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Issue 258 – April/May 2016

On the Cover

Bright Ideas for a Well-Lit Deck

Make your deck safer and more enjoyable with good lighting.

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The Magazine

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Features

  • How to Install a Minisplit

    What you need to know about choosing a minisplit heat pump and ensuring that it’s set up correctly

  • The Art and Science of Building Garden Gates

    A father and son share their secrets to crafting beautiful and long-lasting custom gates: proper wood, proven joinery, and durable hardware.

  • Build Strong Deck Stairs
    Stronger, Smarter Deck Stairs

    The ideal stair stringers balance strength, durability, and ease of assembly.

  • How to Repair Broken Bricks

    Learn to assess the extent of damage in a brick wall, repoint mortar joints, and even make color-matched repairs to damaged bricks.

  • Build a Budget-Friendly Shed

    Affordably get ample storage space and classic styling by using simple construction details and traditional materials.

  • deck connectors
    Critical Deck Connections

    Take a close look at the forces at work on a deck and the hardware designed to keep things in check.

Article

  • Tool Test: SawStop's Portable Tablesaw

    We test the new finger-saving tablesaw from SawStop.

Finishing Touches

  • An Elegant Addition

    The design for this two-story addition began as a casual conversation at a Super Bowl party between architect Edwin Heinle and the homeowner, who mentioned that she was thinking of…

What is the Difference

  • What's the Difference: Utility-Knife Blades

    At a work site, utility knives are as common as hammers. And like hammers, despite their inherent simplicity, they have evolved over the years. Yet even as these knives have…

Building Skills

  • Placing a Small Concrete Slab
    Placing a Small Concrete Slab

    Learn how to excavate, form, pour, and hand-finish a small slab.

Drawing Board

  • sheds-drawing-board
    Traditional Sheds

    The first structure I ever built, not counting tree houses, was a shed. It served its function but was too small, oddly tall, and narrow, and I never put it…

How it Works

  • how it works wood beams
    How it Works: Simple Wood Beams

    Beams, defined as elongated members that are loaded perpendicular to their long axis, are critical to the structure of a house.

Project Gallery

  • Little House on the Ferry

    Good things come in threes. There is a total of 890 sq. ft. of living space in the three cabins. The largest cabin measures 16 ft. by 26 ft. and…

Energy Smart Details

  • Two Ways to Insulate an Old Cape
    Two Ways to Insulate an Old Cape

    Cape Cod–style homes can be challenging to insulate; here are two possible solutions.

Tailgate

  • Charles King Sadler, Landscape Designer

    This owner of King Garden Designs in New York’s Westchester County is also a certified arborist.

More? View Past Issues

Ask the Experts

  • How do I Mount a Deck Ledger Over Zip System R-Sheathing?
  • Good Cabinets in a Bad Kitchen
  • Replacing Structural Deck Fasteners
  • Preventing Floor Squeaks
  • Overlaying Decking

Readers Tips

  • Separating Buckets
  • Cold-Weather Epoxy
  • Pegboard Upgrade
  • Brush for Dirty Hands
  • Spring-Clamp Upgrade
  • Straight Cuts in Plastic Sheeting
  • A No-Tip Stool
  • Cart for 12-ft. Siding
  • Tool for Removing Caulk

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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