Most wear on your home will come from external elements. Wind, rain, snow, ice and uv rays from sunlight will all cause your home to break down over time. Unfortunately there is little you can do to stop its final demise but choosing the right products during construction will help extend the life of your home.
In about 1950 new building materials standards improved the quality of available lumber. Timber mills began to test, grade and size dimensional lumber …
Brad and Finish Nail Guns
Carpentry, Tool Guides
Smaller then their Framing Nailer counterparts Brad and Finish nail guns are used mostly by Finish Carpenters to install Moldings, Cabinets, Interior Doors and Build Decks.
The size and amount of fasteners that you need to use will dictate whether you choose electric or pneumatic guns. Air Nailer are great when you know you need to use either a larger nail or a lot of nails in a short period …
Pneumatic Framing Nail Guns
Framing, Tool Guides
Nail guns now come in as many varieties as manual hammers. In this HowTo we will cover how to select and use a framing nail gun.
There are 3 basic factors in your choice of a nail gun.
1) Will you use Full Round Head Nails or Clipped Head Nails
Round Head Nails have a higher holding capacity then clipped head nails. For this …
Water Service Line
Plumbing
The main line that brings water into your home is called your service line.
For most new homes this will be a 1 inch line made of ABS or similar flexible plastic pipe that resists cracking and is considered safe for drinking water. Older homes may have various types of metal lines: Galvanized Steel, Brass, Copper and sometimes lead.
Important if you find that the line that feeds your home …
Sump Pumps
Foundations, Plumbing
Adding a new Sump Pump to your home is not an easy job.
Cutting through the floor is the most dificult part but you will also need to drill a hole in the side of your foundation or Rim joist to run the exit pipe through.
You will need to rent a gasoline powered concrete saw or hire a contractor to cut the floor. For this reason this is not a job for the home owner but if you feel …
How To – Installing Bathroom Vanity Tile – Side Splash
Bathrooms, Decorating, Tile
When you install a sink or vanity against your wall there is a possibility of water damage and also damage from using cleaning products. To help reduce wear and drywall problems you can install a back / side splash material made of tile, stone, or even matching countertop material.
In this how-to we will install some matching tile along the left side wall.
First measure the area that needs to be filled.
Our project will take 5 tiles but since …
How To – Electrical Outlet & Switch Boxes
Electrical & Lighting
Boxes come in two basic types Metal and Plastic.
For general residential construction the choice is left up to the contractor and if the box is not exposed then it will most often be a plastic box. Exposed boxes like the ones found in unfinished basements and outside the home are made of metal this is to reduce the risk of breaking the box and then having exposed wires.
Installing …
Home Wiring Intro
Electrical & Lighting
Electricity can be dangerous.
You should always turn the circuit off at the breaker box or remove any fuse to a circuit you are working on.
One easy way to find the circuit is to plug-in a radio in to the branch you want to work on then turn off breakers at the main box until the noise stops. Once the circuit is cold you want to tape that circuit breaker in the off position and hang a sign over it …
Introduction to House Framing
Framing
Framing refers to the process of building the structure of the house. Once the foundation is established carpenters begin to build the frame of the house with nominal sized 2x lumber and plywood material.
The methods used for building the frame of the house vary by region, the materials being used and builders experience. All builders will have a different way of getting the work done but the inspection process will make sure that general standards are adhered …
Post and Pier foundations in Flood Prone Areas
Foundations
Post and Pier foundations are most often associated with beach or river front settings. Their main use in those areas is to provide a footing that will support the home over loose soil or sand and also to raise the home above the flood zone level.
Other uses of Pier and post foundations would be to allow for quick building of a home in a rural area where the costs of concrete would be prohibitive or its transport impossible. Another …
Concrete Foundations – Footings
Concrete, Foundations
Concrete is the fastest and easiest way to form a buildings foundation. Aluminum or wood forms are used to define the shape and placement of the wall and then concrete is poured into the form and allowed to cure.
Foundations have 3 basic parts: the footing, the wall and the Slab or floor.
Footing specifications must be designed by an engineer or qualified architect. Although special considerations for your project may be necessary most of the time the specifications will be …
Concrete Foundation Footings
Concrete, Foundations
Concrete foundations used in home and commercial construction come in many different configurations and are made up of many different parts. The four basic types of foundations used in residential construction include: Slab, Kneewall, full basements and post and pier. Each of these require some type of footing. The main reason for a foundation is to support the structure and to provide a level starting point for building. The main function of the footing is to provide a stable base …