Welcome back to Fine Homebuilding House 2022 in Prairie Village, Kan. Along with the team at Forward Design Architecture, we opted to install Rockwool Comfortboard mineral-wool insulation under the slab for its vapor-open quality and to increase the comfort of the concrete surface, which is the finished basement floor in the house. In this subslab application, you can either use Comfortboard 110, or Comfortboard 80.
Comfortboard has a high compressive strength, so we are able to walk around on the product without damaging it. It’s great to not have to worry about it being damaged by foot traffic. Later,
“Making things with my hands is the thread that has run through my life and sustained me.”
–Tom Bodett, Co-Founder, Hatchspace, Brattleboro, VT.
You may recognize Tom Bodett (or more accurately, his voice) from the Motel 6 commercials, or his appearances on NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!; you may know his name from the many books he’s written, or the cartoons and TV shows he’s been a part of. Today, though, Tom tries to spend as much time as he can working with wood, both at his home in Vermont and at the woodworking school and com
Synopsis: There are some things that factory-made cabinetry cannot provide, and creating a customized solution might be an option that best fits your client’s needs. Coming up with a solid plan and equipping yourself with the right tools and hardware are a few ways that woodworker Tim Snyder creates and installs custom paint-grade built-ins.
Making and installing paint-grade built-ins is a specialty I developed to help clients who can’t get what they need from factory-made cabinetry. My built-in repertoire has come to include bookshelves, cabinets, seats, closet organizers, and desks. Although every project is unique, the goal is
Does the National Electrical Code (NEC) allow electrical panel covers to be painted to match a wall color? I often see covers painted in institutional and commercial settings, but I thought part of the NEC included a provision that prohibited altering safety-tested products. Is paint or wallpaper considered an alteration?
—Patrick McCombe, Sandy Hook, Conn.
David Shapiro, master
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Patrick and Kevin talk about decorative epoxy floor finishes and a lifetime spent working on houses.
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Synopsis: Joshua Oduin, a custom home builder, tilesetter, and remodeler, explains what makes a great tile-leveling system and takes a closer look at the four different types of systems available on the market, putting them to the test on real-world jobs and a mockup floor and wall assembly before determining the best overall and best budget options.
Large-format tile that looks like stone, marble, wood, or metal is ubiquitous in today’s bathrooms. To enhance the popular seamless look, grout lines have also slimmed, sometimes to 1⁄16 in. or less. All of this makes lippage—unevenness between adjacent tiles—more obvious and harder
Mel Baiser (they/them) is the Co-Founder and Director of Vision and Strategy at Helm Construction Solutions. After years working as a carpenter and engaging in the early movement around building science, Mel saw the need for better processes and communication within the residential construction industry. In this interview, Mel talks about why they entered the trades, advice for new tradespeople, why construction is important for addressing climate justice, and how their company is helping to create better workplace cultures that result in more viable companies.
Lana Melonakos-Harrison: Before you started Helm, you were a carpenter, a weatherization installer, and
As homes are built more and more airtight for better energy efficiency, managing indoor air quality becomes even more important for homeowners. Cooking, breathing, showering, painting, vacuuming, and a host of other daily activities can add health-deteriorating pollutants to the air. Broan-NuTone’s cloud-connected system Overture combats contaminants by monitoring the air in your home and turning on your home ventilation system when air quality is poor. It’s designed to interface with Broan’s balanced ventilation systems, as well as their supply-only fresh air systems.
When we built our house, I made it a point to put a roof over our 10-ft. by 45-ft. southeast-facing deck. I wanted protection from rain and the hot summer sun. After enjoying the cool nights of fall and spring, we knew that our nighttime usage of the deck during the summer would come to an end with the arrival of mosquitos and other bugs associated with rural living. Having previously used the Screeneze System on another project, I decided to source the materials and plan out how best to turn our deck
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Andy and Patrick talk about finding your niche as a contractor and what you can do to prepare for possible lean times ahead.
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