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Issue 281 – Feb/Mar 2019

On the Cover

How to Frame Walls Plumb and Straight

When carpenters use consistent and efficient methods for framing a house, it makes the entire build go much more smoothly.

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Features

  • Crisp Corners for Drywall
    Crisp Corners for Drywall

    Learn how to install metal, vinyl, and paper-faced corner beads so that wall edges are straight, corners are tight, and bubbles are nonexistent.

  • 9 Upgrades to Windproof Your Roof

    Master these roof-installation details to keep asphalt shingles on and rain out of your house.

  • Small-Home Harmony

    Tight space restrictions, unique cultural requirements, and the desire to age in place informed this compact, efficient design.

  • precise window trim
    Precision Window Trim

    This systematic approach to cutting and assembling window casing ensures better joints and a faster installation.

  • Arts and Crafts Meets Modernism

    This high-performance house embraces local materials, modern lines, and the craftsman’s hand.

  • Fine Homebuilding Issue #281 Online Highlights
    Fine Homebuilding Issue #281 Online Highlights

    Find online articles and videos on installing Rockwool for continuous exterior insulation, framing an arched doorway, and more.

Online Extras

  • 3-Tiered Checklist for Aging in Place

    Incorporate as many of these design considerations as possible to build a home that is accessible and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities.

Know the Code

  • chart of living room receptacles
    Electrical Outlets by the Numbers

    Building codes dictate specific height and spacing measurements for receptacles and switches. Learn what the most common dimensions are and why.

Tools & Materials

  • Better Bibs for Cold-Weather Work

    Made of ripstop polyester, these lightweight overalls are built to last.

  • Superportable Sliding Miter Saw

    With its 36V battery, this 7 1/2 in. cordless saw can last a day or more on one charge, even at a production-carpentry pace.

  • Big Saw Bests Big Timbers
    Big Saw Bests Big Timbers

    Skilsaw's Super Sawsquatch massive 16-5/16 in. circular saw can cut thick beams with ease.

  • Spray air-sealing. AeroBarrier uses a series of emitters and pressure from a blower door to force a latex sealant into gaps and cracks in the building envelope. The process usually takes half a day or less.
    New Technology Improves Airtightness

    AeroBarrier uses compressed air to aerosolize a water-based sealant to fill gaps and cracks in an entire house.

Design/Build

  • Gable-End Eave Design

    Learn how to detail exterior trim with harmonious proportions on eaves that don't return onto the gable.

HOUSES by Design

  • Aloft and Shingled

    Finding creative design solutions to strict waterfront building requirements for a new home near the Rhode Island coast.

  • Vertical Fit: A Modern House Conforms to Strict Height Restrictions

    The design-build team persevered to give this four-bedroom home in Austin, Texas, the stature it deserved while meeting tough zoning regulations.

Building Matters

  • Climate Change for Builders: The Biggest Opportunity

    Faced with consequences equivalent to a giant asteroid set to hit the earth in 10 to 50 years, we designers and builders owe it to the future to do our part—and we need to start right now.

As-Built

  • Starting Steps

    How a stair-parts salesman, some classic how-to books, and steely determination helped one carpenter hone his stairbuilding and handrailing skills.

Keep Craft Alive

  • Keep Craft Alive: Alex McKenzie, Carpenter and Furniture Maker

    This dedicated craftsperson traced his lineage to and got his inspiration from several generations of Vermont woodworkers and timber framers.

More? View Past Issues

Ask the Experts

  • Use Spray Foam to Stop Register Grilles From Sweating
  • Re-side Over Lead-tainted Siding
  • Why Are There Dry Joints in My Brick Walls?

Readers Tips

  • Easy-Read Wire Strippers
  • Improvised Appliance Sled
  • No-Fall Drywall
  • More-Accurate Quarter-Round Molding
  • Great Grout Spacers
  • Simple Way to Keep Spray Paint Spraying

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams
  • Issue 311 - November 2022
    • 7 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job
    • Options for Smarter Home-Energy Tracking
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: James Metoyer
  • Issue 310 - October 2022
    • Choosing a Tile-Leveling System
    • Choosing Between HRVs and ERVs
    • Custom Built-in Cabinets Made Easy
  • Issue 309 - Aug/Sept 2022
    • 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets
    • How to Get Sturdy Walls Without OSB
    • Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job

Fine Homebuilding

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