Fine.homebuilding.jan

WHY YOUR HOUSE NEEDS AN ENERGY AUDIT

Flawle $ wood 10 Attic­insulation upgrade

Simple approach to cabinets

Frame a shed dormer

Bungalow before and after

TOOL TEST

Finish nailers

JANUARY 2009 NO 200

_ .fi.,.homebuilding .com

1

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stili have plenty of room left for drywall and rebar.lts got a towing capacrty up to 10,800 Ibs~~ which comes In handy when your power lools conSist

of a backhoe and foi1llift ThiS trucks all about maXimum effiCIency without sacrificing ma,nmum power Components like an aluminum engine

bjock let yOU handle those heavy loads without feeling weighed down. Now that's a halHon worth having at any site. Find out more at toyota.com

RKING ACHINE ERYOU.

THE TRUCK THAT'S CHANGING IT ALL.

~ ~ ...

REA-taR SUVICE NO."

TIPS & TECHNIQUES 26 UP FRONT

6 On the Web

8 Contributors

10 Letters

20 Cross Section Fuel-comparison Web site, Fire-sprinkler code update

26 Tips & Techniques Plywood sheet-metal brake, Window installation

34 Tools & Materials Miter saw, Chimney balloon

FEATURES

42

48

53

Every House Needs an Energy Audit Inspecting a house for inefficiencies is the first step toward optimized comfort and minimized utility costs BY JEFFERSON KOllE

Tool Test: 16-Ga. Finish Nailers The right tool can improve the speed, accuracy, and quality of your trimworX BY RICK ARNOLD

Frame a Classic Shed DOl'mer If you start with a full-scale layout on the subfloor and plan for the finished details, the framing is relatively painless BY JOHN SPIER

58 Glass-Block Shower on a Curve This shower-stall alternative lets in the light, offers privacy, and makes a small space feel roomy BY ;'"OM MEEHAN

62 A Faster, Easier Approach to Custom Cabinets Create desks, bookcases, pantries, and more with a slick hybrid design and problem-solving pocket-screw joinery Sid.b.lf> Oru, up .n u:po,.d .nd p.n.' (p, 67) BY Min MAINES

68 Attic-Insulation Upgrade Seal air leaks fi rst; then add extra insulation for an energy­saving improvement with great bang for the buck Sid.b.lf> Choon th. right .Ir ,.alar'lt for th. job (p. 70)

BY 1o.41i(E GUERTIN

74 An Anlerican BungalOW: Before and After

78

Transformed into a clas.s.ic Craftsman home, this. Sears kit house lilies, looks, and performs better than ever BY MICHAEL n~M~N I

COVER STORY

11 Wood-Flooring Problems, and Their Solutions For flawless wood floors, avoid these installation and finishing mistakes BY CHARLES PETERSON

www.finehomebuilding.com

16·GA. 48 FIN ISH

NA ILERS

IN THE BACK

B4 Finishing Touches Kindling creativity

88 Questions & Answers Direct water to gutters, Let drywall corners move

94 What's the Difference? Safety glasses. Trowels, Paintable caulk

102 Bui lding Skills Wrapping cords and hoses

108 Drawing Board Designing stairs for 3(l addition

118 Master Carpenter Dress up cabinet face frames with a mitered integral bead

126 Great Moments Trimming the Tree

ontheweb WWW FINE'HOMEBUILDING COM

o w o >

Look fo r t hese and o ther free magazine e xtras land

o ur new b logs) at Fine Hom llb uilding.com,

Choosing a finfsh nailer Contributing editor f("ck Arnold exp lains that the djf­

ficu~ of selectil'l9 a 16-901. f inish nail., begins with the

sheer number on the nlarket. In th is video tool reView,

Rick r>ar rows down the fi eld 50 tha t you car. too.

Two ways to cut curves in tile Ring-blade tile saws cut t ile curves 35 easi ly as scro ll

saws rut wood. But if you can't beg, borrow, or steal

one 01 these spe<:ia lized tools, ti le expert Tom M .. ehan

shows you how to cut curves with a standard wet saw.

o I Learn to use a pocket-hole jig ~ 3: When mortise-and-tenon joinery is impractical or just

o too difficul t to maste'. consider using a pocket-hole jig. I This tool is easy to learn to u~e and makes strong hid­

den joints for r..a b in~t boxes, l ac .. frames, arlO more.

VIDEOS: ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

Energy-smart remodeling advice Fo:low Johrl Jerrings., an energy auditor at

the firm Steven Winter Associates, while he

makes recommendatiorls on f,ow to ;n$ul~te a

new shed dormer in an old home, where to in­

sulate " gilrage workshop for the most impact,

and how te find wall-cavity R-values easily.

membersooly

INTRODUCING TWO NEW BlOGS

The'Daily SCOOp Fe;;tU!irl9 the latest

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this blag covers the top­

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to your busine-s.s. From

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the economy, we'll let

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is.sues that aif<:<:t your

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'The Deans of .Green

If you Me looking for

solid, credible green­

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information from industry

expert~, ~ isit th is recently

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digital article archive, tool revieW$, and exdusive content CNated just for the Web.

TUBULAR SKYLIGHTS

SHOULD LEAK ONL.Y SUNLIGHT

Getting daylight into tough places some·

t imes can be accompli.~hed only by cap­

turing the S Url'S ra ys through a reflective t ube cut into the roof. And because all

you want to pass thrOljgh this opening is

sunlight, contributing editor Mike Guer1in

shows you how to inst,,11 a t ubula r skylight

" ,.,d how to flash it properly to prevent

leaks. It's not as easy us you might think.

A.DDITIONAL MEMBERS·ONLY BENEFITS

• Current issue online . Full access to more than 1450 archived articles • Tips & Techniques . Q&A • Videos · 14-DAY FREE TRIAL · And more ..

• I'lNI' HOMEFlUI L D ING

breaktime~ Advice from our online forum If you haven't visited " Breakt ime, " our online discus­

sion g roup, then you're mis.s ing Qut on ~ fuscinating

exchange of ideas, advice, and commentary_ You'l l

f ind "Breakti me" on our Web site. Us~ed below are

some recent highlights.

Kickback trashed my sidewinder CREA.TED BY BLOWNONFUEL: I was watching a video of framer larry Haun, and he cut 2x material like it wa.s butter. When I was cutting iii piece of scrap for bra(;ing, my cheap side­winder saw kicked bac:k and now sounds like

a bunch of rocks inside a metal can. How (;an I prevent kickback? I don't want to trillih my new worm-drive saw.

POllted by Danna: Until I began working for a fram9r w V9ral years ago, I had problems with

kickback, too. He told me to make sure that the offcut always falls free, You can support one side of the (;\Jt all you want, but make sure the other side tails cleanly. And if someone is

going to "catch" the offcut, make sure they let it fall free of the blade before doing so. When cutting plywood, make sure that the kerf doesn't close behind the blade. or it will bind

and cause kickback. Posted by davidhawkll: Another thing that

helps to prevent kickback is making sure that the depth adjustment is set for the thickness of the material you're cutting. For example, a fully extended blade will often try to kick back when cutting 1.11 material. It's important to take the time to make that litt le adjustment.

How to cr'eate level lines for a suspended ceiling CREATED BY WILLIEWONKA: Without using a laser level, what is the best way to make level lines around walls? Do I just snap chalklines and meet them up to the adjacent wall~?

Posted by timkline: Use a water level to mark the corners first, then one inte rmediate point along each wall, and snap the lines. After, use string runn9rs across the room to set the main

height, To make sura that the runners stay level, though, pull them guitar-strummin' tight!

IT'S MORE THAN AN EVOLUTION.

IT'S A REVOLUTION.

It's been called the next generation of alternative decking. But it 's

actually the first of a new breed. Like other PVC decking, Sensibuilt™ lasts

for decades without warping. rotting or replacement. Unlike others, it's almost entirely

resistant to staining, scratching, chalking and mold. And it carries an indusuy-exclusive warranty

against color fading .

Sensibuilt's high-tech, fusion-bonded surface is more than an evolution. It's a revolution in alternative building technologies.

Vislt www,sensibuilt,com to request your sample and see how good your next deck could look - now, and years from now.

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READER SERVICE NO. 133

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DECEMBER l008/JANUARY 2009 7

contributors T HE VOICES OF EXPER I ENCE

• write an article Fine Homebuilding

wekomes (lrtjde$ from

our readel'!._ We'll (1(:­

knowledge ilil proposil ls

ilnd return any l'Ie can't

use, ill"'lO we 'll pay fo r any

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finehomebuilding_wm.

8 P INE H OMEBUILOI NG

•

After earning $2 an hour on his fi~t furniture commis­

sion, which included hand-<utting 88 dovetails, MIKE

MAINES ("A Faster, Easier Approach to Custom Cabi­nets," pp. 62·67) realized he had to find another way

to make iii living. He went to work a5 a trim carpenter and cabinetmaker in Boston and Nantucket, Mass. With a degree in architectural engineering from Tufts Univer·

sity. Mike is now an architectural designer for Harbor­side Oitsig" in Yarmouth, Maine. He and his wife live in Portland, Maine.

TOM MEEHAN has been

installing tile for more than 40 years. Tom lives with his wife, lane, and their four

sons in Harwich, Mass.,

where they also own a tile store. Everyone in the Mee­han family holds at least a

first-degree black belt in karate, and in the winter,

they all ski and snowboard most weekends at their house in Maine. Tom's article about building a glass­block shower begins on p. 58.

For many years, JOHN SPIER and his wife, Kern, ran it construction company on Block Island, R.I. When they

realized they were giving better value to their clients than to their children, they decided to revisit John's dream of sailing around the world. Now they spend six or eight months a year on their sailboat, exploring and savoring a slower pace of life. When they're home,

they take on a few construction jobs. One project they worked on recently included a shed dormer (pp. 53·57).

I JEFFERSON KOLLE ("Every House Needs a Home- i Energy Audit," pp. 42-47) has held numerous jobs in his quest to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up, including peart diver, oil-field roughneck,

" [ bail bondsman, carpenter, contractor, editor, and now, 1 freelance writer. He hunts and pecks in his stone-walled ~ basement office, referred to by his loving wife and four l children as "the batcave."

A graduate of the University of Michigan, MICHAEL KLEMENT is principal of An:;hitectural Resource, LLC

• ~ t ,

in Ann Arbor, Mich. The firm's work has won more than j 80 design awards in the past six years. Michael's tale of ii renovating a Sears kit houMt begins on p. 74. l

FIn" Homt'bulldlng

Editor Kevin Ir.ton

Executive Art Director ROMort Goodfellow

Special-Issues Editor Charles Miller

Managing Editor Brl." Pontolllo

Senior Editors Charla. Bidford, Debra Silber

Associate Editors Chris Ermides, Justin Fink,

Rob Yltgid

Senior Copy/ Production Editors Chris Hoelck, Julie Ri.init

Deputy An Directors Oan lhornton, Rodney Diu

Assistant Art Director Krysta S. Doerfler

Administrat ive Assistant Maureen Friedman

Managing Editor, Web Jean.Paul Venottl

~soclate Editors, Wob John Ron, Robyn Doyon.Aitken

Contributing Editors Scott McBride, Rick Arnold,

Mike Guertin, So;ott Gibson, GIM')' M. Katz

Publisher Tim Schr.iner

Marketing Manager Lin Cooke

Administrative Assinant Chrlltina Glennon

Director of Advertiser Mar~eting Krl,te" Lacey

Advertising Sa les Director John Dyckman

Senior National Account Manager Wendy Baxter

Na1ionlll AccOlJnt Managers Jri Font, Carol Peringer,

Scott O'Connor

Account Manager Chris Ounham

Advertising Sales Assistant Heather Simi Anistant Editor, Home-building Books

Courtney Jordan

...... Honl. h "!r i§ ~SSN: 10%-36OX)!s po..obI<hed ~ • ..w.h • opo-QoI1t/1 ....... in .he ",ring ..... ~ ~ ell> i....., ;" tho ! .... b,- Tho T-'I"" P, ..... "',. _own. CT 06470-5506. TMphonoo (2IJ3'~21M1171. F'e!-k><k'" poot"lJ'O F*<I ~ _awn. CT OM70 _ .. ~~ ..,.,1i"9 offlc. .. GST poo;d .1""ic>~ " 23210gel,

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READER 5!RVICE NO. 171

DECEMBER lOO8lJANUA RY 2009 9

letters READER FEEDBACK

f--­I \.:J ---' f---

2 VJ

w I f---Z

Bad. not big. homes are the problem Ilov. and applaud the concepts behind architect Sarah Susanka's approach to

nome design: optimizing function, loItility. cost, and e nergy consumption to frt the

wayan individual really lives, which often resulu in a much small., house than

ath .... design approaches. But I was disappointed to read Kevin Ireton's editorial

lamenting the increasing aventge size of homes (FHB .198, "Letters"). Mr. Ireton

is correct that we do need to build better houses, but the overall size should bI!I

the result of proper design, not the driver of it. Ther. is M) ubiquitous way that

"we" really live.

Ther. is the way you live, and there is the way I livlt, and if they' re not the same,

then we :dlould live in different houses. If you prefer a smaller house for whatever

particular reason, then by all means pursue the perfection of your preference, but

don't pretend that your opinion is truth. Most protestations about larglit homes

are based on class envy or an inarticulate social statement decrying conspicuous

consumption rather tl\an on a rational evaluation of function, cost, and energy

use. To be sure, there are many Iilrge home5 that are nothing moM than a mani­

festation of the owner's or builder'S ego, but tnat is an indictment of those par­

ticular houses, not Iilrge houses in general.

If you want to argue that more of us should change our lifestyle so that we don't

want or need large hoJTWs, that is a worthwhile diKUHK>n, but not one that

belongs in Fine Homebuilding. Meanwhile, I hope your readen are smart enough

to realize that there is no virtue in any particular sae of nome, large or small,

unlltSs it is designed and built to meet the n&eds of the occupants and the com­

munity. This pursuit usually requires compromises between the oft-competing

agend.." of homeowne!"$, homebuilders, architects, and communities, blJt it's a

worthy pursuit that ends up producing better homes for aU of us. So I will ask Mr.

Ireton's original question back to him: Will you ever learn?

Liquid membranes can be counterflashed As developer of the Wet-Flash materiab recently mentioned in your "1.A:tfers" column (FHB #198, and online al FincH ome build ing.cum), r would like to respond to Rob Moody'~ con­tention that a liquid-applied waterproof membrane cannot be countcrflashcd or is unable to lx: installed in a lapped fashion.

-EDWARD O'kELLY Ellttrgreen, Colo.

Counterflashing is add ressed at the sill by incorporating a du­rable (extile embedded imo the liquid-applied matt:rial prior to cure. This fabric is lnose beyond the sill and allows lhe currently uscd weather-resistant barriers to be installed undl:fflealh, in lap f;;sh ion. You can see seve ral imtallatinn demos on our Web site, www.wel-flash.eom. O ther details, regardless of complex-

10 FINE HOMEBUILDING

The Taunton Press Insp ir"rion for 6 nds·00l l iving-

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letters CONTINUED

ity, can be addressed as easily.

A liquid~applied material can TenUCe lapping issues at the most-likdy-to-lcak (and most staple(l) conditions in the build­

ing envelope. As a testing company, we look

at the I~rformancc of construc­

tion pnxlucts as they are in­stalled and exposed on job-site environments. This view can reveal the disp"arity bttween the expected ~rformancc as listed on:l company's lite rature and

the actual results to a structure after a storm. It can be argued

that much interest has bccn placed ill the wutt'rproofing of building~, but if we are not test­ing, we aTt: simply guessing.

-TOM SCHNEIDER

Building Envelope Innovations,

llC

A safer railing On p. 72 ofthe October! November issue (FHB # 198, and online at FincHome building.com), m the articl~ "Durable Deck Stairs," my eye immediately went to the terminal end5 of the stainless­sted cable~ Oil the bottom newel posts. The protruding ends arc

rbngerous. A .'iaf~r way would be either to counteroore holes in the post to accept the threaded ends of the cable or to build a box around the ends and screw the oox to the posts so that the wires can Ix: adjusted from time to time by removing the top of the box.

On the other hand, I really liked the attachment of the bottom newel po5ts with a1l­thread and plan on using that lIpplication on my next set of exttriur wo<x.! ~tairs. Sign me a longtime, loyal subKribcr and re<ldtr of your fi.ne magazine.

-DANA LUBOW

via email

Disappointed by wood-heat article As a fl'spccted member of tht hearth-products mdustry, we at Winus-rife by lksign were disappointed that the- article "Is \Vocx! H ea t the Answer-" (FHB #198, and online at Fine-Homebuilding.com) did not have the quality and accu­racy expected of your maga­zine. Although the articl~ was informative, it contained some misleading information and did

N THE ROAD DECEMBER 4, 18, JANUARY 15. 29: Hear Fine Homebuilding editors Kevin Ireton

and Chuck Miller on The Faith Middleton Show at 3 p.m_ ET on WNPR. 90,S FM, in

southern New England. or online at www.wnpr.org.

DECEMBER 13, JANUA RY 17: Hear Fino Homebuilding editor Kevin Ireton inter­

viewed on The Money Pit radio show, with hosts Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete. To

find a local affi liate or to listen online. visit their Web site at www.moneypit.com.

JANUARY 20-23 : Fine HomebUilding editors will be attending the International Build·

ers' Show in Las Vegas. If you're in the area, p lease stop by Booth N1851 and say hello,

For more information, go to www.bui ldersshOw.com.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Gary M, Katz regularly teaches workshops on finish car­

pentry at shows and events around the country_ Visit his Web site, www.garymkatz.com.

to find out when he'll be in your area, Rick Arnold conducts seminars on all aspects of home building _ Visit his Web site, www.buildingeventsolutions.com. to learn more.

12 FINE HOMEBUILDING

not show a complete picture of wood burning tway.

Missing was a discussion of cont~mporary de_~igns, cook­stoves, freestanding fireplaces, and rotating stoves.

In th~ section on fireplaces, the assertion that zero-clearance fir~places provide amhi~nc~ hut noc heat is not nec~ssarily true. llrO cleanwa- just means the firephICe can Ix:- installed with­out cltaranee requirements. Also, we advisee that wood to be hurned in a woodstove should dry for two years, not six months.

As for mason!]' heaters, our research shows that the), rtach 90% efficiency if built and \lsed properly, not 95%. The anicle also fails to mention [hat they typically weigh 3000 lb. to (:rCXlO lh. Additionally, r<.-'adcrs should have been warned that manufacturers of pellet stoves are b;H:ked up in production for this year, and there has been a shortage of pellets over the past f~w yean.

Finally, we thought th~ con­cepts or combustion effici~ncy (how wen and completely a stove burns fuel) and h~ating dliciency (how quickly it heats and dissipates) were muddled and misleading.

Dtspite our concerns, how­ever, we agree with the articl~'s bottom line: Wood hcatisan eco­nomically wise aitern:ltive, and burmng wood IS a good thing l

-ALYCE WITTUS

Pound Ridge. N,y'

Defending pellet stoves I w~s ple~sed to see your articio.:: on heating with wood (FHB #198, and online at FineHome building.com). On the other hand, I was surprised by the seemingly negative commen­tary on ~lld stoves.

I have a fre~standing Avalon Astoria pellet ~tove that I

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DEClcMBER 2008/JAl\'UARY lOO<; 13

letters CONTINUED

install!:d in my new home abollt

a year and a half ago. From the outset, r pbnned to heat as

much of rhe: house as possible with the stove and designed the entire family room around it. I'm happy to say that we heatt'd 75% of the house (3770 sq. ft.)

" The glass-front door allows you to enjoy the flames, which I'll grant tend to look like a blowtorch at times. "

with it last year, and it was superb. It took just more than 2Yl tuns of pellets at a total (Ost

of about $640 here in the moun­taIDs of western North Caro­lina. The author's comments might steer some folks away from the~e excellent alterna-

rives to fireplaces and conven­tional wooc!stovcs.

Why a pellet stove? For start­

ers, there is no messy wood to deal with. Pellets are made fmm wood Wl\~k aod come in easy-to-store, easy-To-maneuver

40-1b. bags. Next, there are no m.ltches or exposed !lames ~CJ.lL<;(: th~ stov~'s operatIon IS automatic. My wife hates light­

ing fires, which was J. big rea­son we opted for a pellet burner. The glass-front deXH <ll1ows you to~nioy the flames, which I'll grant tend to look like a blow­torch at times. Then there is the thermostatic operation of the . .,tove. Oun cycled like clock­work all last winter, <Ind we'd

come and go with zero worries o[ it operating reliably.

Cranted, pellct stoves require

weekly maintenance. Every five

to se\'en days, the stove has to be powered down and cleaned, a procedure that takes fi-om 15 to 20 minutes. The annual main­tenance IS a bit more involved,

taking from thrtt to four hours, which includes clean­ing the !lue.llut overall, I have

no n~grets with my choice and would happily buy another. I'd encourage your readers to take another look.

-JAMES R. FREEMAN JR

Franklin, N.C.

Problem with Festool's miter saw? With regards to Justin Fink's review of the Kapex miter saw from Ft'stool (FHB #197, and

online at FincHomebuilding .com). I have been considering purchasing one. Then [ read

about a defect that cames a

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letters CONTINUED

• your safety Hom~ building is inherently

dangerous. From accidents

with power tools to falls from

ladders, scaffolds, and roofs,

builders risk serious injury and

even death, We try to promoto

safe work habits through our

articles. But what is safe for

one person under certain

circumstances may not be

$Ilfe /0( you under different

circumstance'S. So don't try ilnything you learn about here

(or elsewhere) unless you're

certain that it is safe for you.

Plea~e be carefu l

_KEVIN IRETON

editor

16 Fll\·E HOMEBUILDI:"t"G

grinding noise when changing the miter angle. I understand that Festool acknowledges the problem and will send out T('placement parts to people who bought units with the problem. My concern is that

Festcol continues to sell the Karc=x at $1300 without solving the grinding issue. The Kapcx is an amazing tool, and I will more than likely buy one. But until th~y get this sorted out, I am k~eping my money.

-606 LUCIANO

vi" email

A.uoc/ate ditor/u>·t;n Fink rt'piit's: The grmding noise you refer to wasn't a problem on the saw that I tested, but I have heard similar complaints since WI:" puhlished the rev~w. I sJXlke with Festool product

manager Rick BlL\h ahout the problem, and he explained that the noise is created by a clear­ance i~sue with the miter-lock mechani~m. Festnol has corrt"Cted the Issue at the production line, fixed evcry saw in their inven­tory. and spot-checked saws at distributor locations to make repairs. Bush encourages any KaJXx uwners thdt experience the: prohlem to call 800 .. 554-8741 for a fre!." repair with no shipping cost to the user.

Comments on drop· down door seals I have had drop-down door seals on a pair of in-swinging Fr!."neh emry doors since 1992 and would like add a few points that Jay B. Lane did nO( cover (F11B #198, and online at Fine Homcbuilding.com).

Mr. Lane show~ the hottom lip of the ~al housing sitting proud of the door bottom and fastened with panhead screws. My seal was insralled exactly this way. Over time. my thresh­old warped slightly, and the ~rcw heads scraped cross grain over the thr~shold. The next time I install a drop-down door seal, I will mortise the flange of the door ~al flll.,h with the dIXJr bottom.

Also, Mr. Lane glued his door seal in place with \lr!."thane ~al­ant. The spring in the Pemko seal is steel and will rusr. The time may come when the ~al will need to he replaced, so the urethane caulk is prob.1bly best applied Just to the edges ofthe seal, not to the !."ntire bed.

-JAMES GEAlY

via email

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~

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....

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Environmentally prefer<lble:

91% of the ste(>1 in 100""" Made·irHhe-U.S.A. Maze Na ils i5 made from steel scrap. ~

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Should you switch heating fuels?

ising energy prices have made heating fuds that once were affordable

seem \.juite expensive. Heating oil, for example, is projected

to average $4.13 per gal. this wimer, up 35% from last year, according to the Energy Infor­mation Administration's Web site (www.eia.doe.gov). Both

natural-gas and electricity prices arc expected to be about 9% higher, too.

Given the statistics and the state oCthe U.S. economy, it might be tempting to consider

switching to a less expensive fud source. But comparing fud costs isn"t so simple. In fact, it's pretty complicated. Fuel is S()ld

by volume or weight, not by energy content. The only W<ly

to compare the cost ofheating

with a gallon of oil to the cost of heating with a kilowatt hour of electricity is to determine the

price of each per unit of ddiv~ teed heat, which is mtasured ill British therm:ll units (Rtu).

Finding the cost per Btu also has to include the efliciency of conve rting each fud into heat and the efficiency of the disrri­bution system. An old oil~fircd

ooiler, for example, is aoout 78% dliclent, bllt dectric base­hoards are I(XI% effiC1ent.

The folks at BuildingGrcen .com have developed a sophisti­

cated yet easy-to-usc interactive

20 FINE HOMEBUII.J)II\·(;

Fuel cost aolwlator

~ .... «*~-...."...bt-.o ...... ~'J"O'I_pt\oo._.-.... • ----....-. S!pw ZIttz:! fMv),"!!!lI

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1 ~ .... 0I(n): __ .... __

Comp are heating-fuel c05f5 in jU5t a few dick5. This interactive tool calcu/ares .1 heating fue!'s cost per Btu ba5ed on the efficiency of the heater iind its distribution system. Users can change fuel costs, add multiple fuels, and choos8 from more efficient heaters (a new 95%-efficient boiler, for example) for comparison.

online calc-ulator to make the comparison process simple ( ww \V.bui Idi n ggreen.comlca Id fud_cost.cfm). Th~ calculator

provides options for comparing fud oil, electricity, natural gas, propane, firewood, pellet5, corn,

kerosene, and coal, including various heaters and dis tribution systems (photo above). You'll find d~tail~d instructions wiThin

the calculator as well.

---Chris Ermides is an associate

editor.

lFAO PAINT

New rule snags contractor

The New England Regional Office of the Environmen· tal Protection Agency announc&d recently that it had fined a resid&ntial ren­ovation and construction contractor almost $64,000 for violating a (ead-paint

disclosure law pertinent to renovations of residen­tial properties.

The Federal Pre-Renova­tion Ru(e says that at least 60 days before renovations begin, contractors must

provide lead·hazard infor· mation to owners of resi­dential properties built

before 1978. This notifiUl­tkln requirement i5 a recent

change, according to the EPA. The case against the contractor, M.F. Reynolds Inc. of Medford, Mass., is the first pursued by the

EPA in New England and

among the first nationally.

M.F. Reynolds, which

the agency says has been eooperati .... e with EPA inspectors, will pay $63,832 in penalties.

For more information,

visit _.epa.go .... llead.

~Richard Defendorf

write5 for The Daily Scoop, our news blog about the

building industry. at

FineHomebuilding.wm.

t t r 1 r 11111 r r II

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New code requirement for fire sprinklers

Th~ International Code Council, the governing body responsible fOf the International ResiMmial Cod" (IRe), recently approved a proposal to reqUire fire sprinklers In

all new ooc- and two-family

•

homes and town houses. The requirement will appear in the 2009 IRe, but it won't

take effect until Jan. 1, 20t 1. Although the IRe IS u~ In 48 states (not

California or Wisconsin), the nt:w require­ment won't be adopted automatically. That deci~ion will be up to each state 'slcgislative

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-CE

Five things you didn't know about paint • Water-based paint olJtsold oil-based paint 628 million gal. to 126 million gal. in 2006, the most recent reporting year available from the u.s. Census Bureau.

• Americans buy twice as much interior paint as exte­rior pilint.

• Before it was banned by the federal government in 1978, lead was an important component of paint. According to the Niltioflal Paint & Co/lt;ngs Anociation, 0ld9r paint formulations contained as much as 55% lead. A gallon of this paim could weigh 40 lb.

• According to th. Paint QUillity Institute, most of the cost of painting a house is in labor. Spending $700 on top­quality paint instead 01 $400 on an 8<:onomy brand actu­ally reduCfl the cost per yen of Mtrvicelife from $1350 to $570. The labor bill of 55000 makes up mon of the tab.

• Lots of manufactured goods have been outsourced to factories in China and else­wher •. but not paint. Transportation and distribution inun have apparently been enollgh to keep U.S. paint factories firmly on U.S. soil. ,

____ ... 1 -Scott Gibson is a contributing editor.

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In d typical rainwarersysl8m. water is ~ collected in ilOWn&pOUlli, pre-I'IO'oo ~ 10 .&mOve solids, &rid slaled in a ~ largeSllrfac.or~ndergroundlank. A '. pump draWli tha watar Irom the tank as neod&ll to irrlgale lawns and 6'l Iarxtscaplrtg,onofi llswimminQpools ~ and pooQ$. SupplelTle<llalfi~ra~on and sterilization is rBCOmmBndlld whefl rainwat&r is '<l be uS(>Q inside hOmes or offices lor 10ilel flushing, clothes washing. show&riog. cooking. or drinking.

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THE POWER OF CHOICE

Master of the multi-task.

With a Honda generator you've got power that tackles just about any project and never asks for overtime. Plus they're quiet, reliable and fuel-efficient Exactly the kind of task-oriented worker you want on your jobsite.

For a free brochure or the nearest dealer, caIlSOO.426.7701 or shop online at gen.honda.com.

1'\.: ... rNd til! iIWIW'! IMIlwi ~ ~iIi'PIlml.a 1'I)r« Eqi,OiJ"IIfII. Ccm!di::<I oI.,.,...:rIIr til twso< ~ ~ &Iraiclor"",,"w N;Jij ~ j~",tlI p:w!f ~ P"OOlhl!:. C<ruul • qwlif.c ~rL C2IJl: I.n'l!I'I:ao ~ Mollr Cit, n::.

READER SERVICE NO. 92

DECEM HER 2QO~I)ANL'ARY 2009 25

tips&techniques~"=~' =':1" = .. =:1 ACCESS PANEL GE A GRIP ON WINDOW INSTALLATION

EDITED AND ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES MILLER

Fla~hing coil stock

Affix plywood to stud,.

• submit a tip

I TIps & Techniques

is a forum fo r readers

to e!<.change informa­

tion about methods,

too ls, and j igs t hey've

deviM~d. We'll p ay fo r

any we publish. Send

deta iis to Tips, Fine

Homeb",;ldjng. P. 0

60)\ 5506, Newtown,

CT 06470"5506, or email them to us at

[email protected].

Plywood sheet-metal brake

l-shaped kerf ;0 ply.,ood

Here's iii simple method for bending a long piece of flaShing on

is job site. It works with thin-gauge galvanized steel ilnd copper,

but tor best results, I recommend aluminum coil stock.

As shown in the drawing at left, simply cut a sawkerf in a scrap

~ of plywood the e)(act size and shape of

the desired flashing profile. Take caf(! not

to make the sum of Intersecting sawkerfs

VIDEO any greater than the width crf the flashing.

Nail th& plywood to a couple of wall stud .. , and start f~din9

, ' Pull coil stock through kerf to bend flashing to kerf profile.

the flashing through the kerf. k; you push, have a helper pull

the flashing from the other side. like magic, what comes out is a

beautiful piece of custom-bent flashing right off the coil as 10l"lg

as you want. Need 100 ft.? No problem. You just need a few

lTlOfe helpers to keep it from deforming. Practice makes perfect

with this t&chnique. You can even make multiple bends with it.

Improvised radiant floor When installing the radiant-baseboard heating system In my new home, [ got creative wirh the heating .~dllp

in the master b..1th. I wanted a little extra warmth in the tile floor, 50 I ran the copper supply line for the zone's radiator back and forth in the bathroom's joist

bays, as shown in the drawing at right. I was careful to steer at least 18 in. clear of the toilet's wax ring to avoid deformmg the scctL

I insulated each of these joist bays with 4 in. of rigid insulation, topped with reflective aluminum flashing Radiator

to direct heat upward. I also insulated the ends of the joiM b<lY •.

The result: a toasty hath room fllXlr. Thi~ worked so well that I did the same detail in several other accessible joist bays in the housc, creating particularly warm ;m~as

that bare toes and pets enjoy. -JIM BENTON

Riner, Va.

, .

-DAVID KALIN

Kaneohe. Hawaii www. tNsoldhilOle.oom

o

~:,,,::~~supply pipes zigza9 back through joist bays.

Reflective flashing i i insulation

~enotes companion video at FineHome building.com/videotips <--

26 Fr ", E H O MEKUILD! l\ (;

• Schluter Systems

PROfiLE Of INNOVATION

ITo~'®-Shower System A complete, integrated assembly for tiled showers • Waterprooflvaportight assembly that prevents mold growth • Bonded waterproofing eliminates need for pan liners and

cement backerboard • Simple and easy to install; ready to tile in hours

1. KEAOI waterproofing membrdne 2. KERDI-DRA1N 3. KEAOI-BAND waterproofing strip 4. Prefabricated curb 5. Prefabncated tray

(Available in different sizes)

o

To obtain or download a free copy of the Schlutef"'-ShoweT System Installation Handbook, please ViSit:

WWW C

or call 1·800·472·4588

UAD~R SlERVlCIE NO. 107

www.finehomtb U11dlng.com

BATHROOM DOOR IN

YOUR WAY?

• • !

SUDEIr lNIDTHE

WALL ... with Johnson Hardware's Pocket Door Frame. Makes bath­rooms roomier, without giving up privacy. Exclusive design elimi · nates ·stuck- doors, allows door removal for painting after walls are in place. For an even smoother glide, ball-bearing wheels are available. Handicap accessible. Lifetime guarantee.

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up 8-10 1Iq. tl

W ' \ I '- .-/

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www.johnsonhardware.com RUDER SERVICE NO. 25

DECEMBER lOOll/JANUARY 2009 27

tips&techniques __ .:. ________ ..::.. ____ CON T. N U E 0

Fire

Drywall cutting-tool protection strips I was hanging drywall in a den next to my kitchl:ll recently and was using a rotary cutting tool with a guide-point bit to make cutouts around dectrica! boxes. dOCHS, and windows. T he tip of these bin i~ smooth, so it can ride harmlessly alung the 5ide of a switch box or door jamb while the cutting grooves farther up the bit go through the drywall. Jkcau~ you ca n't see what's

guiding the bit behind the drywall, you have to rely on the fcd of the bit pressing against the guid in~ surface.

At one point. I found my~lf needing to make a large cutout for a pass-through opening between the den and the kitchen. The existing edge of the opening that would provide the guiding surface for the Tmary bit was fin­

~ ished d rywall. Even though th~ ~nd of (he rotary bit is smooth, it still does a fair amount of damage to any soft surfac~ and ev~n digs into drywall in rome cases. My father, Ralph I~1ngdon, who gets cr~dlt for this tip, sugg~st~d using a thin,

VIDEO

flat metal ~dge to provide a firmer surface against which the tip of the rotary hit could ride as we cut rn~ opening.

It turns Out that we had JUSt the thing on site as p<lrt

of our drywall-finishing 5uppli~s. It's called paper-face metal drywall tape. This product is sold in rolls and is similar to standard drywall tape except that it has two thin strips of aluminum running down it.~ length. Typi­cally, it's bent 9t)O down it~ length to prov id~ a crisp metal edge for inside or outside drywall corn~T5. Thl~ tape can ~asil}' be cut to length, th~n cut in half

lengthwise, I~a\'ing a thin metal strip against which a rotary bit can ride without damaging the drywall l)t'neath. The back edge of the strip, away frum the cut­ting bit, is drywall tape, so a few pieces of masking tape can hold it in place, even on a ceiling.

It's qUIck and ch~ap to apply this tape as a guide, and the resulting cuts don't damage the underlying drywall.

~H05fU r;n long at

aged decking ,.- [ I onl' en

~ -

- ~ '·in. ~

- neopran • - washer-h - ~-- ~ screws hos.e ~ - - - - ,

.. d

l.- i--',;- '\ - ----~-

--,1;;0; , , , - -

?~ , - - S -~'o - -, ':.- -=::::;.-

'~E " , .

" ,

--.~~ ~'--~. - <. ~ .~~~-

, ~-::~ ~.,...:; - '" -43~~/ 28 FIKE HOMElI U ILDI:-<G

---I:~' '-r~- -I , b".-..-----

Drywalled ~ pass-

throU~9:h_~...Il~:~--J~ Drywall cutting 1001

Drywall to be trimmed f lush

Tape one piece to nnish"d 5uriacfi.

Paper-face metal drywall tap,

)

Cut UpI' in half lengthwise.

The same technique could be used to protect fini~hed wlXXlwork or ally other soft surface, and I:x:cause the metal is s.o thin and flexible, it could even be u~d as a guide along a curved edge.

Roll-up boardwalk

-GREG LANGDON

Louisville, Ky.

Here's a way w rolvc a probl~m-getting around muddy built-ling sites without creating a mess- with two materials J~stined for landfills. A5 shown in the drawing ;I t left, I make ~ections of tambour walkways out of salvaged deck boards and aging fire hose culled by our local fire department. r strcw the hO!>e to the underside of ~ach hoard with I-in, neoprene washer­head screw~, I let th~ h05e~ run long at one end so that adjoining sections can be attached to on~ another.

-BRIAN CAMPBELL

Minnesota City, Minn.

tips&techniques _..::.. ________ .:. _____ CON TIN U E 0

SIP attic-access panel The lmrrnalional RrJidmrial Codf: requires that an access be provided for any attic having an area of

Get a grip on window installations The last thing I W;tnt when ~trugglillg with a he.1vy window during installation is to drop it. Even small falls can frac­

ture the flange, making

OSB insulation bulkhead

30 SlJ. ft. ur Larger. with a vertical height uf 30 in. ur more. Many times, this removable pan!:'.! is made from a piece of drywall or other sheet material with a fi1xr~ g[as~ batt stapled to the back side. This usually repre­scnts an almost 6.-ft.-sq. hole in a home's building envc­

lope and a direct connection to unconditioned space (aka "out5ide").

for a time-consuming

repair. After watching- my glass guy use suction-cup handles to install large gla~ panels for a shower enclosure, I had to get a set. You can g('t a good cup

for lesHhan 5100. r have two, one for my window­

installation partner who stands inside the building

(.

w :::J Vl Vl

22·;n. by 32-;n. by SY:-in. R42 SIP panel

1==~======1

W",atherstripping ~ ./f Sash locks _________

Ceiling

f')"' To avoid build­

ing this rhamal bridge to R-noth­

ing, I have a local SIP (structural insulated panel) manufacturer Su(tion--( ... p handle

ensures sturdy purchase. mah 22-in. by 32-in. by SYl-in. thick pands for the houses that wc build. Instead of having a holt: in the building's envelop<!, we've now goc an R-42 access panel, which is highcr than the cooe-requircd R-38 for ceilings.

and passes the units out to

me, and one for me to grOl.b hold of. The cup~ pay for themsch'cs both in time saved handling windows and

As shown in the drawing above. the p.mei St.1yS tightly in place with a p.1ir of cam-style window sash locks. Foam weathcrstripping cnsurcs a virtually airtight seal.

Our SIP supplier currently is charging $38 for each panel. With the cost of energy on the rise, that's a

worthwhik Investmcnt.

in the peace of mind knowing I have a secure hokJ of an expensive piece of the house. J list one caution: Remove any plastic protcrtion sheet on the glass before applying

Extend the 1tf

-JEFF MEDANICH

Berthoud, Colo.

a cup.

of exteribtnm by prlmrng end-grain cuts

_MIKE GUERTIN

East Greenwich, R.1.

PI/utic container With lid ( /cups primer from drying our.

, \\.

-'-._- ~ --, - , , J

For maximum durability, I back-prime exterior components such as fascia boards with 100%

acrylic primer. But what about the ends of these boards? If they too are primed and caulked

together, end-srain splices will last over the long haul. But without priming. end·grain cuts

will quickly soak up moisture and begin to rot. The problem is that end.grain cuts can't be

painted until they are cut and fitted by carpenters.

:~ _t r" "I"{I",-:-J,-r,r, 1",---··· .... ". ~-.,

Priming boards can be a potential headache for carpenters, so I devised a simple system

to make the process go as smoothly," possible. As shown in the drawing at right, I keep

the primer in a clear plastic container with a lid on It. A paint pad also lives in the container,

resting in a smalle r plastic box to keep the pad's handle out of the pool of primer.

Now when the carpenters are running exterior trim, they can easily swab the ends of the

boards with a pass from the paint pad. (You could also use a brush, but I've found that a

paint pad is much faster because It carries more paint.) I used this technique on the last

spec house that I built, and it worked great. The carpenters billed me for only a couple of

extra hours of work because it barely made a dent in their speed. -BYRON PAPA Durham, N .C.

-. ~ .. ' .~-.. -- -- ~: ~ .. ..', --" '. Prime; Y" ... ·r

p.,inf pad ffujde~ in iI smaUer (Oiltainer.

Prirm. Dnd·grillin ( ... ts dudTl9 (onstrucrion.

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tools&materials NEW AND NOTEWORTHY PRODUCTS

NEW 12-IN. MITER SAW LEADS THE FIELD 12·IN. SLIDING COMPOUND·MITER SAW ( 6955.20)

• Manufactured by Milwaukee Electric Tool • BO()'729·3878; www.milwaukeetool.com

• Cost: about $700

W hen I tested 12-in. 5liding com­pound-mIter saws a few rnonth5 a,go (FHlJ #194, and online at

FincHomebuilding.com), Milwaukee's new offering hadn't hcen released yet. In fact, Milwaukee had never made a 12-in. saw before this model, so rather than being an updated db;ign, the 6955-20 was built from the ground up. If you ask me, they got it right the first time around.

The machining un this saw i~ top-notch; all worksurfaccs arc clean and velvety. Milwaukee's miter table rotates even more eaSIly than the table on the Maklta, which led this category during my prc\'ious tcst. Thi~ saw also features tall fences for cutting large' b.1~ and crown. The left fence slides. Th~ right fence must be lifted off when cutting bevels, and the saw also has a fl ip­out depth-of-cut stop for cutting dadoes. The miter and bevel scales are easy-t()..read stamless sted, with sharp, distinct pointers. The bcvcllock is a large b'er, and while it is on the re:IT of the saw, it'seas}' to reach. Although the tool is on thc large and heavy end of the spectrum, [ still found it well­halanced and comfimable to carry.

EASY·TO·READ SCALES

Tho: horizontal handle is comforwble, has no safety, and is easily triggered with either hand. The soft-stan motor packs 15 amps of power and is controlled electronically tu maimain constant ~pc:eJ under load.

The 69'55-20 ha.~ a f~w unique features as well, some of which I have come to hdieve are e~senti:1 1. Fir~t, Milwaukee ha~ chosen to huck the laser trend and add tW() incan­descent light, that illuminate the cutting area. J think this is an excellent decision; it did mure to enhance my accuracy and speed

34 FINE HOMEBUILDING

Specs Weight 65 lb. Miter range 55· left. 60 ' right B. v.1 range 47* left. right (with nine po!itille StOp5) Vertical cutting cllp .city 6'1> in.

than any lai.er I've tried. The ~aw also in­cludes a dust shroud around the rear of the blade; th~ shroud helps to direct dust into a scoop hcl()w the miter scale. This scoop fun­nels dust into a larg~ hag that hanb'S from the back of the saw. I am disappointed that :\4ilwaukee doesn't offer a vacuum adapter, hut have been told that one is in the works. Hooked to a gOI.lJ vacuum. I think this saw's dust collection will compete well with Festuul'~ Kupex miter s<\w. Rounding out the unique teatures is a digital miter readout combined with a microadjustldetent over­ride. The scale reads in tenths of a degree, is highly accurate, and is easily repeatable. Combined with the tall euning capacity, the

digit:11 sclle lIlakes this miter saw a peerless haseboard-cutting machine. Th~ price of the 6955-20 is higher than

any other 12-in. sliJing compound-miter saw on the market, hut if this saw had been available in time to be tested ~ide hy ~ide ~

with the other six models I looked at, I ~ wuulJ have certainly rankl;d it hc.~t overall. '"

~ Finish carpenter Kif Camp UW3S in San Diego, Calif.

FineHomebuiJding.com Go to the Magazine b.!rlls section on OU f home page to see a video of this saw', featu. u in action .

Good looks and low maintenance.

Every man's (and woman's) dream. Good looks - Silhouette is a new line of ultra-sleek

hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that easily

blend in with the decor of new and remodeled homes.

Low maintenance - Silhouette's self-charging battery

lasts the life of the alarm, which saves builders time and

money by reducing callbacks caused by low battery chrips.

Homeowners enjoy the maintenance-free protection and

cost savings of never having to replace batteries.

To find a distributor

in your area, visit

www.Kidde.com

silhouette

• •

REAOER SERVICE NO. 86

~Kidde . Technology that '>aves Ilve~

DECEMBF.R 20f)8/JANUA RY 2009 35

tools&materials _________________ CON TIN U EO

FIREPLACE DRAFT STOPPER CHIMN EY B A L LOON

• Manufactured by Chimney Balloon

• 608-467-0229; www.chimneyballoon.u$ • Cost: prices start at about 543

•

Ideal Chimney Ba lloon loea1ion

A~ air is ht:3te:d, it exp.mds and becomes less den,o;e, causing it to rise. This is the principle that causes sm,)kc to tr:wd lip the chimney from ynur fireplace. Unfur­tunatdy, the same principle i~ also hard at work when you don'r have a fire burning in the fireplace. As warm interior air rmhe.~ up a chimney, cold air rushes in to replace it from under the front door, around the window sashes, and up from the o;:old b;lSC­

memo The colder it is OImidc, the faster the exchange of air, and the harder the heating system has to wurk to keep up. Flue damp­ers and glass fireplace doors help to slow the heat from escaping up the chimney, but they aren't de;igned to he airtight.

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36 PINE HOMEB UILDJN(;

I

I I

A better option might be the Chim~ ncy Balloon. After this 3-ply-poly draft stopper is partially inflated. it i~ inS<:TteJ

into the top of the firebox. Once in position, the balloon is inflated fully, by mouth or with a pump, using a Yl-in.-dia. poly mhe. A red ta).! sits in thl': fireixlx as a reminder to remove the Chimney Balloon before starting a fire. [f you forget. the balloon quick ly deflates.

Chimney Balloons arc rcusahlc, avaibhle in more than 70 sizes, and wurk in any chimney as long as you (:an get lin accumte interior measurement.

Justin Fink is an associate editor .

c..!l or ",ritt f<lr .kt~11s Of send $1.00 for """ 106 (XIj(C cataloti_ I~""""~""I,.'''',)

You Did You

46) W. liocoln ~hKhwal'iltt 30i. Exton, PII19341 (11).)(,).7)3(l . Fax: 61().363·7639

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Usi" g Raised Panel Doors, Dovt!tail Drawer Boxt!s or

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tools&materials _.;..;..;.;.;.;,...;.;..;.~.;,.;.~.;..;.__ CON TI N U E 0

ALTERNATIVE TO ANCHOR BOLTS T I TEN HD SCREW ANCHOR

• Manufactured by Simpson Strong-TIe • 800·999·5099; www.5trongtie.com • Cost per Yz-in. by 6-ln. screw anchor:

lIbout $1.50

J rerendy told my foundation contractor not to bother installing anchor bolts during th~ concrete pour occause [ planned to secure the mudsills with Titen HD screw anchors.

I had to repeat myself a few times. but I could tell thM comprehension finally ~ank m when a big smile spread across his face.

The Titen HD has the engineering and code documentation that allows it to be;:

used for filstcning mudsills :lod w:lll plates

to foundations and slabs. I first stancd using Sl:rcw anchors to make up for missing

anchor Ixllts where mudsills were seamed, but I liked them so much that I now use them instead of traditional r~bol t$.

,-- --- '" -,~ "" ". .. - '" ,. •• ,~ r, .. ---...... _-'"

-••

Using a rotary ham~ mer, r can bore a hole in concrete in 15 to 20 SlXonds, and dnve the anchors with an impact 'J wn::nch in ~bout five M:conds. The S(:rrat~ threads on the anchors even make it easy to usc a socket wrench in lieu of an impact wrench. Abo, Titen HD anchor~ ha' .. e full~ shank diameters. In other words, a H-in. Titen HD IS a full Yz in., so I can bore a

hole in the concrete using a standard Yl-Ill., carbide~tippc:d bit; no undersize pilot holes or special bit_~ are nec::ded.

Titen HD anchors COSt more than tradi­tional J-holts, but I don't care. They ~vc me time and a lot of aggrayation.l don't have to worry about locating floor joists off center to avoid bolts, or relocating bolts

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accidentally placed in window and door openings. I don't have to wre5tle walls up, over, and omo bolts, or deal with the prob­lems of not having enough holt cxpos.:d, too much bolt exposed, missing bolts, or not enough washers ~lOd nurs.

Titen HI) screw anchors come in several diameters and range III length from 3 in. to 15 ill. (the 6-1n. and 8-in.lengths are used for one or two sills, respectively). The anchor penetrates the foundation less than the 7~in. j depth requir!':d hy cod!':, hut Simp~on\ i ICC-ES reports sati5fy code requirements.

Rick Arnold is a contributing editor. l

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Inspecting a house for inefficiencies is the first step toward optimized comfort and minimized utility costs

BY JEFFERSON KOLLE

J

DECEMBER 1003 JANUARY 2009

Don 't give free audits

n lhe bill fro m her gas company. Leslie MacKensic of Minneapolis lea rned Ihal lihe ('Quid have fl free cnerJ.;Y audit perfurmed on her hou,'OC, so sh<e made .-n appollll nlClll. After 3sscsslnlt che 191') bungalow. the auditors sho wal her air leaks and other pmb· lems th:1I rt'sulte<l m a monthly bill ofS I 10. The auditors left her with wc.atherstnpping

and foam -insulation pads to install. along with a list of other needed improvements. Chippmg away at the list has had dramatic rcsulrs. Evcn 2f[c[ she expanded her hume with

2 small addition. her current ga~ bill averages SSO a momh. "Almost as impon,1nl," she $;! YS,

"is that now our home is really comfortable to live in alt year round." Home~nergy auditin)l--thc process of diagnosing and recommending improvemenrs to re­

duce a housc's cncrgy eonsumptkm-is not a new idea. but the I'e:!sons to get all autli! are more pressing as concerns ahoul Cu.o; IS, comfort, personal hC~llrh , and the: e:nv ironmelll Inurn l ar~e .

Along witll free ur rcducen-c!)!;t audiu offcrt:d by ulili!)' companies, an inc r(,3si ng numbcrof priv.ate: companic~ perform audits. And while an old leaky house mig-hI be the obviolls choice for an encrlly~was t~ diiLgnosis. new houses can benefi t, too. The r('sults can be an excdlcnt marketing tl.ltll fur builders and can help homebuyers qualify for an energy-dficient mort­gage:, which uses eo('rgy-cust savings to lower debr:~to-incomc ratios.

1bt:" most Importa nt thin);: 10 nutc about CIIergy audits, however, is that thc;y don't lkWe: mvncy or cncrg}'. I mplcmcntin~ the recommended imp.-ovementslS how UK saVI01-" happen.

There are two type5 of audits Audi ts vary 10 eompiexilY from an u nSCIentific but learned asscssmcm to onc that U5<eS an auortment of diagnostic equipment to mea.»ure the performance of a houSt: and its $y) te lll~.

/ I

The unscientific asse5s111cnt ty pically consists of a thorough tWO- (() thr« -nour walk-through, during whieh the auditor mak('~ a visual inspection; rakcs pho~raph~;and records informa­tion about the size of the builJing and specifics about the assumed efficiencies of the insulatioo, [h(' appliallces, .tnd fhe HVA C .~ y\ ! cm. (For instance, hc might know how fibergla ss b.1ttS should be: perfotmlOg hut c;ln't tell if they were installexl properly.)

Tn(' sejc:ntific approach, winch takes fou r tos;x hours to compl('((', uses diagnost ic «juip­mcnt to recorJ .. ml q uantify a hom(" s enngy shortcommgs. Th(' auditor completct a walk· through oftI\(' ho\L'iC. hut he doa.n 't stop Ihere.

The (irst st('p is often a blower-door tCSL Afte r dosing windows, e )( lcrior doors. and often Aucs, th(' :aud itor (Urns on a calibrated fa n mounted in an airtight frame temporanly set 10 an utcrior naor <photo fa clIlg page). The fan reduces air pressure Inside (he bllild ing, pUll lOg air in through:all th(.' hole~ in the building envelope. Dept=nding on [he blow('r door's ~upportinA software, tht' auditor (pwm ifi~ the numherof air changes the houS(' goes throulth in an hou r (e)(prC'l'iC:d a~ AC H ) ;H wd l as the comhined Sluof all the air leaks. In an olr! OOtL'IC. thuse I~k~ can ('a.S ily eqoat<e tu It:.l. \·ing the bottom sash of a doubl(,-hung window opt:'n al l ye.-a r long,

To pinpoint where air mfihration is happeni ng, the auditor holds a smoke stick or smoke pen in front of cloon, wind.)ws. or olher suspect build ing penetrations (ins<et phutu, (loicing page). Th(' pc:n emits a chcmicalsffioh that wafts away from the \t::ak and toward the fan to

www.iinehomebuih.ling.cum

the cold shoulder P",~dent Jimmy Carter'l 1977 Energy Policy Act

required Lltility com pan lei to provide energy audits to

their customers. These pro­grams have helped hundreds of thousands of homeown­enl to tune up their houses. One advantage of many utility-company audits is that they might also give you some free products, such as compact-fluorescent light­bulbs, or perform remedial work. such as air-sealing and weatherstripping.

Although it might seem contrary, utility companies want homes to save energy. It helps them to manage peak power loads, the times

of day or season when energy use is at its great­est. Plus, it's not bad for a company's public relations. And an electric company can actually save money if it doesn't have to construct new power plants.

Don't be surprised if a so­called "free audit" comes with strings attached, though. An electrical utility in Connecticut, for exam· pie, has a great-50unding program. But for the pro­gram to be fnte, the house must be heated with gas or electricity; otherwise, the service costs S3OO.

DECEMBER 20081/AN UA RY 20U') "

Making the Improvem4Hlt$. Sealing leaky windows and ai, ducts, and ddding insulation are the most common improvements auditors suggest, Attics can be the largest culprit for air and energy loss. For more on sealing and insulating an attic, see ~ Attil;'/nsu/ation Upgrade" on pp. 68-73.

44 FINE HOMF.Rl]IL!)[NG

Most agree that air infiltration is the

identify air infihratioll. The auditor makes a note of the location and later suggests how to seal the leak.

A bl ower-door test can (ind ai' leaks III heating and cooling ductwork that runs through uncondi­tioned spaces, such as an attic or a crawlspace. 8m it can't find leaks in ducts that run through the conditioned space, such as walls and floors. A tool made specifically for that joh i_~ a c.alibrated airf1ow­measurement device called a duct blaster. After turn­ing off the blower door and taping over the floor, wall, and ceiling registers. the auditor connects the blaster to a central return in the system and measures iuairtightness. Leaky ductwork can lead to mhstan~ rial energy loss, which c:lll be especially costly when that loss is happening in an unconditioned space.

Perhaf"'l the best qualitative :scientific tool an impcc~ tor pulls out during a diagnostic audit is an infrared thermograph. a camera~style device that shows the relative temperatures of ()bjecrs portrayed as a kalei­doscopic image (photos p. 46). The colors reveal heat loss ()r gain, which indicates if a wall or anic floor is insulated, for eXc1mplc, and how well that insulation is performing. It also can identify moisture problems and leaky pipes behind the walls.

The auditor might also use a combustion analyzer and flue~ga~ monitor to measure the efficiency of boilers and furnaces {photo tacing pagel. Finally, he plugs in an eb:tricity~uS:.lge monitor ncar appliances like the refrigerator to determine their efficiency. Proponent.~ of these diagnostic audiu say that scien~

rifle measuring allows individual hou~ components

to be assessed as part of a whole system in which change to one part affects another. For instance, extensive a ir-scaling could make the building too tight and result in a furnace's flue ga~s hting sucked down a chimney and into the living spacc­something that might not he detected without test­ing. Thi~ systems app roach might also show that increasing insulation levels would allow .1 home to be heated by a sm:l ller boiler. Test equipment can measure these kinds of occurrences, wheft'Hs a strictly visual inspection results only in an educated gueu. The other main reason to u~ te.~ting equIp­ment is that retesting can determine the success of the recom mended improvements,

Steve Luxton, regional manager for CMC Energy Services (www.cmcenergy.com).disagreeswith the need for scientific testing. Luxton's company has trained more than 1000 energy auditors, 90% of whom are working as home inspectors. the folks that mortgage companies require you to hi re before they'1I1end you money, "These guys already know what [Q look for in a house," says Luxton. "[They] don't need a fan to tell you where the leaks arc."

His point is well taken; most experts agree ,hat air infiltration is the No.1 cause of energy loss in any house. Mo~t buildings havt' common au~infiltration areas that are easy to spot If you know where to look.

New homes need audits, too There are a number of reasons to have a new home audited as well. not the least of which is {O cn.mre

A duct b, •• t . r if not quackery. Similar to a blower door, a dUe! blas ter is a calibrated fan. tt is used on build­ings with forced-air heat or central air-conditioning. Leaking ducts can decrease the overalJ efficiency of your hellting and cooling system by as much as 20%.

No.1 cause of energy loss in any house

that the building envdope and mechanical systems arc performing as they were de~igncd to perform. The Residential Energy Serv ices Network (RES­NET; www. natrcsnct.org),a not-for-profit mem­bership corporation, h;lS developed an index called the home-energy fating system, or HERS, that both predicts and confirms a new home'5 energy perfor­mance. The HERS index can be used to eval uate a home's plans and speciflCation~ before it is built, then as.~ign it a number from 0 to 100. A house that scores a 0 is ~id to be ott zero, meaning it uses no net pur­chased energy. A home that :<;<;ore:l 100 is built to the energy specs of the 2006 InUmat;o/Jal R~5idmlial

Cod~ (IRe). Once the house is completed, it IS tc~ed by a RESNFT auditor ming scientific-testing equip-­ment to ensure that the as~built hous~ conforms to the as-planned HERS r:lting.

The reasons to get a verified new-house HERS rat­ing ar~ fimrtold . Not only can a H£RS-ind~x rating hdp homeowners to qualify for an energy-<=ffie i ~nt mortgage, but it also assures thcm that building efficicncies have been verified by an independent third party. The H ERS rating i~ alro an excellent marketing tool, anrJ it helps builders to qualify in the Energy Star program.

How to hire a qualified auditor

As home-energy audits become ;1 more important part of building and owni ng a home, more and morc auditors are entering the field. Free audits are avail ­able from loca l utility companll~s, but thi s aven u..: has its pros and cons (sidebar p. 43). Independent auditon tcnd to offer various packages that can be tailored to a home's needs and lhe dient's goals, but look for an auditor whu h;ls been certified by CMC Energy S~rvices, HlI1 l(i1ng Pe rformance Institute (BPI), or RESNET.

Although they don't provide diagnostic testing of a home, CMC Energy Services auditors are scre~ned and complete energy-inspector training. CMC­tram~d auditors pay 1300 and spend two classroom days learning about ener.L.'1' fundamentals; they also receive instruction in how to use the company's pro­prietary reporting mftware. Unline refresher courses keep inspectors upto date. CMC maint:lins a search­able database so that you e;1O find an inspector in your a r~a.

BPI (www.bpi .org) in Malta, N.Y., traim audi­tors to use diagnostic.testingequipment. To get BPI accreditation, an auditor g()("s through "a rigorous, credible, and defensible written· and fidd-cxamina· tion process admiJlisl~red to individuals by BPI or its affi liates," accordmg to BPI's Web si te. BPI affiliates,

www.f\nchomebui ldmg.(om

such as the Metropolitan En~rgy Center in Kansas City, Mo., are trallled to give exams to prospective auditors . Then BPI awards cerrification to those :luditors who pass {he tests.

Accordlllg to Dustin Jensen, associate executive director at Metropolitan Energy Center, a 40--hour aud itor-traini ng class costs 11000, and the exami­nation costs about 1500, if the re is no government subsidy involved, which there often is. Affiliates arc allowed to set their own prices for training, so they vary across rhe country. A searchable database of

Tool. for a furnae. tun. -up. Your heating and air·conditioning sys· terns could btl the third· largest energy·wasting devices in your home. An auditor can use a combustion analyzer and fJue-gas monitor to measure the efficiencies of your systems.

DECEMBER lOOll/ jANUARY ZOO') 4S

all BPI-ccrtifi~d professionals is maintained on th~ Building Perform:mee lnstitut~'s Websitt'.

RESNET has a similar teacher-rnt'ntor system. RESNET trains providers, who then train raters, who ~\r~ the t()lk~ that do the audits. Ct'rtitlcation reqUlres a week of classroom time, and the cos.(: var­io!s from $1200 to SI5(Xl, depending on the provider. A list of providers and raters is <lvailable on the RES­NET Web site.

The Department of Energy's Energy Star pro­gram is not in volved directly in the certification 01 auditors, but Energy Star endorses bmh RES­NET and BPI auditors in two separate programs. In the fim program, Energy Star Qualified N ew H()mes, houses must score at least:1n 8S on RES~ NET's HERS-index rating. The second program, Home Performance with Energy Star, currently has locally sJX>nsorccl programs in 21 states that hdp homeowners to improve a home'~ energy efficiency cost~effeetivdy. The contractors that panicipate in the program afe BPI-certified and are bstt'd at www.t'nt'rgystar.go\·,

A thermog h shows a kaleidoscopic image of the problems lurking

Iftfrand im.g1ft9 paino 11ft Info,mlltiv. p/ctuN. Auditors can use! a thermographer; or infrared camera, to locate dif­ferences in the temperatures of" house's parts. The image in the handheld infrared cam· era shows cold spots in blue around the warmer crown molding. indicating insulation voids. In the inset photo, taken outside in the wintst, heat loss from inside the house appears in red and yeJlow. Cooler areas of the exterior wall appear blue. An auditor will use images like this to indicate un- or under· insulated arellS, air leaks, and even moisture problems.

behind your walls

Rt'gardless of certifications, <l~k any auditor you might hire for a list of customers you Clm contact to find out if they were s.1.tisfied with the auditor's work.

Consultant or contractor?

There are two schools of thought abom whom to hire to perform an energy audit on a home. One says that a disinterested third party i~ the most trust­worthy opinion, while the other argues for the con­venience of hiring someone who can pinpoint the improvemrmrs n~ded and then lkrform the work.

Brian Smith of Energy Saving Comfort Systems (www.esc~ l.com) prides himself on the fact that his company i~n 't selling anything other than testing ser­vices. V,'hen he sits down with cu.~tomers to revit'w what hi5 blower door and infrared camera have detected, tht'y know that ''I'm not then going to try to sel l them new windows or a furnace." CMC's Luxton concurs: "We fed strongly that an audit should be performed by an unbiased p.:rson."

John Jennings is an energy :ludiror with Steven Winter Associates, an architecture/engineering rc~t'arch and consulting firm in K()rwalk, Conn. He favors the idea of independent audirors who cail provide a bst of vetted contractors that c.ln make tht' recommended improvements.

Mike Rogers, senior vice president ofhusiness development for Green Home; America, a Syracuse, N.Y., finn that tests homes and then docs improve­ment work, disagr~s. "Would you take your car to

one guy to tdl you what's wrong with it lind then to

another to do the rcpairs?~ he asks. Some compa­nies, including Grttn Homes, even have a flnancing program for energy-performance up8r;lde.~.

Costs and reports vary Whether a basic inspection or ;111 in-depth .<'cientific test, an auditor's findings willlikdy he output from software that not only takes inTO account the physi­cal data aboul the structure but also dat:l ;lbout util­ity bills. the local climate, and. possibly, comparative information from other house~.

A CMC-trained auditor will generate a report about the existing house's needed improvements, including a cost-benefit analysi~ anll payhack time in years. CMC doesn't control what its inspectors charge, but Luxton says audits cost from 1200 to $400, depending on the size nfthc house.

RESNET auditors are licensed to use company software that produces a HERS-index report. An audit with a HERS report (report fees can run around $150) costs from SI(K}() to S15OO. While BPI doesn't supply its own software, there are indepen­dent programs a"ailable that auditorS can cb~.

An audit from BPI-accredited TerraLogos in Bal-timore costs S495, and though it is thoroug h III its assessment of and recommendations for thc house's existing sy.<;tt:ms, it does not predict energy savings if tbe suggested upgrade5 arc carried out.

On the other end of the scale is a soup-to-nuts audit done by a company such as Steven Winter

DIY o" ne aucUts

Associates. Along with a basic inspection of a house up to 4000 sq. ft., which includes no scientific testing, the a-la-carte audit menu could include a blower­door test, a dun-leakage test, appiiance-combustion testing, infrared-imaging, energy-modehng, and a HERS rating. Ali this adds up 10 an audit that C{));tS

upward ofI2oo).

What's next for energy audits

The business of energy-auditing is getting huge. "It's at a tipping point," says Courtney Moriarta, senior engineer at Steven Wintcr Associates. "Not only do h{)meowners think it's a cOol thing to Jo, but it's also being driven more and more by energy-efficient mortgages and potenti;lI lax credits." Both Ma~sa­

chusem and California arc working on legislation thal will require house sellers to divulge energy ­audit information to prospective huyus.

Also on the horizon is a joint energy-auditing standard between RE..<;NET and BPI (which could be adopted by Energy Star, too). The main reason for the standard is to cleM lip confusion amOng homeowners, but the reciprocity between the two

organizations will also help auditors, many of whom have previously fclt the need to get accreditation from both nonprofit groups. Ste,'e Baden, executive director of RES NET, says that the standard will recognize the efficacy of all types of energy audit.~ and auditors from "the DIY type to the guy with the ehpboard and flashlight to the guy who also uses II blower door and an infrared camera." 0

Jefferson Kolle is a former editor at Fine Home­

building. Photos by Chris Ermides, except where noted.

Online a udit. can help you . a ",., too. Spend some time wilh online home energy­savings ilpplications, and you CQuid realize substantial savings on your energy bills {sidebar below}.

FineHomebuilding.com ChKk out th& MagilZine Extras section of our home page to ~ee a video of a hOl'lW'-energy auditor in action.

~ you schedule an audit, you might want to check out the many online dcHt-yourseff .... rgy-audtt programl.

Although they don't ntqu .... any ICMlntific-testing equipment

and lome lugsMt lots of behavior modifications-tum down

your thermoltat, take short.r showers-th.ir comput.r

applicatioM will give you guldanc. and information about

energy Improvements. According to Energy Star's John

Passe, "A homeowner who follows these programs to a T

might NWe 20% to 30% on his energy bills." Along with

your loc:.I utilities. here ar. SOrM litel to try.

• Hom. ~ with EMrgy St., the branch of the organization that deals with oxisting homos, has three au­

diting tools you can complete online at www.8net'gystar.gov. Aft., entering data about your utility bills, the Home Energy Yardstick gives y01.l a , to 10 rating on your consumption as compared to others in your

www.finchomehuiIJing.cum

area. The En81'gy Star Hom& Advisor gives you savings rec­

ommendations based on your ZIP code and utility use. Energy Star at Home off.rs room­by-foom ¥tel lifostyle energy­saving tips.

• Tho -.. Eno<gy s..... {http://hes.lbl.govll, developed by Lawrence Btrleley National

Laboratory, is spomored by several government agencies and is visited by about 750,000 people II year. To start, all you do is ent., your ZIP code: hours later, you will have gathered tons of valuable information.

• The Alliance to Save energy, a nonprofit funded by private grants and govenvnent agen-

dM, sponsors Home Energy Checkup (www.lIse.org).

According to the site. you can

select from more than a dozen energy-efficiency measures, see how much money and pollution you can save, find out where to get &nergy--efficient products. and get tips on how to act on your choices.

DECEMBER 200~!IANUARY 2009 47

TOOL TEST 16-Ga. Finish The right tool can improve the speed, accuracy, and quality of your trimwork

BY RICK AR NOLD

omctimcs the difference in performance from one brand of tool to another is easy to detect anu evalu­<ltc. and making a pun:ha~e is a painless decision. Other time~, the field of tools is so broad and the

differences so subtle that I need to fall back on a diffcrcnr guideline: Which tool will make me more money? Sixtccn~ gao finish nailen fall squarely into the latter c:neg-ory.

A tool can help me make morc ffiOlk)' when it allows me to work faster without sacrificing the Icvd of accuracy or qual­ity that I demand. Oftcn, it'~ the little things that make the most difference. How fast can I change the nails? How easy is it to adjust the firing depth ? I low much time will I waste opening the nosepiece to remove jammed nails? Is it easy (0

~(' how many nails are left in the magazine? Will the nailer kttp firing even after it's (Jut of na ils?

While a broad selection of tools can make it harder to de­cide which on(: to buy, it also means I can be: choosier aoout the fe.1.ture.s that arc important to me.

Why one tool earned two awards For the past few months, I've been using these nail guns lor a wide range of jobs, but mainly focusing on their specialty: interior trim. In thc end , my choia' for best overall was with­OUt a doubt the Bostitch FN I 6210K2. It includes everything I want in a finish nailer and then some. As far as I'm con­cerned, it has no competition.

The choice for best "allle i~ more complicar...'C!. Everybody giVe!; difl-erent wei~ht to different crit!': ria, so a nailer that ha_~ lot.~ of fcature.~ fo r a low price isn't nc-cessarily a lx,tter value than a solid tool that excels in the ;Ireas that arc most impor­tant to me. Best value also depends on the amt)Unt of use the tool will get. If I seldom did finish work, I might consider buying the $70 Grizzly and having it in my toolbox lor the rare occasion that I needed it. Rut becaus!': r do trim work more than seldom, I would gladly spend the extra $90 for the­Bostitch, which would give me::1 return on that extra money in just one or twO johs. To me, the slight difference in price hctw~n all these nailers comhined with my frequency of use make~ (h l": Hos(itch be5t value as well.

Rick Arno ld is a contributing editor. Photos by Krysta s. Doerfler.

-is FINE HOMEBUILDING

How I choose a nailer More than 20 different brands of 16-ga. fin­ish nailers are now on the market, and many manufacturers make more than one model. To keep testing manageable, I limited this review to only one model from each brand. and I set aside the few models with angled magazines because they are the exception rather than the rule. I also left out hard-to­find tools from Cade", and Grex. This left 14 nailers.

My goal was to find the model that I thought would save me the most t ime and, therefore, help me to make the most money. To that end. I evaluated each model based on what I considered to be the most important features (shown at right ). This narrowed the field a bit, but I still had to choose among several models. Next, I con-sidered the features that were of less initial importance but still worth consideration (sidebar p. 52). Your list of important features might be different, but the concept of how to narrow the field is the same.

FineHomebuilding.com Visit the Magazine Extriu section of OUf

home page for a video of Rick Arnold explaining the most important features in a 16-ga. nailer.

Nailers

Depth adjustment I want to be able to 5et the nail to the proper depth easily fo r various types (densities) of 5tad. Trying to set the nail depth with air pressure is a nice thought, but it doesn't work. A good depth adjustment should be easy to turn. but not so loose that it can be turned iIIccidentally.

ww ...... fi!l~ht.lm~b\li ldill)!.CQm

Nail-length identification I prefer a tool that can shoot the full range of 16.ga. nails, from V. in. to 2Yl in. in length. I also prefer to be able to see the length of the nails in the magazine. If the only way to t(!11 what size nails are loaded is to remove them, time is lost.

Lockout function When there are no nails in the nailer, I don't want it to be able to fire . Depending on other di5tractions, I'm liable to put three or four extra halos in my work before I notice that I'm firing blanks.

Nail placement Delicate trimwork often leaves litt le tolerance for nail location, and I don't want to spend time and money replacing a piece of trim that blew out becilu~e of an errant nail. I tested the line of sight on tl1(158 neUers by making several Xs on a piece of stock, then tried to hit the exact center.

No-mar t ip Keeping the work free of dents is cri,ical, especially on high-end jobs. Tips that are curved or halle rounded edges let me work confidently at any angle.

Jam-clearing I like a mechanism that allows the nose to Open quickly witkout tools and the jammed nail to fall fre" . This feature btiKomes mora important as the nailer ages.

Magazines I prefer a nailer with a side.loading magazine. Rear.loading magazines are difficult to load and unload when using pieces of nail clips, and top-loading magazines, tho ugh reillt ively ellSy to 101ld, often force me to invert the nailer and bang it on a wlid surface to get the nails to fall Out.

Pro t ip I don't like to work with mora than one nailer at a time, and because one task often requires different fastener longths. I change nails often. With a side­loading magazine, I can see the nails loaded and easily switch the position of nail groupings.

IJI:.CI:.MH"-k 100BI)ANUA RY lU09 49

Seven top-notch nailers with the features I value most

Bostitch FN16250K2 www.bostitch.com This nailef has everything I want and more: a side-loading magazine with suy nail identification and nail-changing, an anti.dry-fire feature, good line of sight that allows for accurate nail plilcement, a quality no-mar tip. and a depth adjustment so well incorporated that if yOu didn't look for it, you might not know it was there. This oil-free nailer is also one of the lightest, most well-balanced models in Ihe group. It has a rotating belt hook and onboard storage for ih two he", wrenches. I could save a little bit of money and buy a less expensive model, but the fact that the Bostitch is right in the middle of the price range makes it my choice for best value as well.

50 FI:-'I~ HOME~UILD[NG

Hitachi NT65M2 www.nitacnipowertools.com $165

Probably the most comfortable nailer in this review, the Hitat:hi has a unique integrated air duster that t:omes in handy much more often than I would have thought. The fitt ing on the bottom of the gun is angled to ease the strain on the hose. There are no view ports on the top-loading magazine, and you have to invert it to get the fasteners out. At least the magazine is skewed away from the handle so that it doesn 't interfere with the removal of longer fastene rs.

Maxus MXN06499 www.maxustools.com S140

Although it 's the heaviest nailer in this review, the Maxus ;<); still. good basic tool. A rear.loading magazine is not my first choice, but this one has II pusher tnat can be locked back out of the WRY, and the lower front edge of the magazine is slotted, These features allow long nails to slide in and out of the magazine without any restriction, a dever solution.

www.tinehnmdllliltling.mm

Milwauke. 7145-21 www.milwaukeetool.com 5100

The MilWaukee is attractively priced and comes with an excellent belt hook, adjustable exhaust. and an extra onboard no-mar t ip. The nailer hilS a good feel to it ilnd can go from sequential to bump-fire mode with the turn of a swhch. Unfortunately, the line of sight is poor. and the view ports in the rear-loading magazine don't allow me to d istinguish a 2-in. fastener from a 2VI-in. fastener.

Paslode T250S·F16 www.paslode.com 5150

This nailer has an excellent line of sight; , hit the center of the X every time. The tr igger. which houses the firing-mode selector, has a nice short action and very little play. A pivoting cover plate makes it a cinch to access the nail track for dearing jams. The rear-loading magazine has graduated marks to indicate how m .. ny fasteners remain, but the nailer takes some shaking to get smaller sections of fasteners (groups of 12 or less) to slide toward the relllr of the magazine for removal.

Porter-Cabl. FN250B YNIW.portercable.com $140

The Porter-Cable is close in appearance and function to the DeWalt, but costs much less money. Tho rear-loading magazine allows me to identify nail length, but nail­changing is somewhat difficult because the magazine has to be held open. Then I ha"'8 to work the fasteners past a nail stop, which req uires too much effort. On the p lus side, this nailer has a good line of sight through the curved no-mar tip, which also leaves fewer marks thon compClling na ilers. It also has little kickback, making it less prone to bruising softwood.

Ridgid R250SFA www.ridgid.com $140

This nailer has a lot of sma ller features that add up to a docent tool. The depth adjustment is easy and unobtrusive; it includes a quality beh hook, a rotating exhaust port, and a sequentia!lbump·firing selector switch. It 's also the only model I tested that comes with a swiveling air-hose connector, which helps to keep the supply hose lying flat. The fasteners slide in and out of the rear.loading magazine easily when the pusher is locked out of the way, but there is no way to see the length of fastener s in the magazine.

LlECEMBER 200S/JANUARY 2009 "

Other features may be more important to you My list of important criteria (p. 49) is subjective. Although the features shown below arc secondary consid· erations when I'm shopping for a new nailer. they do matter and could be deal breakers for you.

Adjustable exhaust ports

Oilles$

This feature can be helpful in preventing the exhaust from blowing a cloud of dust and debris into your face, particularly if you remember to adjust it before the first shot .

This can be M important feature . If you or )lour crew is heavy-handed with the daily oil and you work with 11 lot of stain-grade material, I would consider moving this up to the list of most important criteria.

Belt hook Because finish nailers are relatively light, I often hang them on my belt. If you do lots of work from a ladder, this is a big convenience and should be a top consideration.

Trigger action Some triggers have more travel distance before engaging. I prefer those that have little play.

Ergonomics Even the heaviest finish nailer is still pretty light, so an out·of-balance design is still usable. Some models, though. are definitely more comfortable than others, which helps on long jobs.

Firing mode Many nai lers allow you to switch between sequential and contact-trip (bump) firing modes. I ha ... e never found it advantageous to bump-fire onto millwork because unlike framing, one misplaced fastener or one double shot can cost me much more time than any time I might be saving.

Nail capacity Because the fasteners are light and easy to carry in my toolbelt, and because I'm constantly changing nail 5;ze5, even the lowe~t nail capacity is sufficient for me.

52 Flr-.~. HOMF.RUlLDING

Craftsman 18175 www.craftsman.com $180

This magnosium-body nailer is simple and solid. like most nailers with rear-loading magazines that can't be locked open, switching nails is a two-handed operatior"!. On the plus side, it's easy to see the length of the nails that are loaded. The c"haust port is difficult to rotato, and the depth selector spins a bit too easily. A push-and-spin switch makes it easy to select firing modes.

DeWalt D51257K www.dewalt.com $170

This nailer seems to be constructed ruggodly. The magazino allows for fastener-length identification, the curved nosepiece and no-mar tip offer good line of sight, and the smooth, responsive sequential trigger has a pivoting safety lock for when the nailer is not in use. This nailer is clearly a close relative to tne Porter-Cable, but it costs more.

Grip-Rite GRTFN250 www.grip-rite.com $155

This basic, no-frills naiter has an average price, average features, and averagE! performance. Although it didn't shine in any areas, it wasn't d isappointing, either. Rotating exhaust, a belt hook, good line of sight, and fastener identification are all part of the package. To me, the only real drawback is the rear-loading magazine and the resulting difficulty in switching nails.

Grizzly H6143 _ .grizzly.com S70

Th is nailer worked adequately, and the price is attractive. But it didn't do well in terms of the criteria that are important to me. There are no view ports in the magazine, and as with all the top­load ing nailers, I had to invert it to empty the magazine. How­ever, when I was holding the nailer, there wasn't enough room between the magazine and my hand for 2112-in. nails to fall out.

Max NF352·ST www.maxusacorp.com $300

In competition with SpotnaHs for being the most compact, this nailer comes with the same restriction: It Ciln shoot only up to 2-in.-long nails. It has a great side-loading magazine, but it is the only model here tnat has no depth adjustment or no-mar tip. The Max also was the only nailer without a case. It's almost twice the price of nailers that I think are better.

Senco FinjshPro 32 www.senco.com $140

This nailer has been on the marKet for years, and as far as I can tell, there tUNe been no changes. The Senco has a nice tr igger and good line of sight, and though it's on the heavy side, it doesn't feel awkward. There is no way to identify the fastener length without sliding the nails to the end of the rear-loading magazine, and to do that, I have to work them past a nail stop.

Spotnails WB1650 www.spotnails.com 5130

This nailer is compact , ~hoots well, and has little kickback. The rear-loading all-metal magazine looks durable and allows for easy fastener-length identification. Unfortunat<i!ly, the longest nail it takes is 2 in., which limits the nailer's use for many trim applications. The depth adjustment is also a litt le difficult to set, and the driver leaves a comparatively larger indent.

If you start with a full-scale layout on the subfloor and plan for the finished details, the framing is relatively painless

BY JOHN SPIER

www.fmchomchullding.com

Of all tht" ways to bUlll p out a roof, I think shed dormers offer the most hang for the buck. They're easy to build. an: sim ple to linish. and proY lde lors of usable imcnor SI)dCl:. So why aren't all dormers &hcds? Compared

10 doghollM::. eyebrow, or A¥{ramc dormers, shed dormers a ren't always the pretticlIot option. On th e" ixtck Side of a hOll!>c, though, be.aut)' sometimes nttds to take a backseat to utility. I:.ksidcs, with some attention to SIZC. shape, and proportion, a shed dormer can actu­ally look pretty good.

Unfortunately, many builders don't l .tke:' the tim~ 10 think about the details before they gel started work ing on a shcd-donnrf project. Many years of building have taught me that if I spend a liule t:xtra time planning a shed dormer, then I spenJ a lot less time trying [0

Safety note Although John ft!BI~ comfortabl. working on the scaffolding ~hown above. in this ~itu­ation OSHA gUide­lines call for the use of 9L1i1rdrailt. a safety net. 0(' a per$on~1 fall-arrest system.

DFCFMRFR l[)()~/JANUARY 2[)09 53

make a bunch of mistakes look good later.

The subfloor becomes a big set of blue prints

Thert are as many ways to frame shed dormers as there are ways to design them. The dor­mer featured hl!re doesn't JX'ak at the ridge the way that ma ny shed dormers do, but the lessons here can be applied to shed dor­mers of all kinds, new construc­tion or remodd.

Whenever possihle, I take details from the framing plans and re-create them full size on

the subfloor. I start hy ~nap­ping chalklincs on the subfloor to repre5ent the gable end. (To learn how John frames gable­end walls, see FHB #122, or online at FineHomebuilding .com.) After building and stand­ing these walls. I snap more chalklines to complett': the full­scale scaion drawing of the rest of the roof.

Next. I draw the ridge, and if there will be a header for the dormer, r draw that, too. At this point, r can layout the dormer rafters and then snap the lint,S for them. This part of the drawing can be worked in either direc­rion: If r have a specified or desired pitch, r get Out my calcu­lator and thcn figure out where to d raw the rafter. Otherwi~. I follow som e rules of thumb fo r shc::d-dormer ra fters and then lISC:: the calcu lator to figure out what the roof pitch really i\ (see "Dormer design," right). Either way, this m~thod allows mc:: to tweak the durm(:T design before any oCthe nails are driven.

At this point, I also go a~ far as to sketch in the thicknesses of the sheathing, the roofing, and the fl '15hlng. I draw all th c:: trim details fu ll seal.:': so that I know thc), will fit and look right. Somctimes r play around with the drawing until I'm satisfied, then draw a d ean ver~i()n on the odH::r end of the floor fm refer-

54 FINE HOMEBUILDING

Dormer design should be practical and pleasing to the eye

/'''''.~- Ridge

Shvd hvader

It's ha rd to make a poorly planne d dormer look g ood , 50 it's crucia l to consider the re lationship b etween design and constructio n at e~ery step of the project. Beginning with chalklines that represent the gable ends, I like to create a fLlII ­size section of the dormer right on the subfloor

Ceiling joist

ROOF PITCH First and foremost, it's important-both functiona lly and visually­to maintain adequate roof pitch on a shed dormer. Steeper almost always looks better, and the steeper the main roof, the steeper the dormer should be. [ regard a pitch of 4-in-12 as a minimum, not least because this is the practical minimum

5 0 that I can work out a ll the important d eta ils befo re I begin framing .

.>r--- Double common rafte r

fOf installing conventional roofing materials such as asphalt or cedar shingles. Keep in mind, though, that a 4-in-12 dormer might look good on an 8·;n-1 2 roof, but a 1 O-in-12 or 12-in-12 roof needs a steeper shed to look right.

When it comes time to build, you can meet a specific pitch by using a calculator, or you can use the full·size subfloor drawing to decide on the appropriate pitch. Either way you work it, the pitch

Shed rafters need to be raised slightly to make the ridge

heights match.

Common rafter

S""d rafter

could need some tweaking to look right. The two most important things to consider are the height of the front wall and the location where the tops of the rafters meet the main roof. Shed dormers that share the ridge with the main roof (see below) are the easiest to build, but smaller dormers look better with their roofs intersecting lower. Keep in mind that close to the ridge but not connected isn't good. If the dormer doesn't peak at the ridge, you need to leave adequate room for roof vents and flashing.

Shed dormers that peak at t he ridge are easier to fr ame, but be careful of the inte rsection of the two differing roof pitches. If you align the tops of the dormer raftvrs with the tops of the common rafters , the diffe rence in roof pitches wilt lead to fin ished ridge heights that d on't match. Raising the shvd rafter slight ly solves the problem.

OVERHANGS AND HEADER HEIGHT DormeNOof trim and eave overhangs typically mimic the main roof, though scaling down the sizes is usually appropriate. Whatever the desired look, the details should be worked out at the framing stage. I draw in the window headers, figure the overhang, and draw out every layer from subfascia to finished trim. In conventional 8-ft .. high

walls, window heads are typically between 80 in. to 84 in. from the floor. This height provides comfortable viewing for most people in a standing position and also aligns window tops with door tops. In a shed dormer, though, ceiling heights

ConventIonal <lpproach

Shallow bird's­mouth cut

Double --";i!"'''l top plate

Window header

Window ~ height

Better approach Single top plate

Bottom of raftlilr IS

cut {Jilt to 7 SJt in jo,st hanger

;"" '''9'' reinforces deep bird's-mouth cut.

2)1 blocking rliIiled between

rafters

Window header

afe often reduced, so it's acceptable to lower the window heights as well. Whenever possible. I raise the window headers a bit (drawing right). This gives me the option of increasing the size of the windows if the design dictates. A better look: Raise the height of windows

Shed rafter

Bottom plate

Subfascia

Window header

Window rough opening

www.fin~holllcbuildmg.com

This often-seen and, in my opinion, always ugly detail (abo\le, left) has become the con\lentional approach to building the front edge of thc dormer roof. It's ea~y to frame, but it forces you to lower the windows to accommodate the header. But by cutting II deep bird's mouth in the dIed rattllr and capping the wall with a single top plate, I citn move up the header and raise the window height.

WINDOWS AND TRIM Just as the proponions of the dormer should relate to the main roof, so should the proportions of the windows relate to the front wall of the dormer.

Common rafter !IVWiOdOW

~J .y--w'ndows;n Trim

Flashing

J 'Ii-in.-thick sheathing

It's often helpful to use horizontally proportioned windows, which in many cases actually complement a well-designed shed dormer. But take extra time planning the trim details below the windows; this is a notorious trouble spot and is difficult to correct

without seeming like an afterthought. The only ROQfi"9

3 sure way I've found to get the spacing correct is to draw the trim components on the full-size subfloor plans. Ideally, the window$ill~ either

should land just above the roofing or should be raised up the height of one course of siding or trim. Anywhere between leaves an awkward course of siding or affects the trim proportions.

Stop the .heathing .t tile to(Jf ledger; otherwiu, the $piilCe under the short front rrx>f is impossible to insul.ne properly.

The beveled offcut ftom the ~h8d header can be nailed to the lop of the ledger.

Rills. the w al" but not quite plumb. Unless cailing joisu will bear directly on top of the front wall, I like to lean the wall in about 'I. in. before br.K;ng it; the rafter loads push the wall out as rhe building settles and the crowns on the rahars flatten.

i)r;CEM Bf.J{ lOO8JIA'IUARY 2009 55

cn(:e. The process might sound time-conmming, hut it pays big dividends later.

Building is the easy part Once all the thinking and fig­uring arc done, building a shed dormer is easy. I start with the front wall of the dormer. I build it flat on the suhfloor. sheathe it, apply houscwrap, and stand it lih any other wall. When the front wall is stood, I brace the ends. run a stringline, and straighten it with some interme­diate braces. Next, I build the short roorin front of the Jormer, though this 5tep can just as easily be done later if you prefer.

The layom for the dormer rafters can be taken from the drawing on the suhtloor. hut I often cheat by making the plumh cut at the top and hold­ing the rafter in place to mark the bird's mouth and tail cuts. Whichever way you do it, make a pauern rafter, and test it al both ends of the front wall and in the middle bet-ore you cut and hang the rafters.

Cheek walb on cad} end of the shed dormer can be done three ways: framed in place and extending all the way up, framed flat to the ceiling and crippled in above, or framed only from the common rafter to the dnrmer roof for an open plan. Always sheathe these walls before lhe roof, though; it's easier to trace these oddly shaped picces than it is to measure and fit them. Just remember to cut the ~heathing Ifi in. shy to allow for rafter shTlnkage. I firush by building the rake overhangs and adding the subfascia, the hlocking, the hardware, and the sheathing. 0

John Spier is a builder on Block Island, R.1. Photos by Justin Fink.

56 PINE HOMEBUILDING

Cheek walls are framed in place Start the cheek walls by nailing a top plate along the underside of the outermost shed rafter. Next, cut the bottom plate to the desired length, slide it against a previously framed wall to layout the stud spacing quickly (1), and nail the plate to the subfloor. Use a level to plumb up from each stud mark on the bottom plate, then measure the length. cut the studs with the appropriate top angle. and toenail in place (2). Finish the cheek walls by nailing angled blocking to the doubled rafters at each stud bay (3). The blocking should extend past the top of the ri.'lfter to provide solid nailing for the cheek-wall sheathing.

Sheathe the cheek walls be fore the roof Always sheathe the rnetlk walls before you sheathe the roof; it', a lot easier to trace these oddly ihapad piaces than it is to measure and fit them. Just remember to wt the wall sheathing ',4 in. snort. If scribed to the top and rut e)(.3ctly, the wall sheathing will push up on the roof shnthing lIS the raners dry and shrink .

.... ·ww.finthornthuiltling.com

Short rafters from the common-rafter template The ihort rafters that make up the small piece of (oof in front of the shed dormer Qn be traced from the same template used to milke the common rafters: you just need to adjust the location of the plumb cut. Don't forget to subtrilct the thickness of the beveled ledger from the rafter length before milking the cuts. Toenail these rafters to the bottom plate running along the outside edge of the subfloor; then nail them to the ledger on the face of the wall.

A chalkline guides ceiling-joist placement If the ceiling will flatten at tn. peilk, in cruciill to kHp the loists in plane WIth eitCh other so that the )oint bet~n the ceiliog and the dormer roof is st raight, and so that the ceiling remains flat. 1 ,tart by measuring the ceiling height up from the ,ubfloor at all fOUf coroers of the room; then I snap a chalkline between the- points "nd ;nit,,11 the joists with their bottom edge on the chalkline.

Glass-Block

Shower ona

Curve This shower-stall alternative lets in the light, offers

privacy, and makes a small space feel roomy

BY TO M MEEHAN

t wasn't long a~o ,hat shower slalh were,.' made If> sene one purpose:: geumg

you dean. Color Choln:: was the only Teal aesthetic oonccrn; SIZC and shape were considered m.'l.t­len. of utility and efficiency.

Now, people think of show-ering as an Important part of the day. both phpically and mentally. The small dl1ngeom of the pa~t arc being replac\':d wirh functional wurks of art. To this end, 1 think that g-las~ block blows away mosr other shower options.

Glass-block showers arc a great way to let In

'iOme h~ht and tu pro'o'Ide J. .'lense of upc:nnen

and freedom, (:\(:n in a small b.lthr(X)m. GIa~~ blocks ofTer tremendous design (}cxihility, yet the subtle visu;ll dl51Orllon of gla~s affords full privacy. No mor(' dungeons..

New accenories make for an easier installation If yoo wanted 3 gI3s~-block shower a dttadc agu, I would ha~(! told Y"U 10 find a mason­and for WMXI r~<I.,()n. Unlcs~ you h3ve experi. ence, ¢ass hlock~ 3rc h.lrd to k«p straight and plumb. The best th •• t beginners could hope \0

accomplish was a couple of courses at a time, and they would likely still struggle to keep the work in line until the mvrt.u!>et up.

" FINF HOMF.RU!LI}ING

With JlIs( one change in design from a "-I:OIC w;l)lsupported on dll four "d~whether it's th~ addition of a curved surface. a wall that stops shllr( of the ceiling, or one that is unsu p~ ported on one end-rhe projCCI bccome~ more complicated. Some prolects, such as the shower that's featured here, combine :.11 the~ complication) and thcn some.

t-.'ow, though, glass.block manuf.lCIIHcrs like Pittshurgh Corning (www.pittsbur~h

corning.com) arc taking a bit of the fear out of the proce:os by offenng hdpful installation acce:'..'IOries. The: corner.,lOne of these :lC;cessone$ is the glass-hlock spacer. Th~ piece! of planic lock each block in place J~ it i~ installed, and arc left in place .anu ~ovc:roo by grout. Morc work can be done: at one tIme:, and m~ blocks don't shift or slip out of place as e<ls ily.

Ooo·t get me wronJt: G lass-block Illsta lla~

tion~ still take patience,' .md careful attentIOn to dc:tail. Rut I hope thoc msullation accessories comh.ncd with Iny h.anl-Iearned IOstall:l.Iion

tricks will help to case what wa~ UI1CC a much­stc:cpc:r learning: curve,

Tom Meehan is the author of Working With Tile (The Taunton Press, 2005). Photos by Justin Fink, except where noted.

BUILD THE CURB WITH CONCRETE BLOCKS A straight shower curb can be built by doubling up 2x4s and nailing them to the floor. but curves are more work. For curves, I arrange a row of glass blocks on the floor into the desired shape. trace around them. cut concrete landscape blocks to fit the shape. and set them in thinset. Next, I float a mortar bed for the shower floor and cover the curb with a waterpropf membrane. Square shower pans can be waterproofed with a one­piece vinyl membrane like Chloraloy (www.noble company. com). but I like the Kerdi system (www

.schluter.com; photo right) for curved pans because the membrane can be cut into wedges and overlapped where needed to get around

Pre10 rmed Kerd i corne.!; and wah,,· p roofing stri p tight curves.

Finish thft foundation. Once the com:rete blocks and mortAr bed havE' set up, the curb i$ w<lterproofed. I likE' to wrap the curb in preparation for the 2-in. tile$ used to cover the sides and the marble caps that go on top. Becll'use the I<erdi membrane is easily damaged, I don't sot it on the shower floor until I'm done installing the glass b loch.

Cut th . cwrv ••. I cut the curved cap pieces on a Gemini Revolu­tion tile saw (www_geminisaw .com) because its 10-in.-dia. ring· shaped diamond blade allows me to follow J tighter inside or outside curve than I could cut with a standard wet saw. A stan­dard wet saw can also be used. but you have to make a reries of straight cuts up to the curved line, then remove the waste with tile nippers.

Prep the curb to hold th. bloch. After the marble cap has been installed and has set up for a day, I dry-lay the glass blocks in place to make sure they line up properly_ Once I'm happy with the layout. I trace the out­line of the bloch with a pencil. Don't USE' a permanent marker here because the marks could be visible once the glass is installed. After the layout is traced onto the marble cap, I scarify the cap with a diamond blade in an angle grinder. This a llows the rhinsef to lock into the surface of the marble cap.

DECEMBER 200~/IAN U ARY 2009 59

TAKE EXTRA TIME TO SET THE FIRST COURSE The first cours& of glass blocks sets the stage for the entire installation. Take as much time as necessary to get the blocks strongly adhered and perfectly level in both directions before moving on.

Use glass.block spacers, They establish a consistent !4-in. grout joint iwd Jock the blocks in place. There are two different spacers for this project. One is for straight funs; the other is lor curves. Be careful, though. Both spacers look similar, and they arE! easy to install upside down aCCidentally.

REINFORCE AS YOU RISE

;-

For this job. I had an entry opening on one

end of the shower wall, and the glass

blocks also stopped short of the ceiling_

Without using the manufacturer 's panel

anchors, rebar, and

block spacers, the wall

would have been pretty shak)'. Take the time to re inforce

the wall where

recommended.

Sturdy and Jeve l. I skim-coat the curb With thinset, then set the first course of blocks on a thick bed of glass-block mortar. The thinset and mortar lock together as they dry. Check each block for level, and shim with tile spac· ers where necessary. It's better to use too much mortar and have it squeeze out than to use too little and risk voids.

-

Sixteen·ln.·long stainless-steel panel anchors tie the glass blocks to the waifs. The anchors must be bent into an l· shape-the short leg should be about 4 in. long-and installed every 2 vertical ft.

Expansion strips

Wherever glass blocks will abut a wall, a ceil­ing, or a header, a ~-in, poly expansion strip must be installed. lap the strip over the stainless-stefl! panel anchor. There's no need for expansion strips under the first course.

I place pane/.reinforce· mlmt strips in a bed of glass-block mortar at the same horizontal joints that require panel anchor!>. For curved walls, I cut the strips in half, b9nd thll'm to the desired radius, and lay the halves $Id~ by side.

CLEAN. GROUT. AND CLEAN AGAIN The final stages of a glass-block installation are always the most gratifying_ Remove excess mor­tar, pack the joints with grout. and dean the glass to a glisten­ing shine.

Twist oH the tab. and d ... " , The spacer lab, can be faken off .(Utr

the bloch h"ve set vp a bit. usually about two or three h<lur,. Don't w"it until the cement cures, though. The excess mortar behind the tabs must bQ dean.d off belo'. it kardflls completoly.

A/wIIYs use .andfld grout. Th. strongest choice for finishing large joints is sanded g,ovt. Pack the grovt Into the Joints, lind sCf ape off thQ exC6SS before wiping the entire surface with a sponge and cool, dean water.

Remo~ the hll;re. Aft.r tIM! grout has firmed up a bit. remove the grout haze by firmly buffing the b/ockJ with II cotton cloth.

Create desks, bookcases, pantries, and more with a slick hybrid design and problem­solving pocket­screw JOinery

BY MIKE MAINES

hen dcsiJ::ned Jnd oonstructal

properly. built­In cablnet~ c:ln

hring both $tylc.' and itoragc In

lIlany parts of J home. Over rhe years., I'ye refined my approach to constructing cablnct~ to decrease the orne ilud tl)n l ~ 11 takes to budd them while ensuring their sHength and good look s. I used my tech­nique to build the Dougla.\-fi r k itchen island featured here for my hume, hut I've followed the s"lme process to make M.III1- ;\nd paint-g rade kitchen ca hmets, bookcases, linen cabinets, ran t ries, desks, bathroom \anitics, and storage cuhbie\.

Your shop is where you make it The beamy of this systcnl is that the setup is simple and dOc."sn'r rd), on the space or tooh found in big cabinet ~hops, Lking able to set up shop in a driveway, a ga rage, o r a sm all room ha~ always bn:o hdpful m keepiog my work on schedule. The roo1s you need 10 con ­

struct these: cabinets are likely sitting in the back of your [ruck . For cuttinjil: components 10 'L),.I:.

you need a miter ~W. <L porublc

Good proportions are no accident Although my buih ·in cabinets are assembled easily, there's no guarantee they' ll look good in It home. A cabinet constructed with wacky proportions won't look or function as wen as it should. To start, make a scale drawing on paper of each piece you intend to ~ild_ Hav­ing this reference on hand will give you a clear idea of what you' re building and help you to create a detailed cutl;st. I follow a few basic rules when it comes to designing cabinets .

• Built· in c.bineb

th.t will b. used .. worbtadons generally have

coontertop5 36 in . above the floor, 50 bol(es should

be built to a height of 341/2 in. to 35 in., depend· ing on the thick­

ness of the

countertop. Cabinets tM aren't tMk·

oriented can be any size and are built without

toe kicks. I dis­

tinguish thMe

units by building

the bottom rail

taller or shorter than the house's ba5eboard. When in doubt of any proportions, I us. the golden rectangle, a shape 1.6 t imes as high as it is wide. I a lso find the widths of

components by dividing similar members by 1.6 as done with the &nd.pansl rails .

lKawers un b.- made as widtl .a$ 36 in . whenu~ with qwMy undermOl.ll"lt draww .Iides

End stiles on open shelving should lap the front edge 0' tha .heN by 'A in.

A toa Icicle Ihould maltSl.lra 4 in. off the 'inishad floor and be built inlo a»emblies only whet. someone wi/l be working djrectly .bow tham Thi, gives th. I.Inrt.a mora fumiwrelika appearance.

Sti"s in the middkt of tne face fr.ame should man",.. 1!h in. across their width.

• When multiple c.bln.t boxes ..... lined up in ill row, they IlIppear more fitted when tied together with a single face frame. I connect the boxes by hiding a screw behind each door hinge. You can make all the faca·frame components the sillme size, but that can make the rails look fat and the and stiles look skinny. Instead, I like to adjust their WIdths (drawing below) 50 that the built-in looks more balanced.

The st~ard width for dOOf"...d drawer rail, and stiles is 2',10 in. a"t widths ai large as 3',10 in. still laO« goad.

Faca·'rama rail, should be ! in. or I'" in. wide.

Divide lhe width 0(1n. bottom rail by 1.6 to cletetm,na the WIdth of the panel', lOp rail. In this Clse, its width .hou/d ba either J'AI in or 3~,. in.

A S·m. or 5'/..-111 .• wide bottom rail on tha end panal matches tha dimen,ion of the toe· kick spaca. plus the wJdt~ of the face frame's bottom r';/'

T~. 'tiles on the end of a liKe frame should ~ 1% in wide to lIdd mass to tM assembly and to (ov&r the edge of the end.palW'l/ face frame .

• Doon .houkt always be taller t~n tMy .... wid. and should never exceed 20 in. in width; otherwise they project too far Into a space when opened. Even an 18-in.-wid. door can be too large on certain units. Drawel'"s should be left with a flat face when they're shorter than 4'11 in., which is typical, and can be detailed to match frame-and.pane l doof"s when they're taU.r.

www.l1nchomcbuiIJlng.com UF.C'F.MBFR 2001!/JA:-.IUARY 7009 63

When milling 1x6 face·frame material to size, I like to fine­tune its final width with a planer, not a tablesaw. I rip the face-frame stock 1f. in. wider than I need on a tablesaw. Then I remove the last 1f. in. with a planer. The planer produces more pre­cise dimensions and smoother cuts.

Rip stock to width. Use a tablesaw to square all boards with rounded edges. Then cut all face-frame components 'I, in. wider than their final dimension.

t..'l.blcsaw, a circuLlr saw, an edgc guide to cut sheet g()(x1s safely. and a portable thicknes, planer. To fastcn the c.'l.Tcase and face frames together, you need a 16-ga. or I!)-ga. finish nailer, a screw ).(un.a pocket-screw jig (www . kregtool.com; www.pennstateind.com).a bunch of scrcws, and somt~ glue.

A hybrid design makes face-frame cabinets better CabinC[s arc typically designed in one of tWI) ways: framdess or with face fr,lme~. Each ha~ its merits. EKe-frame cabinets ;.Ire tr;llli ­tional and 5trong, and they can be scribed to fit seamlt'~sly against a \vall. Framelcss cabi­nets are quicker to put together and can be used in conjunction with adjustable. hidden, and now soft-dose hmges.

I've done a lot of historically infornwd work, and framdess hoxes just don't pm­vide the ;Ippra[ of face-frame cabinets with inset doors. Although f"lmeieh cabinet<; allow a bit more ~paCt inside, their end pan-

64 Pl:-<E HOMEBUILDING

ds tenJ to look tacked-on, crown molding- IS

hard to detail properly, and filler stripS are heavily relied on during installation. I usc the lx'nefib !lfbo-lth styles by builJin~ a hyhrid cabinet. Flushing the inside- of the carease­to the inside of the [lce frame allows me to usc hardware designed lilT fr~mcless cabI­nets while Mill providing the- tr;"ulitionallook, ease of imlallation. and str<:nl'th of f;lCC­frame constructiun.

Screws. glue. and quality hardware hold it together

Tr,lditionally, face-frame c~lhineh are con­structed with dadoes, gnH)W:-S, dowels, or monist-and-tenon joinery to lock together each CO\11pon,·nt. The~t techniques ere:!te strong- as~emblics too, but reqUIre much moretimc.

I asscmhk- face frames with finc-thread. I t;..-in. s~lu;lre-drive washer-head pockt't screws and yellow glue. I tack the carC:l~e~ to.'!tthl·r with fimsh nails and thcn drive

Plane similar p~rt, tog_thllr. Imtead of planing each board individually, plane al! the end stiles, then inner stiles, thell rails to thair exact width

Chop to I"ngth . Armed with a fence and iI stop m<lde of scrap material, and a cullist, chop ali the face·frame material to its precise length. Stack all the material to make a complete face frame.

I%-in. drywall screws for strength. I've used drywall screws for ye,lTS and have never had a cabinet t:lil, bur it's imporrant to usc Mronger screws whell attaching a cabin...t to the WillI.

Beyond bo:o: ~trcngth, c:lbinets afe ufh:n measured by the quality ofthelf hardware . The best hinge for this hybrid system is a 32-mm cup hinge made by Blum (www .blum.com) or Mepla (www.mepla-alfit.rom). Adj\lsl;lh1c, <;elf-dosing, ;md qUIck to imtall, they arc USt!:llly my first choice. In more hi~­torically accurate work where a visible hingt' is preferred or when I don't want a hinge to nllrude on ~toragc space, I like to usc Cliff­~ide's 2- in, hurr hinges (www.c1iffsidcmd .com). lust ,1 trim Hluter til mortise the ~li~) r for a ,in,ll;ic leaf and dun't monist the t:lce frame at all, which helps to provide lust tht' riglll r<:veal between the door ;lnd the Idce frame.

I've lIsed all three types of drawer slides (sce­"What\ the Difference," FH13 #184, p. 10k) in my c;lbine-g, but when I have iI chOIce, I

I build all the face frames before I build their corre­sponding boKes . This not only saves room on the job site. but it also allows me to use the face frames for reference when 11 dimension comes into ques· tion during carcase construction.

Layout the parts. and marie pocket.ho/. locations. Dry.fit Ih" fxo·frame compo­nents $0 that thfli' grain and colOI' look best. Mark the boards to show their OI'ienta-­tion in thi! aS$flmbly and where they'll be podcet.saewed.

A pocket.hol. jig "'-'hs _JJli.mbly • • sy. Drill two podcet holfls in thfl find of flach rail and each inner stile.

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Squeeu the grMn to .Iimlnat. Ip/iffing. Put a bit 01 wood glue on tn. board end before Heuring a locking C.damp $0 that it exerts equal pressure on the grain of ead! component. The damp should b. placed in line with the pocket hole being screwed.

Qua lity control. Check to be sur. that every compommt is aligned and secured properly before building subsp­quem framc!. Accuracy here is crucial because the dimensions of the face frame might be used as 11 reference when building the bOXC$.

D ECFMRFR 2008/ JAl\' UARY 2009 65

Box assembly is a relatively straight­forward process. Before the sides of the boxes are fastened together, though, I drill pocket holes and the holes for shelving pins.

Cut 5hnt good5 , afe ly. Full sheets of plywood should never be cut on a til'b/esoilw. Instead, use a straightedge c/oilmped to the sheet's surface and a circular saw with It fine-toothed alt",­nate top bellel (ATB) sawblade.

I make.1 simpl. jig out of thll'1 MDF to orient shelf pin­holes 1'h in. from the front and back 01 the bol(. L u!.Ually place the fjrrt holE' 12 in. off the bot­tom of t he bOI( and dri ll kole, in 1 'h-ln. incremenu above and below

Drill pocket no l •• in groups of two. iN1'!en preparing the sides of the car· Cine th"t will be joined with the face fr"me, drill two holes instead of one fOf each connection point. This e>: t ra step will come in handy when attach­ing the face frames.

66 FI'JF HOMHHlIlIlIN(;

opt for tht" Rlum T:wdem. an undermoum full-extermon umt th.lt is forgiving to msti.lI

and smooth to operate. For adJustablt: shdv~, 1 like to dnll joVoups

ofr:hrcc to fi,'e holes where I think tht: ~ ht:l( should be. This allow!> some adjunability while :lvoiding the fac lory- made look of a cominuous row ofholcs. Often,l U~ p:.ddle­t)'f)(: ~Ul'purts installed in J. 'i -10m hole For he-avy-duty applications. such a.~:1 hookshelf. r I1kc ;H'I I.-shaped pm In a -/.-in. hole.

Ge t doors and drawer fronts that fit the second time

I order or build doors and drJ.wer fronts hefore the built-ins arc complete w that I can fini~h the job quickly. To he SUfe they fit the

way I want them to, with the perfect n:veal. I have them huilt tothe exact size otthe facc ­frame opo:ning written un my pJ.II1~. Once on Silt", r fit them tight into thelf opcning~. I rrdlKe their siu: on ;111 sides a ht"OIvy 'Ii. in. hy tdkin~ measurements from tht: face frame. nOI the door or drawer frnnl It~lf. and rip them on the tables,lw. 0

M ike Ma ines developed this system as a

trim carpenter in Nantucket, Mass., and in Boston. He's now a designer In Yar­mouth , Maine. Photos by Rob Yagid

Tack .. nd 5cre w toge ther the box part5. Nailing the box with J6-gll. finish noili/S mltkes it easier to keep pieces in piKe while they're lodod toget ller with Pl.-in. drywltll scrawl.

Support th . box and th. drltw.r ,lid ••. Of! top of eilch bo.o: and billow each drawer, JA_in. plywood crosspieces add strength, ;>I ploilce to connect the face frame's top rail, and iI surface to attach countenops and undermount drawer slides.

• - . Dress up an exposed end panel Built-in cabinets usually llave their sid .. buri&d in a wall. Sometimes, however, the sides and even the back are expoNd to public view. I detail these areas to hid. pocket holes in a couple of ways.

On my kitchen island, I'm using a stock of r.claimed Douglu-fir edge and center bead that has been collecting dust in my garage for years. I simply fill the fac .. frame opening with the boards, attaching them with an 18-9 •. pin nailer. Held tight against the carease, the 'A·in.-thick face frame would leave a Y4-in. reveal where it meets the end niles of the front face frame. So I fur out the end panel with Jt,.·in. plywood strips to reduce the siu of the reveal.

If I'm not going to un bead board on a buUt·in, I fiU the face frame with Yz-in . plywood to create a flat recessed panel. Alternatively, I cover the entire sid. of thll carc,asll with a sheet of V .... in . ply­wood that can be stained or p"inted to match the wood I've uwd. then glue and nail the face frame to it.

DECEMRER 2008!/A:-iUARY 2009 67

Seal air leaks first; then add extra insulation for an energy-saving improvement with great bang for the buck

BY MIKE GUERTIN

D II you want to keep your hcat~ mg cosu frum going through the rooP It\ ~asy: K ...... p yoor heat fmm going thruugh the

roof. Saving mnner on heating-fud com is a lot simpler Ihan negotiating with OPEC or your local utility. On a recent upgrade in the attic of a 1 95(),;~r J house (one of two Prolect.<i shown here), I :m·'e~led and spread a 11-in.­deep layer of cellulose throu~hout 1500 <;q. ft. of space in about a day. Coupled with other cncrg)'-saving impro\(.'mcnrs made [0 [he home. the r~ult wa) that the owner saw hl~ heating and cooling cn,<;I<; rcducC(1 by h:iIf cum­pared to the: prevIous year, eyen In the face of higher electricity and heating-fuel costs.

J lypLcally focus my efforts to improve the energy efficiency of an attic on two main :lfcas: scatin~ air leaks in the ccil ing and increasing the amount of insulation.

The P'lybock period for tightening a leaky ceiling can be as short ;U J month, Adding Iflsulation might t<lk~ a f<:w heating or clI"l-

ing seasons to payoff. but thl: wait is reLa­tively brid, I csrimau: the payb:,u:k (or air­Sc."aling and upgrading ~Ttie insulation 10 he realized in thr~ y~aD.

On m<:s<: projce[S, I also chose 10 Install a radiant-H:neC[i,,~ membran~. Besides rwuelng radiant-ht'ill gain from the roof, th~ membrane makes the attic more attractive and dust-frtt for slOr:tgc usc, and it keeps the blown-in insulation from bloc.king the rafter bay~, While they can roouce pedk .ntic lern­p:ralUres by IOCF w 3O"F, the barriers luven', proved to be COSt effecuvt' !n all geographIC regions, or in anics thaI <lrt' adequately insu­lated, that an:: ,ur-scalcd, and lh.it have wdl­

insulated. wrapp:d air-h:mdling equipment and ductwork, You arc probably Ixl!Cr ofT $pending the money on mllTe insulation and air-sealing rh.UllHl ,I radi:Lnt harrier,

Stop the air leaks. atop IOling h •• t Ai r leaks can .lceOUIII for l()% n( a home's energy loss, so If P.1YS 10 seck out and ~eal

Attic work safety

Woridng with Insul.tion Is about balancing ",f.ty and comfort. Although official heahh wilrnings ..... mblguous at best, it', a good ideil to en- on the lid. of eilution, "P*d.Uy regarding fiberglass, You might see photos of me without. long,slHVed "hirt or, occuionally, gloves. but 1'101 without. mask;

when it's 100"F in .n attic, ['II sacrifice some itching to stay cooler, .. FI:"iE J IOMF.RUlLD1:'\<j

• A rHplrator and ufety g[;tnes are necessary in any sl1uation.

• When handling fibe .... glau, it's a good idea to wear long pants iitnd a long-

,IHVed shirt. Of a one-piec. work s.ult. If )'O\.Ir h.mds ...... sensitive, wear glovIH,

• Step only on ceiling joists, never on the cemng, Use kneeboards thilt "p.n

batw .. n c~lin9 Joista for more freedom and stability .

• Work In the cool of the day .•• rty morning or ..... nlng

when the sun I.n't beating Of! the roof {In th. summ.r, of courMJ.

www.fineMmebuildinJ,":.(om

POTENTIAL

AIR LEA KS IN THE A TTIC

In a conventional attic. Imul.tion typialily piKed betw_n the ceiling joistl of th. rooms below an be only partially eHktiv. If .ir leaks aren't properly sealed. These I •• b aln range in size from .. pinhole to the l-h. by 4-h. "ecell hatch. For the contractor or hom.owner who wOitnu to create " tighter building envelope, the hardest part of the tuk is finding the l •• ks; 1 •• ling them JI

relat iyely easy.

® Hoi •• for wlr •• or pip •• In drywall and fr.ming

@ Attic hatchway

@ Spac •• bat".. •• " the framing and the chimney

i'§\Plumbing or . Iectrlul ~chu ••

@ Framed ,offit. that .,.. open to the attic

<V Drywall joints betw.en ceiling and Will prate.

@ leaky joint. in ductwork

Choose the right air sealant for the job

When I'm air-sealing an attic, I U!Oe four or five different types of sealants. I use

caulk when I need

!l@! precision: caulking :::;;;:0 a recessed-light CCIn ~ =::.. to the ceiling dry--~ wall, for instance,

li lt or sealing some

Il\!I!I- pieces of rigid fOOIm

~IJ! to framing_ Where

gaps around pipes Fire-blocking or wires need filling, foam

I U54iI expanding ure-DAP www.dap.com 1Ma"., foam.

Th. distinctions become finer when I'm sealing leaks

that come under the code heading of draft-blocking or fire-stopping. (In many areas, local fire

codes supersede the International Build-

ing Code, 50 be sure to check them first.) Draft- or fire-block-ing refers to stop-ping smoke or fire from passing from

Fire-b locking one area to anoth.r ca ulk

through periorations 3M www.3m.com in floors, walls, and

ceilings. These caulk or foam sealants typically are used to seal perforations in top plates that

3M , otherwise would compromise th. integrity of the wall's fire-blocking.

Fire-stopping or fire barrier refers to sealants daHified as intumescent;

when ."posed to direct flame or heat, they expand to fill

Fire-barrier the cavity and .lire caulk

rated to withstand 3M www.3m.com direct flame.

10 FINF. HOMF.IlUIJ.J)J\iG

THE SPACE AROUND THE CHIMNEY

There's usually a 2-in.-wide gap. required by code, between framing and masonry chimneys. To close the gap, I first stuff it with rockwool (1 ),

then apply a bead of adhesive caulk to the framing (2). Next, I screw down wide strips of metal (recycled drip edge) along the perimeter (3). I seat the metal to the chimney with fire-rated intumescent caulk (4). For continuity, you need to seal the ceil­ing joists to the drywall below and at inside/outside corners of the rough opening with expanding foam.

every penetration between the livmg space and the attic before aJding imulation. Don't leave ,lOy batt unturned when hunting down air leaks. Dust deposits in leaking air stain in~ulation brown or black, s.o you can .~t;\rt by looking for discoloration in the insulation. r treat the drywall cciling as the air oorrier

,tnd 5e~d (lit penetratiom, joints. and holcs. The open framing for soffits and chases is a highway for air leaklllg from wall cavi· tics imo the ;It{ic. Anmhcr gaping hole is the .mic-stair bu lkhead (sidehar p. 72).

I install :1n insulated and gasketcd cover for [he attic access panel or pull-down stairway. You elln buy a ready-made acce~ cvver, or

Ie-rated light

you c:rn make your own. The cover can be fit within t he riser ("Airtight Attic Access," PH N #1411, rll" on line at FincHomebuilding .com) or on ropofit. When the cover sits on top of the ri:<>er, apply the gasht material (usually adhesive-backed foam tape) tothe cover (not the floor) so that it 's not dam ­

aged whcn someone accesses the attic. Next, I seal recessed-light GlilS and cciling-

mounted light-fixture boxes. Hoth afC often overlooked hl!( when combined are onc of the higgest sources of air leaks. The holes and the perimeter of cciling-mounteJ elec­trical hoxes ~hould he ".Caled to the drywall with a fire-rc_~istam sc;\lant or to-un. (;;lpS

Airtight insulat ion -contact-rated recessed light

REPLACE, SEAL, OR ENCLOSE RECESSED LIGHTS

Recessed lights are one of the most overlooked sources of air leaks into attics. My first choice is to change old can bodies (1 ) for airtight iMulation­contact-rated (lC-rated) models (inset photo) and then to seal the rim to the drywall with foam or caulk. IC-rated lights that aren't airtight can be sealed by covering the fixture with an airtight box made from rigid­foam insulation (2 and 3), metal, or drywall, or by sealing holes

NEEDS A FIRE-RESISTANT SEAL

aroLlnd ducts , wires, and pipes that penetrate into the attic must be located and closed. too. Most inexpensive and old bathroom cxhaust­fa n boxes have open scams and h oles that shou ld be covered with mastic or duct­sealing tape. The fan-box perimeter ~h()uld hr: ~aled to the drywall wnh caulk or foam.

Another typical area to block off and seal is the 2-in.·widc space octWL"CO framing and masonry chllnneys. Combustihle materials aren't allowed to cuntact the masonry, ~ it'~ hest to U<ie sheeT metal to block the space.

I also seal the jl)ill1 between the drywall and

the wall plates. The thin joints between tht:

cei ling drywall and the W:l1! top plates might seem insignificant, but they add up when you

fi,l,rure the linea r foot..1ge of walls. Expanding fo-1m or sealing caulk easily fills the ?;aps,

Address wiring issues

Ikcau.<;e knob-and-tubc WIring Gin 't he bur­ierl under new insu1arinn, have an dectri-

in the can body with spray­foam insulation (4).

Remember that non-IC·rated cans need an airspace around them and that they can't come in contact with the insu­lation. Some sources recom­mend installing a sealed box over non-IC-rated cans, but recessed-light manufacturers frown on this practice. The best practice is to replace non­IC-rated cans with air-sealed lC-fated models.

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~r;::----.'""'f!"'~~

SMALL LEAKS ADD UP, SO SEAL THEM ALL

Usually. the g reatest number of leaks comes from small perforations in the ceiling: metal electrical boxes, drywall seams, and anyplace a wire or pipe comes through from below. I use expanding urethane foam to seal holes around PVC vem pipe (1). in elactrical boxes (2), and especially at ceiling-corner drywall seams (31. If any of the seating comes under local regulations for fire-stopping or draft·stopping, then use fire- or smoke·rated foam or caulking.

DF:CF.MBF:R !U08/IANUARY llH)'! 71

Block the biggest offenders The attic access i ~ 11 big leak that can ba fixed quickly: Build or buy an insu­lat",cl cover fOf tho access bulkhead. The key is to provide a rim to connect to the sealing cOl'er. The rim can be made from strips 01 sheathing, framing lumber, or rigid foam; then the cover sits on top Or

fits around the rim. On this job. On<:O Ihe insulation was added, I added a deck of leftover 'h· io. plywood and OSB.

Two pieces of 1·in.-thick rig id-foam insulation glued to 'Iz-in. plywood

cian r~plae~ any uld wires in the attic hefore adding msubtion_ Idc;ll ly, all junction boxes should be raised above the level of the insula­

tion. W hen elevating the junction boxes isn't

a option, you should Install clearly ma rked Ikrmanent tags that can he seen above thc insulation level.

Wh ile I am working in the attic, I like to

imtall two dectrieal conduits {one line volt­

age and \Jne telecom/low voltage) betwee n the attic and the ha'iement or the crawlspacc to make any future wiring u pg-rades easier

to accom plish.

Tune up existing insulation

T he t\. .. 'o types of insulation that arc usu " ally found in older a ttics are fi berglass h,ltt~ and loo~e-fdl ccl l ulo~e. For b;ltt Im u la­fion to ~rform at its rated level, it must be installed snug to the ceiling surface and tD

the edges of the framing. Any gaps or voids reduce the insulatlOn's effectiveness. If the exi~ting insulatioll is in g<)()d condition, it

can be reu:.cd.

i ping acts

as a gasket s~aL

[ tunt up the insulation by tighten ing end

joints, making sure bans arc tight to the ceil­ing drywall, and filling in any VOids with

new pieces of inwLHion.

Ceil ing joists ass deck octs as rim.

Interior soffits that are framed btiforll tllil drywall is hung can leak huge quantities 01 air. I l ill in the openings between the ca iling joists above t he soffits with solid mat e rials like rigid-foam panels, drywall pieces, or sheathing scraps, then seal the edges with expanding foam or caulk.

Ceiling joists

/'" -.,...,. .... :'... . ..----

Soffit

72 FINE HOMEHUILllIl'G

If I've decided to lllcrease the amount of

insulation with m ore bans, [ like to bring the level of the older hatts !"lush wi th the

top of the joists and then imtall a new layer of unfacecl batts running perpendicular to the joists. Placed above the joists, the CTOSS­

layered batts can he tight together to mi ni­mize heat los5 through the joists and to maxI­

mizc performance. Tf I' m upgrading to loose-li lllllsulation,

[ keep it f rom fa l lin.~ into eave ~offits and

mainta in channels fo r roof ventib tlOn by installing"a layn ufblockingmade from Tlgicl ill.'mbtion in the rafter {or trllSS ) bays over the

exterior-wall plates. I notch the ngid insula-

A 2-in.·thick layer of rigid foam, sealed with caulk or expanding foam, makes an airtight soffit.

JOiilt bays ~hol.lld be sealed with rig id blocks to keep imul ation where it belongs. t eut rigid fo am into strips the width of the joist bays and slip them out over the t<:lp wall plilte. The panels b lod( the l<:l ose-fill inu.liati<:ln that 's to be installed from clogging the soffit-to-ridge air channe l and add a higher R·value to the ~hort space over the plate .

[ion around the rafters so that I g-et a tig-ht fi t

in the hay.

Blowing insulation is a two-person operation

Blow n-in lOOse-fi ll cellulose or fiberglas~ i~n 't

as common as batt 1l15ulation, bur both ar~

inst.l ll ed qu ickly and completely cover the ceili ng. Loose fill can he blown in oye r any

existing- inmlation that 's been tuned up first. Com parisons in R-value between the two arc similar (a round R-3.2 per in.) ; over the

fi rst year, cellulose tends to sert le more than fihc rgbs.~. Of the two m ate rials, cellulose is gene rally more avai lab le to homeowners; both can be install ed with the , a rne basic techniq ues. A two-person crew IS the ;J hso­

lute m in im um. T he machines used to blow III insulation vary in PJwer and features, but rental machines arc typically the most basIC.

Pi ck a blowe r location a~ clme to the attic access as rx)s_~ible. Cd llllosc and blowi ng fi lx: rglass arc messy to han dle, so [he IQading­

.uea will be cove red qu ickly. I prefer to set up outside, bu t a garage is an ideal place to st;lge the bales and blower when the weather doesn't c(X)~ra te . [ by down a large, clcan ta rp and pbce [he mac hi ne in the m iddle

w ith the bales close by. Insulation that falls onto the tarp IS easy to gather up .md reload. Don't le t any debris get mixed into t:lllen in­

~ ll lat ion. Nails and sticks tail jaIn the blown

or plug thc hoSt. Route the delivery hose through the short­

est and s t ra ighte~ r distance to the attic. Runs of 50 f1. or less ;lTe Ideal. Runs longer than 100 ft. or runs with a lo t of bends reduce air­

flow and can lead to a plugged hose. All blowing mach ines have an .lgirator that

breaks up the insulation bales and a blower tha t drives air and insulation through a hose. The penon feed ing rhe madl ill e b reaks up lhe IXlle; and drops them throug-h a protcc-

tive grate on top of a hopper. It t;l kes a little practice to know how fast and how fuJI to

feed the machine, especially when using a h,\sic blower. Fill too fast , and you run the risk of slowing the flow through theddivcry hose. After a little practice, the loader under­stands the sounds the blower make!; and can adjust loading speed for optimal delivery.

BLOWING INSULATION IS A EFFORT

The insulation dispenser handles the hose and works from the (,IT e:ncls of the attic toward the access hol e. Good lighting is a must. If hard-wired attic lighting isn't

enough. run a string of work lights or wear a high-powered headlamp. Discharge the hose at a slight angle upwarJ, and let the: insulation fall mto place. This helps it to spread more evenly. Shooting the hose directly at rhe ceiling causes the insulation to mound up. If high spon occur, use a long stick or broom to even them off. Although high spots aren't really a problem, low spols don't perform as well.

Once Insulation cove rs the ceiling joists, there's little way to know the depth of the insulation. Insulation dislrihutors sell paJXr gauges marked in inches that you staple to

rafters or ceiling joists. I make gauges by cut~ ring I \II-in.-wide cardboard strips J.bout I in. to 2 in. longer than the target depth; I draw a line across each strip at the fina l insulat i()n grade. Expecting the i n~ulat ion to Kttle I in. or 2 in. over time, I marked the strips at 14 in. :lnd stapled them to the sides of ceiling joists every 6 fe. ::J

Contributing editor Mike Guerti n is a builder and remodeling contractor in East Greenwich, R.I His Web site is www.mikeguertin.com. Photos by

Charles Bickford, except where noted.

Costs and labor for an attic upgrade

The project was a 19505 ranch with 1 sao sq. ft. of attic: space. Here's a breakdown of the costs. It's mostly labor. and relatively little money for materials.

Air-sealing On" tube of fir~·barri~r caulk: 57

Two Canl of polyurethane foam: $20

SCf;lP plecu of rigid fo~m and recycled metal drip e dge : $30

l .bgr: About three houts

www.tiochOlncbuilding.culn

Insulation Call ulo$O;I bale. and blowtlt tental: $500

l.bor: About eight hours to hone up existing insulation. Also, two people for three hours to blow in cellulose and clean up.

Optional: Seven hours to lay a new floor dack.

Total M;lterlall: $557; opt ionll l floot de<:k: S 170

labor: 17 hou.s

A d i\lision of la bor ke eps insu­lation flowing. One person handles the hose, and the other feeds the blowing machine. The most critical job is at the machine (inset pho· tos left and bottom right). where the steady rate of insu· lation flow is con­trolled by the opera­tor. At the other end of the hose, it's best to start at the farthest point and work back to the attic access. A slight upward hose angle helps to spread the insula­tion more evenly.

(www.owenscorning .com) has intro­duced AttiCat, a rental system that processes and distributes bales of fiberglass. The packaging is stripped as the bale is pushed into the hopper. Then the machine agitates the fiberglass and blows it out through the hose. The blowing fiberglass is not as dusty as cellulose.

[)F.CEMRER lOOS/ jANU ARY 2009 73

Transformed into a classic Craftsman home, this Sears kit house lives, looks, and performs better than ever

An Alllerican Bungalow: Before and After BY MICHAEL KLEMENT

Whc:n I w.dked up to Gerry

Duprey's house for the first lime with my huilder, Bruc{' Curtis,

and OUT feel nearly went thwu~h the rotten front-porch floor, we km~w we o:ld our work cur out for m. Wh,lt we dicin', know, but would soon tind (lut. was th.!.! dll' hack porch

was III even worK' ~hape and that everything bctwcc-n n~led work. ~lIne areas needed slructuraltmproveluent, mo~t needed air­

sca llll~ anti IOsulalillg, <lod ('''ery inch of the houo;.::: needed "c~lhctic uAAradC'S.

A li ttle archile-<tuul archdt'ology sllg~esl­cd ,hJ[ nor much of the hous<: ..... <lS aClu.-.lIy Origina l. VIle d iswvcred rh:l llhi~ 1928 Scars ki t house had beel1 throu)::"h many tran~for­

manum. h had st<lrted nUl a~;i ~ingk-tamily home, then hccame a multifamily home, then a boardmg hou$e. and eventually a sinp;ic­family txJme again.

" FlNf. HOMl RUILDINO

Bythc end ofthc meeting, Gerry had tlumJkd 35 lb. of dog~eared books and maga71nes un us. His lnspirJtion wa~ the American bungalow. We had OUTwork CUI (Jut for u.~ in­deed: work that would Ja~t eight year~: wurk that would include strucUlra) Improvc:ments. energy l1nprovcments, ,lnd de~ign improve­mcnt.~: and work that would result in a tradi­tionally styled home for a modern li(e~I!,Ic:.

We started at the front door

We apprOdclJ .111 our do'gn wurk by cxplor~ iog space., adjacency, :lnd .ircul.ltion. In OIher words. we consider how a room WI ll be uS(d, how it conncct.~ toother rooms, and how Ihc homeowners wllIlllove hctwCl.:n room.~.

One of the fint pJObh:n15 was the fron t door. Positioncd off-center, the front door created an Ilnbal:mo::d facade and a clumsy approach. Inside, the door Ioc,ltlon i>ep;.m

an awkward path through the liVing ~p.\ce. However, a more pleasing facade, a mort: direct approach, and better circulation were not the greatest benefits uf centering the fr<>llt

door. Centering th(: h=ten pdth through the home allowed us to create three d istinct bm wdl-connected spaces-the dining room, the liVing: room, and the study-where prc~ \ luusly there had been only one. W(: con~jder th is our most cOM~dTecl i \t~ lIlo\,e: g ... illin~ new rooms without addmg to the housc.

While our goal Wd~ to creMe a seJles ot (paces (or d ifferent aCli vi ties., we wan ted to

use as few wlid \'\I.ll b-. a~ poss,hle. To coo­ne£:t yet St:parOlte the study. we used French doors. To define yet lmk the li\·ing .md din­Ing TOoms, we used a 'l'-t-hcight wall.

The kitchen presented another ,hallenge. Aga in, we ]()()ked to our yardsticks of ~pace, adjacency, and circulation to recognize that

o.tails that unify and di"id". Some tra­ditional Crahjman-style details, juch as the tall rlld-oak wainscot, arc meant to tie rooms together; others, such as the 'A-hejght wall and cross-tied columns, are meant to define rooms in a partially open plan. Photo above taken at A on floor plM. Photo '(lft taken at B.

DECEMBER l008/JAI\L'ARY 2009 75

SLIGHT CHANGES LINE U P A BE TTER LAYOU T Moving the front door only a few feet to the east had a dramatic impact on this house. Outside, centering the entry balanced the bungalow's st reet.facing .Ievation for iI more pleasing facad • . Inside, it created a straight forward path between the living room Jlr'\d stu dy (photo IIboVII taken at C on f loor p lan) lind into the dining room. MOiling the basement door out of the ki tchen and bumping out the east.facing wall for II cabinet bay added much-needed storage and counter space. Th. small addition on the back of the house made room for a breakfast nook and II

functional daily entry. Swa pping the locations of the second·floor bath and closet mad e better use of both spaces .

keq>ing the poth through the house on;! cun~ S1s1Cnl axi~ would yield maximum cOiciency. llns meant straIghtening the wmding hase­mC1l1 s{.l ir\ and relocating their access from the kitchen m the dinlll)4 room. The staIn arc now s.:lte r, the dour doesn't dlHupt Ir.lf­fie, and kitchen storage Sp..1CC InCTe:lsed,

Neither the budget nor the 7.0mng hoarrl\ ~th~k regulations woul(1 al l!lw us tocxp,!nd the kitchen's fomprint cons ide rably, The solution to incre3§ing ~tor'l~e and c.ounter space lay In a careful rellding of the zoning nr­dinance. Although It was cle.1 T that we could nol cxtcnrl"floor space" into the ~tback, Wl' coul d PrcJl e<: t "ilfchlteetural fCoIturc\." So we laid out for Iht, z(ming official a careful expiarloltlQ(1 of l'I<1w a canrilt'ver«J b.1)' ",uuld pmject only cabinetry into ,he setback.

The same way Wf' ~tarted our changes to

the fllXlr plan.-, Ihe fr()nl IXlfCh, the Cr;lfh­

m;lII details .ll~l slarled nn Illt' pmch. Pllfch culumllS are synonymous wlfh hun~;} low~,

We chose a \voo(kn, clustered. and cr05$-lit,\ column design because" plonded the struc­tum l ,upp0rt we nec:(kd while gl ... mg [);llancc

It l Ihe- facade and pri"';ICY tl! thl por(h.

The columns bec;lIne a un ify ing de~iJ.:'n clement In~iJt' tht: hom~' as wdL Hut other Craft.~man hOlllmarks jotct the Job done, tOO,

The tr:lditl"')nall/I-ht'i~ht wam!>Cut t'~t'lbli~ht'.\

" FINE H()Ml-HI 11.DIN(;

Before

Br" .. Ull5t nook

North ,

After

Liying room

Up

I Entry

FIRST FLOOR

Bedroom

Window seat

Photos tldeen a t le ttered pO$itions.

SPECS Bedrooms: J

Bathroom.: 1 'h

Size: 1780 $q. ft.

Compret~: 2007

L..cu;ation: Ann Ar bor, Mich.

ArchItect: MilhMlI

SECOND FLOOR

R, Kiemeflt, AlA, Architectural Resource

Build..-: Bruce

commonality for many archltcctural compo· nents, including the- fir<"pl.l ce- <;nrround, Iht, partial wall betwocn the l i \ in~ room :md , ht' dining room, and thc kirchm backsplash. Til C::'I:e<:ute fhi" ddlll without hU'itlllg the bud get, wc s~cific:d I''''in. roury_s.1wn rcd-ook \enecred pl),wood for the panek

Ger r)' al~ wantro an lOglcnook lind , t I";IY­window seat, The ldeal locatmn fnr the win­dow seat was 10 the study. Aut prolectm~ .1

bay outside- the house wa~ eo~t .. prnhihitivc. so we created one inside'. Building the walls

..... ....., 0248ft.

Curtis, Washtenaw Woodwrighu

mward aroulIJ [hI" bench seat ::lIsa provided a nealc:d vertical chase.

I n the back Qf th~ IlOu~c, thl hrcakfJS[ nook was once a dibptclated porch. Because th.,: porch wa~ beyond repaIr, we decided 10 spc:nd [he monc:y for an add itll)r\ here. We uSC'd the space for a mudroom and COJI clQM:1 that make ;l funeri. mal ,.-b.)' -[o-da~' tntry.

Energy upgrades wrth style

\Vhcn we arrived, che l'ner!-')' performance of this huu5C was dismal. We mal blown-in cel-

III

ww w.finchomcbulldl n~.COlll

A bump-out and a brflskfalt nook, A cant i/'!Ve(ed "archit ecTural feature" JU5t big enough for a fun of cabinet$", the sink, and the dishwasher adds enough floor spiKe to make t he kitchen left/ spacious without infringing on zon-ing setback regulations. The breakfMt booth beyond was inspired by the use of inglenooks in many tri!ditional bunga-lows. Photo leh taken at 0 on floor plan. Photo above taken.at E.

IlI luo;,;" lnsubuon [0 upwadc most wall and r()Of C3\ities. But the second-floor ceiling.

With shallow lx4 rafters, was a challenge. We wanted to maintain as much headroom a~ IXJs.~iblc and kei:p a cold-roof a.~semhly lu

reduce icc damming. So we installed flj.!:id­vent (h l1t~ in the rafter cavities, aJdw R-I l fiberglass batts. and attached 2 in. of rigid insuhuion to the rafters before installing th~ drywall. Tht ntt R-value (R-21) is less th.an idea\, hut was still an improvement and ere­:ned.a dew-point-managed assembly.

We ups::-radcd all the windows in the home with Pella's Architect Series window~ wlllcn

arc Energ}' SL1.r-ratcd and dre :i\"ailable In

uaduion.al muntin pautrns. Othef enefEO' ImprovanenU indudenew Energy SLH-f,lted apph.llu,:cs and Energy Star-r.ated. l'urrig:hl rece~~ lights. We were pleased to find Ih,lt even though we added space (0 me house and have not yet upda{cd the heatinlf and cool­ingequipment, the home's enc .. gy blll~ hol\'e

dropped .mbstamially Mna the remodel 0

Michael Klement is the principal at Architectural Resource in Ann Arbor,

Mich. Photos by Stanley Livingston,

except where noted.

UECEMBER 20U8IJANUARY 200'1 17

Wood floors are prone to mo ... ement. Installed correctly, floorboards hold tight to one another during humid times of the year and might r(lveal g"ps during drier times. Abnormal gaps are generally th. result of flooring tha t 's too wet when it is installed (sidebar p. 80). but they "Iso un be tke consequence of installing flooring in areas of excessi ... e dryness. I've worked on floon thill hild abnorm,,1 gaps because floorboards were installed directly o ... er heating ducts. in areas that received a lot of sunlight, and in homes heated with woodstoves. which noah.s II dry interior en ... ironment.

Not.1I gap. are b"d, but th ••• are. The gops pic­lur~ here a1& too big and irrvgular. They take awc'ly from the over,,11 look of the floor, which 5hould be rel"tiv,,'y uniform across its surface.

Gaps lIrt! an aesthetic issue and should be repaired when they disrupt the O\leralilook of a floor, not when they meilsure a part icular width. I repair abnormal gap' during the most humid t ime of year, when they are at thei r smallest. If I repair gaps when they are at their widest . I might not leave sufficient clearance between floorbollrds and create a floor that buckles when it expands.

Also. I ne ... er use wood filler to repair gaps. Instead, I make a patch by g luing sli ... ers of wood to the edges 01 the floorboards. I'm careful to apply glue to only one side of the sliver so that I don't glue any boards together.

1 1 1 1

When the bottom of II board 15 wetter than the top. its edges cup. Wide plank floors are more prone to cupping. but 1· ... 41 seen it happen to strip flooring as well.

Most often, cupping happens when flooring is installed o ... er a wet basement or crawlspace. A ... apor retarder installed between the subfloor and the floorboards can help the condition by slowing moisture migration, but it shouldn't ~ relied on lIS II permanent solution to moisture problems. I use Aquabllf - 8 - by Fortifi~r (www.fort ifiber .com) .n • vapor retarder for strip flooring installed over conventionally fr"med floon, I use Bostik's MVP (www .bostik-us.com) trowel-applied membrane when I'm laying floon over slabs and radiant-heating systems and when I'm insta lling wide plank flooring.

Some cupped floo rs lie flat once moisture issues are corrected. Other floors might be deformed permanently. A floor that doesn't lie flat needs to be sanded, but only when the moisture content of the tOP and bottom of the boards is within 1%. I d ri ... e a moisture meter through the sublloor to check the bottoms of the boards. If you sand the peaked edges of a cupped floor too soon. you could ha\le crowned boards wnen they're fully dry.

www.finchom ... huildm.o:.(Olll

1

Molstunt resistant. not moistureproof. AquabM -B.­which is composed of two layfl<'s 01 kraft paper l./tminated with asphah, slows tne moV@'rmtnt 01 mois­tUff! through a sub· floor. but it doesn't stop it, An .lasto­mf!ric ml,tmbrane h./ts similar ch"racteris, tics, but is best used in glue-down flooring applications.

When wood flooring becomes too moist, it can expand to the point that it lifts off the sublloor, moves door ffames. and pops trim from thl,t wall. A floor can buckle because of a damp basement, bec.'luse of II flood, or because thf! floor was installed when it was too dry. In any case. the cause of buckling is always moisture, lind improper fastening can aggravate the condition. Nails could be the wrong size or could be spaced too f"r apart.

Boards budde if they (.n't exp./tnd. W'hen floorboards aren't acclimated Of are exposed to lots of moisture, they can crush together and /ift off tha sublloor.

On glue-down installations, \,Ising the wrong sile trowel can lead to a poor bond between the floorboards and the subfloor.

j· ... e been able to refasten lome buckled floors, but othen had to be removed. I reuse floorboards when possible, but if the tongues and groov8S are torn apart or if the boards are cracked. I replace them. I don't repair buckled floors until the moisture issues in tha home have bean fixed and the moisture content of the floorboards and subfloor is at the appropriate level (sidebar p.80)_

DFCFMIIFR 201)S,j.\)\iUARY 2009 7.

4-----Floor finishes peel because the floor was contaminated or improperly prepped when t he finish was applied. E .... cessive sand ing with higil-grit paper can burnish wood and create a s ... rlace too smooth for the finish to adhere. Inadequate abrading or cleaning between finish coats, applying a top coat over a floor that is not dry, or working with incompat ible finishes all can cause peeling.

Howeller. the most common cause of pee ling that I see is stain residue tnal isn't cleaned from the floor prior to applying finish. To prevent a bUildup of stain residue, I remove Q)(cess stain no later than three minutes after it was applied and let the floor dry thoroughly before applying the finish. I don't apply multiple coats of stain or let stain sit in an attempt to darken wood .

The best way to fix a peeling floor is to sand it down to bare wood and restart the finishing process. Simply abrading the floor and applying a new top coat might not fix the problem. Without

resanding, waxes, oils, and fumiture pol i~hes usad to clean wood floors seep into the pores of the finish and can prevent the new finish from bonding successfully.

A contaminat.o' floor won 't hold finish . Dirt or chemicals on top of a floor or embed­de<l in its finish can cause subsequent coats of finish to flake or peel off.

Acclimate a floor correctly

Don 't always blame the dog for fast-wearing floors. A worn floor lacks sheen .. od evenness in color. Poor finishing tech­niques can be the cause as much as family pets and house/wId abuse.

All wood floors eventually wear out, but when they're in rough shape only OJ couple of years after being finished, somet hing went wrong. likely, the floor wasn't sanded properly, the finish was built up too quickly, or tn", floor wasn't maintained correctly.

On floors that are not sanded finely enough, the finish settles in the bottom of the sanding grooves, but the tops of the grooves are covered with little finish. When the floor is exposed to foot traITic. the surface breaks down. I sand bare boards to 100 grit or 120 grit, depending on the finish I'm using. In other cases, I've M!'en layers of finish built up too quickly. When multiple coats of finish ilre applied without proper drying t ime, it Clln take six months for the finish to cure. By that time, the floor looks like it has aged 10 years.

Even when sanded and finished properly, wood requires regular maintenance. Grit left on wood floors acts like sandpaper when walked on, and unclipped pet nails or unprotected furniture feet can scratch a finish considerably. At ti mes, I' .. e been ab le to recoat a Slightly worn floor wit hout sanding off all the old finish. But when a ffoor has lots of wear and deep scratches, it's best to sand down the floor to bare wood and refinish it.

Acclimating it floor is the process of adjusting the flooring's moisture content

to correspond dosely with the moisture content of the environment it's being

installed in. Not all flooring needs to be

acclimated, though. Some engineered

flooring comes wrapped in plastic at the manufacturer's desired moisture level.

to keep the boards flat. Depending on how much moisture needs to be added or removed from the boards, I add a humidi­

fier or dehumidifier to the room. I then take moisture readings ~riodically on as

many boards as I can.

flooring to fall in the middle of the spec­trum (chart facing page).

Environment and floor type can make acclimation t ricky Some homes have drastic swings in both

temperature and relative humidity. Near the coast, for example, my house has a relative-humidity level of 30% and an

average indoor temperature of 70°F in the winter. In the summer, when the doors

and windows are open, the humidity level inside can spike to 78%. Engineered floor· ing or quartersawn -flooring is the best

choice for my home because they're less susceptible to movement. I still acclimated my floors to the midpoint of my moisture range at 70G F, so I don't have gaps in the winter or buckling in the summer. I install

wide plank flooring when it has a slightly high moisture content. This provides extra room for floorboards to expand through­

out the year.

From the t ruck to the subfloo r In remodels, flooring can be brought into th. home as soon as there is space for it. In new construction, flooring shOUld be brought into a home only after the HVAC system has been In operation for at least

one week. To speed up acclimation, I r.move strip

flooring from its boxes and spread it over a dean, dry subfloor that has been

covered with a vapor retarder. I stack wide plank flooring in a pile with shims between each board to increase air circu­

lation. Then, I weight the top of the pile

80 FINE HOMERUILDING

Insta ll flooring when it has the right moisture content The interior temperature and relative humidity of a house determine the cor­rect moisture cont~mt for a wood floor. Relative humidity can be measured with a humidity gauge, which can be bought at hardware stores, and ideally should fall

between 30% and 50%. In a home kept at 70°F with that humidity range, flooring should be installed when it has a moisture content of 7.7%. Homes don't always have ideal humidity levels or tempera­

tures. It's best to determine the expected relative-humidity range and interior­

temperature range and acclimate your

IN THE FINISH

Wet f inish acts like a large piece of flypaper, Any dust or animal hair that finds its way into it will be magnified once the finish is d ry. To prevent debris from ru ining the finish, I clean all the room's surfaces prior to finishing the floor. I wipe down the walls and light filr.lures. Then I vacuum the floor and go ovef it with II tack cloth. I never use tack cloths designed for use on cars, though. They can contain si licone, which compromises the finish. I also strain the finish and pour it into an applicator tray that I've lined with an in.ide­out garbage bag. Last, I remove any loose fibers from the app licator by washing lind vacuuming it thoroughly.

If debris does find its way into the finish, I make repairs by sanding the fl oor as I would between coats of finiSh and apply a new top coat 01'1 the ftoor.

-Finisne, enhanCil tn_ bad .. , mucn '" the good. Debris on the floor 5Uri ace or in tho finish, such as trus hair, is mllg­nified when the (Ioor finish is dry.

Sloppy sanding shows. Us,'ng a worn sanding screen to sand between coats of finish can lellve spiderweb-like defects in floor ';nish.

:

Worn abrasive screens or sanding pads used to sand between coats of finiSh can create unsightly scratches in the floor. Subsequent coats of finish magl'lify these imperfections. To remove t he scratches, the finish needs to be s,,"dad past the coat where the scratches were init ially made. It 's ohen difficuh to tell which coat of fin ish the scratches were created in, so I tend to sand off aU the finiSh and start again.

To prevont these scratches, I use 3M .. brasive pads when landing between each fin ish coat. I find that these pads lellve smaller, more plentiful, but less noticellble scrlltches. They lI lso crSlite a scrlltch pattern that promotes a much better adhesion between coats of fin ish. I like to use 1s0·grit to 180.grit pads when sanding o il ·based pol),urethanes and 220 grit when sanding between coats of water· based finishes.

The bett sandpaper for the belt fini.h. /'ve used a /ot of sanding products and /ike 3M abrs· sives lhe bes! for aU my 5<lnding ta.ks. They perform well when /eveling a floor or prepping for II finish coat.

4 STEPS TO PROPERLY ACCLIMATED BOARDS This chart, provided by the Forest Products Laboratory, indicates proper fI()O(ing moisture values with reg"rd to relative humidity and interior temperature.

Step 1: Determine the home's

temperature.

Step 2: Oehtrm;ne the Step 3: Determine

home's expected relative- the home's expected humidity level in January, relative-humidity level when levels .re lowest in June. when levels I are highest.

Moisture cont.,U (%) a t v .. rious relativ . ... umidity va.luel I _ 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% te 35% 40% 45% try 55% · F

3.

4. 1.4 2.0 3.7 4.6 5.5 6.3 7.1 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.4

1.4 2.6 3.7 4.6 5.5 6.3 7.1 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.4

50 1.4

60 1.3

70 1.3

80 1.3

9 0 1.2

100 1.2

2.6

2.5

2.S

2A

2.3

2.3

3.6

3.6

3.5

3.'

3.4

3.3

4.6

4.6

4 5

4.'

4.3

' .2

,., SA

5.' 5.3

S.,

'.0

6.3

6.2

6.2

6. ' S.9

5.8

7. ,

7.0

6.9

6.8

6.7

6.5

7.9

7.8

7.7

7.6

7.4

7.2

8.7

8.6

8.S

8.3

8.'

7.9

9.5 10.3

9.4 10.2

9.2 10.1

9.1 9.9

8.9 9 .7

87 9 .5

60%

11.3

11.3

11.2

11 .1

11.0

10.8

10.5

10.3

, •

To w .. tch .. vldeo on the u •• of moisture me te,..., visit the Magazine Elltr.s .action of FineHomebullding.com.

65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95%

12.4 13.5 14.9 16.5 18.5 21.0 24.3

12.3 13.5 14.9 16.5 18.5 21.0 24.3

12.3 13.4 14.8 16.4 18.4 20.9 24.3

12.1 13.3 14.6 16.2 18.2 20.1 24.1

12.0 13. 1 14.4 16.0 17.9 20.5 23.9

11 .7 12.9 14.2 15.7 17.7 20.2 23.6

11.5 12.6 13.9 15.4 17.3 19.8 23.3

11.2 12.3 13.6 15.1 17.0 19.5 22.9

Step 4: Acclimate boards to moisture levels in the middle of these values.

www.finehomehuildinjl;.com DE('F'MBER 2008lIANUARY 2009 .,

Stains built up on a floor finish can usualiy be removed with a wood-floor cleaner (www.minwa;o;.com). but stains in tne actual finisn must be sanded out. Tne most difficult stains to deal witn are those tnat penetrate into the wood fibers. Pets are the most frequent culprit in creating these types of stains. but water can be equally dam<lging.

I usual ly recommend replacing floorboards t nat have been deeply stained, especially by pet urine, But

Pet·stained flool'"s elln b. Silved. This floor can be fixed by brushing two­part wood bleach over the surface. The floor is neutral­ized after 11 couple of hours, then sanded and refin­ished when it's dry.

I have had success using two-part wood bleach (www.kleanstrip.com) to remove st ains.

This treatment has some drawbacks, though. Bleach tends to break down wood fibers, which increases the wood's susceptibility to denting. Also, bleach isn't guaranteed to lift the stains from the wood, which means the floo rboards might stili need to be replaced. Finally, the entire floor should be bleached, not just one area. This results in a lot more work, but helps to create a floor that is consistent in color and sheen.

82 FINE HOMEIlUILDING

Small crllcks can be filled, A bo<lrd with

Inst.allation error. ,how. The finish on the ooge of this board was cracked by a flooring nailer that wasn't used correctly.

cracks in its F- --...L-----, face doesn't always

9

need to be replaced, The board shown here maybe repaired with a touch-up kit .

I see more cracks in factory-finished floors than in an}' other type of flooring. The finish on these boards is easily damaged by floor ing nail£>rs. Most manufacturers, however, now make adapters for their nailers to prevent the n3 il ers' force from conccntrat ing on the surface of the floorboards. A board with a badly damaged edge snould have been replaced when the damage occurred. If it wasn't. I take the time to replace it. (See ~New Life for an Old Floor, - FHB #156. and online at FineHomebuilding.com,)

Cracks also can form on the face of factory-finished and regular floorboards. This damage is generally attributed to checks in t he wood. Some wood species are more prone to cracking than others. Cracking also can be caused by t he manufactu rer. If t he wood is dried too quickly in t ne kiln, it can crack.

Factory-fin ished boards can be fixed with a manufacturer repair kit. which t ypically consists of wood filier, colored marker. and a bottle of finish. If I can't get a kit, I proceed the same way as I would with regular flooring. I replace the board, or I fil! the crack with wood filler and apply a coat of finish over the entire floor so that colors, tones, and sheen match perfectly.

When small polyurethane droplets form along the edges of each floorboard, moisture i5 always to blame. The droplets are caused by polyurethane flowing into the gaps between floorboards while the floor is moving. The problem genera lly occurs whcn a floor is being finished during the change between dry and humid se350ns. As the boards adjust to the d im3te, they expand. forcing any uncured polyurethane from the gap.

If caught in time, poly droplets can be.- removed with a razor blade, a rag, and floor cleaner. If a mess has already been made, either by walking on the droplets or b}' allowing them to cure. then each droplet needs t o be cut off the floor by hand with a razor blade before the entire floor is abraded in preparation for a fresh top coat.

Poly bead, are a sign that the fltxJr is moving. Poly­urethane can be pushed from the crack! of a floor as it gains moisture and fMpands during the finish· ing process.

Dished-out deformities in floorboards are typically caused by poor sanding techniques or by heavy weM in spring wood. Spring wood, the part of the tree that grows quidly early in the season, has the least dense cell structure of any part of the tree. This wood is softer and less durable thar'l the slower late-seasor'l growth. whl;'rl;' ' 1;'115 are stacked more de nsely. Sprir'lg wood is easily misshapen by heavy foot traffic, sliding fumitur9. pets, and other daily household abuse .

Poorly maintained drum sanders, low-quality abrasives. or incorre ct sanding also car'l create irregular floorboards. Drum sanders with damaged sanding belts, damaged fan belts, or worn-out wheels can create chathlr marks on a floo r. Chatter marks appear uniformly across the grain of each board and result in a floor that looks wavy.

Fortunatel y, I've never S<.le n irreg", lar floorboards that couldn't be fixed. The floor needs to be flattened with a quality drum sander oriented at <l slight angle to the boards: with a triplanetary sander. which has three orbiting ha ads; or with a buffer that has a hard-plate attachment. Of course , the floor will Med to be refinished.

wwwJinehom~build ing.cum

Th" distortion is in the wood, not the finish. Every floorboard contains both soft spring wood, which is the dark grain in each board, and dense Jate-season wood. The soft spring wood in this ffoor was dug out by improper sanding.

DEC t·,MflER 2{)1i8i j .-\:\UARY 2U09 83

finishi touches -

Kindling creativity

A dd a fireplace to:1 ro.'nl,

M. and you get mort" than Just

another feature and some extra

warmth. You get an uncontested

focal point. But whetht:f every

fireplace deserves center st.:lge 1S

another issue entirely. It's casy to

default to a classic colonial manTci

or a contemporary drywalled sur­

round, blll with:l little creative

spark, a fireplan~ can set the tone

of a ro()m as mrdy as it dictates

where to put the sot:I,

84 FINF. HOMFRUILnTNG

Sticks and 5tones. Big stone fjrcplacos tend to bo monolithic, un/Qss they're the creation of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., m .. son Lew French. French's definition of rock /eiJPs from boulder to pebble to ledge and beyond. Given free rein by the homeownflrs, French created a fireplace incorporilting lichen-encrusted fieldstone, recli)jm~ ~tone slabs, ilnd driftwood stac:kGd as sen· sibly-and as randomly-as if it had occurred in nMure. Along the w<ly Frf>f1ch reinterpreted classic fireplace elements, from display niches to a detached hearth. Photos by Charles Bickford.

Sizing up ,II solution, When the decision to add a second floor squashed Tom and Nina Mor­rjuon's plans for a great room with a cathedral ceiling, it also forced them to downsize their fireplace. Working with 'imited height. Nina tuffled to weight)' 'intels and intricate stonework. Inspired by a fireplace on the Web site of Goshen, Conn., mason Glenll Guilman (v.ww .bui/dwithmasonry.comJ, Nina clipped computer images of individual stonos, resizing and rearranging tht:>m to get the right proportions. She then contacted Guilman and had her yisiOIl built. Photo by Nina Morrisson.

www.finehurTIt·bllildin).!;.cum

Two sides of the So'lme story, Connecting a can· ditioned 5unporch and a contemporary family room, this fir8place's out­ward ilppearance changes markedly from one side to the other. In both cases, the goal is a S8nS8 of sim· plicity, The owners of the Montpelier, Vt., home- are­avid collectors of conlem­porary and traditional Jap. anese art and wanted the design to reflect a balance between old and new, said architect Sandra Vitzthum. Photos by C<lro/yn Bates.

Old look, new challenge. The unusual joints on this Vermont fireplace reflect the homeowners' desire to imitahl Swiss stonework in their New England home. But it wasn't a style they sought to copy 8S much as it W8S the appear8nce of old parged stone walls that had lost chunks o f thei' surface mortar, .. IIowing the stones beneath to poke through. Milson Keith Thomas ilnd his crew replicated the look by using bricks TO space out the stones before cov8ring them with mortar. Photo by Ned Gray.

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We're not afraid of a challenge. The BOSmCH framing nailers al8 ready to tackle any job you put before them. Engineered lumber? No problem. Our na~ers tout a staggering power · to-weight ratio. Forgot your tape measure? Relax .. . we've got you covered with a 16~ layout indicator. These tools deli'W'erthe features that matter most to peDS. On the jobsite, it's survival oltha fittest. Wfj're up for that cllallenge, are you?

Direct water into gutters

Q I've noticed that the

siding where the roof meets my house is rotted. The

step flashing is installed prop­erly, and the rest of the siding

above that spot is in good condition. It's dear that water

is getting behind the siding

where the drip edge and the siding meet, and behind the

gutter cap as well. How can I get the water to run into the gutters instead of down and

behind the siding?

JOSH MARTIN

Altamont, NY.

A Alidad Chandlel; owner afChandler De"igfl-Build

( www.("halldlndl'Signblli/d.coln)

near Chapd Hill, N.C .. replie,.: This problem happens a [0[

where a lower-level TOClf ,",nel

an upper-level wall meet. The

capped end of the gllrtl:f is gen­cf:llly hdd about an illch off the

wall. leaving thc area where the siding is cut [0 fit around the

fascia open to water intrusion. The wHter finds iL\ way into the cut in the siding where the lower fascia intersects with the wall. The solution is to install a kick-<lut flashing, a piece of alu-

.. FINE HOMEBUILDING

minum or copper thm directs the water away from the wall before it reaches the last pIece of

step flashing 'iO that the water flows mto the gutter instead of

behind the siding. I make kick-out flashings

from regular 14-in.-wide alu­

minum coil stock CUT into a $quare 14-in. piece.l use the same color stock <1, the step flashinw> or the shingles when I want the kick-out to blend m

to the roof: I fold the coil stock with a rubber hammer, some

duck-billed seamers, and a length of framing lumber. You could use a sheet-metal brake if you hav(' ooe, bllt most houses need only thH~e or four oftheS(:

flashing-so In the time it would take to gr:t Ollt the brake, I can have all The flashmgs done wiTh simpler tools.

The key is to make the fl<lsh­ings rugged <lnd inconspicuous.

Using a 4'5" dogear at the end makes that vulnerable area four layers thick. My roofer mstalb

step flashing bdi.m:: the siding gocs on the house. I could teach him to do the kick-ol1ls, but it's

easier to let the siding crew in­stall them or to do them myself.

Step 4 M.1ke this cut so that the edge is perpendiCIJlar to the drip edge when inM.llled.

Ready to kick. Slide the kick,out flashing beneath the second-course shingle and step flashing. Posi-tion the piece 50 that the cut end is perpendicular to the drip edge; then nail it down with two roofing nails under the upper shingle .

Bend the flashing by hand

Step 1 Fold thiS piece down and under to create a double layer with a

,.~", ..... ", ..... '~':'~m:':d~edge.

Step 2 Fold this comer down and under to create a quadruple layer where water will exit the flashing.

Step 3 Fold this lip up 90' to guide the water.

IneJlpensive hand tools take the plan of a sheet·metal brake. Shape the metal flash­ing on a solid surface that can take some abuse. Scrap 2)(10 secured to a sawhorse makes do here. Bends are started as needGd by hand. then further persuaded with a rub­ber milllet . A hand se.lmer (photo above) is useful for tuning the final bend, but isn't necessary.

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\\oW" timJof"wnga bulky hose from inlet to inkt, upand

down IN steps., and tsf1«ialftshoving it in a doset Mokn I

I'M! ikJne, but I knew a port4bft KKIIum was twfI WOtSt.

Tke Hide A Hose S)*m may be W wokst thing in '"1

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CONTINUED

Let inside drywall corners move A flexible nnh~r joint absorbs _ asonal move­m. nt, An expansion­joint-typt;> product like Magic Corner (photo right) i$ the ideal fix for inside drywall corners that crack due to sea­sonal movement. Install the joint wilh spray adhe­sive (photo left) and staples. The joint can be painted per the manufac­turer's instructions.

Q Three years ago, I built a house, and every year,

the inside drywaU corners crack in several rooms. Is there

anything I can do to stop this problem from happening?

-ED WUERMSER

Dallas

A Myron. R. Ferguson. (www

.thatdlywailguy.com), author of Drywall (The Taunton Press, 2(08). replies: Cracks in inside corners often indicate structural movement. This mo~'emcnl might be cau~d by swelling or ~hrinking offram­ing lumber due [0 seasonal changes, or it might indicate a more: significant structUf;ll problem. If you've eliminated the latter IXlli~ibilit)', there arc

90 FI N E HOMEB U II.DT N(;

some things you can do to fix the CTacks.

Vinyl or PVC £apes made for scams and inside corners are mong, but they often pop loose if there is structural movement. Don 't u~ these products unless you're .~\lre the corner is ~table.

In situations like yours, you'll ha~'e the moS( success in mak · ing a joint resistant to cracking by letting it rno\'c. The only thing I h:lV<: found that works is an expansion-joint type prod­uct. I have had great success with Magic Corner from Trim­Tex (www,tnm-tex,com). It

works on inside corners at any angle, and it also can be med to

fix crack5. To repair an inside corner,

fully remove the existing tape,

and replace it with Magic CI>r­nero Tape the joint as you nor­mally would, leaving the rubber center free of mud, Any move­ment will be abwrbed hy tnt;' ruhber center, which flexes and 5tretches. The only had thing is that YOll see the rubht':r center a5 a slight recess in the surface. This slightly indent<:d line is much better than a crack.

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69" Of U.s. HOMEOWNERS SAY HAVING A FIRE SPRINKUR SYSTEM INCREASES A HOME'S VAlUE"

Homebuilders who offer fire sprinklers are seen by the majority of homeowners as belng'"safety concerned.~"innoYative· and ·caring ... •

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differen • SAFETY GLASSES

Glass, plastic, or polycarbonate lenses?

Safety should always be a top priority when you're working, but every day, an estimated 20{)0 eye injuries occu r ill American work­places, according to Prevent Hlindness America. These injuries

could have been prevented with the proper safety cyewCUT. Several

type~ oflensc5 ar~ available f()f saf~t)' glasses, and choosing the h:-~t material for the job is vital in pro\' id ing the best pror:cction.

Tory Marlm is 8 former editorial intern for Fine Homebuilding .

Glass has the best optics G 'as~ lenses used to be tne u andard, but demand for this e~pensive material is decreasing. It is best known for its superior optical qua lity. wh idl makes it a good choice for prescription safety glasses. Glass is durable and scratch resistant. but it's h",IV)' and more expens ive than other lense ~. When tempered in a chemical b at h, gin s C3n meet impact-resistance st;:ondards; yet some industry ('''perts still don't recom­mend it for most job sites because bfttter lensas ;lre ava ilable. Howeyer, g lllss is often preferred for those working on projects whera static I!lectrlcity is ill concern.

•

Plastic is inexpensive Plastic lensas ilr .. lighte r and more comforUble than 91"55. but they need to be thick to meet industry impact­resistence Jt llondards. Although plll"ic lenses scratch, they are more scratch re .. istant th im polyca rbonate lense , and tend to lu t a bit long er. The cost for plast ic and polycar bonate lenses is about the same. but plastic lenses re-qu ire extra treatment to provide adaqu3te UV·protoction for v!'!rs iar'l s IM at will be wo rn outdoors .

Polycarbonate is the most impact resistant Polycarbonate is the most popular material fo r both nonprescription and prescription safety g1a51111 beca use it offers the best impact resistance. This soft material absorbs energy without breaking and offe rs nearly 100'% UV· protection. The majority of polycarbonate lenses come with J(:ratch·re5i$t"nt (:oatings. Industry experts recommel1d polyc:arbonahl sahlty gla5$(l5 lor most job sites al1d sU9g9St rins ing thom with water and wiping them dry daily to prevent the bUildup of ~tatic . Iectric'ty.

REGULAR GLASSES WON'T PROTECT YOU Far too oftvn, comfort and convenience get in the way of safvty. Wearing

•• !'INE HOMEBUILDING

a pair of regular glasses can be just as dangerous as going without eye protection. The plastic lenses in regular glasses tend to break into sharp

pieces, and untempered glass lenses usually break like a car windshield.

Many companies mak{! regular glasse-s with impact·resistant polycarbonate lenses, but that doesn't mean they're suitable for construction work. Safety

glasses approved by the American National Standards Inst itute also have

impact·resistant frames that are designed to keep lenses firmly in place

during impact .

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~Paslode· Nails t'erlI mance:

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• TROWELS

Square-notch, U-notch, or V-notch?

The notches in these trowds

determine how much tile­setting compound is distributed over a substrate. Th9 also i ncre3~ the quality of a tile's bond by eliminating voids in the compound that can lead to tile failure.

A lot of folk~ think that trowel choice is simply basnl on the type: of ti le-setting compound being used. However, a proper trowel should be ~Icc[cd haso..l primarily on the size of the tile being used and [he substrate material rather than hy the type of tile-scuing compound.

Rob Yagid is an associate editor.

Squ2Ire- and U·notcn: different snapes, but equally versatile

Althou9h they're !lightly different in ~hape, squOlrfi'- ijnd U-notch trowels perform the same. They're ben used when installing t ile with mastic or thinset over rough material like cementboard. How,ver, these trowels should be used with mastic only when the specified floteh depth is leu t han 'I. in.

Weakness: These t rowels can disperse a large amount of material. Using a trowel with oversize notch"" however. can lead to e)(cess material in the grOllt joints th<'lt will need to ba cleaned out.

V-notch: best used with small tiles on smooth substrates

V-llo1(,h t rowel 5 disperse only a small amount 01 compound, which make5 them ideal for applying tilel smaller than 6 in. by 6 in. on smooth surfaces like drywall. These trowels are also good for applying flooring adhesives,

Weakness: The notches in these trowels don 't spread thinset well because of its sand aggregate. They also don't leave behind enough materia l to e mbed large ti les or tiles with te)(tu red backs properly.

Notch depth matters .15 much as notch shape. The lar9t':r a tile, the deeper and wider the notch must be to obtain an adequate bond.

C05t:$10to$15

A V-notch trowel has its niche. This tool has limited applications and cyon

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what'stbe

difference? CONTINUED

• PAINTABlE CAULK

Siliconized acrylic latex or acrylic latex?

When it came to finish carpentry. a former boss of mine had a sim­ple motto: "00 yom beSt; caulk the rcst." He wa~ a framer.

Caulk should never replace tight-fitting JOints, but it 5holiid Ix: uS«! [Q make paim-grade projeCts look seamless and to block air and moistlln: from going where they're not supposed to, Although a variety of paintahle caulks arc available, such a5 polyureth:me caulk, which IS also highly toJ(ic, you'll often encounter acrylic-lateJ( caulk that comes with silicone or without it.

R.y.

r. le . the ir word (or it, One company stated, «SUi­conized acrylic­latex caulle is preferred for any application where better adhesion and durability are desired. "

Cost; Around 52 per 10.1-oz. tube

Siliconized acrylic-latex caulk adheres better

I have alw,lys assumed that s iliconized acrylic­latex caulk was pr imarily designed for eJCtarior use. Ahar all, silicone is waterproof, and interior casing should never get wet. But beyond improved water resi$tance, siliconized acrylic caulk has superior ildhesion, which means it creates a more durable joint that will last longer indoon or outdoors. Siliconized 8crylic-lateJO. caulk 11. 150 tends to be more flex ible, especia ll y in low temperaturel, which means it 's less likaly to c.ra.;k.

YOil g e t wha t you p. y for, Your house won't fall down if you use regular acrylic caulk, but your painted joints will be mOl'e susceptible to failure,

COlt: Around S2 poIr 10.1-02. t uba

Acrylic-latex caulk is less expensive-barely

ChOOSing acrylic· lat ell caulk over siliconized acrylic latell would be tough to justify. It'$ typically len ellpensive, but th ll cost difference is rarely more t han a faw centl­milybe it couple of bucks if bought in bulk. Both tYPlIs of caulk can ba toolad with a wet finglH, cleaned up with wate r, and painted with oil- or water-basad paints. The menage I racaived from manufacturers is that there isn't an appliciltion where s iUconized acrylic­lat ell caulk can' t replace ftcrylic· llltell caulk and do a bettor job.

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100 FINF HOMt.flUILDU'U:

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DbCEMI3 E R ZOO~!JANUARY 200<1 101

buildingskills LEARN THE BASICS BY TUCKER WINDOVER

Wrapping cords and hoses e~pite all the cord lcS5 tools that keep showing up on job ~iteli, air hoses and extension cords

sti ll need to be rolled out every m orning and wr-ippc:J up at the cnd of the Jay. Coiling them tightly for storage (pho{O below) introdu~s twists and kmks that

can caus<: damage and m ake them harder to manage around the work zone:.

To keep:ll medium­gauge electrical cord

in good condition and to avoid coiling, I drape: the line b.,ck and forth over my

hand until I have a fe"W feet left. Then 1 tie off the bundle with the remaining cord and create a 1(X)p to hang it with. For heavy-gauge electrical cords that are

too bulky to drapc: and bundk, I weave a daisy chain, which thell can be folded

into a manageable size for transporra­lion and storage.

For polyurethane air hoses, J avoid twisting th e: line: hy folding t"very other hK.'p in the opposite direction. TIllS method requirt"s less time to coil the Ji~, and it allows them to be uncoiled easily. No matter what m ethod is used

for wrapping and smring hosc~ and cords, it's important to avoid kinking

or creasing the line or housing~. For that reason, I avoid wrapping cords too tightly or hanging them from nails for storage. Instead, I hang cords on 2x blocks of wood fixed to the: wall .

Tucker Windover, a frequent contributor

to Fine Homebuilding, is a finish carpen­ter in Arlington, Mass. Photos by John

Ross, except where noted.

102 FINE HOMEBUILDIN<;

a.. UJ f­(/)

>­en a.. UJ

tn

Drape electrical cords in a loose bundle

1 Ooubl. th. cord. Collect the mille and

female plug ends together. Drape them over your hand, and begin looping the dou· bled cord bade and forth . This prevents the cord from twisting. Note: The bumpy appearance of this cord is evidence that it was mishan­dled severely in the past.

2 T;' th. cord. With a few feet remaining, I begin circling the cord

around the middle to tie off the looped bundle. I don't pull the loops as tight as J can; that puts unnecessary strain on the cord.

3 CrGate a loop for storing. Fin­

ish by passing the doubled end through the center of the blmdle. This prevents the cord from unrav· eling and provides a loop to hang the cord from. Note: This method of tying off the cord might not be recommended by the manufacturer because it could eventually distort the shape. In my experi­lince, the dllmage is minimal, and the payoff in convenience is worth the risk.

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CONTINUED

Wrap it up Job-s!te (oms and hoses should not b. left tying around at the end of tha day_ Although there are any number of

options for tying up cords and hoses, I

like to use Velcro. Not only h" Velcro (www.velcro.com) come up with differ­

ent sizes and strengths of its hold-fast hook·end.loop fabric, but it also seUs it variety of colo,-.d straps. Color-coding cords and tools for different job sites, equipment owners, or cord gauges is a smart way to stay organized. At Jess than $6 for multiple ties in r.d or black, or a variety

pack, there is no reason not to enhance produc· tlvity with proper cord management.

---John Ross, assodate Web editor

104 FI NE HOME RUI LDING

"­w tn >­CD

"­w I­Ul

Weave heavy-gauge cords into a chain

1 Start with. simpl. knot. Double the cord, and tie

a knot in the end with the loop. To begin the braid, I pass my hand through thp loop and pull the doubled cord back through. This cre­atps another loop that I pull the cord through. And so on.

2 Keep the loops loose. I keep loops medium in size

and avoid pulling them tight to prevent kinks from developing in the cord. When coiled. the cord C.l" be foldod fO( ease of handling and storage.

Air hoses require a reverse coil

1 Every oth.,. coil is revers.d. Bugin coiling the air hose by looping it once at one end.

To reverse the second coil, bring the loop in so that the line exits behind the second coil.

2 Strl.p for storage. While a scrap of electrical wire can be used to secure

the bundle. I prefer a Velcro cloth strap, which comes with many cords or can be purchased sepilrately ilt home stores (see sidebar at left).

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106 FINE HOMEBUILDING

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drawing board LESSONS IN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN BY PAUL DEGROOT

Designing stairs for an addition

T hinkingof addinga :\rtond floor to your hou~? If so, you're

probably wondering where the stain will go and what shape they will take. I'v e:: found that

location is everything. Ill-placed stairs can lead to an iocfflcient fl oor plan, an awkward facade. or a noi~y house. Getting the stair righl is critical.

Stairs aren't an afterthought Don', get tnlpped into pinning d O\'o'll that "pcrfect~ ground­floor $tair location without SC'C­

ing if it WIll yield good results upstairs. 11ike to start from the top down when pondering the ~ir location for an addition. ~au~ an up~tairs addition

has to look good from the street and because the stair location offers an opponuniry to play with exterior forms, I tackle it

early in the design process. A t the :>''lm~ time, I check to !<c how the ~tairwell will fir into th.:: upstairs m om arrangement.

I try to avoid a stair location that creates a long, mcamkring hllllway upsta irs. Although at times you have no other choice, stairs at the end of a second­floor layout require more: hal lway to se rve the rooms. C(:ntrally positioned sta irs

a re Space :\aVers; bt:droom~,

bathrooms, gam e rooms, and media rooms all can pinwheel off a landing or a short hall (top drawmg, fight).

It's important to look at the room~ a stairway will connect and to consider lifestyle as you w eigh possible locations. Think twice about stdirs that lin k a quiet zone on one level with a noisy room on another; the stairs will he a direct con­duit for unwanted liOuno. You

3 h. 6 in. 3 h. 6 in.

Do this

Bedroom

Bedroom

Don't do this

TOp · DOWN DESIGN

Q Q

OJ o

Bedroom

626 sq. ft.

Bedroom

676 sq. ft.

Obseuing over the Ideal stair location from a first·floor point of view can lead to a dums)" upstairs floor plan. Instead, start by looking for a location near the center of the proposed upstairs plan. Then ChOOM a stair shape that lands in a good spot downstairs.

In the bottom drawing, the stair loc.tion was driven by the location of the first,Aoor landing and the mistaken assumption that shunting the Itairwell off to the side would ma:llimile the usable space upstairs. The result is a long, narrow, dark hallway and a stairwell that fails to create a connectIon between the two f1oo~.

In the top illustration. the new rooms pInwheel off a centrally located stair, and light pourl into the landing, into the rooms, and into the first floor. The bedrooms and b.throom are the same .quare footage as in the bottom drawing, yet the overall footprint is 50 sq. ft. less. meaning fewer materials and less space to heat .. nd cool.

FOUR STAIRS AND THEIR SIZES

47 sq. ft. 59 sq . ft. 68 sq. ft. 68 sq . ft.

Choos. a stair shape ba$ed on the space ....... ilable and your de$ign goal. Although code allows narrower staiN, the 3-ft. o.in. width shown is a comfortabl. size.

.6 •

A s traight lI.!ir is sp.!co Ilfficiem .!nd as simple as It g. tl , the solution for Ii""ar .tnd skinny spaces.

108 F INE HO.\lEHUILDrNG

.s o

5 ft.

8 ft . 6 in.

Use an L-shllped rtair whe n you W/lnt the top or bottom run to open to an adjoining room, hal/way. or entry fOYfff .

12 ft .

AU-shape d stllir makes a bright. impressive stairwell that brings lots of daylight dowMtair$.

9ft. 4 in.

10 ft . 2 In.

A switdlbad mit flU in a comp.Kt rectanguJow Mea only slightly longer than a squ.'lr. .. nd rtlqUir. s kiss l<ength fhan a strllight rtIfI of stairs.

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DECEMBE R lOOS/JANUARY 100<) 109

drawingboard _______ = _______ CON TIN U E 0

should avoid stairs close [0 the

downstairs master bedroom if your new second floor will be: us.::d for guests, nois), teen5, or billiards. If youngners will be playing ,lOd slttping upstairs. you might want the stair neaf the kitchen downstairs to let YOIl hencr hear what's going on.

Stairs need daylight :\ dark st;lir is uns.1fc and feels cramped. When possible. I pick a spot that gives the stairwell at least one exterior wall :md windows. Everyone appreciates daylight that fills the space and spills Olll downstain. North­facing windows are perfect in warm climates. In colder cli­mate5, windows oriented [0 the

south pull in warm sunlight. Be mindful of glare and excessive

110 FINE HOMEBUILDING

heat gain from stair winJoWS

facing east or west; they make a hot, stuffy stairwdl. Glas~ block and frosted glass are good ()P~ tions when you have no choice but to have a window or two facing the rising or scning sun .

If you can '[ get the stair on nn outside wall, then consiclcr a conventional or tubular sky­light in the ceiling. Another option i5 a half-wallo! hal us­tradr between a light-filled room and the tOP of the stair. With a centrally located stair, either of these alternatives can draw daylight down into a dark area on the lower level

With planning, you can usc your new stairwell as a thermal chimney to lighten the alf­conditioning load. In many regions of the country, even in

Light monitor flood. ~f:=ilHI/ stairs with light.

a COOLING STAIRS

Hot air

Venturi effect helps to draw out /lot .tir.

" hot

in toel air.

Area under I.Ipper stair fun could be

0'"

A sUifwdl isn't just ~ conduit for people; hot air ~Iso riMS up the flight of stairs. Adding a light monitor vwith operable windows above the stairwell takes adv~ntage of the stad:: effect. drawing cooJ air in through the lowe, windows and .llpelli~ hot ~ir through the awning window$ above.

In addition to dr.rwing up hot air; sunlight spills through the ~I and haI~ from the monitor eYen though the stairwell isn't on an exteriof" w~lI.

It's important to consider the ~ of the StaiB when the sNp. of the aOdi1ion is being ptanned bKauw the light monitor will be ~ dominant part of tt.. rooflirwt.

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www.finchomebuildi ng.cQrn DECEMBER 2008l lANU ARY 1009 111

drawingboard

the height of summer, tempera­turC5 cool down nicely In the

c\'cning. Turn off your AC,and open the windows, especially at the tup of the stairs. Convec­tive air currents will rise up rhe stairwdl, cooling the.: house by drawing in fresh air from out­side .and exhausting warm, stale alr oul of the open winduws, vents, Of skylight.~ u~tairs.

(The higher up.lhe better, W

you might need remotely oper­ated windows.) Th\.' prominent high windows and roofof a light monitor over the stairwell

can be the defining design fea­ture of the addition (drawing p. 110).

Rethink the landing To make the stairway space more useful, 1 usually config-

"2 FINE HO~EBUILDING

CONTINUEO

un~ a stair shape that includes a landing so that the stairway

can do double dury. The inter­mediate landings ofL-shapcd, switchback, and U-shaped st;lir> provide an opportunity for furniture, built-ins, arrwork,

and windows. If there's a nicc: view from a

midlevd landing, then cnhlrge the landin,l! a bit to accom­modate a comfortable reading

nook or a custom window seat (drawing right). When you want to create some visual pri­vacy or when the views are

undesirable. bump out the land­ing an extra 12 in. or more for built-in bookshelves with high windows above them. Extend­ing the depth of a large land­ing by 3 ft. or more turns it into a convenient location

17 in. to 18 in.

A 7·ft. 6·'n. to 8-ft. ceiling makes a comfortabJe 5poi1ce.

S;;;;;;;;;IJ;;;;:;~_ 24 in. to 30 in.

~ landing must be at least aJ dsftp liS slair width.

Stairs feel more open with oil wider bottom run.

DOUBLE-DUTY LANDINGS

A stair landing must be at least as deep as the stair is wide, but if it's slightly deeper, it can transform t he landing into;) a welcoming nook or producti'tle woritspace_ When there's a view worth C4lpturing, there should be a window at the landing e",en if it's a standard depth. A 24-in. to 30-in. bump-out makes spaclit for a window seat, an Inviting place for reading and for e:.ctrill storillge.

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DECEMBER 200SlJAl\"UARY 2(109 113

drawingboard

for a built-in desk or a com­puter workstation.

T he (OP and bottom landings are also excellent opFOrrunities for creative use of space. It's easy to incorporate low book­shelves, ~nch seats, and stor­age cubbies at the head or foot of the stairs. A built-in bench inw rpor,\tcd mto the base of a

foyer or mudroom stair can be a functional, welcoming feature (drawing right).

On the top floor, it takes

only a few extra inches to gain enough room for a low stor­

age c.'tbinet, a display case, or a bookshelf in plaa of a plain pony wall or guardrai l over­looking the stairwell.

Don't forget to maximize the area under the stairs and land­ings. You can always use it for

CONTINUED

storage, such as a common coat closet or a storage "cave" that inevitably ht.--comcs a cluttered

c.1tchall. With some thought. it's possible to create room for other purposes. As you're creat­ing stairs for the nt:w addition, look at the first-floor room5

adjacent to the stairs, and ~ if the space underneath the high sick of [he stairs can be incorporated intoa bathroom,

30·in.-t all t able

Display nook

WelCOMING LANDINGS

Splayed steps for versatil"

~ approach

a powder room, or a ki tchen P.lnt ry. I've seen this space cre­;Hively used as win~ storage.. a small "pockel" office:, a laundry room, a kids' b.1ckpack center, and even a sleeping nook for the family pooch.

Paul DeGroot is an architect in Austin, Texas. Drawings by the author.

Although they require more space, expanded landings .at the top or bottom of the st .. lrs integrate the stairs with the ..reas they connect. Locating the stairs .. long an outside wal! helps to bring in lots of light. In this case, turning the l-shaped stairs away from the exterior wall "nows for stacked windows that brightltfl both levels. The splayed steps at the bottom open the stairs to the room. The built-ins and 1he solid wall in place of a balustrade cre.te display space for artwork.

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114 FlNF. HOMEBUILDI"<G

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JtEMl.EA SERVICE NO. 29

Enhance your home, Room by room, Step by step,

READER SERVICE NO. '11

116 FINE. HOMEBUILDING

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READER SERVICE NO. 1$1

D ECE MB F R ZOOS/J A N UARY 2009 117

masterca rpenter ·1J1.i~I.":I.:ttjl'"

Dress up cabinet face frames with a mitered integral bead

was lucky to begin my woodworking car~er

hy apprenticing in two

small New England cabi­net shops. Each cabinet­maker had his own style, bUl they had one thing in common. If their shop was going to produce quality pieces efficiently and turn a profit, then accuracy and crafts­

manship Were b:y. One detail we used was the bear! that [an along

the perimeter of a door or a face (rlmc. This detail softens the edge but crcates a sharp shadowline.

There arc two types ofbeaJ. An applied bead is typICally shaped on the edge of a board, ripped off, then applied with glue and brads. An

integral bead is shaped on the facc­frame stock itself.

Roth procc_~ses have advantage;,

I use an applied bead when ['m adding a bead (0 arched or curved

stock. An applied bead is also the way to go if a drawt:r front rather than a face frame needs a bead. Any other time, I can work more

efficiently by milling an integral bead. There are no nail holes to fill,

wh ich i~ important when working with stain-grade materials, and it's

easier to flu.~h the face frame and the interior of the cabinet.

I profile the stock on the flat with a horizontal router setup and

118 FINE H OMFHU!LDING

Dry biscuits help layout I cut the faclt-frame

rails and stiles to length, then start the

layout with the outside stiles. I use dry biscuits to align them with the inside edge of the ear­case (photo right), then

use a scrap piece to mark the bead miter

BY BRENT BENNER

:r-_-.!~~.I ... Iv.r ........ tile bOI!

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READER SEI'fVICE NO. 94

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Auto Feed Screw Driving Systems

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YorK"5 double tl fl ix design· with rwo handrails and no ctnter po~t - milkes for a more elegant. comforuble lild pf1ilctical spiral stair. Prefabricated and almost ful ly assembled to save time and txpenst at the jobs;!!. a York stair gives you the lookal a custom sUir at an affordablt pr jCt.

York stairs are available in a variety of h;lHtwood~. fiV!: different diameters. and heights of up to I" feet. Visit oor website. or u ll tOf a brochure. to see me beauty mat a hand-crafted wooden sta ir can bring to your home projtct.

York Spiral Stair· 720 Main Sueel • Vassalboro. ME 04989 i . 800-996-5558

DECEMBER 2008/JAt'UARY 2009 119

mastercarpenter _________ .. ________ CO N TIN U E 0

feathcrboards; it ~ems to pruJuce more consistent results than a vcr­

tical seTlip. For m oY cabinet face frames, I use a Y+-in.-dia. Jesudu

cdge-bc:ading bit (www.jt:s.1da.com ) with the g uide bearing removed.

After cuning the rails and stil~~

[0 length. I biscuit (d ry, no glue: yet) the pieces to the cabinet boxes and

work the mitered cuts in place. I sta rt with the two outside stiles, mark ing uoJ cutting the mite r locations with a scrap and rnarkin)i: knife or tine pencil (photo bottom kft, p. 118). Then I mark, cut, and place the imcri<Jr rails (and stiles, if any). Once I' ~'c gotten everything to

fit, I remove the pie~ and pocket­screw the frame together. Then I

biscuit, glue. and clamp the face fram e [0 the cabinet.

Brent Benner ;s a cabinetmaker in

Roxbury, Conn. Photos by Charles

Bickford, except whE.'fe noted ,

FineHomebuilding.com LOOK for the Magazine Extras section on our home page to see a yideo of Brerlt Benner using these techniquu in his shop.

DOUBLE-STICK TAPE

Use an auxiliary table to judge the cuts I cut a piece of V4-in. MDF as an overlay on the miter-saw table, notched to wrap tightly around the fence 50 that there's no sidtt-to-side play. (1) I

set the saw's depth of cut to just below the surface and make one 90· and two opposing 45- cuts. They serve as cut indicators; I can match the pen­

cil line on the stock with the kerf and see exactly where the blade will go. (2) When making two mitered cuts on the same piece, I rotate the stock

and keep the saw in the same position so that the angle stays, consistent.

Cut multiples for accurate alignment (1)lf two opposing pieces (the outer stiles, for example) share the same rail, I cut the miters at the same time for consistent results. (2) I use

double-stick tape to bind the two stiles together, then stand the pair on edge against the fence and miter the beads. (3) Afterward, I pare down the waste to the shadowline with a sharp chisel.

I can't remember where I firrt found this type of double-stick tape, but

u. o "" u ~

120 FI N F H OMEB UILD IN C;

life after double stick has certainly been a lot easier. I buy a Yl-in.-wide Scotch-brand product (www.3m.com)calledDoubleSidedTape. lt·s

very thin, like one-sided Scotch tape, but it has great adhesion and is easy to peel off after I'm finished. It costs about $5 a roll at most stationery stores.

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RUoDER SERVICf. NO. ,.

DECEMBER 20<l B.!j Ai'.'"UA RY 21)1)9 121

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Outw~ttr. p. 115

2 A""",y .. [nc .. p. I/J

'I Il.ackyard Amorica, i n<: .• p. 17

IUn. Rail RCI>toouctlMS. p. 36

n I!lmboo& katun Work., p.ln

12 Ik.r C",~k Lumber. p. 106

122 Bob', &..;.c Sy."'m, p. Ii')

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161 Il"'kly Rho<k. Armon

Concre'e, p. lJ

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C.kuiatod loou.trin, p. J2

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1 (' ... rli,lc W~k: Plank Floor., p. II

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19 (.'harmnotr" p. 114

41 Chorn", s.p..: .. l.""Int., p. 11 ..

152 <.::Ind" A,rh".,..., p. 10/

73 CI~,k·. Fo,k Timber, p. 99

90 ('-"Ppa W....,dwork.ng-, p. 100

81 Cor.ANmt, p.ll

82 ('.."..A.Yen,. p. Jl

80 Cox·A-Yent, p. tJ6

83 (:""-A-Vem. p.1I9

85 ('..".ho .. ,1 ('_<>rporauoo. p. Jl

157 I).Unique T.:.~ .. p. H

600 n..Wal., p. 19

140 Tho IJry .. hox, p. III

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300 F.:u.I",me Jobdock, p. J8

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S4 Fkx_Abil~y ('..ona:pIs. p. 100

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159 P""tnr" !ndu .. roco, p. 98

63 Gary}\.at.v'QnSi",

PruJuct<oru, p. III

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132 (;rxeConmuc,~~" p. Ii

139 Ha]"l>( P<>ll& Ik.m, p. 2J

23 ""'na. Net. p. I H

37 Mu." North Amo;.i'a, !nc., p. 119

123 Mylen St.ir .. p. 121

11 ~at;oo;tl Whcc1-0·V~1Of ('.<)., p. 91

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36 l\"ewF.ne'gyW",k .. p.llJ

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113 NewW",ld Tt.k. p. 122

62 I lear"" H.rdw<JOd •. lnc .• p. III 100 Occidental u:.thct. p. 91

45 HemwO<Xl p,,,,, Fl. ..... , p. 91 161 OnX Mfg .. p.1I2

168 Hod,-A_H".., V.cUllln

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35 Hiotunr I)""r., p. 124 42 Panel Lift, p. 99

147 I lomc "'.e Sprinkle. Coolition, p. 9J 69 P,.h.!c, p.9$

141 Incinnlct, p. /12

13"1 InSof'm, u..c. p. 17

149 Ire Clip, p. }] I

4 11>< Iron Shop, p. 40

25 lohnoon Hanlw~"', p.17

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]2 KCJst""" RCI:ilmni w~ns, p.1J

86 Kidde Safery, p.35

105 Kinzel Wood Producu. p. 114

55 Krclt Toni C.,mf>il"Y, p. 106

15 Kuffel Creek Prco>. p. 121

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11ankm~ker. p.l21

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171 I'roctor Product>. p. ~

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Z. (Ii E.ao.t Qi West Tradinlt. p. 17

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5 Re,AA;'" Reglster>. p. 91

127 ReplOgle FloorinJl:. p. 124

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120 Shutler Deplll, p. 121

170 Srn~rIVcOl. p. }()9

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151 Subila, p.l1

72 Sta,rw~yt, Inc., p. 9

150 Stql W .. rnlik.or, p. flO

21 S40~ptO<'&Wif.,p.124

14 Superi'" Cloy ('~.,.por.tlOlI .. p. 107

6!5 Swan Sc~u,c Product .. p. Ill)

33 llNor,h Corporation, p. 17

115 Tamlyn, p. loti

109 T,/.(C.fi>lm. p. %

52 Timberl:ult. p.]/1

1 Tirnt..rwclfTooIs, p. 113

64 1(')"01 ... TrL>Ck<, p.l-)

111 Trim·Te~ IJrywall Pr",h""., p. JI

169 Trim·Te,. Dryw~lIl'rodlKl', p. 121

44 Troj.n Manufacturing:, p. 100

154 "lh .. I<><K.lr><".., p.1l1

13 Tulik .. " p. 2J

6 U.S. St.ir. p.113

129 Vand. H<r R:.kigh. p, %

66 Ward Clapboord Mill. p. 99

10 W~rmboard RI><l~m Sui>f100r, p. 1/

119 WarmlyY,,,,,,, p.-f]

14 W'''poo<::I E.k\-Jlor ('.ompany, p. 121

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49 Lumber Liquidooor .. p. Il6 ~r{"f- Corutl\'aUon T«h .• p. }oo 61 Wide Pint Flooring, p. Ilf

II M.L Condon, p. 1 U

153 MTI Wh"Ip'K,n, p. lJ7

16 Maine: Barn Comf>ilny, p. OJ

137 ,Majne Door Company. p. 11

71 M~rv;n Window. I<. Doors, p.l9

IIoG "w; US.", ('""'P" p. 14

145 "lu USA 0Jrp., p. ~

Marx Woodworking, p. 113

130 M~zc Nail., p. ]8-19

McGtt Lumber, p. ll-f

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l' .\10 .... uh Rad",,,,, C"'1e .. , p. 9ii

121 Ri.crbcnd T""bcr Fr~m;nll. p. 17 135 Wilh~m. It Hu.""y, p. 86

34 Robin"", R";'kn'i.llk.i~n, p. 112 116 Windy )(jdgc Corporati"n, p. 1()(J

106 Wood hle-., p. 124

41 Soh., p. I(}f)

165 Sa,h<o Sealant$, p. 16

91 Scherr', Cabinet.nd 1.>"'''', p. J6

101 Schlu,Cf. p.17

51 Schtotdcr l..oj; Home Supply.

),IC., p. III

155 ",",«nEu, p. /1/

160 Screw Prodl>CU. lnc .. p. 9

164 Sc~I .. ntd),r«l. p. 123

39 StI«IMiliwork, p.]ll

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131 York Sri,.1 Stair. p. /19

136 Zthndr, Ame,ica, p. 10$

134 7..![lWan, I...:., p.17

DF.CF.MIU;R 21101II!ANUARY 2009 125

greatmoments IN BUILDING HISTORY

J ust after Christmas a couple of years ago, I moved into a condo ... in a 1 lO-year-old factory that

used to make:k'"lap product.\, J had been looking forward to tht' next holiday season ever since. Unlike mo:;t urthe uther miOU5-

cule places I've been able to afford to live in, this condo has huge posts and beams, beat-up maple floors, brick walls, large arch-wp win­dows, and lO-ft.-tali ceilings. What's that? Ten-ft.-tall <.:eilin):~ would accommodate a pretty tall tree? You :ne correct, sir.

One night, I headed out with my girlfriend to pick out a Christmas [n:e. In an admit­tedly nontraditional and sellout fashion, we decided to skip the cU[-your-uwn farms and grab a nee from the garden depanment at the local Home I:k:pot. After my girlfriend endured a few snide comments about how the trees were much octter organized at

The Home Depot that I u~ to work for ([hm's a whole different Story), w~ got down to th~ task at hand. I hate to be anticlimactic, but the task at hand really only tuok about two minute_'!. We saw a nice 81;1-footer that looked reasonably straight and that had a nice peak for my light-up star, so we said, "Good enough."

After tns.~ing the tree into the b;lck of my pickup truck and pausing to reflect on the be.lmy of not needing any plastic twine to fasten it to the roof, we were on the way home. Back at the condo complex, I snaked my way through the stairwell, hallways, and doors and through my from door as my cat ran for her life and hid under the he.:1 in ter­ror. I marched right ov~r to the tree stand (which, of course, [ had deem~d too flimsy and had already mounted toa large picccof MDP with thl:' hdp of an inorJinate amount of drywall screws) and aimed the business end of the tree toward the circular opening in the dinky metal ~tand.

the Tree

The trunk didn't fit. My mind raced frantically for a way to make thi~ work. Jam the tT('(' trunk harder? No dice. Remove the too-small ring? No, that wasn '[ going [0 work either.

Wait a minute, I thought. Tree trunks are wilier :11 the base, so I'll JUSt cut a little off the trunk with my Bosch cordless circutu SaW.

I thought it was a great idea, but because it was wdl paSt dinnertime, I'm surt" my neighhors wouldn't have agrced. Nt"verthe1ess, J mmlllged to gCt in a tew quick cuts while encouraging my girlfriend [0 cough as loudly as she could 10 try (Q

cover the noise. Unfortunately, I had to gi,'c up with the:: job incomplete. The trunk still didn't fit,

and I needed a new solurion. "I'll handle this," I said as my girlfriend

rolled her eyes. (Disclaimer: Anyone who considers V~ In.

hetwt"en miters too brge of a gapor sleeps with their hand tool~ under their pillow might

want to stop reading before this next l);ln.) I headed to my dining-room huu:h in search of the appropriate tool. (Doesn'teverybOOy keep

tools in their dining-room hutch?) I passed up most of the power tools for obvious noi~ reasons, but the freshly sharpened bench plane ~emed perfcct, oot to mention qUIet. I grabbed it, set the iron to a healthy depth,

and struck out for the tree trunk. So there I was, sitting on top of the bound

tree, shaving deep cuts off the sides of the trunk, and mn>t likely causing every woodworker I know to sufier sudden and inexplicable chest pains.

A couple of minutes later, [ stood back to admire my work. A sticky bench plane III one hand, the soles of my shoes covered in ~Ip-ladcn pine ~hayings, and the tree

I I in its nand. And you know what~ I • ,,,uldu', help hut notice ThaI the pine shavings

madc my living room smell really nice, -fcutin Fmk, GiaJ·tonbury. Conn.

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