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Issue 270 – November 2017

On the Cover

Digital Exclusives for Issue 270

Videos, links, and extras for the November 2017 issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine.

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The Magazine

10 Golden Rules of Framing

Bits of framing advice the Fine Homebuilding editors all wish they'd known the first (and last) time they strapped on their tool bags.
Respirators Demystified: Picking the Right Protection

Breathing difficulties — When choosing a respirator, straight answers are surprisingly hard to find.
Respirators Reviewed

What you don’t know about choosing a respirator can kill you.
Making Passive House Mainstream

Chris Corson says someone has to elevate American housing, and he’s ready for the job.
Build a Custom Rollout Cabinet

Pushed beneath the counter, it’s a cabinet with an adjustable shelf. Pulled out, it’s an extra work surface with a butcher-block top.
Metalwork for Builders

Bring the endless possibilities of custom architectural steel to your projects with readily available stock and some basic tools.

Article

Welding 101: Fabricating a Steel Handrail

This basic welding project is an excellent introduction to architectural metalwork.
Men of Steel

Matt Risinger, Bob Howell, Luke Thomas Gaffney, and Josh Turner design and fabricate architectural metalwork at Risinger & Co., a custom home-building outfit in Austin.
Use Interior Windows to Lighten a Dark Room

Let there be light: a beautiful way to extend sightlines and add charm.
A Divided-Light Farmhouse-Style Interior Window

Measured shop drawings of a single-pane sash, complete with jambs and casing.
A Closer Look at Interior Windows: Photos by Brian Vanden Brink and Susan Teare

Simple to install, and with an undeniable impact on an existing floor plan, there’s a lot to like about interior windows.
A Bungalow Grows Up

A second-story addition provides homeowners with the space they need in the home they love.
Modern Window Stools

For a clean look, skip the casing and install a low-profile stool.
Built for Comfort: Envelope and Mechanical Decisions

Although keeping costs low informs decisions about the envelope and mechanical systems, homeowner comfort gets the final say.
Triple-Pane Windows Balance Performance and Cost

These windows are warmer to sit next to in winter, and they eliminate condensation on the interior surface.
Comfort Dictates Heating and Cooling

Because the FHB House is a spec house, the builder is especially concerned about homeowner comfort.
High-Performance ERV

Because an ERV transfers moisture as well as heat, it will reduce the humidity of incoming air during the air-conditioning season.

Tools & Materials

Capable Compact Drivers

Tool review: Makita Sub-Compact Cordless Impact Driver (XDT15ZB) and Makita Sub-Compact Cordless Drill (XFD11ZB).
Bulletproof Baseboard Radiation

Made from extruded aluminum with a white powder-coated finish, the radiator covers are well made and expensive.
Bargain Flush-Cutting Saw

This 12-in. Japanese-style flush-cutting saw may be just right for your finish-carpentry work.
Get a Grip on Safety Glasses

If your hard hat knocks them off, here's a way to keep your glasses on.
Cord-Free Trim Router

Ridgid’s new cordless trim router has all the same features and as much power as the corded model.

Project Gallery

Project Gallery: Four Fabulous Floors

Beauty underfoot: custom concrete, whimsical paint, rug-patterned wood, and rug-like tile make for unusual, amazing floor options.

Musings of an Energy Nerd

Is Your Exterior Rigid Foam Too Thin?

Energy Nerd: More builders are adding a layer of rigid foam insulation on the outside of homes. The idea makes sense, done correctly.

Design/Build

Porch Posts and Beams

The right spacing, span, proportions, and dimensions are the keys to a good looking front porch

Building Skills

Routing Hinge Mortises

For when you end up hanging a new door in an existing frame and have to match the door’s hinge locations to the frame’s.
Shop-Made Hinge Mortising Jig

Put away your chisels and screw together a jig from scrap wood to rout the cleanest mortises ever.

Keep Craft Alive

Keep Craft Alive: Luke Thomas Gaffney, Welding Foreman

“Everybody I went to school with is behind a desk somewhere, and they think I’m the crazy one.”

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