Fine Homebuilding Magazine

America’s trusted resource for residential building, remodeling, and home improvement. Convenient digital delivery includes unique bonus features and enhancements: linkable and searchable content, techniques videos, slide shows, tutorials, new products, digital tools, and more.

Out of Print • BUILDING BEYOND THE MAGAZINE’S PAGES

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

Contributors • THE VOICES OF EXPERIENCE

Letters • READER FEEDBACK

Tips&Techniques

EASY COPPER CRIMPING

Leveled up plate level

Quiet, compact bandsaw

What to Consider When Choosing Insulation • With the material’s implications for the building envelope, the environment, and installer and homeowner health, R-value is just the beginning

Dressing Up a Doorway • A decorative transom fills in the space between a stock door and the home’s 9-ft. ceiling, saving the cost of a custom door

BUILD THE TRANSOM JAMB

BUILD THE TRANSOM SASH

FIT THE SASH IN THE JAMB

INSTALL THE TRANSOM

Timber-Framed Solar Canopies • This creative approach to a ground-mounted PV array offers added functionality in one energy-producing package

TIMBER FRAME MEETS SOLAR ARRAY

FLUSH With Success • Today’s best toilets do their job well while using half the water of older models

A GUIDE TO TOILET BASICS • Aside from how much water they use, toilets vary in two main ways: how they are constructed and how they flush. The following guide represents the most popular elements and features on the market. Prices and premiums cited are average retail figures for high-quality toilet models.

CLEAN BOWLS AND BOTTOMS • Experts agree that a larger area of standing water will keep more waste off the sides of the bowl. Manufacturers are adding other improvements designed to clean those sides when they do get marked. As for cleaning the user’s bottom, bidet seats are one of the hottest toilet trends of all.

MaP testing basics

TOP TOILET TRENDS • Beyond the standard two-piece designs are a host of beautiful new looks and user-friendly features. High-tech “smart toilets” use built-in technology to do fancy things like play music and adjust seat temperature. While not every new feature and style is worth its price premium, experts agree that the following trends are here to stay.

BEST-VALUE OPTIONS • Many plumbers carry a basic single-flush, two-piece, gravity-fed model in their trucks for replacing poorly performing toilets with a workhorse model that will make customers happy. The Gerber Viper and the Toto Drake are the two models carried on the most calls—shown here in their 1.28-gpf configuration with the elongated seat and ADA height that most customers prefer.

Compact Cordless Routers • These seven popular models all have great power, but balance and bit visibility make a winning tool

ROUTER TIPS AND TRICKS

Strong Foundations Rely on The Right Footings • Understand the options, design requirements, and common pitfalls to spec the best footings for your project

Footing prerequisites

HOUSE BY DESIGN • ARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

SPEC • NEW AND NOTABLE PRODUCTS

Ask the EXPERTS • YOUR QUESTIONS // PRO ANSWERS

Benefits of simple building forms • PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD

KeepCraftAlive • CELEBRATING PASSION FOR BUILDING