Issue 225
Features
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Restore a Wood Entry Door
Let the wood shine through with a marine-grade finish that's sure to last.
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Torture Test: Spade Bits and Beyond
We take traditional spades and their modern competitors for a spin.
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Tile Backerboard Options
Before you begin tiling, make sure that you've chosen the right substrate.
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How it Works: Roof Trusses
The roofs on most new houses in the United States are built with trusses.
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Linking Logs
After its dismantled logs were cataloged, stripped, and cleaned, Haresign decided they would be the focus of the design.
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Tool Test: Sidewinder Circular Saws
The best saws combine speed, visibility, and a guard that opens in any cutting position.
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Foam Shrinks, and Other Lessons
What we learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.
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Framing Tricky Truss Roofs
When building houses with trusses made for hips and valleys, careful planning and job-site organization are key to an efficient installation.
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A Watershed Moment
The winner of the 2011 Solar Decathlon offers an educated glimpse at tomorrow's environmentally sensitive, energy-smart homes.
Article
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What's the Difference: Liquid solvents
Petroleum-based Go to the solvents section of a hardware store or home center to look for paint thinner, and you may be confused by the choices. Solvents that are great…
What is the Difference
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Outfitting a Tool Belt
Keep these core framing tools within close reach.
Building Skills
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French Polish for a Showpiece Handrail
In this "Master Carpenter" column, architectural finisher and furniture restorer Peter Gedrys explains the process he used for applying a French polish to a set of mahogany handrails. He began…
Master Carpenter
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Comfortable Dining Nooks
Once you settle on the location, focus on providing maximum comfort to the users
Drawing Board
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Air-Sealing a Basement
Learn the places where cold air is most likely to leak in during the winter and how best to seal them.
Energy Smart Details
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Tailgate: Bill Smithers, Builder
The chief of CB/USA is working to organize the nation’s largest co-op for independent builders.
