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Issue 201

On the Cover

Finishing Secrets for Furniture-Grade Trim

Whether you’re staining a door, built-in cabinetry, or the millwork in between, follow these steps for a flawless finish.

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Features

  • Illustration of radiant heat coils under floor
    Warm Floors on a Tight Budget

    Using factory-assembled pieces and swapping a boiler for a water heater can lower the cost of radiant-floor heating systems.

  • Rebuilding a Brick Chimney
    Rebuilding a Brick Chimney

    Temporary repairs are the common solution to a failing chimney, but often a better choice is tearing down and rebuilding.

  • Opening up a Small Kitchen

    When you can't add on or bump out, open the kitchen to adjacent spaces and keep the layout simple.

  • Prepping for Spray Foam

    Getting ready for a foam-insulation crew means doing a lot more than you’d think.

  • Air Hoses: The Lifeline of Your Pneumatic Tools

    The right one should fit your tools, your budget, your work, and even the weather outside.

  • Same Space, Better Kitchen

    Smart design and clever techniques drive this remodel.

Article

  • Exploiting the Elements of Passive Design

    This home uses five systems to reduce its environmental impact, lower its operating cost, and improve its connection to the land.

  • trimming-the-roofline
    Trimming the Roofline

    Clean lines and durable details depend on careful framing and a systematic installation sequence.

  • Build a Proper First-Aid Kit

    When home-building accidents happen, off-the-shelf kits just don’t cut it. Here’s what you really need.

  • A new Rocky Mountain high

    Boulder County launches Build-Smart, a new residential building-code program

  • Inspired Inlays

    Whether sophisticated or whimsical, simple or elaborate, the inlay process begins in the mind of the artist

  • Cracking up

    I hadn’t painted the bedroom in … well, I don’t even remember. I hoped it had been more recently than 21 years ago, when I moved in and my dad…

  • Jigs for Jambs (and Other Door-Hanging Devices)

    Measuring and cutting jigs make for fast, accurate, sturdy door-hanging.

  • Small-Scale Drywall Texturing

    For quick texture touch-ups, grab a plastic bottle, some joint compound, and an air gun.

  • Outlets in brick walls

    Q: I live in an old house and want to install outlets in the baseboards of a second-floor bedroom that has no power. I already ran a 20-amp home run…

  • Maple flooring over a radiant-floor heating system?

    Q: I am planning to install 3/4-in. quartersawn maple flooring over a radiant-floor heating system. I ran 2x4 sleepers on the flat every 18 in. over the 3/4-in. plywood subfloor…

  • Modifying a Drawer for a Keyboard

    Learn how to transform a lap drawer into a functional keyboard tray with a few simple modifications.

  • Straightening a Warped Cabinet Door

    Any threaded rod from your local hardware store will do the trick.

  • Garage-Header Installation Made Easy

    Leverage your truck's rack for support so you can handle heavy beams with ease.

  • There's a Better Way: Cutting Rigid Insulation

    Teamed up with a straightedge, a sharpened putty knife cuts through foam like butter

  • Engineered lumber goes outdoors

    Available in headers, beams, and posts, iLevel makes Wolmanized PSLs that resist rot and insects

  • Vapor-smart insulation

    CertainTeed's DryRight insulation features R-values ranging from R-13 to R-19 and keeps wall cavities dry and mold-free

  • High-pressure framing nailer excels, but at a cost

    Max's Powerlite HS90 is smaller and lighter than the competition without sacrificing power, so what's the catch?

  • Smooth cutter

    The new Bosch jigsaw blade makes a cleaner cut than other stamped-metal blades

More? View Past Issues

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 333 - August/September 2025
    • A Practical Perfect Wall
    • Landscape Lighting Essentials
    • Repairing a Modern Window Sash
  • Issue 332 - July 2025
    • Custom Built-ins With Job-Site Tools
    • Fight House Fires Through Design
    • Making the Move to Multifamily
  • Issue 331 - June 2025
    • A More Resilient Roof
    • Tool Test: You Need a Drywall Sander
    • Ducted vs. Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work

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