Issue 250 – April/May 2015
Features
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Replacing a Basement Window
How to swap out those corroded cast-in-place windows with new, more efficient units.
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A Kitchen Built on Tradition
Modernizing through the use of historical details.
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Remove One Wall and Join Two Rooms
Hanging the ceiling joists from an engineered beam is the fast, simple way to replace a bearing wall.
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The Facts About Ceiling Fans
Choose a good-looking, energy-efficient fan, and use it correctly.
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The Carpenter's House
This smart Craftsman-style home was built with a keen eye for detail and energy efficiency.
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Tool Test: 18v Cordless Circular Saws
Modern cordless saws cut fast and run for a long time.
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A Loo Fit for Doctor Who: Steampunk Bathroom
Architect Andre Rothblatt’s clients wanted to incorporate some “steampunk” style into their wholehouse remodel. Not quite sure what they meant, Rothblatt nevertheless enthusiastically agreed. He discovered that steampunk refers to…
Finishing Touches
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Specialty Levels
Today's choices for spirit levels go well beyond the standard long and straight models.
What is the Difference
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Brush-Painting a Steel Door
A good paint job can go a long way to making a steel door look as welcoming as a wood one.
Building Skills
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PVC Roof Trim
A coastal builder’s technique for durable and weathertight fascias and soffits is based on years of experience with plastic trim.
Master Carpenter
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Making Shed Dormers Work
A shed dormer can be the best way to add space to a one-and-a-half-story house, but you have to get the details right if you want it to be an asset and not an eyesore.
Drawing Board
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How it Works: Circular Sawblades
Despite having no moving parts, circular sawblades are surprisingly complex.
How it Works
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Project Gallery: A Fine Farewell
We recently received a letter from two long-time subscribers, Janet and Kim Yost. The Yosts discovered Fine Homebuilding magazine in 1982 with issue #7 and then began subscribing to Fine…
Project Gallery
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5 Ways to Insulate a Flat Roof
Learn several reliable ways to build an energy-efficient low-slope or shallow-pitched unvented roof, which is much easier and less risky than building a vented one.
Energy Smart Details
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Molly Jones McCabe: Tribal-Housing Advocate
Red Feather Development is in its 20th year of working with tribal communities to build safe and adequate housing.
