In every issue you'll find...

Expert insights on techniques and principles
Unbiased tool reviews
Step-by-step details to master the job
Field-tested advice and know-how

Join
Log In

Issue 286 – November 2019

On the Cover

How to Choose the Right Replacement Windows

Learn what details and conditions to look for in an existing home to see if an insert replacement window makes more sense than removing and replacing the entire original window.

Subscribe View the Digital Issue

The Magazine

2 Methods for Patching a Hardwood Floor

Learn professional techniques for evaluating damaged flooring, removing individual boards, and installing seamless repair patches.
How to Install Built-up Crown Molding

Use these time-tested design principles and basic carpentry techniques to create beautiful layered crown and cornice trim details that will dress up any room in your house.
Retrofitting a Home Elevator

Powered by suction, pneuamatic vacuum elevators are a low-maintenance, compact alternative to conventional lifts, plus they have a much more modern look.
Clever Fix for a Sagging Floor

Learn how to level floor framing in an old home by lifting joists with temporary walls, installing a midspan beam, and adding new studs to distribute the load down the the foundation.
Updating a Traditional Design With Modern Elements

Modern accents and a monochromatic color scheme enliven the traditional design of this 19th-century-inspired home
Fine Homebuilding Issue #286 Online Highlights

Here are the digital extras from Fine Homebuilding’s November 2019, Issue #286: Exterior and Interior Finishes in the Kentucky Fine Homebuilding House On page 8 of issue #286, we featured…

Tips & Techniques

Create the Perfect Caulk Joint

Masking tape and solvents are the key to a clean bead of sealant.
Clean Copes

A specialty woodcarving tool works better than the typical utility knife does when cleaning up molding joints.
Ladder Helper

This homemade rack conveniently holds small workpieces when working up high.
Driver-Bit Storage

Make a simple pocket for keeping several bits handy by wrapping a piece of a bicycle inner tube around the base of your cordless drill.
Keep Out Sewer Gases

A drink cup beats a pile of rags if you need to temporarily plug a plumbing drain pipe when replacing a toilet.
Open Out-of-Reach Windows

A DIY extension handle works well for window cranks that can't be operated from the ground.

Know the Code

A New Old Way to Vent a Kitchen Island

The combination waste and vent system is a simpler alternative to island fixture vents and air-admittance valves, and a recent code change may make it more popular.

Tools & Materials

Heavyweight Portable Tablesaw

The sturdy and powerful Grizzly G0870 10-in tablesaw is a workhorse on the job site.
Clever Clamps

Powertec's Drawer Front Installation Clamps make simple work of this often frustrating task.
Semi-Pro Painter

The Wagner Flexio 3000 spray rig is a good alternative to professional painting equipment when you want a faster, smoother job than you can get with a brush or roller.
Stress-Free Sander

The Makita XOB01Z 5-in. cordless random-orbit sander is well balanced and more convenient than its corded counterparts.
Toilet Tamer

Oatey LiquiLock powder makes removing an old toilet less of a mess.
Versatile Electrical Box

Unlike typical work boxes that have one connection method or another, Carlon's Zip Box Blue electrical boxes have a 3-in-1 mounting system so you don't ever have the wrong type for the job at hand.
Thermally Broken Studs

Tstuds are a new energy-efficient framing product that look like vertical trusses made from two thin boards joined by a series of angled dowels.
Hinges for Thin Door and Drawer Fronts

Blum Expando T hinges have a unique pressure-fit mounting system that only requires 1/4-in. penetrations into cabinet doors and drawer faces.
A New Line of Push-to-Connect Fittings

SharkBite launches a professional series of plastic fittings that is claimed to speed up PEX-to-PEX rough plumbing jobs.
Polymer-Modified Wood

Lignia polymer-impregnated pine decking is an attractive new alternative to pressure-treated lumber.

HOUSES by Design

Row House Revived

A major remodel of the back of this 1890s brick home brings in more light and makes a better connection to an existing rooftop deck.
Back to Plumb and in Plane

Creative framing and trim details straighten out the kinks during the remodel of a crooked old timber-frame farmhouse in Vermont.

Building Matters

How to Install Doors in Thick Walls

Superinsulated walls make it challenging to install standard-size door jambs and sills. Energy-efficient-home designer Michael Maines offers some workable solutions.

As-Built

Trading in Your Hammer for a Clipboard

When tradespeople transition into project-management roles, mastering record-keeping and communication skills is essential to success.

Keep Craft Alive

Keep Craft Alive: Ethan Harrison, Student and Woodworker

This aspiring furniture maker is taking advantage of every learning opportunity he can find to work towards his goal of owning his own woodworking studio someday.