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Issue 256 – December 2015/January 2016

On the Cover

Member Only

Build a High-Performance Exterior Door

This beautiful door is ideally suited to energy-efficient homes and can be made with common building materials.

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The Magazine

Perfect Roof Rafters

Focus your efforts on the pattern rafter, and the rest of the roof falls into place easily.
Flawless Two-Piece Baseboard

If you dial in your measurements and fine-tune your cuts, you won’t need the painter to make your work look good.
Detailing Walls With Rigid Foam

Navigating the challenges of exterior insulation isn’t the nightmare you might think it is.
Reinventing the Farmhouse

An architect uses the site itself to guide his take on a traditional style.

Article

Guide to Gas Fireplaces

An industry veteran explains how to get the right gas fireplace for your home.
The Precut Porch

A detailed SketchUp model and cutlist allow much of this portico’s prep work to be done in the shop.
Is Solar Power the Solution?

Solar panels might be a wise investment in light of a generous federal tax credit set to expire by 2017
Tool Test: Hammer Drills and Impact Drivers

The tools in these brushless combo kits work hard and run for a long time between charges.

Finishing Touches

Parallel Parking

June and Mark Kohler found a lot to love about the property they purchased to build their home. Its park-like setting with commanding views of a reservoir was breathtaking, and…

What is the Difference

What's the Difference: Linoleum vs. Vinyl

Resilient Flooring

Building Skills

Using a Drywall Router

Building Skills: Learn how to make quick, clean, and accurate cuts.

Drawing Board

Pinch Points

Many production builders in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s minimized construction costs by keeping the size of their houses as small as possible while still trying to include all the…

How it Works

Ice Dams

Ice dams are not a roofing problem; they’re an air-sealing problem.

Project Gallery

Great Porches

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of speaking with architect and author Rick Pratt. As the chair and secretary of New Jersey’s Hightstown–East Windsor Historical Society, Pratt contacted me…

Energy Smart Details

Insulating Unvented Roof Assemblies

If you plan to insulate a sloped roof, you need to decide if you want a vented or an unvented assembly. An unvented assembly can perform well, but it’s important…

Tailgate

Tailgate: Charlie Myers, Vo-tech Teacher

This educator at the Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center in Rhode Island prepares students to pursue the trades and more.

Video

Behind the Scenes: How Fine Homebuilding Articles are Captured

Join Project House host Justin Fink for a behind the scenes look at how the articles you see in Fine Homebuilding are developed and photographed on the job site.

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