you wear glass, plastic, or polycarbonate lenses?
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What's the Difference: Trowels
Square-notch, U-notch, or V-notch?
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What's the Difference: Paintable Caulk
Does price matter, or is a latex caulk by any other name still the same?
What is the Difference
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Dress up cabinet face frames with a mitered integral bead
For consistent results, rotate the stock, not the saw, and cut opposing pieces at the same time
Master Carpenter
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Designing stairs for an addition
Start with a top-down approach, then choose a shape that lands in a good spot
Drawing Board
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3 Ways to Wrap Cords and Hoses
Maintain the quality of cords and hoses, and avoid kinks and tangles by using proper wrapping technique
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Video: Add a Mitered Integral Bead to Cabinet Face Frames
This detail softens the edge while creating a deep shadowline.
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How to Add Blown-in Fiberglass Insulation
Watch Mike Guertin blown in fiberglass insulation, an affordable way to increase R-value in homes with empty attics.
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Video: Using a Pocket-Hole Jig
A pocket-hole jig makes cabinet assembly fast and easy.
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Video Vault: Cutting Curves with a Wet Saw
Cutting the outside radius is easy, but the inside radius requires a few extra steps and some skill.
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Cutting Curves in Marble with a Ring-Blade Wet Saw
This specialized tile saw makes quick work of shaping stone and glass tiles
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16-Ga. Finish Nailer Roundup, Part One
Rick Arnold lists his top-four must-have features that distinguish one nailer in a market of many
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16-Ga. Finish Nailer Roundup, Part Two
Secondary features worth considering when choosing a finish nailer
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Video Vault: Using a Moisture Meter
An accurate moisture meter is the most important tool a wood-floor installer can use.
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Video Vault: Plywood Sheet-Metal Brake
Give your brake a break with this improvised custom-flashing device
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Drywall Cutting-Tool Protection Strips
Try this ingenious alternative use for paper-face metal drywall tape when cutting against a finished surface.
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16-Ga. Finish Nailer Roundup, Gun By Gun
Rick Arnold reviews the top features of more than a dozen 16-ga. finish nailers
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Tool Review: Milwaukee's New 12-in. Miter Saw
Finish carpenter Kit Camp revisits the "best overall" in the 12-in miter-saw category
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Tubular Skylight Basics
Mike Guertin explains the ins and outs of how tubular skylights work.
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Installing a Tubular Skylight: Step 1
Locate the skylight's position, then mark and cut the opening in the roof
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Installing a Tubular Skylight: Step 2
Proper flashing ensures a long life for the skylight and the roof
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Installing a Tubular Skylight: Step 3
In this final step, Mike Guertin works his way from the top down to connect the tube and let the daylight in
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Build Like a Pro: Adding Blown-in Fiberglass Insulation
Less dusty than cellulose, blown-in fiberglass increases R-value and installs quickly
