WHY YOU SHOULD INSULATE WITH SPRAY FOAM

Build a stone
sitting wall
Must-have
electrical tools
Arts & Crafts
built-in bench
We test router
combo kits

PROJECT GALLERY

Readers'
best kitchens
and baths
JULY 2009 NO.204
www. finenomeb ulld ing .com

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 FEATURES
28 An Elegant Border for Your Deck
Herringbone corners and hidden fasteners require slight

22
QUICK C LAMP 32
framing moditications, but the f6suitS look spectaculilr
BY J OHN MICHAEL DAVIS

Spray Foam: " 'hat Do You

Really Know?
To get the full benefit of this superinsulation, you must
understand the difference between open- and dosed-cell
foams, how they perform, and how they're installed
BY ROB YAGID
UP FRONT
38 An Electrical Tool Kit
6 On the Web A professional electrician shares the tools and materials he
relies on for the most common wiring tasks
8 Contributors BY BRIAN WAL O

10 Letters COVER STORY

16 How It Works 40 Leak-Free Skylights

Vapor drive
A peel-and-stick membrane under the flash ing guar<.lntees that
the skylight won't leak-ever
18 Tips & Techniques BY M IKE GUlli li N
Fishing wire with PEX,
Shop·sawdust control 44 Green Yesterday, Code Today
Thanks to the green-building movement, energy
24 Tools & Materials efficienc.y is becoming a mainstay in the IRe a nd the
Basement insulation panels, IEee. But what docs it mean to you?
Supersize trash bags BY LYNN UNDERWOOD

48 Build a Sturdy Stone Sitting Wall

Kef>p Inf> look of a traditional dry-stack stone wall, but
strengthen the core with mortar and finish with a bluestone cap
BY BRENDAN MOSHe KI

54 Tool Test: 2'1<-hp Houter Combo Kits

Get double duty ...men you combine an interchangeable motor
with both fixed and plunge bases
P,Y KIT '-A M?

59 Arts and Crafts Style Built-in Bench

Templates, routers, and a foolproof finish make this traditional
project approachable and elegant
BY BRENT BENNER

64 Flipping Green
In Seattle, a builder and architect prove that remodeling and
energy efficiency can be a winning combination
BY GEORGE OSTROW

www.finehomebuilding.com
IN THE BACK
68 Project Gallery
Kitchen and bath contest w.nners
72 Questions & Answers
Strong fascia joints, Recycling PVC,
Hiding deck screws

76 What's the Difference?

Deck stain, Circuli:lr sawblades,
Pavers

82 Building Skills
Build 11 temporary brace wall
86 Drawing Board
Getting two-story garages right
90 Master Carpenter
Scu lpting a radiused crown molding
in plaster
98 G reat Moments
The Rescue

AN IPf: DECK W ITH

HIDDEN FASTENERS
ontheweb
WWW.FINEHOMEBUILD I NG.COM

look for t hese and other free mllgnine u ;tras o n

breaktime ~
the FineHomebui tding.com home page.
Advice from our online forum
~
~
How to choose a router combo kit If you haven't visited ~ BIl!1Iktime," OUI onl ine di scus-
o The wKle selection and tight price ra nge of router
o
~ combo kits ma kes buying d<'!.::i~ io ns di fficult (pp. 54-58).
sion grou p, th en you're missin g out o n a fascinating
Oi"ch.m ga o f iooas, advice, and commentary. You'll
In this <ludic slide show, Kit Camp w~lk5 us through the fin d " Br ea kt ime" on our Web si t e. losted oolow are
tests he uses to j"dge a router kit's p erformance. eUILDING SKILLS some re cent highlights

o Visit our new Deck Planning Center Build a brace wall

~
~ Warm weather means outdoor entertainment. IF you Scott Gric.l shows you how Wide-plank flooring advice
10 bu ild b race wall 10
,
o have a de<::k. that's great. If tIOt viSI t our new Deck Plan-
ning Center for inspiration, videos, and conversation
it

support a structure tem-

CREATED BY CRAWOAO: I am considering a
wide white.pine floor. Carlisle and Timber-
with others who <Ire building and enjoying their decks pora rily while f raming an knee appear to b. beautiful floon, if a bit
openin g for a new door Or pricey. I have iii sample from another manufac-
o The wrong way to spray foam w ind ow. Scott also Includes turer. The pine appears to be quality material,
w
Q Wh ile on a job site. green builder M ichael Chafldler adv ice on how to loca l e but there's no relief cuts on the back side. hi
> observed "the wrong way to spray foam." In this video, e~,sting fra m ing <l nd how this typical of this material? Does Carli51e or
he'll offer his commenTary on the flawed technique and to orient t he b race wall 10( TImberknee make relief cuts?
offer suggestiorJs for how to do it right. effective support. Posted by MikeFltz: After doing research fo r
my own floor, 1 conclude d that whi te Canisle's
flooring was nice, it wasn't worth the cost.
BUILD LIKE A PRO : MASONRY TECHNIQUES Even though I didn't buy a " premium" product,
Details help a new stone wall to stand out I'm happy with my choice, a nd I had little waste
In two featured videos, m;!son Brendan Mostecki e:<plains how ~ torch and due to unusable boards. It was al~ half the
water add sizzle to capstones, arJd how a j<Jdicious lImOltfll of mortar and price of the Carlisle.
just the right stones can emulate a crisp dry-stack corner. He also shows Posted by Piffin: If t we re face-nailing , the
chiseling techniques using a variety of mason!)' hammaffi and a way to lack of relief cuts wouldn't bother me, but if
absorb th e hammer's b low with a bMe of sand. I w ere gluing and blind.nailing the tongues ,
I would want the re lie f cuts. Either way, of
course, the flooring should be well-seasoned
PrgjectGalle(1' and a cclimated be fo re you install it.
Posted by andybuildz: In my hou59, I d id one
room with Carlisle and the rest with Timber-
Our readers' best work
knee. Two years later, I' ve had no problems
We asked you to share your p roj ects wi th
with either product or with my installations.
us, and you hil"e. Thimk you! Keep posting
your photos in o ur navo Proj ect Gallery. Ifs
the best way for you to oonnect with oth-
Wrinkle-free EPDM roofing
ers in our Oflline com m unity inlerested in
CREATED BY RNSYKES : We're using EPDM to
buildi ng and deSign. 'MIa knows")- O ne of
remedy penistent leaks on our roof, Putting
youl projects migt1t even be feat ured in the
the sheets down Is easy, but we're unsure
m ag azine lse-e pp. 68-7 1 fOI e" ampl .. s o f
about how to deal with seams. Suggestions?
standout projec ts we fo und whi le browsing
Posted by alwaysoverbudget: I' m not a
t he gallery). Cl ick on the Gal lery tab on our
roofer, but I'll share a se cret I learned from
home page to post yOlJl projecK
watching one. You need three guys to roll the
ALSO ON F1NEHOMEBUILDING.COM rubber over the sheathing: one guy on each
• Green building, news, and editors' blogs • Tool reviews . Q&As • Tips & end, and one the middle. The middle guy is
Techniques . Videos . Slide shows · Free eletter sign-up · 14-DAY FREE MEM- always about 3 in. to 4 in. ahead of th e guys on
the ends.
BERSHIP TRIAL, which indudes access to more than 1450 Fine Homebuilding
Posted by Marson: This link t o an instl1.lction
articles to print and download · And more .
book might help; www.watertlghttech.coml
products/roofingiinstallationimanual/i ndeJl..shtm.

, FI NE H OMEBUI L DING
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contributors
THE VOICES OF EXPERIENCE
Fine Homebuilding
Editor 8.ian PO<1lo1i lo
Code guru LYNN UNDERWOOD (MGreen Yesterday, eX"'Cl.Jli'ffl An Dir&ctor Ro~ n Goodfellow
Code Today," pp. 44-47) has wor1c:ed in the building- Special-In"e, Editor Cl1 arle~ Miller
safety profession and building-code-development field
Senior Editors Cl1 aoo, 8 ickford
for 26 years. Lynn sits on two code.development com· Debra Silbot,
mittHs and has written five books on construction- and Associate Editors '""5 Ermide.
inspection-related issues. His knowlooge of building .Justin Fink
codes has led him across this country and around the Rob Y~id

world. lynn recently worked in Kabul, Afghanistan, to Soniof Copy!

Production Editors eN-i. HO(!Id<
inspect restoration projects perionned by the United
Julie Risini!
States Agency for International Development.
Deputy Art Directors Dan Thornton
Rod ... y Dia.
For more than 30 years,
Assistant An Dorecte' Kryna S. Doerfl e r
• JOHN MICHAEL DAVIS
Admini5lfMi.~ Anilt~1'It M~ur""n Fr;edona~
has worked as a carpenter.
For the most recent 15 Managing Editor, Web Jean·P .... 1Vel 'ott;

of thos9 yea", Mike has Associate Editors, Web JOOn Ron

Robyn Doyon-Aitken
woriled in New Orlellons,
a city whose climate !las Editor at llllg<l KllVin In!tM

taught him valuable lessons Contribullfl9 Edilt.lrs Scott Gib,on

Rid Arno ld
about how to build strong Mike Guertin
decks (pp. 28·31) that sur-
vive in conditions tough on wood. Mike says that he is Homeb uilding Ik>oh
still spending a great dea l of time working on rebuild-
Senior Editor Pete r Cha pman
ing New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. EX8CUti"" Editor HelM Al bert
A<sistanl Editor Courtney Jordan
Seattle architect GEORGE OSTROW ("Flipping
Green," pp. 64-67) specializes in environmentally Fine Homebuildjng (lSSN, lQ%.36OX) is pobI,.t;"d
bimontt1ly, with i IpeciI17!" is.ue in the spring ~nd
responsible design. His firm, Velocipede architects inc.
a s.pe<:ial 81h inue in thelall. by The T~unton Prf>Ss.
(www.velocipede.net). designs single-family, multifamily, Inc. Nev.town. CT 06470-5506. T... lephone (203)
office, and grocery-store projects. George commutes 426-8171. Periodicals postage paid ilt Newtown.
CT 06470 and at ~dditjonal m~ilong ofl'oces. GST
daily by bicycle and has accepted the 2030 Challenge paid reg,mation .12:1210981
(www.architecture2030.org),
Subscription RIOt.." U.s. and pOloS<luions ""r!
Can~da, $37.95 fOf one year, $65.95 for two
Associate editor ROB YAGID (~Spray Foam: What years. $93.95 for three rel~ ouuTde the U S and
Do You Really Knowr pp. 32·37) lives in Black Rock, possession~ and Canada, $45.95 fo' one year.
S81.<f5lor two ye~rs. $117.95 for Ihree .,.,a.,. (in
• write an article Conn., where he's slowly but surely remodeling his US doll.". ~il'.). $;ngl. copy. S7 ""'. Single
Fine Homebuildjng 100-year-old home. When he's not traveling the country cop;", out~ me u.s. and po!S""~io"", SS.""'.
welcomes anicles from researching and photographing articles for FHB, Rob Postmast er: Send addl"!.! ch.anges to
OOJI reader~. We'll can be found hiking, cycling, or wading in his favorite Fine Homebuilding. The Taunlon Pres,. I"",.,
Bo~ 5506, Newtown.
63 Soum Main 5111141. P.O.
ac\m<)wle<lge all pro· trout stream.
c:T 06470·5506.
posals and return any we
Ca nada PMt: Rerurn und e liverable Canadian
ca n't USE!, and we'll pay BRIAN CAMPBELL graduated from Colorado State
add,asse. to Fine Homebuild'ng, clo W",ldwide
fo r any ar1ic\es we pub. University with a degre e in forest ecology; he has be- Mailers. Inc, 2835 Kew Dri~e, Windsor. ON N8T
lish. For details, chec~ come more attuned to one specific aspect of the forest 387, or emoil to mnfaOtaunlon.com
our Web site at W'NW life cycle as a self-employed finish carpenter. Brian and Printed in the USA
.finehomebuilding.com. his wife, Lynn, live with their two teenage daughters
in Minnesota City, Minn. When Brian's not working on
someone else's house, as in this issue's "Master Carpen-
ter" (p. 90), he is restoring his own 19th-centu ry home.

8 F INE HOMEBUILDING
 EVER WONDER WHY
Mold Resistant Framing &
FRYING PANS ARE MADE OF Insulation System for Concrete
ALUMINUM, NOT CONCRETE?
InSoFast" Now Qualifies for
30% Energv Tax Credit

ALUMINUM IS HUNDREDS OF TIMES

MORE CONDUCTIVE THAN CONCRETE .
Warm~rd radi~m .ubfilX>l' hu a mi<:k al ummum &urf....:~.
Thr alurninUiu a llow. for fa.ror .. dian! ,",'lth • low rl\(,n nal ma ••
and. m\>Ch f,<= r<:<pon5C rim~ flun • ,oncrt:t<-slab system .

•
warmboard'
II AOI" NT s uOFlOOR
warmboard .com I 87 7- 338-5493

READ£II SE RVICE NO. 94

www. fi n ~ h nm. b .. ilrli nj:t.co m JUN FJ)ULY 200Q ,

letters
READER FEEDBA C K Fine Homebuilding
I':blt<he, Tim S<:h,,,,,...
Market.ng M.",,9'" l iza Coo ••
Admln"tra~ ... An i,ron' Ch,j$tl~ . G I . ~ non

f- Why would I quit the best job I ever had ..:..o,.erti~n9 S.kll Di •...:t<y )oM Oyc km .~
203· lQo(·351 )
I j<lycl::~IIUnt"".com
t') in the middle of the worst recession since o.rectorof
---' Adveni •• ng ~rl:.et"'g Krnt.n lIc..,.
f-
oa.. the 1930s? 2OO·JO(..3757
k lac~""~m

I nave been an editor at Rne Homebuilding for almost half my life. It was 23 years s.......... "'attona.
If' At""""1 M"nago'. Ent w.ndy a.~\ ..
ago that I walk~d off a job site In Maine and into these offices. At that point, I 200·304·3551
W .. b,o d ..,....~ ntc n .cO<n
I had never used a computer, but I did know how to mortise 11 hinge with a chisel, Na~onll Accoum Manage<'
f- layout a r"her, and cut stair stringers, thanks to this flodgling magazine.
East Htl F<>nt
203·304·3422
Z A few years later, my boss departed abruptly {a casualty of the last big reces" jfontOt .""tc n.~ om

West C~oI r.""9¥

sion), my colleaguelil took a giant step backward, and I found mysetf alone at the 201.304·3889
cper .... g~nton.com
top of the masthead. For SOme people. the editorship of 11 nationa l magazine, M,~ Koovin Oru
even one as small .lS Fine Hom"builC/ing, is cause for arrogance. For me, it has ever 708-316' ''50
k~nlO<>.com
been cause for trepidation. To be in charge of the ND..!!. McC >'I1od>
203·304·~
magazine that had been my salvation as iI Cilrpenter "m«~ 110< hItt'l¥lt ""..;om

was a frightful responsibility. Others might have Accoun1 M2<'11111"'. So.Jth Cfv .. O""" .m
201.304-3S79
thought to put their mark on the thing. But I figured cdunh""'IIt . ...... ,O<1 com
Adve-rt","!1 Sa l""
I was just ronning the middle leg of the relay, and An••ton,

my only thought was Udo n't drop the baton." 8OO·lO9·8~1

It ,,..::IIOtllUnlon.com
Well, I didn't drop the baton, though I may have
Membe. Audit
stumbled once or twice. Some of you, I know, have B...-HU of Circuli' or
S."OOICon..........
never forgiven me for publishing that article about Ma.keting o;,KlD< Ik1 h h~nokk, ProC;"
installing vinyl siding, not to mention the open let- Co.wlat"'n M"nl9'" Noo-li. G .. C1I. ProCin:
8"W"K>S.M",,"9"'o I>a. ,d Pond.
ter to President Obama. But after ronning the mag- M'"9I n S. ngste r
azine for 17 years, I'm tired. I want to live a slower,
- r -Edltor on th. cover.
I
~evin lraton joined the
Fine Homebuilding editoria '
quieter, and more contemplative life. I want to get
back to writing, which was my first love and what The Taunton Pre!>!;
l"'ptr.<tOn E;,t ......t..... ~" ...
staff in 1986 and became brought me here in the first plilce. Indof>O'r>dent publ~,;,.c. 1'11~
the editor in August 1992.
Founchr .... Plul & J ... Ito.... "
ThaI makes him responsib le So I'm passing the baton to Brian Ponto1ilo, _~m

for 127 o f the besl issue.s SU ........ Ro.....,

and I' m assuming the wonderfully vague title of £Vf'&CfO T... OI"Y IbIw
we've ever published. With
this issue, Kev.n assufrn:'S a "e d itor at large." I pushed for "editor on the loose," SVP:Opmm"", n ........ l ...'O"
new post, editor a! large. SVP Oe.o., .. & Edit,,;,,1 s..u ~f -""
but Brian, already demonstrillting better judgment SVf'. T"""''''''og,- n,HlrtI.,.
than I, wouldn't go for it.
svr & GrDllP ....,,"" ... Paul Sp<lng
SV~ & PubliWr. &o~ Grow LX., ...... UM
I can think of no final gesture as editor of Fine Homebuilding mora appropri- ~'Il': Adw<I~in9 Sa,.. Karl Elhn
SVP & Gf<>IlI> Publ;.),., Jan,,,., ScoIp'",
ilIta tflan to thank aU of you who have made my work he re both possible and v~. Hu","" R• ..,u","", C. oIM .... "'tI
Immensely pleasurable. It h;!ls been an absolute honor to serve as the conduit VPSComrcU ... W~ II.,. ..... lds
VI': FuI~I",,-n\ P.ttIdo wa.-
between the thou~nds of you who generously share what yov know and the \'1', F"",nao Itdhy W<ltlh
VP. 1)"""", l<>,...octMt Jo""n ll .........
hundreds of thousands of yov who value that knowledge. Thank yov, and please
VI': S0r9. eop, SIleo
keep up the good work. It's more important than ever. PIbI,u.- 01 maga;....... boo ... ~ atld 0III.ne
F..... W_"'9 . "'rw~bvodIng
_K EVI N IRETO N ed it or at large
Th, ...<I • • F."" G... <f"n;"g • F."" C""~"'9
_ .' ... n'on.oo",

10 FINE HOMEBtil Uli NG

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G E N ERA T ORS Exactly the kind of task-oriented worker you want on your jObSite.

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1.... ~Ii!MilIUll*..., III _~~,Cordi~oiIttrw:iwl.C2Im~II:lAGI"""'C4.Jw:

READER SERVIC£ NO. 18

IUNE/JULY 200<) 11
letters CONTINUED

One shim is not enough would have been'" watt equ.,b mg ()ll older humes rCdli t he
As a longtime fimsh carpenter, I 3.4 129 8m/hr" or " l w"'ttihr EPA's Lead-Rased Paint Prc-
enjoyed Gary Striegler'.!. anicle t:C.luah 3.4129 Rtu." Rr-novation Edue.. tion Rule
"Plumb Perfect Prchung ( looN- _LARRY ClER h;mdlxxlk available 31 www
(FHB H202 and online at Fine via email .epa.govAead.
HomcbUilchng.com), and often
found m)' ~elf nodding in New rule snags editor Updated tax incentives
agrttment. I especially loved In a recen t a rticle m "Cr06s I w.lnted to providr-:In update:
t~ line. "Be5idc;, ming one Section" ("New rule ~nJ.gs eoo- to Rnb Moody's "Cross Scction"
shim is quickc: r."J don't think tr.,ctor," FHR #200 and onl ine: .\ tllT)', "Tax rdieffor energy-
anyone could seriously defend at FineH om ebuilding,com). efficient home improvcfir-n rs"
int¢ntiorwlly $Ctting jamhs out r believe that you misstated (FHB #202 and online at Fine
of )quare as the highest-quality the re4uirem ems fo r homc- Homehuilding.com).
carpentry, but where do you owner nOlifieation under the He notes that t he remiential
draw the line between produc- federa l Lead · Rased Paint Pre- energy-effieiency tax cn:dit is
tivity and qU'llit}'? I'd l,we to Reno\'ation Education Rule. cappc:d at ssm ~nd r-xp l rr-~ Dr-c.
Your article states that II I ~d- 31, 2()09. According In the Tax
" I don'llhink anyone could haza rd ,"form,Won p:'mphlet
musl f>!: delivcred LO the cl ient
Incentives Assistance Project
(TIAP), homeowners candalm
defend setting jambs out of "at le.,!>! fIOday5 before rcno\':l- a tax credit of 30% for encrgy-
square as the highesl-quality tiom begin." I bd ie\'e that {he r-fficieney improvements to
rule st;tt~ that t he:- p..mphlet existing homes up to SJ5UU (not
carpentry. " must IX' delivered w,t hlll 60 '5(0). And thiscrcdi t is a\'3il-
sec ,m article on this issue.. per- d ays of the sta rt of work by able for improvements mJde
ha ps survey mg tradespeople on the contractor hut can he dcliv~ duough Dcc.3 1,201O(not
their standard:.. My two cents: cred up to the Illolllent prior 2(09). It also should be: noted
I would always usc two shim.., to the Han of work. Also, a th" t efficiency improvc mem s
and who says that thrtt shim special w le for mailing the must mr-e t specific criteria [0
locatllms per jamb side arc suf- pamphlet ~la(~ that the pam- qualify. TIAP d e$C rilx:~ the
ficient ? The longtime standard phlet musl he m:liled k\'en days qualification (rittri" .lIId other
that I ~ubs<:ri~ to is five. prior to the bcgmnlllg of wurk t.1x-iner-mivr- dr-tails ~t www
-NICK TLJRCHYN at the property and that proof .t: ncrgytaxi ncentivr-5.org.
Vashon, Wash. of mailing mUSl he kept by -LESLIE BADG ER
Ihe contractor. Wai~fie l d, Vt
Btu measures energy -LARRY fiOf'KINS
" work safely One IOf the vcr)' few complaints Lawrence, Kan. Why not test
Home building is inherentl~
th;\t I have aOOm Fillt' Hom~­ Delta's planers?
dangerous. From accidents
buildirlg is that periodically, Editor Bnall Pontolt!() I'~lil"s: rYe found some ufyoll r n:cenl
with pow<tr tool! to lolIlls from
you r OIuthun or editors make Your COtr r-ctlon5 :In' well tool n:ncws lacking on two
ladders, sc:"ffolds, Clnd roofs,
mistakes with llniu. The arride received, particularly wheo the points: explanation, of how
builders fisk serious injury and
" J~ Your H eating System an difference Ix:tween "dtleaM 60 tools arr- ~ Ieeted for inciuslOo
even death. We try to promote
Energy Beast:''' (FHB #102 and clap" .. nd Hwithin 60 days" can and the d iOt:renccs between
sa'" work habits through au.
o nline at Fim:H umebuilding mean thedifTerem:r- Ilc.tween seemingly identical machlllCS.
articles. But whill '5 sofe for
.com ) has Just sllch an error. . 1 safe. profitahl e projcct and a Christian Whale n's revIew of
one person under certain
L>ave Yate:'i Stiltt"S, ~ I watt J63,fH2 fine, like the one paid thic kness planeh (FHB H2U2
c;rcum~I<1Inces may not be
equa l ~ 3.4129 8tu.- A wan is by the contractor in the Story. and onlinr- at F'incHomehuilding
safe lor you under different
a un it of powe r. For example. To th<lt end, il is also impor- .com) is a ca~ in poinL Deha
circumstantes. So don; try
I hp equals slightly ItSS tha n tant to notr- Ihat even ha nd- planeu have been rared hig hly
anything you leam about .... nt
(or el~re) unlC1S you're
745.7w. But a Btu is a mea.. ure dcli\crw pamphlets requ ire In previous rr-vir- ws, so why not

of e nergy. For r-xamp1c, the confirm ,llion of receipt and indudr- DdtOl'~ latest model ?
certilln that i1: is sale 101' yoo.
ene rgy content of 1 gaL of th.lt contrac tor ~ arc required to Also, Wh'llen described the
Ple35e be careful
prupane i) about 91,500 Btu. mallltain disclosure records for Sted City planer as a "newl~'
_BR I AN PONTOLILO
Power is the rate of r-nergy three years. I ~uggtSt that any- released model," but solVe for
editor
u)age. So a correct statemcnt nne who makes a hving work- the multiple cutter~, it appears

12 1'[ "'1'; HOMEBU!LDING

 Fine Homebuilding
To (;01'11(1(1 us:
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READER SERVICE NO• • 5
, - - - - - ---:- -.......- ~ -- ~I· - - -
PLEASE ACCEPT OUR DEEPEST APOLOGIES.
After Inventing the alternative-decking category we lead, you'd think we'd have left
well enough alone. We're sorry, we didn't We took on the railing catPgory and turned
conventional wisdom on its head_ Now railing is no longer an afterthought - it's an
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HOW OUTDOOR LIVING SHOULD FIiIiL .

 letters CONTINUED

identical to my older Ridgid planer. If gets caught in this area, water can pool
WE GET IT.
they a re the same machi ne, IS the Steel a nd ross ibly leak into tht: house.
City really worth the premium prict:? -DONALD F. CE RRA
SO WE GOT IT.
Reuer daTity on these two poinrs would Aiken, S.c. You listen tu your rustumers-wr
be a service to you r readers.
-JEFF KEATING Author Mik! Gucnin rcpli~J: I switched listen to you_ When they !lS~edfor
Cambrid ge, Mass. to nai ling step flas hing to the sidewall mote design options. WI' respondea
about 15 years ago. T he p ractice of nail-
by expanding our best selling
AssociauedirorJustin Fink up"~s: I ovcr- ing step flashing only to the roof made
S<:t" tool reviews for Fine Homebuilding. scnse when we framed roofs with green Artisan Series 'lIld Dt-sign~r Series
SO it'~ my jub to l1l:lkc sure that we (010- 2x l 2s and sheathr:J with solid-wood
miling systems_ Wilen your clients
pldely cover each g roup of (oob, or rlanks. Shrinkage would happen, a nd
explain why we limited the fidd. you had to accollnt for downward move- demanded freedom to express their
TheT(~ an: c\lrrently two Delta thick- ment. Shrinkage is not such an issue now style. we gQve you mix and mQrch
ncs:; planer5 on the market. The 22-SW that most homes are framed with dried
balusters. tOp rQil caps and post
was nO{ included In rhe review beC~lUse and enginccrcxllumber and sheathed
it has he..::n disconti nued, wit h a replace- with structurJ l panels. Provided that caps. And our innovative baluster
ment unit due 50mctime this year. The the first truiiS or rafte r is faslened to the
spacer lets you install square,
folb at Delta did not want to include the building, any movement will be inconsc-
TP-~05 in the review because they felt quential. On rcrnof~, r fed confident that round. tumrd or aTchitt'Cturol
it wa~ an entry-levd tool not up to com- the building has reached a steady state. balusters easily and in flO time at
parison with the other tools we tested. If you think about it. t he siding nails
aiL So when they're ready to relax,
As lor the Steel City planer, it does trap the step flashing anyway. If the
seem to be a dose desandant of the siding nails arcn'r penetrating rhe wall you can accommodate that. too.
Ridgid TP1300LS. The higher price tag leg of thc step flashing, then either th(.·
i~ undoubteJly due to the more compli- siding is not adequiuely fastened or tht:
C:ited milling that is requi red to makr: step flashi ng is too small. Step flashi ng
a helical cutterhead with 26 individual needs a 6-in. or 7-in. wall leg to give you
kn ife inserts. Based on OUf testing, worry-free leak protection.
though, the new cuuerhead srill has a It is hard to tell from the photo how
few kinks that need to be worked Ollt. much SP.1CC there is between the shingle
We try tu lr:t readers know the;e thing~ and the step flash ing. I usuall y gn w ith
in the text of the art ide, but failed to do III in., hut as you suggest, a ~-in. to I-in.

M'I in this case. Sorry fOf any confusion. space is fine. And not only is the space
important to prevent debris from col-
The trouble with step flashing lecting, blll it's also important to allow
I read the "Master Carpenter" an.:)U1 shingles to exrand without buckling.
fla~hing troublesome eave-to-wall
inte r~tions (FHR #202 and online ;\t Relocate your bath fan
FineHomebuilding.com), and I take If you need to keep a bathroom fan run-
exception to the way the author nails the ning for an huuT after you've showered,
~tep flashing and the proximity of t he as Mike G uertin suggests in his rece nt
shingle to t he sidewa ll. letter (FHB #201), you don't ha~'c mois-
I was taught that you never nail step ture issues, YOll have a design problem.
flashing to the sidewall because if you I urge my customer~ to buy separate
get any down movement in the roof, the light and exhauSf-fim fixtures so tha t the
flashing will pick up the shingles. I have light can go in the: middle ofth~ room
.'i<:en this happen hundn:cls of timc.'S. and the fan can go above the showt:r·
I n the picture, it appears that the shin- head, where it h::longs. Aft~r all, you
gles arc run tight to the sidewall. Again, wouldn't put the exhaust hexxJ for you r
r was taught that the shingh: 5hould be c()()ktop in th~ middl~ of the kitche n
kr:ptl4 in. to I in. away from the .• ide- ceiling, woul d you?
wall 50 that water ;md any debris can -AR N E WALDSTEI N
flnw fredy along this channel. If debris Housatonic, Mas.s.

wW"'.finehomebui ld i ng.com JUNE/JU1.Y zoO'~

"
howitworks
A hidd.,n
nlghtmar• . If
vnimpCIdrxi in
cartain climates,
water vapor can
travel through
II woll ossembly
• toword the cold
side of II house.
When that vapor
comes in COil-
tact With a cold
surla~e, it call
cond.m$e into
a liquid and
become a tnrl/at
to the health
and durability of
the structure.

W hen considering buildmg mate--

ria[~,you hear a lot aoout their
permcJ.ncc. This issue's article on spray-
ally nonpcrmeable vapor Tet.1.Tder
(poly), the vapor retarder will be Ofl
the wrong side of the assembly for
foam insulation, "Spray Foam: \Vhat part of the year and inhibit the wall's
Do You Really Know?" (pp. 32-37), is no ability to dry.
exception. T{) understand the importance The I RC now breaks the coumry
of permeable and impermeuble pnxlucb; into eight climate zones <lnci recog-
as they rdate to the construction of your nizes three classes of VajXlr retarders
home, you need to understand vapor drive. vapor in the assembly to dry. Fin:ll\y, the that have differ(;'nt levels of pcrmcancc (sec
Here's how it works. temperature of building materials can he ""What's the Difference?" FHB #202 and
kept above the dew point by adding a layer online at FineHomebuilding.com). Gener-
SEASONAL FACTORS PLAY /It. PART of exterior rigid-foam insulation Of by fill- ally, the IRe demands that a dass-I or-II
Water vapor constantly diffuses through ing the cavity with clo~eJ-l-'dl spray fO':lm. vapor retarder be installed on the interior
building materials from the warm, humid Closed-edl foom performs well because it's side of homes in climate zones S and above,
side of a house toward the cold, dry side. semi-impermeable, so vapor is always con- and III m,lrine 4. However, if you're build-
The cause of this movement is heat and t,lined to the warm sideofthc \-\,:111. ing in a humid climate in wne 4, 5, or G,
moisture. So in the summer, whco a lot of and you air-condition your house in the
homes arc air-conditioned, vapor is driven CLIM ATE DICTATES SOLUTIONS ~ummer, you may be concerned about hav-
toward the mterior. [n the winter, vapor Vlllil 2007, the Intcmatioll31 Residential ing a ~'apor retarder in the ~wrong" posi-
drive is toward the exterior. Vapor drive Co:le (IRe) treated the country like a ~ingle tion for part of the year. If this IS the cas<:,
is the least significant ~Hlse of mfll~ture cold climate and offered only one solution JUSt be sure to use a c1as~- II vapor retarder
problems In a house, but It's still really U11- to vapor drive. Tik code required thata on the interior of the wall. You also can
portant. When water vapor pa~x:s through vapor retarder be inst.llled on the interior use cI()<;ed-cdl spray fo.11ll lfl [he cavit), or a
an assembly and comes in contact with a (warm) side of assemblies. However, most layer of exterior rigid foam, with a class-III
surface that has a temperature below the of the country has both heating and Cl.M)ling vapor retarder on the interior.
dew point (the temperature at which water seasons, so sometimes the enid side is the When building in hot, humid climates
vapor condenses), then it becomes a wood- inside of the wall or roof instead of the out- (zones 1 to 3), you ~hollldn't h3VC a vapor
Totting, mnlcl-feeding liquid. side. The old codes created a risk y situation retarder on the interior side of the w<lll.
There are three waY5 to redUCe condensa- that could cause problems In the summer, This allows any w:ltc:r VJ.IX"Jf that makes it.~
tion wilhin an assembly. Hy placing a vapor especially if the local code official insisted way into the: wall, which can be tempered
retarder on the warm side of the- house, the that a vapor retarder meant a polyethylene by closcd-cdl foam or exterior rigid foam,
rate of vapor infiltration is decreased. Using sheet. When you fill a wall with a highly to dry to the interior.
rdatively \'apur-perm~ble materials on the vapor-permeable insulation (fibcrgl,,~s
cold side of the house helps to allow any b.1tts) and cover one side of it with ;1 virtll- Rob Yagid, assoCIate sdiror

,. FINE HOMEBUl1.[)[NC;
Finally trim board
that passes a w hite
glove inspection.

A2EK -rt-;/YI u.;;th the

A2EK Edje:
V ~ed, l',eC>se "d3"s-
5<15 ( 5ur-f'ace d <I GdeS)

VCJeCi)'>6 ul' ..as;'" on the

jobs;te

v17:1rtest board toleranceS

;n the ;,.lustly'

VIIZtX-7he '" brand oft">'1

www.aze.K.com
 CUSTOM TAPING kNIFf FOIt CURVED CORNERS

tips&techniques SAWDUST CONTROL A SIMPLE JIG FOR DRAWING AN

QUICK CI. AM,. 'OR W IDG E ·SHAPE 0 WO ItKPIE CE 5
ED I TED AND ILLUSTRATED BY' C HARLES MILLER

FrXId wire into

'/~;n.·dia. PEX.

Fishing wire with PEX tubing '1.·in. hole

Running new wi,., through 9)(isting walls is a routine task for electricians who in lOp plate

work on remodeling projects. But as I point out in my article about electricians'

tools (pp. 38·391, I don't own a fish tape. Instead, I use a 10·ft. length of 'h-in.
PEX tubing_
As shown in the drawing at right. I run the PEX through a hole in the framing-
In this case, the top plate--toward the cutout in the drywall for iii new electrical Hole for
box.. I use this method for both interior partition wall!ii and in~lated exterior new outlet

walls. The tubing is rigid enough to plow through fiberglass insulation. Once I
get the end of the PEX through the target hoi. in the drywall. the tubing
becomes an obstruction·free channel to guide the cable through the wall to the
new outlet or switch. When the able is connected at one end, I simply pull the
PEX loose from the unconnected end, as if removing a sock.
· BR IAN WA lO
Mount P te<l~n t. SC

• submit a tip Wire cable

-TIps & Technique5~
is (I forum fOf readers
.~--
to exchange informa-
tion about methods.
tools, and J;g5 they've Custom taping k nife for cu rved drywall corn er s
deVised, We'll pay fOI :My new living room sports a cathedral ceiling with a on the smoother corresponding to the cha lkline~, and [
<my we publish. Send flat center Sotelion and a slo(Xxi section on each side. shaped the tip into a gentle radius.
details to T,ps. Fine This deSign left me with two long joints to tape With It took two coats of joint compound to lill the corners:
Homebv"ding. P 0 an udd angle betwttn the Aat .Ind sloped surf.1CC'i. Thl': a hcdding coot with t".lpe ;lnJ !:oetting·q'llC joint compound,
Box 5506, Newtown, drawing bd.,w ,how~ how I achieved smooth, sl ightl)· followC("1hy a Ihrn C(o.1t of premixed joimcompound. i-I lf
CT 06470-5506, 0.- curved )Oints in keeping with the rest c,f our huuse. the thi rd coot, 1 ",;'IS ,Iblc to ap ply a Ihlll CQ.1t across thc
ema,1 thom 10 us .111 First, , mapped ch31klincs parallel to the joints eX<lctly loinl:S with :l wide kn ife bec--ausc thc curve wa~already
FHOTaunlon.com 5 in. from their c!:nterson both sides. The ch;ll klincs formed along the entire ,l)inL The result: straight,
served as gUlde~ for ,I cmtmn taping knife that I made smooth, and uniform curved joints without milch f!l~.
from .1 pla~ti c w:Il1papcr smoother. I cut the smoother to _JAMES L.. GROTTA
m.mh the ceilmg anKh!. Then I made reference marks 900ntol1 Towrosh lp. N,J.

Remove this material Sh ~pe point to

to match joint angle. desired radius.

Refe ..m~ marks on both

-- -
~
sides correspond to
d',,,JIr Jines

VIDEO

~ ~otes companion video at FlneHomebuilding ,(om/ vJdeotips

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B)' iL~ closed cell spray in pW:e appliClitioo
CORBOND. Ivoids the possibility for
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 tips&techniques
_..::.._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.:._ _ _ _ _ CON TIN U E 0

Shop-sawdust control
r-..a:;;:e";:·~,,··-~";:;~~;;;:;~, ErDM I uS(: my compo\lnd-miter!klw ,Ill th!,; urne,.so I generate
shroud lots of s..1wdust. By taking advantage of a bench located
against an outside w;1l1 of my ~hor, I built the rig shown
in the drawings al left to keep sawdust under com rol.
I stJ.rtoo with a 2»4 frame to whirh Tattached shcet-
alumin u m siues, ... bilek, and a lId. The ~ides and hack
arc folded from a sUlItle ~h~t and afC <crewed to the
sides of the 2x4 frame. The ~w fits into this box, where
it is surrounJcd by ,10 EPOM shroud affixed to the 2x4~.
Aluminum T he EPDM. typically used as roofing, hers the dust in
collection bo)'; the box, and it flexes enough 10 let the !..'lW ea~ily swmg
4·in. duct from side to SKIt' lor miter cuts.
Inside the box, just behmd the saw's exhaust port,
DU$f collector a 4-i n. duct leads to a small d ust colb_ tor mounted
Vt)nt5 oU lside. -_~
beneat h the workhcnch. The collector Ilenb through
the wall to a dusl-collection bag surrounrhl hy a latticc
enclosure that is proIcxted by its own sm all roof.
Collection bag ---"It Even WIthout the dust <-oliector, lhis scrup ROC~ a long
way towa rd keeping dust: from d rifti ng arou nd the shop.
W hen the collector IS on, it e1immates virtually .. 11 uf
the sawdust.
_SCOTT E. DUPRE
Westerly, R.I.

A simple jig to draw an ellipse

Arched openings add a nice touch to a d oorway, an the baseline. fun, and rise of the ell ipse, as shown in the
alcove, or even a pi«'e of huih-in furn iture. Architects drawmg. Now d rive IOJ finish nails at poI nts A, U, and
and builders typiC<llly choose the ea:;y-to-clrllw. «Iual- C. Next, ~ll.1Te a Ime from poim B rhe distance of the
rise-and_run section of a cirde for rhi~ aplliic<llion. Jml ri ~ to find pomt D. Drive' a n ,lil intu It. Now uke tWO
swi ng.m arc, ;md he done with it. But sometimes an arc strips or plyw()od.u\·e rlap them as shown ill the draw-
dl)t:m '( lliok right becausc t hl: curve wants a softer tr:m- mg. and nail them together so thm they an: in cO/lwet
~i[ion to the intcri>Ccling wall. T hat's when yuu need the with the lleighborinJo\' nails. Remove the Ilail at point D.
harder-to...Jraw uncqual- r i~-ru n dl ip\C, The drawing To {iraw the d lipsc::, piact: a pencil at the intersectIon
below shows'l simple way to solve thi51ayout problem. ufthe lWO stnps, and ~l owl}' slide the strips, always in
Start hy measuring the baseline. For an arch ilt. tht end contact with th(' r(,lllaining nails, as you move the pencil
of a hall way, for example, the baseli ne is the (1i.~I:mce from point A to point C. Repeat from point A to point
hctwa:n the walls. DiVide: th i~ num bt:r in half(o gel B to ~ri be a perreCl clhpst:.
the run of Ihe ellipse. Ncxt. dctc n mne the height of t he: _DAVtO KALIN
a rch in relalion 10 its mte:rscctio n with the wall. That's Kaneohe. Hewa'l
the rise of Ihe ell ipse. O n a sheet of ply", uot!. layout Y>WW th,soIdhaolc.com

Hold poncil a l ;nterH~ction elf s trip' ..s you slide

;~~~~;~~~~~~~~~~~~";.;'~"~iP~Salong tile nails, scribing an e!1ipSlt.

N,i,)' D ~
online
Nail ",~B_ _ _ _--,,~~,--
Bu.line _ _ _ _-.l~_..x_______-:=~~~~~~, VIDEO
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20 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 ENERGY-EFFICIENT
BUILDING PRODUCTS
-
Our occup.nt.... nll ng .... ntl la tion
.yltlm ma,nlair'lS ifldoor aJf quality
.... ~houl user lntotvontiOn. II consiSls 01
a SUp8r-effrc\en1 central exhaust Ian
oonnoctcd 10 Ilutomatic grilles in the
kitchen lind bathrooms. The gri lles
open aodelose by s<msiog humidity IUld
motion. This !lp!)1'OiI¢tl offers II\('! ettk:ief'lCY 01 h&&I-
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systems. ana lne versatility 01 sinijle-poinl systems.

Our Insulated. airtight allic

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lIas-pl slon counterbalances (no
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clip. , Inl69lal selHrlmmlng flanges.
pl .· fit\i~ surfaces, tn\ek do,.,.ele-d CLOSED-CEll FOAM
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in
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.--_---
. _- - .... -.... -
_ _ .. .-051"_'"1_"-'-"._

---
..
o
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-~---.

.UOE.l1 SEIVICE NO. '9

•
tips&techniques
CONTINUED

A quick clamp for

wedge-shaped workpieces
Faced with drilling and co .... ntersinking hole,; in 25 wedge-shaped wooden
Pull swing arm
pegs, I assembled a sturdy, adjustable vise from two wood scraps and towiilrd fil(ed arm to
W three screws in one minute. As shown in the drawing at right. I used my
d/lmp workpieclI.
::J
Vl
Vl
fT.e hand to pivot the swing arm toward the fixed arm. This squeezing
pinched a peg hard enough to hold it steady while I ooTtld its holes.
~
-SANDRA. SIMMERS Purcellville, Va,
, ,

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_. __ -
UIKtmp

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. ,."
...
..... ,
."."..

--
.. f ...

22 FI NE J I O:'fEBU ILD1 NG
 D£CID£NT~ LE~HER·
SUPPLYING T HE PROfESSIONAL SINCE 1980

~rljsle
Wide rtank Floors-
•
FAMILY CRAFTED SINCE 19(06

www.finchomebuilding.com rUN E/JULY 2009 23

tools&materials
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY PRODUCTS

BETTER BASEMENT INSULATION

INSOFAST I NSULATION d irectly to the integral fastening strips; there's
PAN ELS no need to frame' a stud wall. The remit is a
2!1-in.-thick w;lll imulatcd to R-IO.
• Ma nufacture d by InSoFast The system relics on fairly plumb and flat
. 888-501 -7899; www-insofast.co m foundation walls. but bulgc~ and unc\'en
• Cost: 51.55 to S1.90 plilr sq. ft . spots up to !1 in. can be accommodated by
carving out the hack of the panels or by fill-
or a number of years, I've finished ing voids with expanding foom after pands
~low-grade b.1sccments by install- are erected. However, bulk-water prohlems
in~ sheets of2-in.-thick f(!:ltn on the should be addressed ~fore installation.
wall s, t:lping the jomt~ to make the assem- InSoFast panels also can he used to insu-
bly airtight. [hen framing a stud wall on the late concrete slahs beneath a f1oori n~ ~ys­
imide to which I anachcd drywall. InSoFaSl tern. Subfloor sheets can be laid atop the
s~ed~ up and simplifies tht process. panels and screwed into the fastemng strip~
The back side of each l-n. by 4-ft. by to create a floating imulated base for carpet,
2-in.-thick expanded-polystyrene (EPS) woocl. or laminate flooring.
pand has vertical channels for watcr Jrain- InSoFast retails for about 30% to 40%
age and horizontal channds so that you can mnre than the' cost of the foam, studs, and
snake electrical wlflng after the pancils In plates needed to inS\ll.lte and (ralm: ha~­
place. T he tongue-and-groove edgt:~ of t:l.c h mcm walls tbe way I've been doing it. Hut
p;:lnd also interlock so that yOli can gang these panels save on labor, so the to tal CO~T
to.':ethcr whole wall ~ctions flat on the of finished basement walls is eithe'f a wash
floor, tilt them into place, and adhere them or slightly less with InSoFast.
to the foundation walls with fO;lm-b..anl
adhesive. Paperless drywall is then attached Mike Guertin is a contributing editor.

PRODUCT UPDATE

Cordless nailer gets a makeover

Building on the success of its popular mode l #900420 cordless fram·
ing nailer, Paslode has released the CF-325. Functionally, t he biggest
change I noticed is in the nosepiece, which I criticized in my review of
hose·free frami ng nailers (FHB #185, and online at FineHomebuild ing
.com). The redesigned nose is sturdier and digs in more aggressively for
toenailing . Also, it takes less pressure to depress the nosepiece and
activate the gun, reducing t he fatigue factor common to cordless nailers.
Paslode's fuel cells have been updated, too, and now can be drop p ed
into t he red esigned load ing cham ber without twisting off ca ps or alig n·
ing nozzles. A~hough t he small savings in time isn't important t o me, I
like not having to disca rd aU t hose e)(tra p lastic tops. But I've fou nd that
the new fuel·cell d oor pops open on occasion. Each box of nails now
comes with its own fuel cell, which is g ua ranteed to shoot every nail in
the bo)(. The new nailer sells for about $400; www.paslode-cordless.com.

John Spier is a builder on Block Island, R.I.

24 FINE HOMFRUIJ.DII"(;
 Frost movine your detll. addition or tOllal!e?
Be protected ...

Concrete pier forms easily

installed in any soil
& weather condition.
You wanted us to be more colorful.
InlrodllCing the Kameleon compoSite dock screw. The )(amele~n's high-I€ch
nw.loottulle.oom design features a serious set of under head cutting teeth and a unique hvt
layered rlber trap that team up to eliminate mushrooming 311d give you a
TeU Free t·sss..~·2.tt dean installation. It may be colorful. but this dock screw is all GRK and
brade to the COil!
~"'RKFAST~NERS'
IYI ll'
A,lIldOlt '" GrIy, RMfood,
<.J-f~ !.!..!li..rGtadB:'
IlIUNOU '''Y, ONTARIO, CANADA
!Iro..... rill. ~tt !1>Ii S4f1d 8001263.{)48l · GUfAST£NERS.COM

But. •• is peHect for filling cracks

on rough wall surfaces like:
• brick or stucco
• block walls
• cementuous, composite
or wOod siding

It£AOER S£lMCE NO. 26

www.finehomehuilding.com rUNE/rULY 1009 25

 tools&materials
_.;.;.;;.;;.;..;.;.;.;.;.;;.;..;.;.;;.;.;;;;;;;.._. CON TIN U E 0

BAG-STYLE DUMPSTERS
ARE BIG ON CONVENIENCE
THE BAGSTER

• Man\Jfactuted by Bagst.r
. 877·789·2247; www.thebagster.com Positioning is easi~r, too. Bccau~ the weight limit. But just like with conven-
• Cost: about $30 per bag; pickup pricing Bagster is simply a big bag with oversize tional Dumpsters, if I had crossed the
v'Hies by location fahric handles, it can Ix picked up with a weight limit (33fX1 lb., in this case) for the
truck-mounted crane arm. This means Bagster, it would have COSt me more money
You might have Sl::en TV commercials you can unfold the Ba,gstcr and put it any- to have the d~bris hauled away.
for the Ragstcr, an alternative to steel roll- where within 16 f(. of the drivew:lY. The Ba,gsters aren't available coa~t to coast,
off trash contaim:rs. Rather than calling crane can even park on the street and reach but you can check their Web site to sec if
a local company to n:nt a [)llmp~ter, YOll over ;14-ft. fence to grab the Hagster from the 5Crv;cc is aVllilable in your area. Prices
buy a 3-clI.-yd. h.'lg at a home center, bring your yard. vary by location. I spent aoout 565 on two
it hOlne in your car or truck, fill it up, and J used the Ba,gster when I strippd two bags and pad 1250 to have both of Them
then call or log onto Bagstcr's Web site layers of shingles off a IS-sq. roof: Instead picked up aT the same tlme. It cost me about
for pickup. of having one Dumpster in the driveway, the same that a IS-yd. sted container would
It's not a perfi:ct pnxiucl, hut the Ragster I put one Bag~ter in the front yard and have, but the Bagster saved me time because
has definite advantages. First, you don't another one: on the hack deck. This plan J had fewer roof shingles to clean off my
have to be available fOf Dumpster delivery. '\ave<! me from sh uttling roof shinglt"S lawn dnd haul to the driveway to tos..~ into a
Also, there's abo no time limIt, so if your around the yard. steel Dumpster.
schedule IS pushed hack, you're not paying Tmanaged to fill the RagHer to the rim
extra to have a Dumpster sitting around. with old shingles with{)ut crossing the M.G.

SAFER RIPS WITH A ROLLER

BOARD BUDDIES

• Manufactured by Woodstock International

. 800-840·8420; www.woodstockint.eom
• Cost of complete set (mllers and track): about $80

While shopping [(j replace the portahle tablesaw and fcathcrhoards that I'd lost in a
Hurricane Katrina "complication," r stumblcxl on a fantastic antikickoock and huIJ-
down fence accessory called Board Buddies. This tablcsaw safety :lCccssory rdies
on tWO spring-loaded, singlc.direction (clockwise) urethane rollers that lock into a
fence::·mounted carriage. The yellow rollers apply pressure to the surface of a board
as it's ripped, holding it firmly ag-dinst the saw table and fence to prevent kickb.1ck.
F.ach roller has a lift lever, which :lllow~ me to remove the wood in either direction.
If I'm nppmg a long board with the:: Board Huddies, I have: no qualms about letting
go of the stoc k, walking- to thc rcar of the saw, and pulling it through to fi ni\h the
cut. On shoner pieces, I Use:l push ~tick to get the tr:liling end of the bo<lrd past the
blade. The re:lr roller rhen holds rhe board .<.Ccurdy III place su that I can retrieve it
from the outfeed side of the saw.
Although they're nO[ a bargain and aren't industrial grade, the 5Ctup is sturdy dnd
more than adcqu;J[e for a job-site saw. Discovering the Board Buddies was a pleas-
ant surprise.

John Michael DaviS is a restoration carpenter in Nttw Qrltt8ns.

26 FINE HOMEHUIJ.[)ING
 RAINWATER
COLLECTION SYSTEMS
Rainwatef collection is 6SS8l11>a1 whfIn ....atElr from
mOfll CQnvenli0f\8l:;;ources is limited in Quantity Of
quality , Ev&n whttn wal"r os lIbuodilnt. ralflwater
utilization oUers so many economic and
environmental benahlS that it is one of the
foufldations of "glMn building" design.

Inatyp.,.,lrainWlllflrsystam , wateris
ooiIccled In dawnsp<lu ls. pry-fi ltered
10 ffirTlOVEi solids. and stored in a.
-
§'
large surlaca or underground tank. A •
pump draws 1M .... ater from !he tank ~:.2 / ),
as nasdlld to irrigate law~ and Q-i5":~7"
lano:lscsp;ng. orto Iii sw,mmll1g pools
and panda. Supplementalliltratioo and sterilization
;s rocotnmOI'Idod whon raillWater is to be used
in5ide homes or oItioes lor loilet lIust1ing. clotrles
washing, ShOwering. cooking. 01' dOOking,

We offer a rM9'l at rellabia.

Iow-ma,ntena.nce soIulions for
ralnwatM coHecliC>n. Mration.
storage. and Ie-use for both
residential and commlrciaJ
strucrures. Products incIuda
slale-ol-the-an pra-tilters,
high-streng th undergroulKl
storage lanks, specializltd
sUbmor eibla and surface
pumps, pump- control
syslums, digital waler-leWllndlcalors, post-lillers,
uttraviolftt 8terilizers. and oocl<up water syslefnS.
RESOU RCE CO NSERVATION TECHN OLOGY
tul : (410) 366-1146 tn : (410) 3SS-1202
www ...on.arvallonleGh nology.com

P.""''.!',.n, or Portabl e
or Shop,

l UDEll SERVICE NO. 70

www.finehomdmilding.mm j UNF./JULY 20119 27

 An
ElegantB
for Your Deck
Herringbone corners and hidden
fasteners require slight framing
modifications, but the result looks
spectacul ar

BY JOHN MICHAEL DAVIS

here area totaf pan~ in a deck, but ' Rwend. it's thedeckmg

T
screws run
tha t everyone nOlices. O nc thmg I've leam ed building decks
in New Orleans's brutal climate IS that of all adcck's parts, the
dttking also rakes the mOSI ~nous bearing.
My defauh method for fasten ing deck boards is (0 U~ stainlcss-st<:d
In such dead-straight lines that they become pan of the

design. On lhi~ project. however, the homeowllers wa nted ipC decking, so

I d eci tl ~d to upgrade to a hidde n fastening s)'~tcm to showca~ {he wood.
r speculated thaI the time and material expense: for using hidden fa.uenc rs
would not be much costlier or labor intensive than Krcws.
At the time. everything I knew aoom hidden fastcnen came from a Fin~
Homebuildi"g article ("Deck-Fastener Options," FHB # 178 and online at
FincH omehu ilding.com). r remember hei ng i mpre~sed by the EB-TY
syuem (www.e bt:y.com).c\.cnin afieldofotherinnovativeproducts.so I
decided to give it a [f)' no this projC'Cl.
EB-TY fasteners come in d ifferent s i ze~ for va rious thicknesses and
types of decking. I lere, I used the EBEQ04, which hasa built-in spacer of
+ir in. and is sp«'cificd for thc ~/4-i n. ipc: I was inslallJOg. 1 made somt' jigs
and took :I p roduction-minded approach TO installaTion that kept labor
time similar to screwing down the boards. T he ER-TY system COSt about
twice what sere""'! would havc, but to me. ifsa good \'aluc. There are no
fasteners visible, so the deck looks cion and elegant. Also, the tOP surface
remains unbroken, which makes for a more durable board.

Use butt joints outside

OUTing the dcsi~ n , J dcclde<J to wr.lp the nm joists with a I xlOprcssure-
treated clcar-and-better southern-yellow-pine flUCia board. Gwen the
an:uomy of this <k<:k. r knew that some lags, screws, and nai ls would be
\'i~ihle in various placcs around [he rim joisl. Bc~a u sc I would need to usc

28 .FINJ:: HOMEBUILDIN{;
 Three courSf!$ of deck boards -.rVIf togethw in the corners
to form tM f'Iflrringbonf! pattern, Boards ar~ held /n place by
EB· TY fast_rs, which fit into slots and attach to the joists,
Blocking beneath tlte joints support! tn. pattern IJf1d fl)sten(H'S.
Th. perimeter boards get two groovlfS (inset below). Th. inner
groove receives biscuits that run along the fascia and help to
.start things off square. The outer groove acts as a drip edge to
keep wafer out of the biscuited joint. Fascia boards termin"re
Into comer blocks in lieu of miter joint" Biscuits ,.place ",..ws. Insteud of
using screws and plugs through th e fiKe
of the perimeter boards, the author
chose to biscuit them to the fucia. Run
the starter board long; it will be cut
afte, the field is laid. Dry-fit the st<trler
board with the biscuits in place. Ahe,
2x6 pressure· PHI·and·stlck applying glue to the biscuit slots, the
treated jOi5t fl ashing tllpe biscuits, and the groove, reapply the
board and damp it in place.

2x2 corner blQck

'"
blocking

Slot the firs. board in place. Aher

gluing and clamping the first bOiIrd,
determine where the secood board will
intersect and where the third board will
end. Cut the slots using a router out·
fitted with a slot-cutting b it. Bending
over tnc board to make a cut like this is
dangerous, so use caution. Using a bis-
cuit joiner txlfore Ihe board is Installed
is another option.

JUNE/JULY 1009 29
Move from tn. co,ne, out. Once
the fi,st herringbone corner is
complete, inst.llthe r,.ld. Cut the
field boards the same size. and use
a biscuit Joine, to slot both edges
of the board at each joist location.
Each board interlocks with the
previous one. Move in this fashion
until there are only three boards
left to iM !all.

CUi all field boards;

then install them
production style.

Carefully cut corner

bOllrds in p /lce fOf
p recise r.v.a)s.

Cut til. front boards In p~c•.

Before instil/ling the l/tst two boards,
cut the innermost border board in
line with the edge o f the last field
board. Stotrt the cut with a circuli"
saw, ideally a 4lfl.in. trim saw. Trim
saws are easier to control and cre--
ate it thinner ken. Fein', Muhi-
Master (photo "ght) is the best
tool for finishing the cut beause
its Flush Cut blade eliminates the
0'
possibility cuffmg into the next
board. Ws also possible to use a
jigsaw outfifled with a short blade,
a Japanese fin ish ing saw, or it sharp
0'
chisel. Ease the edge tho cut end
with a 'A-in. ,oundo'lflr bit, then
slot the end and its mating board
to receive an EB-TY. 510t only one
edge on the 'asl board; then glue,
biscuit, and damp it in place.

30 FI Nk: HU MEBl;ILDING
stainless~sted fasteners and take extra time border was established for each section, I
installing them so that they looked like pan filled in the fidd hoards, working from one
of the design, a fascia. hoard th.'lt hides the fas- side of the deck to the other.
teners seemecllike a logical uption. This tack The key when laying th e border was to
turned Out to be of dubious economic value establish a squ:lre corner. lfl had been using
when compared with the price of st.1inless- screws and plugs to start the border, this pro-
steel fasteners, but it does dress things up. cess would have been tedious. But I used bis-
I also decided to create a oorder with three cuits, so I was able to rely on the groove they
courses of deck boards. Framing the pe ri- run in. The groove parallels the cdge of the
meter with a border isn't a new concept, deck board and locks into the fascia, which is
but corners are typically done with mitered attached directly to the square framing.
joints. In my experience, mitered joints in The pe rimeter also had tn he esta hlished
exterior applications don't fare well. Wood first to dettnnine the length of the field
moves across the grain, so miters are prone boards, so I completed a corner with all three
toopcning. I was wary of this fact eVl;n with cnurses. This corner became a reference point
ipC, which doesn't move much. and especially for determining the length of the field boards.
with the southun-yellow-pinc Ix fascia. r cut them all to the same length so that each
With wood movement in mind, I stuck to would hang ovrr the rear rim joist equally.
square cuts and butt joints for the decking
and the fascia. I ran the oorder :lfOund a field lay the field production style
of deck boards and, instead of miters, made a Installing the corner boards took some time.
herringbone design in the corners. The fascia I ,glued and clamped the outer boards, then
ooards die into corner blocks, which I incor- cut the EB-TY slots in place with a router.
pOratL'<I into lhe design (drawing p.19). Then I dry-fit the next two courses, marked
the joist layout directly on them, and cut the
Clean, shape, lind seal every board Slob. This was the be~t way to make sure I
Alrhough the ire showed lip on the job site in got the herrtngbone corner joints exactly
good condition, I took the time to clean and where I wanted them. There were mnre than
dress up the boards. After choosing the best 1M slots to cut in the field boards, though,
side, I sanded it lightly with SO-grit paper which could have bc-cn a daunting task. So
on :l rnndom-orbit ~ander to remove l>urface I built a site-made slot-cutting jig with the
flaws. Next, I pur a 14-i n. radius on the two martrials I had on hand (photo right).
top edges with a roundover bit and router. The two boards that were to be laid last
Later, when the boards were Cllt TO length, I became the base for the jig. A stop block
rounded over the ends, too. screwed into one end aligned each board to
Once the: boards were prepped, I cleaned layout lines marked on the jig's b.a~. Then I
them with naphtha, then laid them out across placed the first board upside down on top of
the joi~ts, where J applied a coot ofFload's the fixture boards and locked it in place with
CWF-UV Clear Wood Finish (www.flood d eats. Now it was merely a matter of plac-
.com) to the tops. This brought out the wood's ing each board in the fixture in the correct
true glow. Once the deck was complete, I direction and sighting the layout lines with
applied a second coat for further protection. the biscuit joiner, which made a tediom task
The dense ire soaked up the 5Caler in vary- fast, accurate, and easy.
ing amounts, which left some boards darker Finally, I found out quickly that it was eas-
than others. I sorted the boards into a pleasing ier and faster to dn everything I could while
arrangement, taking into account grai n pat- the boards were in the fixture. Therefore,
tern and direeticlI1, and placed the must beau- once the slots were cut, I install ed the EB-
tiful boards where they would be most visible. TYs and drilled pilot holes for the screws.
Then I numbered ea.ch for ~uence on the Drilling pilot holes is mandatory with ipe
hcmom and drew an arrow for direction. and a good idea with pine. The .o;elf-dri lling
screw tips might let ynu slide whcn using
Start with the border pine, but the screw would probably run with
This deck is fairly large, aoout Ii ft. wide by the grain in some Spots, causing splits. 0
15 ft. deep, and is broken up into three sc-c-
(ions. I treated each section separately, start- John Michael Davis is a restoration car-
ing with the first course of border boards, pentar in New Orleans. photos by Chris
then the second , then the third. Once the Ermides, except where noted .

.... ww.finehomcbu ,lding.oom

To get the full benefit of this superinsulation, you must

BY RO B YAGID relled on to hdp make houses ultradTicicnt. Simply choosing to insu-

late your home with spr,ly foom doesn't guarantee that it'll perform
to its full potential, though. Oifferent climate~, construction pmctices.
recently spent a day pulling wirC': with a friend who's an elec- and wall and roof assemblies benefit from different types of foam.

I trician in New York. Lite in the afternoon, (JUT conver~tion

turned to a client and fri end of his who was seekin~ advice
"hom insulating her new home. The topic caught the inte rest
of rome other guys on site, most from different trades, who gath-
ered around and offered their opinions on which material she should
Building codes require ~pc<:ific thickn e~~, and proper in~tallation
i~ a must.

It won't 5ettle and it doesn't off-gas toxic Chemicals

Recause of the urea-formalclehyde foam uso:l to insulate homes in the
usc. After a brief dcb~uc. everyone seemed confident that spray foom 1970s, which eould degrade and off-gas unsafe: formaldehyde, spray
would yield the best performance. That was until I threw out the foam is often perceived as being unhealthful and poorly performing.
qucsti()ll, "Which type?" Sure, they all knew there wac two types of Installers that look as if they're outfitted to survlve;1 nuclear catastro-
~pray polyurcth;lIIc foam, open cell and dosed cdl. hut no one knew phe perpetuate the mi:>L'onccption that spray foam is toxic.
enough about them to step up and defend the use of one over the': The fact is that whcn it's installed properly, spray foam is more
other. The trum i~ neither did r. physically stable than the studs and sheathing it's adhered to. The
Spray polyurethane-foam manufacturers have a relatively easy uxygen-~upplied respirators and head-to-toe protective suits install-
job when it comes to marketing their products nccausc of onc ers wcar arc nceess..1.ry only to keep the chemicals that make up spray
key statistic. According to the U.S. Department of Energy. 30% fO<lfn uut of their lungs and off their skin during Installation.
or more of a home's heating and cooling COSts are attributed to air Spray foam is made of a two-part mixture. The A part is isocyanate,
leakag-c. Spray polyurethane foam, or spray foam as it's most often a petroleum-based chemical made by only a handful of companies in
called, is an effective air barrier and significantly reduces energy the world. The B part contains a catalyst, polyol resin, a surfactant,
loss. Combined with a higher thermal resistance (R-valuc) than and a blowing agent. Some manufacturers add flame retardants and
most other forms of insulation. it's no wonder spray foam is often colurants to their B component as well.
understand the difference between open- and closed-cell foams,
how they perform, and how they're installed

The: blowing agent, a gas that expands the foam's cdls to give it vol-
ume, receives a lut uf scrutiny. Over time, from three: months tu a yea r,
:t portion of the blowing agent in dosed-cdl toom evaporates into the
air. Prior to 1003, chlorofluorocarbon and hydrochlorofluorocarbon
blowing agenb were in widespread ust. These gases arc damaging
to the atmosphere. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
banned the use of those chemicals and n:cognized the current hydro-
Iluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agcm as a safe alternative.
Opcn-ccll foam, which uses water as its blowing agent, emits carbon
dioxide as it expands. Rut manufacturers claim that the amount uf
carbon dioxide released from the foam h:ls a limited impa<:t on the
environment. The Spray Polyurcthanc FU3m Alliance is currendy
testing thi~ issue.

The open-cell vs. dosed-cell debate

Much of the informntion you'll find about spray foam is dedicatcd
to its R-value and its permeability. These traits have an m·erarching-
Impact on [he performance of opcn-<eI! and dosed-cel! foam~.
In most doscd-J::eli loams. such as those mad~ by Corhond, an HFC
hlowing agent is captured in the foam'~ cdl structure. This gas has Proper prep yIelds the best instelllltion. wnile spray foam is in-
stalled by a pro, it's your responsibility to prep the site. Ma~king
a better thermal performance th3n the air-fillcd open-<dl foam and windows, electrical boxes, and even floors is important if you want
gives i[ a higher ovenLll R-val~. Howevcr, whilc HFC-blown closed- the foam contained to wall, roof, and floor cavities. Anyone on site
cell foam mLght mi!ially havc a n R-value a .~ high as R-8 per in., as during the installation should be outfitted for optimum protection.

What Do You Really Know?

www.findwmebuilding.com 33
 THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO USE SPRAY FOAM
- - - - - - - - TWO EXPERTS WEIGH IN
M05t experts agNte that spray polyurethane foam is a revolutionary product. Wnat they don't always agree on is the
way it's installed and integrated into a building assembly. To shed some light on t his debate, energy-effk ient bUilding
e)(pert Bruce Harley (Westborough, Mass.) and architect Peter Pfeiffer (Austin, Texas) explain how they use spray poly-
urethane foam to insulate the homes they build.

R-42 roof R-22 roof

2x10 rafters _ _~.:;, 24·ga . Galvalume
ifl-in. oss - ___-"'" lx41ath creates l/.-in. ilirspactt.
130 building paper under OI5pnalt $hingles _~~~
'1ii>uilding paper
Mineral-wool bath _ _ __ 6·in. Va-in. plywood
2)(6 roof t ru SS{!S
ce ll loam

Bruce Harley Peter Pfeiffer

Spray foam can b. a 2)(0 stud wall
No other insulation
great material, but system I am familiar
VJ'-in. 21(4 stud wall _ _ +..11
understanding its use OSB with provid.s the real
i. often hindered by Minimum 'Io-[n. R·vaiua that spray
5'h·in. layer of
oyereager in,t.ll.r$ op,m-c::ell foam EPS foam board - -If--Il-lI foam does, accom-
who emphasize the Va·[n. plishes the air-sealing
magic rather than furring It does, or th ....arts
the feitl properties of strips R-19 wall . R·17 walls vapor flow as well.
ovar
the product•. house- lOin. Closed· cell spray
Too often, I hear wrap -"UL__>L______:;-- 2'h·in. flash foem greetly r~uces
from clients that - my --..-----.----/--- damp
blown-in
the chance for eon·
dealer said ti'ult I only densation within the
Fiber- cellulose
need 2 tn. to 4 in. foam framing of a home.
~omel'\t
of foam in my walls siding I think It Is critical
b.<:ause it performs that houses be built
Just !ike R·40 fibe,· to thwart vapor flow
glass and prevent. HOlJsewrapl correctly.
Insu late d d rainage pla ne
any possible moisture I Insulate all homes
rim joi st
problems. ~ It', Just pr.tty much the
V.-in.05B
not true. Aro R·12 wall or ZIP wall same. However. in
il an R-12 wall. no sheathing Fiber- colder climate,. I use
cement
maner what the rna- siding 2.6 e)tt&rior wall ••
terl,,1 is. Cutting air create I!I cold roof
leakage laves energy. (drawing p. 36), and
Non-pllper·fa.ced
but It doe.n't make drywall over 21(4 Insulate tne bau-
up for a low R-value. stud wall ment or crawlspace
For best perlor. (drawing laft).
3-in. closed-
mance. I use spray cell foam P.urr pf.ltf.,. of a..1.,.

L
foam in II variety of • pf.Iff., Atch\~eu. '-
5V.-in.
ways when designing 2-in. • LEEO-.a:r.dlted .n:hl·
I.yer of R· 19
space R-18
the shell of II home. open-c",11 basement ted .nd bulldlo'l9 w.1'I-
crawlspace
Her.'s one e)tample. fo.m tilt who ..... ~ t ....
Pllt 30 YN" d.v.lopll'g
Bruc. Ii,.",")' of CotIJef"
15-mil vapor hlllh·~rlofmlnl;8
vatlon S.rvk•• GrO<lp I. barrier seams
tIIped bulldlnll-d.-l9n Itr~.1I.
at'I .nwg,·.Hkl..,t con- V"po r b,trrj.f
stnIctlon ..~ and Damp e.><1"ends 12 in,
author of Cut y_ proofing Concrete slab over up wall and is
securltd With
fn.,,)' sm, Now (Th. 2-in. X?5 foam . .
-.~
ma stic.
T.~nton Pr ..... 2008).

FINE HOMERUILDING
 the blowing agent evaporatc.~ to R-20 with the same foam, but
through the cell walls and is re~ that's not the caM:.
placed by air, its R~value dimin~ Closed-cell foam Chris Porter, th e build1l1g-
ishes. Closed-cdl foam's ~aged" '8% science and code manager for
R~valuc is roughly R-6 per ill. BioBased Insulatlun, explains
'6%
Some manufacturers produce Open-<:eU foam that "opcn~cell fOilm reaches a
watn-blown do~cd-cdl foun15. point of diminishing returm at
The~ foams have the same per- Diminishing returns around 5 in. That threshold is
formance properties as HFC ~ As the th ickness of th e even lower f,)r rloscd-ccll foam,
blown foam, but slightly lower insulation increases for both which experiences diminishing
R-values at around R-55 per in. open-cell and closed-cell foam, returns at around.3 in. or 4 in."
Closed-cdl foam's greater den- the insulating value of each Those thicknesses create assem-
sity, 2 lb. per eu. ft. compared '''' diminishes drastically. The hlies between R~20 and R~24,
with open cdl's Yllb. pa cu. ft., e)(pense, howe ...er, does not. which by the numbers seem a
also increases its R·value (lnd link weak. Each additional inch
offers it the ngidity that open-
,,%--
1 2 3 , , 6 7 , , 10 of spray foam yiclds little per-
cell foam lacks. Tests (It the Thidness (inchesl formance. In fact, while the cost
National Association of Home of an R-40 wall is indeed doublt:
Huilders re$Carch center confirmed that clo~d-cdl foam can actually that of an R-20 wall (nOi factoring in the construction materials us.ed
increase the shea r strength of conventionally framed walls by 30%. to create deep,,:r cavities for the extra foam), it reduces the conductive
Closed-cell foam also has a low vapor-permeability rating (roughly heat flow through a wall by only an ildditional 2%. For this reason,
0.5 perms at a thickness of 310.) and is considereJ a class~II vapor Porter sap thllt In most part:; of the country, 6 in. of foam--be it open
retarder, me;ming that it's semi~impermeable. or closed cell-is perfectly adt-quate. Others, like North Carolina
Open-cel l foam, made by comp:lnles such as lcynene and Dellll - builder Michad Chandler ("Prepping for Spray Foam," PHB #201
le<-, has a greater expansion rate than dosed-ccll foam. It expands and online at FineHomebuilding.com), don't fecl the same way.
100 times its initial volume (closed-cdl foam expands only 30 times "I want my walls and roof dcck to ha~'e the highest R~value pos-
its initial volume), so le~~ of the foam is needed to msulate a house. sible," Chandler says. "If it costs me an additional $3000 for the
Although both fo..11llS will dry if they ever get wet, open-cell foam is additional 2% in performance, I'm OK with that. Ifit's going to enst
v:qXH permeable and dries much faster than closed-cdl foam. an additional $7500. wdl. then I'd have to think alx)Ut it."
Open cdl's one major weakness IS Its lower R-I'aluc, roughly R-.3.5
per in. This means that when used in a 2x4 exterior wall, it will create: Thickness limitations ensure fire safety
an assembly that's approximatdy only R~1 2, which won't meet code Fo.Hlls ha\"<: two ma)(imum thickncss limit;nions; olle for fo.1m In it:;
in most parts ufthc country. cured state and one for foam whi le it's being applied. E..1.ch thickness
limi[.\uion varie... based on the m,mufacturer and the type of fo.1m.
Installing lo ts of foam isn't as effective as you think To he code-approved, spray-foom manufacturen have their prod-
A lot of cnergy-con:.cious architects and huilders shoot for the lI igh- ucts tested by the International Code Council Evaluating Service
est R-values tbey ca.n possihly attain: R·40 walls :.IIlJ an R-60 roof. (ICC-ES) for smoke and flame spread. The rCC~ES looks at the
However, R~valucs aren't necessarily an accurJ.te rc:f1cction of overall burning bc:ha~ior of a sample of cured foam, which must be tested
thermal performance. For example, you would think that an R·40 at the th ickness intended for u~e. The carch is that most testing-
wall full of.~pray fuam would pertonn twice as well as a wall sprayed facilities can't analyze foam samplc~ greater than 4 in. or 5 in. To

•
Spray foam for the eco-consclous
Consuming fossil fuels to make products intended to conser...e fossil fuels makes little sanse to a lot of

fft;'~~ people. All spray foams contain a certain level of petroleum in their A componant and in their B compo-
nent. Manufacturers such as BioBased Insulation, Demilec, and Icynene have created more environmen-
tally benign spray-foam products by reducing the amount of petroleum used in their B component. They
~ar~9 croP$· replace a portion of the polyol resin, which makes up 20% to 30% of the B component, with a renewable
n,. oil trom lOY·
be.!ln~. which js .150 resource such as soybean or eastor-bean oil. Apex even has a sucrose-based polyo!. Manufacturers say
b""nq' on~,d~rPd 10 that the transition to bean oil or sucrose doesn't alter the look (application photos pp. J6.37) or the per·
(r.. ;"•. ",,,rnati\¥'
formance of open- or closed-cell foam in any way.
b,"" 0' fo''''''qy.
., ,..."1,,, "'9 ,h, The amount of soybean, castor bean, or sucrose found in foam varies by manufacturer, 50 identifying
f",:'o/"um '" ~omc the "greenest" fo"m might not be so easy. According to the U.s. Department of Agriculture, only 7% of
SP"'1 /OJtn~ a spray-foam product needs to be made of a renewable resource to be labeled as a bio-based foam . This,
of course, doesn't factor in the petroleum fueling the crop-cultivation process.

wW"I'.IinchomebuilJinl:.com /U",F I /UI.Y 2009

"
A COLD ROOF Keep foam cool. To
prevent sp ray foam
FOR COLD CLIMATES from getting too hot
In CQld-weather climates, I crsate iI cold roof to pMv"n! ice during installation, an
insta ller will like ly fiJI
dams. I do this by installing lath over the top chord, but
up to 10 stud bays
under the roof deck. This allows the spray with a 2-in. layer of
foam to encompass the top chord foam. By the time he
and minimize thermal 24·ga. Gal valum e reaches the tenth bay.
bridging. the first b ay will be
1lc4 lat h cool enough for 11 S&-
-Peter pfeiffer ond "/ih ."
"30 felt

2>:4 lath
be coJc-compliant, you can't ha\'c foam installed thicker than what\
Yo-in. OSB bo:t:n approved by the ICC~ES. In a lot of homes, 4 in. offoam won't
meet inmlation standards. Some m.1nufacmrer$ submit even thinner
samples for testing becau~ it's easier to pa~.~ tbe smoke and flame-
spread test with thinner foam than it is with thicker samplC$.
Not all spray foam is limitd to such thin d imensions, though. Man-
ufacturer.; have the option uf putting their foam through a full~scale
2x6 truss test, which is equally recogn ized by the ICC. Full-scale tem look at
Maximum foams in thicknesSC$ up fO about 12 in. Not every manufacturer takes
amount 01
closed -cell foam advantage of this option beC.1use tC$ting is Vet)' eXpl:mive and not all
2x bl ocking possible foams will be able to meel the requirement.
To get the insulating value you want in a code-c.ompliant manner,
R-45 roof contact the foam's manufacturer and reque5t their evaluation-5Crvi<:e
rqxm. More often than not, it's available on their Weh sire and can be
found under sections thal address ASTM ES4, the smoke and flame-
spread requirement.
INSULATE R-1S basement Manufacturers also specify how much foam can be sprayed into
A LEAKY 2-i n. to 3·;n. la yer a cavity at a ~ingle time. In general, open-cell foam doesn't have
BASEMENT of closed·cell foam :Ill aprlication limit:Hion and can be ll:;;ed to fill a cavity in a single

pass. CloseJ-cdl foam, however, must be applic-C\ in several passes,

You may recognize
called "lifts."
tnls approach.
Both foams arc cured by an exotherm ic reaction, but closed-cell
It's the same one
foam crclites a greater lImount of heat as it cures and demands proper
architect Betsy
cooling time before more foam can be added to it. Jim Anderson,
Pettit takas when
the manager for applications and training at RASF, says, "We train
dealing with a
2-1n. to 3-in. our Illstallers to spray clmed-c.ell foam in 2~in.-thick laye rs and allow
faulty basement .. irspa te
wall (0 Remodel- them to cool ad~uatdy hefore subsequent lift5. At 2 in., the core tem-
2 )(4 met ol perature of our foam is around I30°F to 150°F, which we feel is a
ing for Energy
stud wall safe level." Anderson adJ~ that there is a re.1l danger 10 applying too
Efficiency.· FHB
., 94). An Imper.
Roo fi ng Illuch foam at once. "Deep applications of foam can create extremely
membrane hij.\:h temperatures within the core of the insulation. 1\"01: only can the
meable mem- - ..L____~-L~-L__-",~
brane backed by structure of the foam degrade and actu.11ly char, which will adversely
closed-call foam
channel. incom·
v- ~ffect performance, hm dements within the cavity like plumbing
rullS, d ectflcal Wires, and boxes can also become damaged,"
ing moistul"$ to • 4-in_-thic k
slab Be on site to be sure the job is done right
perimeter drain
t he floor.
'0 Most manufactu rers have extensive tr3 ini n~ programs for their
installers to be sure that their spray foam is in~talled safely and cor-

;S
-Bruce Harl.y 2-in,-thitk
laycr of rectl),. More often than not, installers can be: left alone to get the job
foam
4-in. layer 01
done. But if you want to stand by and watch as the foam ilies, there
(ru,hed stan are a few things to look f"r to be sure the job is going as it should.
Anderson recom mends maki ng a simple depth gauge out of wire to
Perimet er d r : i : : - - -
sump pump
~ :;; / check foam thicknesses. He also says to be aware of off-ratio mixes in

- the foam, where the A and B components arc: unbalanced. He adds,

"ThC'fc should be a uniform color w ithin each cavity. If thC're is a

" F[~E IIOMF.RUILDING l1ooo",tlu._,. ,.,.., • ..! r..,.. _.kf"eo.."",y .iBiolla><O 1•• 01.0 ......
"""".,, ph<oo:o. r."ina; paK" Kr1''' S. !~",II<,.
 really dark spot in the wall, it's likely became the foam is A-rich.
If the: wall aW3n cxtra soft and sticky, it's most likely B-rich. Off-
ratio mixes can hinJer the performance vf the foam, and installers arc
trained to Cllt out these area~ and respr:ly them."
Also, because the expansion rate of c1med-.::dl foam is less severe
than open-cell foam, it's easier to fill cavitie~ with minimal exce~s.
Still, qualified installers should be able to fill a cavity evenly whether
they're spraying ope-n- or doscd-cdl foam. Any excess will be cut
flush with the studs and thrown away. Kttp in mind that spray fo.am
lasts forever, even in landfills .
.'\. spray-foam installation iso't truly complete until a oodc-~quircd
thermal or ignition barrier has been installed over the: foam. A thermal
barrier, typically lfJ-in. drywall, neWs to be: installed oyer the: foam in all
living spaces. In attics and crawlspaces that are: accessed only hy ser-
VlCe utilities, an tgnition barrier-
which can be a spray-applied
chemical, I Y.t in. of mineral wool,or
YI-in. drywal1--can oc installed.

All spray foam

Is not created equal,
according to some
Neal G:IIlSt:r, pre~id e nt of Corbond,
says, "There are a lot of players in
the spr:l.y-foam game, and they're
not pushing the same product. no
matter what they say. If you ask
a manufacturer what makes their
foam Jifferent from anyone c:lse's
and they don't give you a laundry
Sloppy installation li~tof reasons, be alarmed."
<,...tes unnaed ed Howeyer, Ed Pentz, a sab ttthnical manager atCcrtainT~J,says,
waste. A properly "Spray foom is spray foam, and wh.1.t's in one comp•.'\Oy's tank is really
filled wall (right
stud bay} sti!l has no different frum what's in another's. "
a bit of waste after One factor that is sure to SW:l.y your purchasing decision is the co.~t
the foam is trimmed of the foam. Spray foom is priced based on board feet. Manufacturers
flush with the studs. don't price their product. Instead, cost is determined by installers. The
Ho~var, tha far
bay is filled with too spray-foam market is extremely competitive, and spray-foam prices
much foam, most of can be: astonishingly inconsistent. Michac:l Chandler rewmrnenJs
which will end up in getting as many btds as possible. "I've received quotes from SOROO to
the landfill. $13,500 for the same exact Job," Chandler says. "Prices vary so much,
that it m;'!y actually pay to have a truck drive two hours to do the joh
rather than have the local guy spray it." Thc message: Search far and
wide for the installer that suits your ncc:Os and your budget. []

Rob Yagid is an associate editor at Fins Homebuilding.

Although this is not iI c.omplete Apex Foam lI'Idus1:rlel www.apexfo .. m.eom Fomo Products www.fomo.com
Jin of spray.foam m.. nufacturen, BASF _.bad.com Great Stuff www.greabtvff.dow.com
it il rep ... sentatlve of the larger BloBase<l www.biob..ed.net I<)'none www.icynene.com
n"toOl'l1i1 COn'lp"niei. For auls- CertalnToed _.,emlnteed.com NCFI www.ndI.com
t .. nce in finding a spray·fo.. m Chemkal Design www.ckemkltlduigncorp.net roger Foam www.tigerloam.com
insulation COl'ltractor, visit th e Corbond www.corbond.com Touch 'n Seal www.tovch-n-se..l.com
Spray Polyurethane Foam Demil.c www.demllec1.da.com Urethane Soy Systems www.aoyol.com
A!1iance at www.lprayfoam.org. Fo.. metix www.foametbt.com VersJ·Fo.. m Systems www.rhhfoamlystems.com

www.finchomcbuilding.com JUNE/JULY 200<) 37

 ~n Electrical
Remodeling
Essentials

A professional electrician shares the TESTERS

tools and materials he relies on for the o Analog/ digital multimeter:
most common wiring tasks This is my first line of defense against
electrical shock and an exceHerlt
diagnostic tool. I can double·check
BY BRIAN WALO that I shut off the rig ht breaker
by using the multimeter's
AC· ... oltage function; I
COUld easily blow everything I earn a~ a professional dectrician in also can figure out

I a singl/;" afternoon buying funcy tools that I might use some day for
some thing-. When I check hack into reality, though, I have toadmir
that it's still the most basic electrical tools that I alway~ reach for.
Besides, if I'm going to remain efficient, I have [0 choose the tools that
provide the most bang for my buck and blVe my eb:trical-lOol bucker
which cable runs to
a light from a
particvhlf switch
bal<. I use a
clamp-on multi-
meter oocause it
limits my exposure
i
~

light enough to move around easily. to bare conductors

when I need to take
Also, some tools in my kit (nor shown here) are basic ite m5 that apply an amperage reading
to all ~rts of n:moocling t;L~ks. I ch~ these tools ooSl!"d on thelT use In on li ... Q equipment. For
more in-depth inform~tion on using
electrical applications, though. For instance, rather than a heavy 18 ... drill! a multimeter, see NMake Sure the
driver, I carry an uirracumpact model with long-lasting Li~ion batteries to Power Is Off" (FHB 11196, and onlin., at
save space without sacrificing run-time. This kit won't get you in and out FineHomebuilding.com). ($8S)
of complex jobs, but for most of the electrical work found in rcmodding, f) Nonconta ct voltage detector:
it will be your new best friend. 0 This little tool has a big gee-whiz factor
because you can check for ... oltage
Brian Walo is an electrician in Mount Pleasant, S.c. Photos by
without touching bare wires. Beclvse t
different typu of wire insulation and I" 2
Krysta S. Doerfler. othor r"learby conductors can interfere
with tho olectrical field, this tool eM
be less than 100% reliable. Road the
safety manual, and undernand tho
tool's limitatjQn~ . This is not an empty
ufttty reminder, either. I have two pairs
Win these tools of wire strippers with arc holes that
We will choose a winner at random resulted from relying on t his de ... ice
t o rece ive t he complete electrical kit before cutting a cable. ($16)

feature d in t his article. Fill out the survey ~ GFCI-outlet t., t e r: This little
at www.finehomebuilding.com/survey204 teSler is the quickest way to dwck a
to ent er the drawing. GFCI outlet for proper wiri ng and lault
protection . It's also a fast way to figure
out which breaker powers a g i... en
circuit. ($6) 3

DRIVERS 0 Phillips head 112 and #3: Almost ~ Nut driver: Most grounding screws
ellery screw t hat was once ,Iolted for a for metal workboxe s have a "/,,·in. hex
flathead screwdriver now Iccepts ill Phillips heaod. I find II '/Io·;n. nut driver to be thll
head, too. The 112 and.3 are the two must- q uickes t means of tightening th em. (S7)
118'11.1 sizes for electrical work. ($7 each)
[) Robertson #1 and #2: These
EJ Flathoad lJ1' In . ,lind V.. in. : square-drive screwdrillars are my fa ... orit&
I hale slotted screws, but they are tool. and no one else I know uses them.
common. For electrical cover plates, Most new devices (receptades. $witche$,
"I... in. ;5 the standard size; among etc.) feature screw, that can be driven with
other Ihings, the V.-in. size comes Phillips, flathead. or Robertson (square)
in handy liS II "beater· for screwdrivers. the latter of which pro ... ides
breaking the spot welds on the most positive grip . (S8 each)
the knockouts of a meta l
electrical box. ($7 elch )

38 !'IN!'. HOMEBUILDING
Tool Kit
PLIERS
o Side-<:uttlng (aka lineman's): Whether I'm pulling and
clipping cable, or twisting wires together, the5t' pliers are the
most crucial and frequently used tool I own. ($27)

f) Crimpers: Find a pair that is long and slender SQ

that you can crimp togeth&r ground wires deep inside an
electrical box. I also like crimpoors with a cutter built in to
the nose for slicing through t he copper crimping sleeve to
separate old ground-wire connections. ($24)

~ Strippers: Even thlil most basic w ire strippars lire

adequato, but I look lor a set that has a long nose for
l"1Iaching int o tig ht spots and Sltrra ted Jaws to help me pull
wire through the back of elecl ri cal boxes. ($22)

B End cwt: This tool will be your first choice for pulling
out cable staples from a stud or yanking nails from electrical
bo~es or can lights. A good set has sharp tangs arid Ii so lid
b ite for dipping through nails lind staples. ($19)

I:J Needl. nO'8: The fairly pr&< ise cOrltrol of t hese pliers
is great for getting me out of jams-for instance, if I drop II
screw in the back of a crowded electrical box or need to pull 5
some cable through a hole in a stud or pla te. ($28)

MATERIALS
o Electrical tape: Black tape is the standard. but I a lso carry roll s of
white and g reen 50 that I ca n marl< grounded a nd ungrounded conductors
for easy identification . ($4 per roll)

fJ Wire nuts: II I had to pick one wire nut to cover the bulk of my day-
to -day work, it would b e 3M's Performance Plus Tan f Red wire connectors.
These nuts handle from 1122 to 1t8 AWG (American wi re gauge ) wires,
depending on the number of conductors. ($20 p e r bolt)

D Crimping sl ••v., and bonding ,crew,: Most, if not al l, codes

require ground ing conductors to bl;) joined together, especially where
they enter a meta ll ic workbo ll. A jar of various sizes of copper crimping
s leeves lind .10 gleen ground screW$ is a mU$t-have. (100 count
s l•• ves: $20; 100 count lCfI;/W$: $7)

[) Cable clamp': Thilse important but often-overlooked damps

sec ure and protect cable where it er"lters a light fillture, II workbo)(, o r
,a n e lectrical pan~1. I kllil p both 'h·in. and :Y.·in. p last ic ellImp$ and ... few
metal clamps in a rang e 01 siZEls up to 1 'I, in. {S20 for a ssortml!nt)

~ Staples: Most of th e cable I insull is . 12 and .14 AWG, 50 I keep

lots of insulated stap les ill these two sizes. (40 count: 52, 50)

r;, SCI'QWS: When I havlI to install workbox ~Iltll nsions in a kitch&f1 back-

...
splash or I lose a fastener from 11 fillturll, il6x32 and *8,,32 screws saVII thll
day. I buy t hem long a nd cullhllm 10 length with my strippers. ($5 p er box)
3

• 5

www.finch()mch\lild;,,~.cum 11 1 ~FI) U LY 200~

"
Leak-

A peel-and-stick
membrane under
the flashing
guarantees
that the skylight
won 't leak-ever

BY M IK E G U ERTI N

useJ to worry eve ry rime I

I installed a skylight . Even with

(he best installation detailing, 1
could still expect a storm to hit
from jUSltM right direction .'Iod drIVe:
Wd(('T behind the fl ashing. When

1 discovered pccl-a nd-stick mem-

branes, my worrymg days c:nded.
Now I follow a scricsof simple step:-;
that hasn't failed in more than IS
years' worth of installa tions. The
key to success is integrating the
membrane and {he Rashings with
the shmgles to direct water back to
tht: surface of the roof. Alrhollj!h
the project shown here is a retrofit,
I w(jllid Hash it the S;l m c way on a the opening wou ld be centered un nen. Then I can go out and snap
TH;::W hume. the interior room's CC"iling. I framed chalklines between th e ~c r ews to
th e sk ylig ht ope n ings from the mark th~ location.
Put the skylight here imide, as shown in the d rawing (fac- To star! t he hole. I st rip back
This project called fo r addin,l{ two ing page). the roof sh ing les, bcg in nlllg three
22-i n.-widc skylights (for 24-in. on- courses above the lop of the skylight.
center framing) into rafters SP.1Ced Cut the opening one layer To fr ee the thi rd course. ( pull the
16 in. on center. To suppo rt th ~ at a time oail~ at the center and at th t coune
op~ nin g and tail rafters, 1 s istcr~d Wi th the f{)l1gh openi ng framed, alxwe. A carefull)' II1scrted thin flat
th~ inside face: of the existing rafters the casi ~t way to locate the skylight b,;IT breaks the shi n~ cs' sclf...dhesivc:
10 close:: the overall opening down on the roof is to stand in side and si ripand wedges up under the uuih•.
3 III. moTt:. Then I positioned the drive !;Crews up through the ~ hea th­ h 's casler toscparate the self-adhesive
skyligh t up the roof plane so that ing and the shingle~ 3 1 all four COT- strip when the shingles are cool. In

F INE HOMEBUILDING
 1 . Strip IHdl the Ulingles first
Unless the entire roof is being replaced,
shinglel must be removed carefully 50 1hat
after t he skylight Is ;rt1ached, 1he shingles
'"' can ~ re·;ntvgnrtvd properly with the step
flnhing.nd 1he wat erproof metmbr.ne.

Th. middle rMter

REFRAME, i$ cut to make
room for hellders.
STRIP, AND CUT
Skylight o penings sometimes
need additional mo difica-
tions. In t his 9J1:ample, the
cente r raft er was cut out t o
creat e a space wide enough
for the skylig ht. The am ount
removed incl ude d the thick- 2)(8 h••d er, Idded
bet ween rafters at
nesses of both heade rs to top Jnd bonom 01
be added. The rafte rs o n skylight opening
each side of t he space must
be doubled fro m ridge to
plat e if the tail rafter <t he
rem nant below t he skylight)
is more t han 3 ft. long. In
t his case, the ext ra raft e rs
were added to t he inside to Molt framet'
mount to the
reduce t he roug h ope ning's roof deck with
width. Finally, head e rs were metal brackets
screwed to both
installe d above and below t he skylight and
the skylight's position. the roof framing.

2. Fold beck the underl.yment

Once I'~e locate<! the skylight', position an d to
stri pped back the shingles, I snap. Slit of
cha lkline. on t he r oofing underl.yment and I tap e th e leadin g
remove tha t netio n. Next, I mike 3·;n.·lon9 e dg e of th e Ihl ngl'" To keep 5Jwd u5t and roof de bris when framing
ho rizontal CUtl at the bott om and 6·;n .. long with housewrap t ape fr om falli ng into t he ho",n, I
diag onal cut. at the t op that . play out about 10 keep sawd ust and sta pl. a shllt of poly over the skylights
3 ill. Then I fold away t he ulldert.ymlnt fllIp" grit from getting skylight opening fr om inside
under the roofing , beforl cvtting the Iheathing, BUILDING CODI!5
Ilntlgr.tl these filips into Ihe fllllhing Ili te r. Check local building
codes to ve, ify fr.m·
ing detelll,
STANDARD SIZES
Many skylights are
hot wenther. I break the seal cOirly or below thc bottom line oflhe sky- the frame: and mst:lll the frame pcr siu~d 10 fit betw. .n
In th.: morning bc-fore the sun has light opening. I !>aVe the shingles I've the manufacturers inSlfUCTlons_ I rafter. 16 in. 0'
24 in. on cent..., and
hit the roof. I rcmov.: full shingles pulled to reuse:: around the skylight. prefer to Ie:Olove the glass from the OfIly neld a header
to the nut joint left aml ri~hl of the With the shingles removed, I snap frame to reduce the skylight's weight instilled between
u. ylight op:tung rather than cutting chalklinC'5 between the screws (0 or
and 10 CUI the chance KratchinK the twO "fters.
the glass. and to make it osier to run IIOOF TRUS5E5
them in the middle. outlinc the skylight location, then
Don't cut truSM.
Once the upper cnurse:: of shingles removc the sc rews. Inside. I staple the: peel-and.stlck membrane to the w1 thout consultiog
is done, successive cou rses arc eas~ plastic over the skylight opening to lOp or the rrame. an eng in"'. For
more information
ier to remove because the nalh arc comain the dust. T hen I go back to o n framing skylights
expos«!; JlL~t pull the nails and scpa~ the roof, where I lLOU: a elrcubr uw Peel-and-,tick m e mbrane in roof INUes, "e
rate the sdf-adhCllve strip. I remove to cut the roof sheathing. , •• 1, the frame to th e roof «C&A" In FHa '132
(p. 24) .nd "D"mat;c
.~hinglcs until' rCdeh Ihe course After I've ~wept th e roof, I separat~ Despite the layers of underbyment, Skylight" in FH8
whose topcdgc is within 2 in. above the glass portion of the skylight from shingles, and flashing, I count on the '164 {pp. Q2·1m.

www.r.nchomchuilding.com IUNE/ IULY 2{){)<1 ..

SLICE, WRAP, AND PROTECT WITH A WATERTIGHT SEAL
Although metal step flashing is th e primary
weather barrier between the skylight
4. The head
frame and the roof shingles, self-adhesive nH,'mbrane
membrane, when applied first, ma kes a goes on last
watertight seal that a lso self-heals a ro und Run the head
nail penetratio ns. I cut 9·in .- to 12-in.- a,ro~s

wide strips of membrane fo r each side everything

at the top,
of the skylight (there should be a min- trimming and
imum of 5 in. adhered to the roof) r~ i nforcin9 tha
~orner~ in the
and make each one about 12 in . same m anner
longer than the skylight edge. as the bottom

To make If gutt", that directs

water down and IIWIIY from
t~ 'rame, the side memb'ilnil
is bonded to thll underside
of the under/ayment, then
folded b.:Ick towilrd the
$kyligl'tt " lOme.

Bow·tie PiltChe$
flnrtched the
ro~~

underlaym9nt is
trimmlHi to the edgo
of the membwne after
the two are bonded.
1. Start lit the
Center the membrane,
and align it with the
edge of the frame.
Remove the top half of
tha release sheet, and
prf'S5 the strip onto the
2. Relnforu the (Qrner,
Milke vertical cuts in the membrane at the s idos of the
*
frame 'I> in. t o in. fr om the corner. Press th e na rrow strip
,
fra me. Then remove the "round the COrner and let the ears fold down onto the roof.
second hall of the sheet, Because the ~kyligh t corne rs are potential leak po ints, I b~c k 3. Create lid .. gutter,
and stid, the membrane up this vL.!lnerable a rea Run membrane strips up
to the top edge of with small p8tch piece. the side of the Iramll, and
the shinglo below of membrane lY! in. to let them overiap t he un de r·
the skyl ight. Trim the 2 ill. wide, I make them layment by 1 in. to 2 in.
membrane Just above bow·t;e shaped so that After adher ing the itrip to
the self·adhesive strip they hAve more surfa ce the fr ame, fo ld back t he
on the shingle courie 50 area t hat ca n bond to thfO unde rlaymllnt. bond the
thilt it won't b., ,,~p05ed skylight frame . I apply membrane to the underside
whefl base flashing and the strip firmly 1IIong one of th e unde rlaymen t , and fold
shingles Me reinstalled. edge fir5t, then stretch the two layers bilek toward
it through the corner the frilm e. Apply II s mD l1 patch
before bonding to the of membrane aCfoS3 the top of
ot her edge. the fold, just above the frame.

42 F INE H OM E BUI LD ING

INTEGRATE THE 3. He.ld f1a~hing
Once the heed flashing
METAL FLASHING is nailed off, I overlap
""'- _ _ its upper flange with the
WITH THE ROOF underlayment and seal
the with strips of
Once I've brought the
shingle courses back t o the
bottom of the frame, I
install t he base-flashing
piece, then begin to alter-
nate between the step
flashing and the shingles
up along the frame. Th is space above
skylight was a fixed frame. the head so
50 the gasket was bu ilt into
thilt it won't
co"eer. debris.
t he window frame. If the sky-
light is operable, the gasket Trim tM shingles
is separate, and I tuck the Ii in. from the
top edge of the flash ing ~. ofth.
a:yIight fr_ .
beneath the gasket first,
then attach the step flashing
with short nails or screws
to t he side of the skylight
frame. I position the bottom
2, Step fl.-hlng
edge of each step flashing
Beginning at the bottom
above the self-adhesive of the frilme, the step
strip of the shingle below. After bringing the shingles flashing ;$ woven into
back up to the bottom of the the shingle courses.
frame, sacure the base flashing to
tha frame with short nails or screws .

pttl-and-~tjck membrane: n the: final .. long the sides, and the head flash-
line: of defense ay;ainst leaks. Applied ing caps the top. I slip the top edge of
meticulously around the skylight the flashing under thc skylight gas-
frame, the m embrane collects water ket, then secure the base flashing to
that get~ beneath the metal flashing the frame with shan nails or screws
and redirect-~ it to the shingle surface at the top corners. \Vhen replacing
below the skylight. shingles, I don't drive n;tils through
The key is to lap the ped-and - the step fla.~hing; their rigidity pre-
stick membrane over the top edge vents the last ~veral inches of shin-
of the shingle course that run~ along gle from lifting up.
the bottom of the skylight. With - With the head flashing nailed in, I
ou[ this step, water that reaches the slip the last couple of shingle courses
membrane will empty onto the roof beneath thme sl.ili in place, lifting
under1;~ym e nt and have to travel up the shingles to hammer the nails.
the length of the roof slope beneath Most Important.] keep in mind that
the shingles until it reachC5 tht I have to renail the course~ above
cave. Alon~ the wa)', the water has the skylight. It'S;1 place th:H'seasy to
hundreds of nail holes that it could forgel at the end of a long day spent
[e.lk through. working on the mof. D

Skylights a re easy to install Mike Guertin is 3 remodeling

Reshingling and flashing afe the contractor in East Greenwich,
~implcst parts of thc process. The R.I., and a contributing t'ditor to The window, at last , With the curb flashed ilnd Virtually
watenight, J can fasten the window to the frame. This sky.
haS(: f1a.~hing wraps around the bot- Fine Homebuilding. His Web site
light was it fil(ed frame, so the counterfli!shing was part of tntl
tom of the r.urh, the ~tep flashing is is www.mikeguenin.com. Photos window frame. Don't forget to remove the protective plastic
integrated into the shingle courses by Charles Bickford. sheet before you descend tha ladder.

www.finehomebuilding.eom IUN EljULY 2009 43

 cw horneos hUlit U510jil I h~ r('~(' ntl y
rcic:.15o.; ,1 Z009 Intern.tU()II.1 Rn ....
dcm iJI Code ORe l or I nletll..ltional
EnerJoO ( ':t,n'>tOn .u iun<A ,,:it- ( C ) will
Ix more elll:rgy efficient du n ,hose' bui h to previ-
ous standards. AS;l rc~ult . the procc~~ o fbui lJi n g
a house could i)CCome a bil m orc com plex and, ill
~t' cases, .a bit more t:x pcn$lv(:.
While eon ~ lrUCl i on · rt: LHed energy codes n our-
ished I II rhe:- I m~, the), were conceived and grew
d uring the energy Cflses and su bsequ ent g reen-
hu ildi ng m ovem ent of the 19iOs. Rece:-nt spikes in
em:rgy co~ts have incrc:tsed Ihe attention on cod~s PERFORMING BLOWER·DOOR TESTS
lhat lim it t:m:rgy w a ste. Those sa m e e n e rg)'-price .~
Code: N 1 102.4.2 Bull dl l"lg·.n ....lope tig htness must be fess than
increases a l ~o ga ined the atte ntion of Presiden t
Barack Obama. wh t) m .lde e n e rgy e ffiCIe n cy ce n-
or .qual to 7 AC H (air changes per no ur) whe n tested with II blower
d oor a t a pressure of 50 pasa ll. Tu ting eM occur an)' time after
" ~
tral to hi ~ sti mulu ~ package. s pec ifying th e n e ed to rough· in and aft.r a ll penetrations of t hl! building e nvel ope ii'" ma d e.
im prove' encrgy c-ffi clenry III 2 m illion ho m es.
What it means to you: A blower-d oo r t,n t (phot o right)
T he 2009 build ing codes refl ect practices that no t
measures the airtightn ess o f bui ldings lind s r.o ul d bo! usoo to test
o n ly hoost energy efficiency, suc h as ai r.scaling and
tke t ight ness of all new homes. II a blowe r-door tl!1;t isn't
in c re asi n g insulation. but .Ilso ad d re.~~ ~usta i na ble­
performed on a horn. , alternetive " Ite.i" mu lt b. met. Tho
build ing p ractices. such as mois tu re co nt ro l. H e re.
criterl" lire so extens ive, thou9h. I h ~ 1 builders will likely
r yC highlighted what I think 3te the 10 m ost sig -
WMlt to do I blowe .... doo. test insle"d of ,aIling for inspec·
n ifica nt energy-rel.. ted code c hanges to the 2009 edi·
t iom; o n the 17 differem ai" 18l1ling me,"ures listed In t ne
tions of the IKe and the IEee. coda. This requiremem does oot ipKi' )' who must obse.....
t hl! lest (illoeill ins.pector or II third-party e\l"tu,ttorl. 50 ft is
You help to create the code
likely Ihlll a v"riet)' of tettlng condit ions will .... i... Yo u mig ht
A n yo n e ca n su bm it a legitim ate suggestio n to
need to ni•• en independenl Ihird·party testing agency that
improvc a build ing rode. Of cour~e . the process is a would ~mini ster the t.n lind g,ve you a report tha t could
bit m o re complex than it S{)unds. To propose a code set lsfy- the energy inspection. The imp lication Is that leaks
c ha nge, fil l o u t the appropr;nt.e rorms found .. , ww w mUSI be soai lld. While prO\lI n.g Ihat tr.. house is tight cou ld
.iccsafc.org and su bmi t them (alung w ith supporti ng hllve costs (thi. d·p"ty verlficlltion or the p urch"sc of test-
rationale) to fhe International Cod e C..ouncil. Pro- ing equipment), mon of the added cost will M in the attentio n to
posals are considered d unng pu blic hearings. whirh detail during constructitH"l e>'d sealIng leah as you b uil d. The ~ve rage
take place every nine m ()I1 II !~ wi th the appropriate blo wer·door t elit costs around $500.
com m ittee (for example. building. plumbing, or

44 F INE lI UMEBU ILD ING

 USING MORE EFFICIENT WINDOWS
Code: N1 102.1 In «rtain warm dimates, the therm.!
INSULATING MASS WALLS performance of windows h ..s been increased.
Code: N1102.2. 4 Refinedinsul. What it means to you: Heat g. i" or h'tilt
tion standard. h_ be.n applied to loss from WIndows Cltuses a signmcant loss of
m", walls to inctlt_ their perfor· energy. Windows .r•• ated by U-value, which is the
m.. nce in both hot ilnd cold dimllte •. in ..erse of R·v.k.oe. The lowe. the number, tn. more
What h: m.ans to you: Code eHlci.nt the window I. at blocking h!pat flow. In dimallt
1Iliews man wlIllito be built to two lones I 104, which .r. g&OOf"al1y hottet" in tn. ~mmer,
d ifferent thermlll-resinant IUnd/irds U·v.lues h4ve decrltllltld, representing .n incre.se
b/lsed on thlt configLlroJtion o f in$ul". in -SlY eHiciency. Sol.r·heal-gllin coeffidentl (SHGC)
lion in the "sembly. The IRC ch,ni. measure how _1I11 window bloch heat from sunlight.
lies" mllSs w..11 ". en MKlve-gr..cte These SllIndolords i11lso h..... cn ... nged.
w~1I made of eOflcrel. block, eon· SHGC Is expressed by ... number between 0 and 1.
eretf, insuililted conerete forms (lCF). n. ,m.ller t .... number, t .... le~s
m",onry cavity, brick, urth. oiIdobe. t-OIlr heat II tr.nsmitted Jl'lto II hom..
eomp!"ltnad .."rth block, remmed In hot1er clim. te' II 104), the SHGC
e/lrth, .. nd solid tlmberllogs. Imiu)a- requiremen t MS b4HHI reducod con·
lion ;ost/lJled on a mllll w/lil Cle/lte, side.ably. which reduce, Ih e st ress on
what', called "thermal lag • The ;"su· <:oolIlIg .quipm<lnt Ind O\Ie.all home
I.n ion increBlls the time it 11k" fo< operating costs.
hot 0< cold temp&ratlll"etI 10 I •• nsle,
from the millS inlo the living spIt~,

reduclr"lg the nr/lin on mec~nic,,1

systems. In SLl lating the Interior of ,
mIISS wall is more expenljve becallH

code 'oqui.ltS" g""'.' t!termlili resi ..

tlnce, which mNnl rno<e inlul",ion.

- •.---" -.
" •

INSTALLING MORE INSULATION AND SMALLER CATHEDRAL CEILINGS

Code: N il 0 2 .1, N 1 1 0 2 . 2.2 In s.ome /IoI'"eas, Insu lation requirements havo been
increMc<i, or tritde-offs Ih'l IlIo~ for Insulation reductions hive been removed. In
. ll aroM, the lize in whICh Clthedr.1 ceilings can b. bu~t has been limited.
What it means to you: In colder climates such as zones 5.nd 6, will insula·
tion IncreaH'd to R·20. Basement i~l/lation .. 1.0 W illS .dded to partlol\! of zone 3,
where It pnMous.ly WI5 not required. The b;.seme<"lt wall must hroo. an insulating
vllt» of at lelu R·5; oth_ise, a fram.d wall r'I"IUlil be built t o c. eate .n insulating
cevity thilt performs to R·Il .
11'1 Iddilion to thel' modest Incre",.s, there ""/It • slgnifocarrt ch/ln9't in tho IECe
and lhe IRe (Builder. Clln follow eIther codo.) Cathedral ceilings tend to .. low tlmited
InSl/lalion iind CoiIn accounl for "rge energy losses. The IEee now limits lhe size of
cathedral otOings to 20% of the insuilled ceiling area through provision 402.1. 1. Th.
IRC has limIted the lize of CIIthedreoi ceilings to 500 sq. ft . M ..ssi .... cathedr.1 ce~ings
(photo right) could be an a.-.:hitltctur.1 e lement of the past.

ww ...... fi nchomchtI11rl i n~.rom l UNE/ I U I.Y 2009

"
mechanical). These commi rtee.~ may accept, adjust, or dismiss the proposed code. INSTALLING VAPOR RETARDERS
After several other votes and committee hearings, your proposal will be presented Code: R601.3 Clau-I or -II vapor retarders /Ire
to [he vOling membership of the ICC in what's called final-action hearings. requitoo 0fI the interior side of framed walls in zooo~
Proposals that pass this hurdle then are compiled into a new published code 5,6,7. and 8 lind 1n Marine 4 .•xcept on b.sement
every three years. This new book is called the model code. The code doesn't wall s; in the below·grade portion of any wall; and in
become law umil an authority h:lving jurisdiction (city, coumy, or state building construction where moist" ... or frozen moisture will
dep.1rtmcnts, for example) adopt.~ it. In almost all cases, this adopting locality not damage the materials us&d in tho auombly.
usually modifies the code to reflttt local interests. So fo r all the items discussed What it means to you: Since the last editi on
in national publications such as Fin~ Hom f:bui/ding, the adopting jurisdiction has of the IRC, the vapor-fetardiH- requirements in the
the final word. IECe, IRC, Ind IBC W<JfO chMged bllsed on In under-
standing 01 building Kience. This change moves the
Codes foster progress; they don't suppress it new vapor-fetarder requirements into their propel" code
C()(\es and the building officials who enforce thcm have long been looked ar as 10Ciition bKlluSll th.y lire more reMonlilbly r..,lated to
the enemy when it comes to home huilding. Although it's unfortunate that rome the building shell. This means that in the prescribed
jurisdictions seem reSlst;mt to change, the ICC is on your side when it comes to zones. you'll need to install a v<'Ipor r~tarder (e.g.,
recognizing new buildin.!!," materials and techniques. Code cannOt possibly cover poly s heeting or closed·cell foam) on the interior side
every conceivable material or method of construction, but it has a built-in proyi- of I wall. A dass·1l1 vapor retarder can be used in lieu
sion that allows you to use new products, materials, and innovative methods of of cllln·lllnd ·11 product, in some cue. when the
construction. These inno\'ations-as well as natural, sustainable materials-Me cladding i....ellted or in5ulated sheathing i. usoo. This
t:ncouraged and accepted through code R IM.II, which sUItes: cooe, which wu pre ... iously on ly part of tho IEee, is
"The provisions of this code are not intended to prevent the installation of any now integrated into the IRe.
material or to prohibit any design or method of construction not specifically pre-
scribed hy this code, pro\'lded that any such alternative has heen approved. An
alternative material, design, or method of construction shall hi: approved where
the huilding official finds that the proposed design is satisfacwry and complies
with the intent of the provisions of this rode, and that the material, methtXI, or
work offered is, for the purpoSe"; intended, at least the equivalem of that pre-
scribed in this code."
Put simply, a building inspector or official is compelled to accept new materiab
if they meet the intent of the code, which ultimately boils down tn nO!:: consid-
eration: safety.

Use innovative products and natural materials

The grttn movement has resulted in an explosion of new products and a turn to
more susrainable, natural materials. To use a manufactured product that is not
code-recognized, you need to acquire testing results from the manufacturer. Nor-
mally, new prod ucts arc marketed after testing and evalu:Hion are complete, but
not always. A home show is a common \'enue to roll out untested new products.
Asa huilder, you might consider one of these items. Ask vendoN if their prodllCt'l
have been tcst((1 by ,HI ilLdepencic:nt laboratory and listed by an appro..·ed agency.
Ask if an evaluation report: is available or if they can cite a jurisdiction that has
accepted the product by issuing a building permit. These questions are the same
oncs building officiah will ask when yo u try to get your permit. INSULATING MECHANICAL PIPES
Natural matc:riaissuch as adobe, rammed earth, straw bale, and t arthc" pJa~tcr Code: N1103 . 3 Mechank:al-system piping capablQ
have a proven pc:rformance record. However, these materials arc not within the of carrying fluids above 10S' F (41 ' C) or below SS'F
prescriptive provisions of the IRe. You can use these materials, but you mUST (I]'C) mull be insuillted to a minimum of R-3.
demonstrate that thc:ir performance mcet.~ a certain level of safety. That proof What it means to you: Although this might
could simply require an analysis by a structu ral engineer, which would satisfy clear up a ", inconsistency between pr .... iously statOKi
the code. requirements of '·in. insulation (which is approximately
Most building inspectors are forward- thinking enough 10 accept innovative R-4). iC . t '-as! rai,as tha required insulation valuas
materials and products through a performance approach. You might cncounter from R·2 to R·3 III a compromise. Re mamber. though.
others who have limited experience or are headstrong. If you run into a prohlem, that this code focuses o n mechanical pipet, which could
ask the of!-icial if they can re<:ommc:nd another acceptable approach. If they don't carry fluids such as glycol, not potable.wllter pipes.
respond, remember that almost cveryone has a boss. Theirs is the building offICial
who interprets the code and who could overrule the inspector. 0

..
Lynn Underwood is chief building official for Norfolk, Va.

FI:"JE HOMEBUILDING
PROGRAMMING THERMOSTATS EXCEEDING THE ENERGY CODE
Cod.: N110l.1.1 In homes where the primary heating Cod.: N11 01.8 A code official or local jurisdic·
Navigating
syuem is <I fOfcod -<l ir /c,rnace, at least one plogrammable tion is permitted to allow a national. state. or the code
thermostat m.. st be insta lled. local green-build ing or energy·efficier>ey program
This thermostat must be able to to exceed the energy effIciency required by the
ma intain lone tllmper~tures from IFtC or IECe. A bUilding approved in writing by
SS'F (13'q to 8S'F (29 ' C). The such II program will be considerV"d compliant.
thermostat must initially be pro- What it means to you: This update
grammed with a heating temper· ensures that builders who use LEED, Energy Star,
ature no higher than 70'F (21"C) 011110", 1green·bu;(ding program m~y b .. able
and a cooling temperature no lower thall 7S'F (26'C). to comply with all enllrgy-code provisions of the
What it means to you: Programmable thermo- IRe and IEeC. The a bove code provision allows a
stats haV1! been a popular addition in many new homes building offici ~1 to deem the energy-effici e nt pro-
beOl use of CUitomer demalld. A typic.al programmab le gram .U ,,~ceedillg the energy efficiency required
thermostat cost~ from S20 to $40 mOrG th .. n ~ simil~r by the coda. Thll valuo of this provision is that
manual thermostat. The u.s. EPA Energy Star Web while the IInergy requirllmllnts of both thll IRC
s ite suggests that when used protx'dy, programmable and the IECC change, other programs initiatad by
tMrmO$tats Cilln ~ve about SI SO a year in energy CO$I1. dtifts, counties, aM Uate1 sometimll-$ do not_t
This code requirement is only for houses that use forced· least not at th e same pace. Buildll" can disrllgard
air heating sy.tems; complications can ~rise with oth"r the energy requirements of the coOO only if the
heating systems. locality has approved the alternati~ plogram.

USING MORE EFFICIENT LIGHTING

Cod l/: N1104.1, N1102.4.5 Half of ~II int .. rio, I.. mps in p"rman"nt light fixtures must be the high-efficacy
type . RecesU!d c.1n lights must meet air·lellk<l9" stand<lrds and must bE- air-sealed upon installation.
What it means to you: Lighting reprllsents ~bout 12% of thll allergy ..,;.. d in a home. You can lower
that amount with high-<!fficacy lamps ~uch u compact fI .. orer.<:en\$ or T-8 linaM fluorescents. The r ~ tionale

for tke 50% standard is to allow flexibility in circum$lanc.. s where a high~fficacy bulb would not pllriorm
well. such as when a compact-fluorllscllnt bulb is operatlld by II dimmable switch.
The code also demands that ~II recened li ghts meet an ASTM manufllcturing tightnes s stand~rd and b ..
sealed with a 9l1sket Or caulk between the housing and the interior wall or ceiling covering. Air·le~kllge tast·
ing fo/these li.tur()S has beell In option for years. Now. manufacturers are able to meet a uniform testing
sumdard. Essentially. they make bett .... tightllr light fi);tures because
of this code change. It will be your job to install a g6sket or to
apply caulk a. an air-5ealing moasu'e when the fixturll is installed.

www.finchomdmilding.com
 Although it has 2-in.-dtid
a classic dry- blu.ston. c.p
stack look, each
stone in this Fill.r rock l et in __ _
amp le mortar
--=-::f '-"
wall is actually
set in mortar.
Because the
back of the C ~ ment slick
wall is hidden, to d i\lert bulk
wattor
it is built with
inexpensive O~orilti\le-roc k
drip gutter
rock and coated
with a slick of Thick bed of
ce ment to pro- mortar under first
course
vide strength
and to help
control drainage.

t4rebar ---~='--'

48 F l NE H UMh ll UI LDINlJ
 Filtar f abric
Because the waH in this project was only about 2 ft. tall and was surrounded by
soil with a high gravol content and lots of thirsty vagetation, we didn't nud a 4.\n. drainage
massive amount of reinforcement or .dditional drainage bahind it. Extra drainage pipe with
filter 50ck
Is, howavar, • good )de. for WiIIUS that illre t_IIer, buit! over dillY soil, or located in
iln anta that SfMS lots of runoH. If you .re unsure. don't wing it. Contact a qualified
V..· ln. gr..llel
contrillctor or mason to help aswl$ the ,it. conditions.
The standard approach to drainage is a perforated drainpipe set .t the bottom .4 rebar
edge of the concrete pad and surrounded by free-draining gravel, with the whole
assembly wrapped In filter fabric:. Short lengths of 1-in.-dia. PVC pipe also can be
placed among the stones to let out water from behind the wall.
If the well is talter then 4 ft., it'l often .til good idea to incorporate drainage at
both the footing and the upper part of the walt as welt (drawing right). I also like Well.comp.llcted and /
adequately drained '0;\
to pitch tall walls backward about J{4 in. for every 3 ft. of vertical rise.
ba~ d~pth In half. A concrete pad also helps to unifY th~
asscmbly, allOWing the wall 10 risc and rail as o ne unit
when th~ ~rou nd frc:e7.es ,md thllws.
In m ostca~s. a poured footing: can he forme<1 jusl by
digging a trench. adding rebar, pou rm~ the cone rct~, and
letting everything set. Straight foot"
ings arc the easiest, bUl curved foot-
ings aren't much extra work. Once
[have die ~rea cleared and leveled,
[ scribe th~ curve in the din, play-
ing around with the luyuut until I'm
happy with the shape: and the Anw of
rhe wall. Then digging can bcgm.
If patio ('IQvers are going toahut the
stone wall, I like to form tht" (:dge~
of the footmg wit h 'A in. or YI- in .
plywood, which I remove once the
wall iS 00111. ThIS createS a smoother
surfac~ so that m wimer munths, the
patio l",v(,1& will he: less likdy tn rol-
lic.k with the wall fOl.Xmg anJ heave;
1['s th(' same prinCiple as using card-
hoard Sonotuhcs for pier f()()(ings.
Drainage anti hydraulir pressure
are .llso concerns when I'm design-
Ing J \V,tll . I Wish there were a rulr
of thumb for this issue, bur every
il\.~tallatlon i~differenl. 11k SlOtU: wall
featuf('d here wa~ sct at the foot of a
short hill ; the soil both below it and
behind it had lots of gravel mixed in
to proviJe excellent natural drainage. In thi~ C~ise, no other
drainpipe! we re neces~ary, hut if a ret<1l11 lng wall is at
the bottom of a long downward-slopi ng hi ll and doesn't
have at It.m.1 perlorated drainpipe SCt silllil:.&r to a typi-
(al footing dram on a house: (drawing p. 49), the buildup
of water behind the stone Will force the w.1l1 t()rward.
It's also sometimes necessary to install small-diameter
PVC pipes th rOullh the wall to allow water to drain from
hc:hind the );tones. If you are unsure of your site condi-
tions., I s'-'AAesl c;llhn!l: a qU:llified contractor to help you
a~ the soil, dr:;lIna~e, a nd other factors. The same IS
Irue If you are bU ilding a wa ll that will be taller {han
4 fl. or that will supp()rt a ~tructurc or a Jnveway; con~u lt
a !itroetu ral ('nglncer. These wall~ often nttd addition:ll
reinfilrcement and an: best Idt to professionals.

The first course Is the e as iest

Once the fo()ti n,ll:~ h.I\·c curtu, (like to spread the p.ll1en
out and pick through an the stone to find COrntT!>tunes

SO FINF H(lMFBlJll.IllNC
Match the
•
mix
The basic
ingredients in a
batch of mortar
are portland
cement, hydrated
lime (typically
labeled as type-
S or type·N
mortar), and
sand mixed with
water. I vary the
mil( proportions
depending 0f1

the task. Here

ar. the differ-
ent mix*S I use-d
for this stone wall.
Mortar
Face/filler dones
• 1 bag type·2
portland cement
• V2 bag type-N or -5
mortar
. 18 to 20 shovelfuls
of sand
• About 5 gal. of water
• Adjust amount of sand
until the mix looks
smooth and fluffy.

C.p5tone and
"slick" on back side
of wall
• V:i bag typ&-2
port land cement
• Yl bag typa-N or -5
mortar
• 14 shO\lelfuls of sand
• 3 gal. to 4 ga l. of water
• Mix to a thick, peanut-
butter-like consistency.

JU NE/ JULY 2009 51

 and. if necessary, cap~tone:s. Cornerstones should have
at least one 90° angle; capstones should be relatively
brge auJ flat on one side. When I find a stone dut looks
appropriate for ,he face of the waH, I use: my bricklayer'~
hammer tochip off unwamed Upt:rs and nonusablc cor·
ners until the stone is ready to go. Doing this work at the
Ilallet also keeps most of the waste: away from me wall.
which maka it easier to wor k.
I p UI the usable stones in a w hedbarrow and move
t~m 10 the workingarca near the wall . I place me unde·
sirable stones and broken leftovers in buckel.$ to be used
as backfill, as shims to prop up the main stones during
instalbtion. and later as chinking to fill gaps.
The first course of stones ill till!> type of wall is actu·
ally the easiest occau.'\C you don't have: to think about the
bottom, top, anJ ~iJes of each stone; you need to worry
only ahout the sidts and rhe top occause a healthy bed
of mortar evens out the: bottom. For this first course, r
ehoo$C stones that vary in height and size, hut 1 make
sure they arc flat on top. Any stones that have a fhre or
a slope will Ix- difficult to build on top of, so make sure
to put that side of me ~lo ne faceJown. I like (Q layout
the whole firM conrse before applylflg any mortar, whlch
allows me to double-check my wurk After ad justing
any stones I'm nO!: happy with, I m Ix the mortar (sidebar
p. 5 1) and SC'.t the first course.

Build up the &.ri: sid•• Ah.r utting a faw coursti of stone on the face of Stringlines help to guide the installation
the wall, I build up tho bclck siC» with less expensive blasted ledge stone set Strt nglincs are essential for helping me to keep ~ch
in plenty of mortar.
course of stone level and plumb. The stringlinc ~ houl d
be sete\'en with the front face of the first: course: of stones
and moved upon the wooden s~kesas thecounies prog·
ress. J periodically check that the: wall is plumb hy stand·
iog above the stringline and looking down toward the
base of the wall (photo pp. 50-51). This min&.~ighling
method docsn't work as well on curved walls as it docs
on straight walls, so make sure also to check the cu rved
sections with a level as the wall is huilt.
With thc stringlincs in place, I begin work on thc corner~
and transition points of the wall, building them up to the
desired finish height, then filling in toward the middle.
My l:lst piece: of advice; Don't work in ow:, )pot on the
wall. Insteild, grah om: stone at a time:, and bring it to an
appropriate spot on the wall. The stones might nc:c:d to
be twe:lked with a few blows from a bricklayer's ham-
mer hefore being placer! on the wall, hut if)'ou pick up a
stone, imtall it somewhere.
After all ihe cnurses have been set, the capstones can
Ix fahricated anr! IOstilllcd (sidebar facing page). I prefer
to leave backfilling and landscaping un til after the cap-
stone:. 11:1"'e set up completdy. ThisaUoWll me to rUll the
backfill righl up 1<'1 the back edge of the hluestone for a
smooth transition. 0

G. ps ge t.".p" To help crE'ate I true dry·stack look, we use the chipped. Brendan Mostecki is OJ mason in Leominster, Mass.
off chunks and slive" from our rock hammering to fill the spiKes between
stones. Ideairy, these small stones will slide in deep enough to be held in His Web site is www.culturedmasonry.eom. Photos
place by the mortar. If not, add a bit of mortar before inserting. by Justin Fink.

52 F I NE HOMFRUt!.nJNC;
Visit our home page to see
lJfrae video of the author
marking. rocking. and
thermaling these caps.

Oi r-J,-,ffJ2I!:l wiJ :.JjtJ;). ::':..Iffl

 OSt fini sh ca rpente rs I kno w have

M at least a couple of rouren In their

Irucks; cabi netmakers have double
or lrip1c that number in their shops.
Even frammg crcw,~ use routers to fabricate curved
parts and to cm out window and doo r openings in
sheathing. I have eight routers, and I ca n think of at
kast three I'd like 10 add tu my collection.
\Vhy have so many routen? Hccaust different rout-
ers excel at different tasks. For most woodwo rken
and carpenters., midsize routers (1 ~ hp to 21;4 hp) arc
the c:veryday choice:. A fixed-hase model is useful for
cutting rabbets. hinge-mortising, flus h-trimming,
doing pattern work, performing joinery tasb, and
taki ng on many router.tablc jobs. A plunge router
doe& mortise-and-tenon wor k. deep excavations, a nd
CUts mat aren't ,Iccessiblt! from the edge of the slock.
For the beSt ofborh wor l cl~, eon ~ ide r 01 combo kit,
whIch includes a single motor WI th interchangeable
fixo::i and plunge bases. (Some kin also include a
D -handle base; m ore on tha t later.) Comho kits arc
Icssexpensi\'e tha n fixed-base and plunge-base roukrs
purchased .separately; they also allow you to ktep buth
tools in one St(lf:lgeca.o;e. With oO(of these kits in hand,
there aren't many router tasks you can't handle.
Combo k its arc available in a variety of motor ~i zcs,
MJ to keep lhings fair, I limited m)' rest to cig-ht kits

54 FINE HOMFBUILDING
that:l.ll have:l. ""ariahlc-spccd, Ridgid R2930 www.ridgid.com $200
soft-starr 21/4_hp motor. Each I found switching the Ridgid's motor from base
model accepts both lA-in. and to base much more difficult and awkward than
Ill-in. shank bin, and the pro- on the other tools because the spindle·
lock bunon needs to be engaged. The
prietary Bosch guide system
motor is also much taller than others,
aside, each h.!.se accepts standard
which made it less stable when cutting
Porter-Cahle-style template along the
guides. (An adapter is available edges of
for the Bosch.) Except for the stoc.:k. The power switch
Ridgid kit. which is stored in a on the motor was hard
soft-sided bag, all the kits come to slide on and off,
in pLlstic cases ranging in size but the wrenches
for blade changes
from large to ridiculously huge.
were nice. Although the plunge base features comfy handles and smooth
Curious aboU[ relative noise action, it had too muc.:h play for my taste. On the plus side, the Ridgid is
levels, I u~d a dccibd meter to the only tool that uses a fabric carrying case, which I like a lot. The Ridgid
measure how loud each tool was mo,",!" to the under· can be adjusted from above when mounted in a table, and it includes LED
at idle and during heavy use. side of the motor are a lights on the underside of the motor, a worthwhile feature. This is a nice
While I found some minor varia- surprisingly nice feature. router that has only II couple of minor problems.
tion, the volume test ended up
rx:ing a moot point bcc<mse all tht"
tools were fur too loud to rx: used Makita RF1101KIT2 I had only a few quibbles with the Makita kit, which is basically a
www.makita.com $205 nice set. The squat motor is compact Clnd well bCllanced, and the
without hearing- protcrtion.
power switch is just that, a traditional metal toggle switch. The
What I found most intriguing older-style black baseplate reduces visibility compared with most
aoout this group of fnol.~ was the other models. The ring·type depth adjustment on the
relatively narrow price range. In fixed base is accurate, but the black-on·black gradua.
many tool reviews, the best of tions are too hard to see. I also
the bunch costs twin' as much couldri"t fit my hand
as the average modd. But with inside the fixed
six of the eigh t routers in this base to instill! the
template guides.
review priced within S300fcach
The plunge base is
otber, it fclt like a competition a no·frills operation with
where eac h manufacturer stiff but smooth action; the
was given $200 and asked auto·lock mechanism is a bit
to produce the be.~t modd difficu lt to hold. This is the
it could. only tool I tested that requires bases alJow the tool to
tightening a screw to hold the be triggered withol.it
Fessing up to motor in the base. moving your hands.
some personal
preferences
Not surprisingly, I Jidn't find Milwaukee 5616-24 www.milwaukeetool.com $230
any true d(Jg.~ in this review; Some things on this router were great. The 80dyGrip base was comfortable and provided a
each router kit performed high level of control, and the depth adjustment allowed for e3$)' fine·tuning (though I think the
admirably. In the end, especially 9~aduated wheel was slightly out of calibration because I had trouble hitting target measurements
during depth·testing). Also, the kit includes two
with such a tight price range, it
large, beautifully forged wrenches. Unfortunately,
came down to the little things the plunge mechanism was sloppy, the spring on
on each tool that aJded up to the auto·lock knob was
m3ke my work easier, and those .....ay too stiff, and the
liuk things will be different for locking knob
each user. T hope the standard- on the depth
ized tests help to cancel out any rod was tiny
of my pcrson:l1 biase.\ .,;(J th:lt you and slippery.
I tested a
can make an informed choice,
second plunge
bur I still want to come clean base to rule out a
on what llikc and dislike ah()ut
a"t lJ grip. An overmold random lemon, but the
these routers in general. rubber hand grip with problems remained .
First. I Jon't like ~inglc­ adjustable ~trap pUr Finally, the carrying
wrenc.:h!spindlc-lock collet sys- vides exc.:ellent control. case is enormous.

s. !'INE HUMEBUII.OING
Craftsman 28084 www.craftsman.com $220 tt::m~. I'vc never felt as if I havc
This kit is another fa irly solid entry that performed most tasks adequately, but none spectacularly. the same sense of the tigh tness of
My favo rite thi ng about this too l is the three LED lights mou nte d to the botto m of the motor. The the collet with only one wrench.
pl ungll base worked smoothly, had o nly a ti ny bit of p lay, lind did not auto-lock. The fixed base, o n Iksides, it's difficult to change
the other ha nd. had some issues. Two of my three sets of template guides d id n't fit hirs 00 q uite a few of the romers
in the provide d baseplate; the hole in t he baseplate
w ith the motor ins ta lled in thc
is just a little too
sm"l !. Also. the depth base, which mea ns you an:: t ry~
adjustment has two full ing to hold a cylindrical mo to r
turns of slop and depress a cul!t:t-lock button
in it, mi'lking w ith one hand while work ing
accurate the wrench wi th the other. Even
adj ustmenl$ t hough I have strong, decent-
d ifficult. The ha nds, I found this task to
Craftsman is
be frustrati ng at best, r prefer
also the only tool with
a collet that does not to changc hits wit n t ht:: help
wnmdl baseplate allows a llow for th e use of of two w re nches. The good
for quick table-mounted two wrenches. wh iel1 is news is that mosl ohhe rout~
depth adjustnwrH. a seri ous o versight. ef5 have a flat spot milled on the
motor shaft to ;tccommooate a
second wrench. The bad news
Porter·Cable 894PK The Porter-Cable kit that I tested features the GripVac base, an is tha t no t all manufactu ren
www.porterCllble.com $280 excellent design certainly worth an extra $20, but the router is
inelude a second wrench.
a lso available with a standard, two-handle fixed base ($260). The
Porter-Cable's motor features an innovative switch next to the left-
Twa nt to h:\\'c as many fi ngcrs
hand handle that's IIlso a ccessible from the top of the motor. as possible o n t he knobs d uring
Tnis way, flipping over the route r a nd placing it on the top orx:ration, so I favor route rs that
of the motor shuts off t he tool; don't rcqu ire me to hold dowli
tne switch cannot be a lever to make plunges. A few
plunge bases I tested also had
stiff springs, which made it ti ring
position, common for
to hold the lever hack to make
changing bits. The
motor has a spindle repeated plunges. I'd rathe r lock
lock and includes the tool whcn I need to and have
it unlocked when I don't_
All the routers have some pro-
used with two easily at the base, this vi.~ion for vacuum-!Xlwered dust
$witch also projects from collection. Consisting largely of
the top for safety.
va rious plastic part~ that screw or
- - ~~~-
snap into the bases to .~u r round the
hi t~, m ost fd t like afterthoughts.
Hitachi KM12VC www.hitachipowertools.com $150 T hey a ll provided decent dust
This is a no-frills. basic entry that did fine in my testing. The fixed base shares the $ame ring-type collection when cuttmg dadoes
deptn adjustment as the DeWalt and has comfy rubber-coated knobs, but there was play between or mortises, but none performed
the motor and base. making depth-setting hit-and- adequately on edge ClltS.
miss. The plunge base had some play and made T h c problem wit h all th c~e
a grinding noise on the way up. and ( didn"t ha",e
~ hi dds and covers is t hat when
confidence in the $tability of the depth turret during
a heavy cut. Although the d ustoollcction isn't being used, the
router has an alito-lock shield insta ntl y becomes coated
plunge mecnanism, with dust and reduccs visibility
the spring was 10 no thi ng. Plus, on delicately
gent le enough balanced edge cut&, the vacuum
to hold tne hose can In:lkc it Illuch more d if-
lever back
fic ult to cont rol the rOute r_The
easily. The price
range for these kits is exceptio ns to this category afe
pretty tight, but if you are the plunge bases from Porter-
template adapw looking to save as mIJch as Cableand Dc Walt,and Porter-
and centering gauge possib le, this rOIJter offers C'..ah.\e's n-handlc base. These
make setup a breeze. good value. tools have dust-collection (:apa-

www.finc homcbu iIJing.co<l' JUNE/ JULY 2009 57

THE bil ities engi neered into dH~m,
extracting dust through plungc
FAVORITES
tubes witho ut compromising
control :,nJ vlMbility.
TWO Must of the roUlerS come with
clear polyca rbonate baseplates.
CLOSE a c hange from me black plates
tha t were standard for many
TO years. T he new plates an: flat
a nd provide great visibility.
CALL T hey are not as slippery ,IS
the black base-;, though. so I
gave them ;m occasional (:'Oat
of paste wax.
De Walt, Craftsman, and Porter-
['..ahle offer kits with an optional
V -handle base. I W,IS eager to try
them because I've never owned
one. Although I liked being able
to trigger the tool while keeping
a firm g rip on the handle, J >(ill
favored the babnee a nd doge.
quarte rs grip of t he standard
basc.\. 1 appreciated the fael that
this third base could be mounted
in a router table, leaving me with
plunge a nd fix ed bases, a nice
perk for the route r--depri vcd.

Tie g a me
During the cuurse of my shop
and Job-site te.~ling, r guvitated
DeWalt DW618PK Bosch 1617EVSPK
www.dewillt.com 5215 toward the BO$Ch, the Porter-
www.boschtools.com $215
Cable. and the DeWalt routers.
Compact size A squilt motor makes this Guides The Bosch kit comes
I really like the: Rosch's innova-
router hug the worksurlace, a bonus for edge- padaged wi th .1 nice edge
proflling and hinge-mortising. tiv e: dick-in tcmplate I,,'llide$ and
guide and a sta rter set of three
Plunge action As recorded in my field notes, proprietary template guides (e toc Dc Walt's squat, st.1ble m()l:or
the plunge action WilS "gorgeou$/ had no Porter-Ca ble-st yle adapter is ami easy depth adjusrment. Tht:
side-ta-side play, and did not auto-lock. sold separately). These guides Porter-Cable's fixed base i5 th ~
click into place without the tedious screwing ixst of the bunch. It's a tough
DUlt coll"ction Th. dus t extraction on th is tool
was top of the hoap. necessary with traditional systems. call, but I have to g1\'e an edge to
Ergonomics The distinctive ..... ooden handles the Bosch and the DeWalt mod-
Extru Thi, kit is also available with aD-handle
on the filted base Bre comfortable, but they ds fi)T thei r silky~smooth plunge
base, which includes a lock-on trigger and
are large and a bit slippery. Users with small or mechan isms and perfcc{ results
a twist-Io<::k detachable power cord ($265).
arthritic hands could have trouble.
Although I found I wasn't a hill of the D-handle in the s helf-pin tcst. With no
for e\leryday routing. it occurs to me that it Depth adjustment The depth adjustment on pncc difference between the'Sc
could still be used in a ro ute r-table setup. the fixed base is excellent, and the p lunge base
models and each including cool
which would leave me with plunge has a wifll... ng ine~lfIed microadjU5tm.nt on the
depth rod. Although the plunge base has an fcatUJe'S tha t !ot:t them apan from
and fb:ed bases.
auto-lock mechanism, it is easy to hold the I.v.r the: crowd, I decidct.l to rate both
Depth adjustment The fixed base kits besToveT<ll1. lJ
back while p lung ing the tool.
o n this model has an old-school,
rotating ring to adjust motor depth Rout.r-table compatible Bosch is one of th ree
that ..... ork.d v.ry w.1I and was manufactur.rs Wh051t router can be adjusted Kit Camp is a woodworker
easy to road. from above when mounted in a router table. a nd finish carpenter in San
Bottom line I like everything about this tool They m.. k. a good case The carrying case is Diego , Ca lif. His Web site is
exe.pt the lack of II second ..... r.nch and the reaso nably siz&d-not too big, not too small. www.northparkwoodworks
fact that the giant cne requires too much Bottom line The Bosch is a time-tested, top- .com. Photos by Justin Fink,
fu ssing to get ev.rything ori.nted correctly. flight tool. except where noted.

58 FINE 1I0MEB U ILDI}; G

BY BRENT BENNE R

T
here's nothing like
built-Ill rurniture to
turn ,In ,lwkw:Jrd
~pace In[Q a cozy

IItxlk. To many people, the .IT!

oftile built-in reached its height
during the Art and Crafts move·
ment. My chents hold that (tpin-
ion ~o dear to their hear~ th .. t
they've turned their house lilto
a s howcase of period design.
Recently, they asked me t(t build
a n Arts and Crafts style bench
to serve a.~ an inglenook for their
h.... ing-room fireplace.
The bench began Wi th a
de5ign Ixlfrowcd from a ~imilar
pit:ce in m y clients' furniture
collect ion. Made of <:ju.1Tter-
~aw n white oak, my take on Ih~
dtsign has simple L-shapcd sidc.~
with a decorative slot, a frame-
and-panel backrest, and storAge
under a hinged scat. Like all good
mglenooks, it\ ~hoehorned mto
a space between the fireplace
and a corner.

Get started with

accurate measure ments
T o dctermine the dimensions
of the bench, I used a set (tf
homemade measuring sticks 10
si= the space where the bench
would be installed. NOl h mg
more than two long pieces of I x
scrap wood held ~iJe by Side, the
sticks were tclc.o;coped out to the
left and right to span the exact
width of the space :dlOtled for
the bench. A pencil line drawn
ASSEMBLY WITH ":"kJf':""'~ are capturad (but
and telils joined
FlEXIBILITY IN MIND _""'" _'"'. by'A.~;,". stub tenon
. groove-.
This bench is essentially a box within II
boJl" The inner bo.o:; 15 stable plywood,
and the outer is white oak, which
like most ,olid wood tef'\ds to mOil.
seasonally. The variou$ parts of the
bench have to be assembl@d with
elongated screw holes 50 that the
wood won't crack when it swell, or
shrinks 8euu,. it's a built-in, the
bench also must have extra
mitterlal in key areas 50 that
it can be scribed to thQ floor
and waUl.

TM dadoli5 that accept

tn" back are stopped about
l'h in. berow th9 top edge so
that they won't show; the b3Ck
Stit.s . ", nolchod accordingly.

A lA.in. by l"·in. p iec. of oak

cOIlC••I, t he lop Iront edge
of the plywood 00)1 when the
I.at I. O~",

Surplus material along t l'HI

bottom edge of the front
allo"", the installer to scribe
the stock to the floor.

Sometimes, t he
easiest Is th.
b est. I assemble
the U·'Shaped
seat frame with
g/ue and pocket
screws to produce The sides are 4 I'A in.
a strong. tight tall, TS'/t in. wide,
joint quickly. and TV. in. tnid<.

across both sticks marked the measurements Ihat I laler transfe rred bit to relieve the pand s' edge to fit illlo the frame's groove. Although
to the bench design. the: r"iseJ profile is hidden on the back of the bench, the del;!1 1is his-
Once I had accurate site mea5urements, I made a shop drawing of toneally accurate. When' had the b.1ck glued up, I built the: box for
the piece, and use<l the dimensions to mill and glue up stock for the the bench's 5torage sp..Ke from Y+-in.- thlck maple plywood.
sides, sear, .1 nd p:mds. I used 614 stnek for the sides and 4/4 stock for
the baek; th~ final thicknesses came to l ila in. and l VI6 in. respa:tivdy. Use t e mplates for consistency
(If you don't have the tools [0 mill rough ·sawn lumber, most loe.. l Next, ] created a template that was the exact repliCl of the side pieces.
hardwood supplier.> Cdn pLane and jomt stock for a small ftt.) I used !4-in. MDF for the: tc:mplales because it'~ ine:xpensive and uni-
A fter aillhe parts were m illed, ' be,!!an building the bench., starting form. Oncr [he template was draw n and cur, ' tr;Ict:t1itsoudine onlo
with the b."lck. Made like a cabinet door. the bJek i~ a frame-and - the side stock. rough-cut the pieceson:J handsaw, then cleaned up the
pand assembly; the rails and sra \es are milled with a square-edgcd line u~ing the template to gUide a router and a flush·trim bit, which
stub-tcnon-and-groove joint. The panels aren't glued to the frame, I've found makes a d eaner cut than a straight bil and bushing.
so they can move" seasonally. I m ade the pands ~ in. th ick SQ that After cutting the decorative ~otS in [he sides (also usmg a template),
they'J ne\l~r crack or rattle in the frame, and I used a raised-panel I routed dadoes to accept the seat apron and the seat. , used the origi-

60 F I N!:. HUMEBUILDING
 I used a router table to shape tne rails, stiles, and
back panels. After cutting the stock to length, I routed
the grooves with a V.-in. slot cutter, Next, I cut the stub
tenons with a double slot cutter and secured the stock
on a shop-built crosscut sled, Hold-downs immobilize the
stock, and a T-slot insert from a bevel guide keeps the jig HIe·IN. IIAISEO·
parallel to the bit. Finally, J used a vertical raised-panel bit PANEL BIT

to relieve the l/4-in.-thick panels' back side.

The most accurate method of

cutting identical pieces is
to use a template. Here,
I cut the design from a
piece of V.-in. medium-
density fiberboard
(MDF), traced its shape
onto the side stock, then
rough-cut the shape on
a bandsaw. I used double- 1v.-IN .·LONG
I'l.USH-llIIM S IT
sided tape to adhere the template temporarily
to the bottom of the stock and a 11h-in.-long
down-shear fl ush-trim bit to trim to the line.

Change the direction of cut

Two ways to When routing. the iKcepted practice is to push the rou ter against the direaiQn
reduce tearout of tho bit's spin. When haod hQ ld. thQ routCl" should travel from left to r19M; on a
router table. t~ work Is pu'hed from right to left. Ho_vlIf", fo r handheld rout-
ing shapes t hat involve changus in grain d irK'lio n or end· gra in cuts, it's better
Use up- and to push the router in the opposi te direction, a technique known as dimb<utting.
down-shear bits For safety" sake, light passes and a fi rm g rip on the rou ter are recommended.
Unliko s\r/ligh\ router bits,
whose flu tes Ire parallel
to the bit's shank, up-she:!r
and down -shear bits
have flutes that wrap
helically around the bit.
Down shl'l.!lr prevents
tR.llrout on the top surlace; Down-shear Up-shear
up shea r prevents tearolit bits pull down flutos pull up
at the bon am. on tM g,,,io. 011 the grain. Standard router direction C1imb-c...tting

JUNE/ j ULY 2009 61

 I test-fittod all the parts to make sure the
joinery was right, then began the assem-
bly by locating and drilling pilot holes.
(1) By angling the drill back and forth,
I enlarged the holes so that the screws
could move with the wood as it expands
and contracts seasonally. (2) I checked
the fit of the dadoes and made adjust-
ments as needed. (3) The back panels
were notched to fit the stepped dadoes.
After the test fit, I repeated the sequence
with glue and screws.

To cut the decorative slot on the

sides, I traced the outline of the
slot, then drilled a l/._;n. access
hole with a Forstner bit, clamped
the template to the back side of
YHN. TO"· the stock (1), and began the cut
BEAIIING
""nUN lIT with a top-bearing pattern bit. I
"""., made successively deeper cuts
.,.
_ .rockl.r.com
(2) until there was width enough
to support a router bit's bearing
from the opposite side. I removed

-.."
UP/ DOWN
SPIRAL liT

www.jot • .o..com
the templ2lte, flipped over the
stock, and used the down-shear
flush·cutting bit (sidebar p. 61)
to finish. Because the cuts meet
in the middle of the stock, the
slot has sharp edges on both sides
2Ind a clean interior.
I used a second
template to cut
O rd er of assembly
Th. boll is scr...... d
dadoes in the bench to on. bench tide; then
sides for the seat the s.at frame and the
frame ,lind the front boll-front panel are fit-
ted Into the dildo on the
panel. (3) This time, sam. side.
I used a bushing in o Next, the opposite
the router base to bench sid. is attached to
the box, the front ~ ... el.
gUide an up/down and the $.at fram • .
spiral bit (photo ri The back pa ....1 is fitted
center left) that cuts to the tides ~nd fa5tened
a flat-bottom dado from the sides and up
through the $eat frame.
and still doesn't pro- (!) Th. 5. .t hI ... ges a ... d the
duce any tearout on seat ant installed.
the surface.

[)o . .".~ , ho. 1"..-- IlMo TI".,", .....

" FI NE HUMEB UII..IJI NG

 nal template to check the: laYOlIi bur m...ue a ne:w te:mplat~ to cut the:
d.ldoes. This ti m~. I used ,I bush ing attached [0 the rouler hase that
rides Of\ the template; an urv'd()wn spiral bit rcmovro the stock. This
bit's down-shear Cut limited tearoul at the top of the: cut, and the
up-shedr action on tile tip cut a clean, flat bottom. I usc:d the: same
sctup to cut the r:1hhet for the back pando
The last a~~emhl y I m:1de was the !>ell t and its frame. which was
butt-Jointed and pocket-screwed togcth~t. Afte:r trimming the scat 10
fit m the frame. I mortised and attac hed three 2V!-m. bras.~ hinges.
Rt:c<l.USC l1lO!iI: of th~ fast~ ncn are concealed, I u~--d screws to :lSscm-
hie the hench. Before assembly, I used a J.i-in. drill bit [0 dongat~ the
screw holes; the slightly large r ellipt:tcal hole allows the screw head 10
move as the wood moves and reduces the chance that the wood will
cr.lck. Fin.ll1y, I dry-as.'iCmhled the
plywood box. the box front. the
.o;eat frame. the back. :mu the sides
to c\x'(k the: fit. then repeated the
assembly with glue and screws.

A combination of stains
makes a realistic finish
The historically correct way 10
fini sh an Am ami C r:.fu piec~
im·olve5.1mmonia fumes. Lucky
for me, the h om~ow n crs had
come up with :an a lte rnati v~ they
liked forodtcr partsofthc housc,
so I tried It on the bench. The
fiut l:aye r of Slain was a stock
Shcrw in- Willi:a m~ vol ric:ry (Cin-
namon mix~cI in a Fruitwood
hase; www.$he rwi n -willinms
.com) that darkened the g rain
and added uepd'!. After :1 few
minutes, ( wiped off the excess
stain, lightly ~lI.nueu the bench
w ith a 220-Wit fO.lm sa nding
p.1d. cleaned It with a tack cloth.
and rcpeated the proces~ with a Flood and wip& for a subtl.
.tfart. Applying the first COiIt of
~colld coat of stain. This time, it
stain with a brush $ilturattu th.
was Benjam in Moore'~ Re<I O"k wood with color. After letting it
stai n (www.bc nj <lm inmoote sit for a minute, I wipe off tho
.com). I fim\hetl the bench wllh eJlCE'U with an absorbttn! doth .
This first color provides a bas.
three coa t ~ of Rcn jamin Moore tone th .. t gives depth and char·
fbt pol)' urethane, sandinf.: acter to th. £ina' colOf'.
l i~hd y bctw«n COOts.
To In:>t:.11 the hench.l ~~CJ it
mto the ~p.lce, levelcd it. and scrilJt'd it to the floor. On t he wall side
o f the: hench, I had to back-bevel the sidc with a belt sander until It
fit the wall tightly. On the fireplace \ide, a piece of Yl-in. plywood
covered the w31\, 'I() 1 shimmed it t1.) meet the bench. The plywood
ed~ later would be coo.'crcd by the firepl.acc ~urround. I finished by
secunng the bench with ..crews thmugh the plywood box and lIlto
the wall 5tuuS behind it. 0

Brent Benner IS a cabinetmaker who lives and works in Roxbury,

Conn. Photos by Charles Bickford, except where noted.

JUNE/JULY 2009 63
In Seattle, a builder
and architect prove frer years of building custom corner lot in an established neighborhood.
homes, a local builder decided It's do~ to the University of Washington
that remodeling and to buy a liJl:cr-upper to remodel and Seattle's biotech district, and we were
and sell on theif own for a profit. aiming to anract an ~duc;1ted buyer in a
energy efficiency As th e architect for many of their earlier green-minded city.
can be a winning projcCls, I've gotten to know the owners of The neighborhood and [he large 104: both
LastingNest Builders (www.lastingnc..~t.biz). called for a large house, so we spent some
combination \Vhcn they ask«l me to help them transform time looking carefully at nearby houses for
this small, run-down house into a decidedly design inspiration. Thi~ process leJ us to tra-
BY GEORGE OSTROW green one, J was happy to ,oin the effort. ditional details such as a bay window, back-
bands at the window trim, and drip caps at
Speculative need not be ordinary the trim bands and window heads. Early on,
Design isn't always the first priority for we talked about a big gable roof springing
builders who are looking to flip a h(x'l~ for from the original tup plates. but thal shape
profit. In this case, however, we agrttd that a cut the upptr-story space in half. Instead, we
thou~tful design had to be part of the eyua- chose a full second floor topped with a shal-
tion because the home sits on a prominent low hip roof that has gcm:rous oVCrhaIlI,'5; the

FINE HOMEBUlI.DING
Italianate sryle found on some nearby homes original bedrooms to create a fami ly room;
provided the Jn~piration . the other bedroom is now a study.
We put th ree bedrooms on the new second
The existing footprint supports fl oor, each in a corner wi th windo'NS in two
an addition walls. TIllS layout allow~ for cross ventila-
Now that the project is fini~h ed, people often tion, which cools the house enough to elimi-
ask how much of the original huuse is left. nate the need for air-<onditioning. Llx:ating
Conn. cting to til. outdoors.
The answer is that all but the roofframing the two S¢X)nd-flnor hathrooms hack tn hack A bride patio sets the stag" for
and interior walls remain. T u e;c:pand the liv- allows them to share plumbing, which made outdoor dining just off the kitchen
ing space. we worked with the hou5C's gnod it easier to route the waste pipe through the (phoro abova). Balconies off
the living room Hnd the maSTer
bunes and within zoning parameters to move existing first-floor rooms. A third of the
bedroom provjde a connection
up instead of out. existin~ old house was .~ i ningon the ground, to the outdoors and balance
The house had a liv ing ru um, a dining so we continued the foundation and turned the bay-window bump-out. The
room, a kitchen, tWO bedrooms, and what the ba5Cment into a playroom. a workshop, a style of the house Cdlled for a
was perhaps thc city's narrowest bathroom. deep roof soffit. Custom-made
mechanic:ll room, and storage space.
braclcets grouped in pairs add a
all on one floor. By demolishing the old b.1th- To exte nd rh e main room on each floor sjgnature accent (inset photO).
room, we opened the kitchen to one of the outdoors, we added a balcony deck off the

www.finchomtb-uilding.com JUNE/ JULY 2009

"
ADVANCED FRAMING: LE SS IS MORE, EVEN IN A SEISMIC ZONE
Truss blocking keeps trunes
plumb and ,,,nsmits seismic
forcas from th. roo l sheathing
to tn. wall pl.t.s. V-shaped
notches in the t o p of lach block
are SPIKed 6 in. apart to megt
seismic-zone nalli ng requirements
C"nv.nt''''''' 'rIming Total board f•• f: 488 whi le providi ng v,mlilat ion at Ihe eave.

This building approach uses less lumber ilnd creat.s spac.

for more insulation. The basic practic. i, to "arne walll 24 in. Frame-d <It
24'n. on
on c.nter with II single top plate. a stack roof, walls, and floor center, stacked
framing to lNIintain II direct load path to the foundation; and roof iJnd
to us. two studs in the cornen (dr.wlngs abov.l. On this wall framing
project. the Hcond-floor Wills were fr.~d with 2)(61 spaced
24 in. on c.nter, then furred with 2x2. spaced 24 in. apart.
Filling the resultin9 7-in.-thlck wall cavity with dense.packed
c.lluloN insul,tion yi.lded R-26 with negligible therm.1
bridging (drawing below).
The first-floor walls were gutted to the original 2x4 studs
IpoKed 16 in. on c.nt.r. then insulated to R·11. At the time,
the author decided not to fur out the flflet·floor walls blKllUH
h. was conc.rned about losing floor space and the hassle of
adding custom Jo1Imb extensions around windows and doors.
He now wishes he had.
A double top plate on the first-Roor walls urnes load Po1lthS
from the 24-in. spacing abov.. Tr\lss blocking. a double top
plate on the second·flOOf" walls, and SimpfOn Strong-Tie's
Universal Foundation Plate fulfill uismic·zone requirements
(drawing right). Double TOp
plates spreiJd
the IOdd over
the existing
Cellulose
Two-stud (orner, can 16-ln. on-cenrer
insulation ~> ~>r'L=- i.o1Im;ng.
21112 furring ..
J'-"'i-- be better Insulatld,
~- allowing fOf m"lIIimum
/ R·value in thl w,,11.
On this projlct. an
extr. stud was added
as " nlliler for the
cross furring. Placing
th l addition ,,1 stud
on the flat klpt th.
corner cavity open for
inlulalion.

The addition of 2112

'-____ furring brllalcs the
thermal bridge that wall To mMt sqismlC'lone
studs typically create. requinlmlffit$, Slmp.son
Now the only wood that Strong· TIC's Un;verul
thermally connect . the Foundation PI.. ,. ties the
Indoors 10 the outside mudS,UIO tho fOWld'tioll
i. a 1·h·in.·~. overl.p (_.5tf0"9t~.com).

..
every 2 ft .

FINE HOMF-_RurLD[~G
master bedroom and a porch Wedid IWO blowcr-door tcsts,
off tho: living room . For a hoping to achieve at least 3.0
more gracious entry and for ACH50. which would mean
mud control , we included an that the building envelope is
alcove at the front door and a IWO times as tight as Energy
mudroom with a hreezeway Sta r req uires. Th e first test
to the Jf.lrage in back. was done when Ihe house had
JUSt been closed in. The roof
A plan for recycling was finished and the windows
A demo company could have installed, bUI the walls were
kn ocked down and h auled not insui:neJ or drywalled.
the old house to the landfill in The test resulted in a 4.0,
a single day. But we saw the which i~ good but not great.
valLie in the old-growth Doug- Compelled to lower the score,
las fir from which the house we fillcd all gaps that the test
was built 100 years ago. We revealed- around pipc pen-
created :1 waste-management etralions and window-shim
plan that identified what spaces, fo r example. The
materials would be removed sccond tCSI was donc afler
and what should Ix done with d ense-pucked cellulose insu-
each of them. lation and drywall were com-
Whatever we could not usc: plete and was used 10 verify
on site was offered to salvage the house for Btli it Grccn cer-
companies, includin~ bricks, tification. This tcst resulted in
lumber, wQ(Xi flooring, cabi- 2.3 ACH50.
nets, and most plumbing and When you tighten a house,
lighting fixtures. Asphalt you also nced to makc sure
roofing, alumin u m siding, th at you provide adequate
copper pipe, gyps um plas- ventilation. For this house,
tef, and concrete rubble all w e Inslall ed an in-lllle fan
were recycled. Unfortunatdy, in the attic that draws fresh
single-lite windows and dirt)' :tIT from an inlet on thc roof.

inmlation couldn'l be reused runs it through a filter, and

or recycled, so Ihey ended up blows it into each of the three
in the landfill. By following HIgh c./lings lind . Ibow room. Moving the bedrooms to the second floOt" upstairs bedrooms at low
allowed the first·fioor space to breathe. Veneer·plywood cabinets, a glau·ti/e
the waste plan and document- backsplash, counters made of FSC'certified paper. and reclaimed apitong velocity. Bathroom fans
ing each of the truckloads that flooring work together 10 create a durable and SU$tainable kitchen . cxhaust siale indoor air. The
left the .~ite, we're sure that wc new mechanical systems in
recycled or ulvaged 70% of Ihe material that framing. Rain-screen furring strips were this house include a 94% etlicient gas~fired
otherwise would have been thrown away. rip ped from ~lvagecl interior paneling. We boilc:r that delivers radianl-floor heat fo r all
The crew sorted materials into piles that milled drip caps. window b:lckbands, and three levd5,
made finding them fo r reuse much easier. soffil brackels from salvaged dimensional One-quarter of a ll tile new houses in
Lumber was stacked by length, so short lumber. Salvaged flooring, sheathing, and Seaule's Kin g CounlY are certified Built
pieces ofblockmg could bt:- pulle<1from a pile bleacher boards became trim and layered Green. The house we worked on is one of
of short 2x4s rather Ihan cut from the end of belly bands. Aillumbcr Ihat wasn't :\alvaged onl y fou r remodels/add ition s to achieve
a new board. was ce rtifi ed by the Forest Stewardship Built Green's highest fiv e-star rating, and it
For many of the materials that were not Council (www.fi;cus.org). is also certified Energy Star. Fortunalely fur
reused from the exis ting house, we went us, educated homcbuycrs are starting to look
to Cra igsl ist (www.cra igslisLorg). A couple A. tight hOl.l58 with fresh indoor air al energy-performance ratings when they
of the exceptional deals we found include Every project we do gets an energy sim ula- are house-hunting. For savvy green buyers
sah'agcd apitong (a mahoganylike hard- tion to inform the design and a blower.Jo(]f in Seattle, Ihis remodd should prm'c to be a
wood) flooring al SOt per sq. ft.; it typically test to elHure a tight e nclosure. For this wio;c purcha~. o
CUSIS $6 per~. fl. We also gOt 1500 lin. ft. of house. a Rem rate energy simulation (see
salvaged lx6 dear "ertical-grain Douglas fir PHB #198. pp. 11:1-20) calculated a HERS George Ostrow is president of Velo-
for free. index of 54, which predicts a 46% energy cipede architects inc. (www.velocipede
In the end, we used salvaged lumberexclu- savings compared with a house built only to .net) in Seatt le. Photos by Chris Ermides.
sivcly for Ihe firsi-floor walls and Ihe floor code standards. except where noted.

www.tinehomebuilding.com rUNE/JULY 2009 67

projectga Ilery
HIGHLIGHTS FROM FINEHOMEBUILDING COM

Kitchen
and bath
contest
•
winners
!thin N hours of
annvuncing our
"What's O ld is New Again"
kltd~n and b.lIh rcmodding
contest, readers had posted
almost three d ozen ick-to-slick
lransformations on our online
Project Gallery. One mon th
and almOS!: 150cnlrio bter, the

FiM Ilom~builJmg cdnorial

staff sckctcd our five f.1Yor itcs,
no ca~y I,uk I)(:cau~ th!:'rc were
some great Ideas in eVeTY post.
To ~ if you a)l;ree with our
chOiCes and to suhtllit your own
proJcct to our current conl~ t.
visit FincHornebuilding.com.

68 Fl"ll' HOMI:.IW ILDING

DOWN WITH
THE BROWN
Knocking down a wall that
divided the kitchen and the din-
ing area was a na-b.-ainer; it's
how tl1& homeowners used the
new space that got our attention.
Along with ample light and more
elbow room, this kitchen remodel
yielded a breakfast bar, a home
office, and additional storage-
and the new color palette is much
more inviting. We were impressed
with the homeowners' ingenuity
in using scrap pieces from the
soapstone countertops (the desk-
top is the rip from the bar top
and the cutout from the sink).
What really won us over, though,
was the quality of work and the
attention to detail. Not only did
the homeowner build all his own
cabinets, but he also made sure
they complemented the style of
the original built-ins throughout COOL CONTEMPORARY
the house. BECOMES WARM CRAFTSMAN
Dellilln, con5truction, ...d photo: A late-19405 modernization removed most of the
H-". Gl.tb;n, "'....... kH, W ...
style and charm from the kitchen of this 1915 home.
We were delighted to see that the architectlhome-
owner wa, sensible enough to return the kitchen to
its Craftsman roots. Replac-
Ing wall-size pMes of glass
with walls, Windows, and a
built-In bench transformed
tho goldfish bowl of an
eating IIrea Into a warm,
inviting dining space.
Red-oak flooring , gran-
ite countertops, custom
eucalyptus cabinets, and
a coffered-beadboard
ceiling all add up to an
elegant kitchen that looks
as if it had been part of the
home's original design.
Da~ ..,.j plooto.:
David E. Jan • .." Archita"" l Gni 8 . .ch WMh.
Car~tar: ItolMrt 8ra<ffia1d
Cabl_t~lr: Ed OYlrba)'

i , I UNWjULY 2009 ..
projectgallery

FROM DARK AND

CRAMPED TO
BRIGHT AND CLEAN
The kneewail capping a run of
cabinet!. just wasn't working
hard enough for these home-
owners. Replacing it with an
island was the first smart move
we noticed. It added a bar-top
counter area and created a
more pleasing flow to the space
without sacrificing cabinets or
worksurfaces. A new drop zone
and built-in benches added
storage and seating, which the
old space lacked. But the jewel
in the crown of this kitchen
makeover is the abundance of
natural light that flows in from
the new door to the backyard,
a window above, and another in
the eating area.
O... lgn lind ""n5trudion:
"'''k O.slgn + Build, OlOvIs, Calif.
Befo.. photo: Anthony Anod.non
Aft., photo: Oa'H Ad ..... Phologrlphy

COLD CONCRETE MELTS INTO SPA BATH

Mapp ing the floor plan of
this 140.sq .•ft . bath with blue
tape was a dever move by this
craftsman. It helped his clients
to visualize the final footprint
and helped him to troubleshoot
the layout of four separate
areas: a sauna, a steam shower,
a bathroom, and a foyer/ changing room. Removable iloor pan-
els in the cedar sauna make cleaning the travertine tile easy.
The frameless glass shower door, the ample use of well -placed
lighting, the dual-flush wall-hung toilet, and the pocket door
maximize the space and prove that this is a well thought-out
and c;;arefully constructed project.
0 ....9n lind con.tn.lctlon: 1'..,1 Johnlon.
P.... I !ohn..", c ... pttntry _d R.modllling.

Photo •••"".pt ....... r. not.d:

" .... \ johnson; far krft: NinA Johnson

70 FINF. HOMF.RUILDING
FROM AVOCADO
TO AWESOME
We vaguely femember when
painted white cabinets and avocado
appliances were cutting edge in
kitchen decor, but mercifully, those
days are long gone. In this proj-
ect, sleek Ikea cabinets team up
with vi bran t scarlet paint and an
exposed adobe-brick exte-rior
wall to transform the look and
feel of this kitchen completely.
Slightly reconfiguring t he
appliance layout. rem oiling a
wall, and gett ing rid of a drop
ceiling created three distinct
areas for cooking. eating, and
entertaining-perfect for relaxing
and partying .
C""gn , c.. n~tn..:tlon, .nd pilot ... :
W..st_ and Amy Noy ... , SIIIt lAke City

www.finc:holllcbuildmg.COIll JUNE/JULY 2009 71

1I111111111111..' ----·--~ii~i~.~I~il~ill
...Ili~/~¥~j~IDI~·EI.~·'a...
=s~,~il~·IIIE!!'~.~.~'~.l.rnjl~...
111

Fascia joints that won't open

Q I'm about to Inmll1xB
vertical-grain cedar
togc:tncr with ring-shtmk
st<tinlcss-sted ~idi ng nails.
f.scia boards on my house, PL Premium adhcs.i\'e sticks
but I' m unsu,.. about how to to everything and is messy. It
Join outside comers. I'm afraid sets up fast. SQ wipe down the
tn.t " miter joint will open as joint immediately and often.
the wood moves. A butt joint Use a c10ean rag and a dean
won't look right for an outside solYem, uKh .IS turpentine,
comer and also might open if mineral spirits, or demllurcd
not f.st.ned property. What's alcohol. Even if ~ndcd, dried
the best approach? glue rcmain~ in the wood pores
-BARRV TRAHA N and turns black. lkcauSt: the oil
via email from my hands can show up on
cedar, I wear gloves as copper
M,Ir! Moina, Q d~slgn"/
A bwltkr at HIJJOOJ"$itk
IRlign (www.iwrbof)l(kJrngn
roofen do for perfect resuhs.
I dnll pilot holes io the ends
of the bo.irds (0 prevent split
.com) in Port/and, Mame, replies: tin~. ~pt:nJing on the density
It's true rh;1f Illiter lmnLS;arc of the particular board, I often
prone to opening oyer time drill for evcry fastener. A hz-In.
due 10 season;l1 movemem, but bit is perfect. but expect to go Miter joints th"t stay tight_ Glue together
mm.. e mcnt across the grllin is throug h a lot of memo It is pas- outside joints with Pl Premium PolyurothlJrwP
minimal fvr dear vertical-guln sibk to gun-n;;111 the fasca:., but Construction Adhesive. Then UM stainless·
(<<I:l r. I :llways miter oUlSidc steel ring-shank nails to keep them if) place.
not: if you want to set the hcad
Nail the joint ev9f)' 6 in. Set tlwt n/Jils just
corners. I glue the loint with PL to the pcrfcrt depth. Get close balow the surface, or Ittave tham flush.
Premium Polyurethane Con- with a hammer; then usc a red
struction Adhe.~i ... c (www Stank')' nail sct to get the depth
s uckwithpl.cum), then nail it jusl where you want it.

Recycle vinyl and PVC

Q I jU'5t removed all tne

Yioyl siding on my nouse. A /1ssociau Milar Cht'il
&milk; "plies: If your
Where can I recycle it .nd other local landfill doesn't recycle
PVC products in my ....a1 vinyl. visit The- Vinyl lnstiwte's
-RETT MARTI N Web me (www.\,inyJinfo.org).
MIddlebury, Vt. If has a recycling directory
that's sc:.trchanlc by state.

" FINF. HOM~.HUII.DIN(; Top i>/"IOtO' C.,..tny of M*e M.. ,..... Bottom fOhot_ I(ry... S. o...,tfI.
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~;..;...... CONTINUED

Secure deck boards

where hidden fasteners can't reach
find som e other way of st:Curing Holes for sc,..ws
Q I'm building an 1p4
dKk with a hidden- the outer edge. The mos[ eom- and plug s, Drill
through the dedc ing
fastener system . From what moo approach 15 to uSot' screws with a bit size equal
IIJndentand, I still n..d to and plugs. Hut I do n't want to to the diameter of
SCNW through the face of the fu!>.~ with rh«< when I don't tho screw's thr~, ds
stifter board and the end haYI: to,!oV I devised a ~yste m (in this case, 'Ii. in.'.
Then, using a % -/n.
bo.ard. Is the" any way to hid. w ith c!.imps, biscuits, and glue Forstner bit, drill
the faste ners? (see "An Elegant Border for another hole doop
-JOSHUA COPP Your Deck" 00 p. 28). enough so th.at tho
vi. em.lil I did usc 5railll e$S-~ted sere ws plug won't bottom
out on the screw's
and ;pii plugs to attach boards head. After driving
fohn MIchael v.,v/S, u w here I could n't u~ clamps o r
A NeuJ Ork.zn.~
carpt'IIlt:1' 1ft
r~'iN: [ recently ran into the
bj scuit~, though. First, r drilled
a hok for the screw, then a
the screw into the
deck fram&, glue
the plug in placo
with Titebond 11/ or
same situation. Hidden faste n- la r~ r hole to st't the held . I
epoKy, and tap it
en :.ecurc deck boa rds to JO'SU firuYt~ by gluing the plug III snug with a hammer.
from both cdge-~ of the boa rd. the hole. After me g lue dried, Finally, using a sharp
Sl.1r1cr board, and cnd boa rds I used a chisel to cut me plug chisel, knock of( the
top of the plug $0
that abm a house or another (''''en with the decking. ER-TV that it is flush with
structure, and boo rds thaI over- (w w w.dxy.com)sellsscrews the df>dc ing .
hang the ri m, can be fastened a nd plugs specifically for starte r
nn only one edge. so you have to a nd e nd boards.

Sealing a vented roof

In ~Hom. Remedie, for
Q Energy Nosebleeds" A IJruc~
trul:
Hadry r~plj~J: Jr's
that thl: ve nting
need to do that will depend
on .tcec~s ibil ity and geomet ry;
detailing/suppleme nting attic
insulation; it might ,,>ivc you
(FHB *190, and online at Fine devices conflict with the it can be diffic ult to access the significant savings.lt a much
Homebuildlng.com), Bruce Har- un vented roof assembly. cave arc.'l. under a low-slope lower cost..
ley stat'" that if .. house's air W hether you want to remove ruuf, especially if ducts an:" in I would suggesl getting an
h.ndl.... is in the attic. the best them (and repair the roof) or the way. Talk with contraaurs US.'>l:: ..... lm:nt frum an c)(pcrienccd

thing to do is to include the just seal them w ith foom from aOOut how they will handle thi rd party. such as a hume·
attic in the home's env.lope by the IIIterinr is simply a prefe r- ttlis before making a commil- cncrgy r.Itcr (set: www. rcsnet
using spf"ay Insulation on the ence. Remo YIng them will inc ur menl. Abo. don', forge:1 Ihat If .uslconswm:: r for a ratc"r dira:·
wnole roof and gabl. ends. My extra COSt hut will look better you ha\e a gas fu rnace in the tory). They can m t:<lsurc the
roof was reshlngled last year, a nd will probably red uce the aUte, you'll need to accou nt for d uct leakage to Stt how bad
and the roofer added several loog-Ie rm potential for water comhustion·J;r require me nts in your system IS anll com p;ue
more '_t of ridge vent and leaks a hit. If you ~a l them, be (he building code. the savings that you might get
two turbines to ventilate the sure:: that the:: foam cont raclOr Before you go this mute, you from scaling the system venus
attic splK• . To Hal the attic In blocks them otT from inside:: the also might wa nt to get a quote insula ti ng the roof; they also
the hom.'s envelope, would I artic bcfOt"e spr:aying [he foam for tho roughly S(aling the ;IU)e might he abk to make refer rals
n . . d to cover or ,..move those so that foam docsn't kak '0 d uctwor k and the air haocller to contractor.; w ho could do the
venting devices? Also, what the exterio r. w ith mas tic, def.ailing or fix- dun-seali ng work.
a bout the va ntad soffits? The soffi ts 31 50 should he:: ing any d utt lII~u lmioll, scaling
- BEN ABRA M S blocked from the interior an y b U1 l dlll~ aIr le:lks between
Spring Hill, FI... before sprayi ng, although the the attic and the house, and

" FIl'\\:' IIOMP,8UIU)ING

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~.Je~ S\,f\.\ce Clapbo.,.~ s,,"?,6
WARD CLAPBOARD MILL
R·n. 1868
lfanujaclurers I?fhistorical
vertical grain ciapbortnil'
for restoration and flew
construclion
P.O. Box 1030 Waitsfield, vr 05673
~ 802-496-3581 @
~www.wardclapboard.co~
READER SERVICE NO.3

2301 F Hwy 2 WHl

Grand Rapilb , MM 55744
218·~6-6786. www,charmaSl'r.tom
READIR SERVO NO. 11

WINDOW + DOOR
WEATHER SEALS
Ou r , 1I10000ne we.atn'tftlli l rooke ,I poM lt>IO tor
custom miMwor1<. shops to build airti!tll windows
and doors simply
....... / / 'ym,",,,,,~
T ......,., ~ lind Insertlrtg Itle

11' f r" -.? ~=~~~5~~5~ fapj?l~

6~IGling
~etro lit
windows
and dOOf'i uslog OIJrCOmef--grOOVlng
system to. wood jAlTbl;, 0( our ,
ce<Jlk-appliOO corn&r'S&a1 system
for metal jambs. We also oHer
fI~ed. adjusta~ . 60CI automatic
door-bottom systems that are
inYisible when installed.

InclinalOT makes it easy

Hjghly~cllstomizable,
to match any home's design and finish.
Our gluing system ITlQI,Jnts InsulatlKl glass onto
engineered wood timbers to cr&ala luk-fr&<), 'Itlllle~ are Iookingfor!hP. di$tinaiol1lll1 tklOdWr iJdI1j 10 II ho1llL'5
rno\ak:Iad glass walls imtrWf. From ,us/om design of.l!ions /0 prr/c1fIruma /tilwr~ - plus
or roofs with al l-wood
inl&rtors. Stattl-oj-the- ollr r~'Putulion for the liight'1tl/U<1lity and most reliable product in
an ruDDer gukets [he IIlduslry - lin Inelilla/iJf elevator is the dtIJf choice.
SUPPO(~ Ihe glass.
isolate the Iltuminum. ViJ!t our Wl!mite for mort informat1on on ollr Eltvtlu" and
at1d croate l watertight Inclinalu~ LX lines.
drain channel. l1le1TlWll
perlormaoce is !ltJpEll1OI'
AMERICAN- INCLINAl OR
Cullom HOm/'

*
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MADE.
tel; (4101366-1146 la:o : (410)36&-1202 AMERICA'S
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READER SERVICE NO. 74

www.fin.:homebulld ing.rom JUNE/JULY 2009 75

• DECK STAIN

Oil-based, water-based, Wate r· based stains

or epoxy-fortified are more durable than you th ink
Most w.t ...·bu. d stains don 't p.n.tr.te wood well, but 10m. mllnufac·
eck $tain keeps new turers. such as O.fy (www.sa... ersystems.eom). Penofin (www,penofln
wood looking good .com), Ind Benjamin Moore (www.benjaminmoore.com). lire using . ddi.
and hdps to re fur- tl ..... to help their stainl penetrate be tter, pre..... nting the cracking and
bish old, we:ahered boards. peeling common with older venions. Most wat.r-based stainl actullily
Stain shouldn'l be confu'OCd lut longer tha n oil·based stains. While wat.r·bued stain an typically
with deck seale r, tho ug h. 1.51 two to th,.. y.ars and is more .n... ironmentally fri.ndly (it'. wlv.nt·
Terminology differs sltghuy frMl. Its refinishing proc.s. can be more worlc. Unlik. oil-b• .sed .tllin.
among ma nuf<lctu rcrs, but it'. often nee. u ary to remo .... the old water-based stain .ntiraly bafor.
scalers generally impa rl linlc a frHh c~ i. applied. which u.ually requires a combination of sanding,
o r no color to wood. The}' stripping, and iCr. ping. Cost of , gallon: $35
simply seal it against ai r and
moi~urc:. Stains, whIch
perform bener than scalers.
Oil· based stains are easier to maintain
me pigments thai add color M.nuf.cturers tr.ditlonally use li nse.d, tung, and soy oil. in thttir oil-
to wood. Although the b.sed fini.h••. This mixture .lIoWi tM ltain to penetrate deep Into the
intended pur~ of applying a dec k stain m ay be only to wood, but not .11 oil. periOl'm the ume. CritiCi My that linseed oil I• •
retu rn a deck to its natu ral tooc-, it's act ua lly the pig m ent fantHtic $Curce of food for mold, $0 II mold-f'eslstant ehemiul h • • to ba
that hd rs to protect wOlKI (rum weathering ca u~ hy ex po- .dded to st.ln, cont.inlng nnMad oil.
sure to UV-light from the sun. Applying .n oil ·based stllin i. much . asi.r than a wat.r·bilsed product,
Most stains a rc engineered to color and protect wood in a but oil~sed st.in. requlr. more rrequent rn.intenillnC8. How........ refin·
single coat a nd a re available in uii-oosed, water-based, and ishlng oil·based .taln. which should take place every one to two yurs. Is
wa ter-h.l~d e poxy-fo rtified m ixtures. much len Invol.... d. Th. wood .imply ne&<l. to be cleaned of dirt. grlm • .
.nd mild.w, th.n recoated. m.r.'. no need to recoat the entire d.ek if
MOR! PIGMENT OFFERS lUlU PROTECTION you don't h. .... to; jUlt touch up the areas th.t n.ed it.. Oil-based stllin'.
Although you might Wilnt your deck to ha ve a d ear fin - major shortcoming Is that It typlea11y has a high VOC conte nt and Is more
ish---<speciall)' if you've spem lOp dollar fo r mahogan}'-a difficult to clean up. Cost of 1 gallon: $35
pigment-free fi nish is sdclom a good choice because it offers
linle 10 no protection agalns! UV-rays.
Epoxy-fortified : The next generation of stain
All three types of deck stai n com e in fo ur versions: trans-
parent. semitransparent, semisolid, and solid. Transparent Among the lat..t d.de fini.h .. to hit the martcet ar. water·based
stains ap pe-.J.r dea r to the eye, but they actw.lly contain PI8~ .poJly-fortifi.d ltalns, such a. the stain manuf.nured by Defy. A small
ment. The best stains contain pigments caJled uansoxides amount of .poxy i. combine d in a synth. tic resin to impro.... the st.in'.
(look for them on the label) th.'It provide UV-protection w•• r, dunbllity, .nd colOI' retention. Formul.ted to d . .....op • de ep
wi thou t addmF: color, much like a sunscreen. shen ntmlnllC.nt of old..tyl4 oll·baMd finishes. thfte stallK contain
Sem itrans parent stains add sligh tly more pigment but still chemic.1.dditi..... to h. lp break surl.c. ten.ion and .Ilow the fin ish to
allow some wood grain to show, while semisohd st.1in~ con- pen.trat. the wood. Epoxy-fortlfi.d stllin still forms a film finish, though,
ceal much of me wood's natu ral characte r. Wi th th~ h igh~st 10 the r.fin ishlng proc.ss Is the sam. as with other wat.,..based stllLn ••
which meln•• lot of scr.ping .nd sanding. The good news Is that
percentage I){ pigment, solid stains offer the be-st protectKJn
.poxy·fortifled Itain I•• uppoMd t o creat• • much more durable deck,
but have an ~ppearance just shOrt of paint.
$0 you won't hive to r.finlsh it •• oft..,. Manuiacturlll'l of the .. R. in.

say th.t their productl last from thr.e to fi .... ye ars before needing to be
Mannew TellQue is 8 free lance writer in Nasnville, Tenn .
refinl,h.d . Co.t of 1 gallon : $40

7. F INE HOMEBU I LD ING

 FINIALS
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wbat'stbe
difference? CONTONU • •

• CIRCULAR SAWBLADES

Tooth count
For "What's the Difference!"
Demo blades
in FHB #201, I wrote about the A blade with as few as
~Ignificance of tooth grinds un tooth 14 teeth cuts quickly, but
circular sawbLadcs. Choosing a roughly. Thes. blades tear
through even the thickest stock with
blade with the correct number tase, but their use is limited. If you try
of teeth is equally important for to cut thin ,heet goods with a blade CON$TRUUION
gcning the heit performance that has fower Ihlln 24 teeth, you'll
pulVerize tho material. Framing blades
from a circular saw, a miter
saw, or a tables.1w. A ger"lilral framing
tooth blado-the one that comel
Circular sawbladcs come with with most 1'1.·in. circular
a wide range of tooth counts, sawl-has 24 teeth and giyos a prlltty
clean rip CUI but a rougher crosscut.
everything from 14 to 120 teeth. If you're framing with 2x stock, where
To get the cleanest cuts, U~ a precision and cleanness of cut are
blade with the correct number secondary to speed and eUII of cut, it
oftceth for a given applica- might be the only blade YOU.I.' ." • •• d•._~ .~;
tion. The material being cut, its
thickness, and the direction of

~
the grain relatiye to the saw-
blade help to determine which
blade is best. Perhaps the key
factor to consider when choos~ Sheet~good blades
ing a sawbladc is the desired A 40·looth blade works
tooth fine for most cuts through
result. A blade with a [ower plywood. Blades with 60 or
tooth count tends to cut faster 80 teeth ,hould be used on venllered
plywood 8nd melsmine, wherll the thin
than a blade with a higher yeneQrS aro IIkol)' to blowout on tho
tooth count, but the quality underside of the cut. a characteristic
of the cut is rougher, which know n as tea roul. MDF requires even
more teeth (90 to 120) to gilt the
doesn't matter if you're a cleanest cut.
framer. On the other hand,
a blade with too high a tooth
count for an
applicatIOn yields a slower cut
that ends up burning the mate-
rial. which no c.lbinetmaker
would tolerate. Miter~saw blades
Circular sawblades differ If you do a lot of finish work-
in cost as much as they do in tooth installing crown molding, for
instance--you need a much
performance. Blades range cleaner cut that ""quires mOrlt teeth.
in pria: from a few dollaT5 to Cutting miters is basically crosscutting
more than SUXl. The blade on an angle. and blados with high.r
tooth counts 90norally perform b&tt
dellign, the amount of carbide, when cutting across tho grllin. A blade
:mJ the quality of the carbide with 80 or more teoth offers the crisp
used in the blade influence cost miter CUI$ )'ou're looking for.
the most.

M.T

18 FINE HOMl':HUILDING
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www.finebomebuilding.com IUNE/JULY Z009 79

wbat'sthe
difference? CO N " N U£O

• PAVERS Permeable pavers

reduce runoff Regular pavers require
Permeable vs. less maintenance
Up to 90% of the water that
impermeable hits impermeable pavers is shed Should you feel bad about
Lookl elln be
Into drainage systems that can having an Im permeable deceiving. Imper-
Winte r is long gone, a nd lead to rivers, lakes, or streams. driveway or patio? No, meable pavers don't
so is mud ~ason. You'rc Several sty'es, $.jIme look any different
This water is often full of debris purpO$lll. Some but the argument against
out of excuses. It·s time to from most perme-
and pollutants gathered from permeable pavers using permeable pavers Is
get that walkway laid, the able pavers, but
driveways, walkways, or patios. are made of porous pretty weak. Impermeable they are usuaJ/y
pa tio built, or the driveway The rush of water from these concrete. Some are pavers are no stronger installed in a way
redone. W hen cackling made of plastic. Most, thdt reduces their
systems can contribute to local however, are made of than permeable ones, and
these jobs wi th pavers, you permeability.
flooding and erosion, solid concrete and a(O the)' can look nearly iden-
havt t wo optio ns: imper- Permeable pavers, however, deSigned with large tical when installed.
meable o r perrneahle prod- allow water and snowmelt voids (or installed with Impermeable pavers have an important attri-
llctS. When dcciding which large spacing) that can
to seep into the soli, which be filled with gravel, bute, though. They require less maintenance
type to usc, you should reduces runoff lind helps to than most permeable pavers. The aggregate
mulch, or even grass.
consider the m aterial's con, protect watersheds. Although between permeable pavers needs to be cleared
installa tion dema nds, and permeable pavers are a bit mOn! expensive than of debris regularly to allow proper infiltration.
environmental impact. ordinary pavers, they don't demand a separate The aggregate also might have to be topped off
drainage system, so overall costs and installation occasionally as it's pulled from the voids. Imper-
Rob Yagid, associate editor meable pavers typically have no such demands.
times are typically lower.
Cost: S10 to $40 ~r sq. ft. installed. Cost: $10 to $40 per sq. ft. install8d,
depending on type and site parameters depending on type and site parameter'S

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80 I'INE HOMEHUILDING
 From the bottom of your siding to the peak of your roof, COR-A-VENr-, Inc. manufactures ventilation products
to protect your home from damaging moisture from within and from without _ From the Ground, Up!TM

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RE,6.0ER SERVICE NO. 3l
building ski 115
LEARN 1M !. BASICS BY SCOTT GR I CE

Build a temporary brace wall

fu PLACE AND PLUMB THE MIDDLE STUD FIRST
t;
fo
<L
W
t;

hen I talk to my diems

aoom impro\'ing sight-
tinl$ and tranic lX1ttcrns
in ,heu illMlles, the oonvcr~tion
often lc...d.' to IIOmchody laying,
"Well, let's just tear out that wall:' 1 Mealil..,.. for' th. dudli. I
sut both tn. top and bot-
tom plates on tla floor and
2 Do n' t ...y no t o a
h e lping ha nd. With
the first stud within dose
followed by, "ClI.n we 00 that'" stand on them while me"SUf· reach, I Jift the 2;0;10 top
As a remodeling contractor, I've ing for the studs. When read· plilnk flat to thll ceiling
karnetl th:H a ~imple "yes" i~ the ing a bent t<Jpe, I err on the (in this case. with the
b:~1 answer. When 1 ~ct around [Q long side. After cutting ot stud help of an FHB photog-
or two. I get II feel for guess· rapher holding the other
figuring out how to lear OUI th.ll timating the mHSUnmlent. end of the bOllrd). I then
wall, things can get more compli- wedge the center stud
cated. The first step is to determine: in place; the c~t.f stud
holds the top plate until I
ifthe wall i~ load-hearing. lfit is,
add more studs.
I need to support the SlrlJCture
temporarily while [hcdemolition
and rebuilding work arc dOflC,
There arc different ways to provide
~upport. but if the ,oislS ;1h,WC arc
perpendicular 10 the wall. the ca~l­
~t option is to build a temporary
brace wall.
I usc a 2x lOfor the top plate to
spread the weLght ovtr a large-
enough area to avoid cracking the
ceiling finish. for the OOttom plate
and stud~. 2x4s arc sufficient. If
3 Plumb th. cent.f stud.
After I mark the locot'ions
of the ceiling joist s on the top
plate. I measure from the
thc brace wall needs to sJMn a itmg plumbed stud to match the /i'lY-
distance, I break it up into 8· ft. or out marks on the bottom plate.

82 FIN ... HUMt-: I:IUILOI Nli

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buildingskills CONTINUED

shorter sections to make it manage- 0.-

W
FRICTION-FIT STUDS COMPLETE THE WALL
able for one person to build. [ build
the waH 3 ft. to 4 ft. from the open- t;;
ing-in this ca..e, to enlarge the
doorway Ixyond the cabincb. This
>-
a:l
4 50(.lg Is /I good fit. r !ike to be able to tap sruds in place.
If ' have to pound on a stud with my hammer to get it
in place, then it should be trimmed. After the center stlld is
distance is d~ enough to support 0.- snug. ! start on the outside and work bad: to th e center.
the load >lJequa[dy. yet it gives me W
enough room to work comfortably.
t-
V)
IfTm dealing with a multistory
structure or if I think there is a
signific;:mt load, I consult an archi-
tector an engin~r. Also, when I'm
working over a crawlspace or a
bascment, r huild a secondary brace
wall below if I n~d to continue the
luad path down.

Cofltractor Scott Grice lives in

Portland, Ore. Photos by John Ro,'lS.

Make a stud 5 No nails n ••ded.

There's no beoefit
to nailing the studs to
the plates, If they are
finder that works fit pfOperly, they will
Using a typical stud finder
remain in place. Nailing
the wall together would
to locate ceiling Joists only make it harder to
can be frustratingly taka apart.
iocondusive. However,
a rare·earth magnet
is a surprisingly
accurate alternative.
It's strong enough to
stick to fastene,., even if they're
buried in old plaster. A quarter-
size magnet works great and can
be purchased online (www.wood
craft.com). Use two-part epoxy
to affix a smill block of wood to
the magnet as a handle. To use
the homemade stud finder, run
the magnet over the surface of
the ceiling until it sticks. Chances
are that you've located a drywall
screw In the center of a joilt.
- John Ross is an associate Web
editor.

~- Visit our home page to see a video

of the author building a brace wall.

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drawing board
LESSONS IN RE S IDENTIAL DESIGN BY PAU L D EGROOT

Getting two-story garages right

uilding an extra room above a detached gara~ is a great

B
wide, form a tall, skinny building with little archilectural imerest.
way to boost space 011 II residential lot. r call this SP.1CC an of course. you need to factor economy and caS!': of constructinn into
apartment, but it can bc= put to a variety of uses. It might be a the C1..luatilln, but three-1-limensional massing and proportions are
{rue apartment for a nunny. a caregiver, or the in-laws, or it could be equally important.
a bomcoffice, an art studio, or a music roum. As a firSI ~tep toward appcdling profX>rtions, consider desihrning
Whatever the use, a detached-garage apartment is an opportunity the sc<:ond floor smaller than thc garage below. TIlis design auto-
to create all attraah'c piece of archi tccture----provided thar you matically creates lower roof areas instead of sheer two-story wll1s. I
don '( let [he temptation to rn3ximi7-c size and minimiu cost govern sleer clear of the wedding--cake effect with the upper walls supped
YUli r desil-'Tl decisions. I focus my dISCUSSIOn on [wo-car garages IOward Oil all ~ides. 11)is design yields a pretty small apartment and
because they are SQcommon. but this guidance will help you to C~­ is expensive to build. Rather. aim for an apartmenl approxirnatdy
ate a plc:uillg two-stOry gara~ of any size. 65% to 85% of the footprint of th!: gurllgt: by stacking the apartmcot's

00 your homework
Mml of us uroomtes :md 5uburhl0l[CS must comply with zoning
ordinances and!()f" deed restrictions. Make sure you get all th~ facts
in order hc:fore you bCJ.,rin sketching your garage.
Fir.st, find uut ifliving ~pacc abov~ a detached garage IS allowed
in your neighborhood. Track down the rules by talking to building
official~ .1nd by r~.1ding dCt..J tcsuicttoru for your neighborhood. If
property Improvement5 are subjl,.'Ct to approval by a neighhorho(Jd-
review btl-lTd or an ilrchitectural-comrol com mittee, talk to those
folks at the out'let. YOll might di5Cover that size and height are
re.~tricted, and that pnJximicy to pmperty lines is heavily regulated.
Make sure you know The an~w~r~ to the.'Ie questions:
• How dose to the sid. prop.rty line can a two·story wall
b. locatttd1
• What if it's. on.-story wall?
• What If the yollrd back' up to an alley?
• How far can the roof over1'lang a pnKcribed side or rear yard nelrt
to the building1
BREAK UP
• A,.. th.,.. any ....m.nu on the property1lt" common th .. t TWO-STORY WALLS
neith.r bul1dings nor e.vel m.y encroach into easements.
Soften the facade of a two· details from the house and to
story gilr"SJe with bump-outs nrengthen the visuill ti.in; look
Get the proportions right
and stepped-b.ck upper w"lIs. to the house's columns for dues.
At Ih oscncc. a twn-car g.arage has a relatively small fOOlprint- The,e f.."tunK add ihadowlines The entry/ mudroom bump-out
maybe 21 ft. by n ft. Or a bit larger (see "Drawing &ard,n FHB ilnd create visu.1 inte,..st. at the base of the stairs to the
#188 and onlinc.1t FincHomchuilding.com). When lhc: fim-.story The sman entry porch is an apartment Is another w.y to
and sccond·story walls hne up. a structure is easier and quK:.ker [0 in.lIp.nlive trick to inc,..ase the increase the size of the lower
build. materials arc «anomized. and the foundation and roofli/}e~ footprint of the lower floor. It footprint while m.ximizing
are simplified. keeps the weather off the entry living space upstairs.
Although stacking two identical garage-size footprints maximizes door and provides spoKG for • A less expensive bump-out
doormat. a potted plilnt, and a strategy is to bYlld a cov.red
floor area upstairs, you also get a bllilding resembling a Play·Doh
couple of chain. Use the porch potting bench or gardening
extrusion. The unbroken two-story walls, nearly as high as they are column to incorporate trim station along one garage walt.

86 FINF IIQMFIHIlLLJIN(;
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drawing board CONTINUED
Porch

back wall and one sidewall dircctly over the

first-story walls. Thi ~ gives you low roofs
on the front and one side of the building.
The garage-door facade shouldn't be
flat, uninterrupted two-story walls, espe-
cially ifit faces tht: house or the strttl.
Even with historically wrrect windows
upstairs and carriage-house garage doors
below, this typt: of dcsign is ungainly. Plus,
thuS('! expensive: w()()({en garage doors will
rot quickly without a low roofkttping USE ROOFLINES TO CREATE GOOD PROPORTIONS
them dry. Garages have fairly small footprints. so you of the first·floor footprint, well within the
AnOlhcr option for achieving g()()(i overall can improve the proportions by tudting target of 65% to 85%.
proportions is to shorten. the height of the: u~ble floor arEta below $Ioplng rafters and Bring daylight inside with large windows
upper story. One-and-a-h:.!f story struc- by shorte ning the height of the upper story. on the gable·end walls and dormer windows
tures have a cozy charm that WOfks well for With a steep gable roof over tl'U! through sloping roof planes. If the garage
a garage apartment (top drawings). apartment, the rafter-bearing outside walls doors are on a gable end, incorporate a
un be fairly short-4 ft. in this example. low shed roof just above them, perhaps
The 440-sq,.ft. apartment is about 70% supported by decorative Willi brackets.
Harmoniza with the house
For the garage ap.1Ttment to hlend in with
the architecture of tOC house, choose exte- Shaltered
rior materials that either match or comple-
ment tho:;e of the house. If the hUllS(: siding Ad ec..' A"91ed Metal railings are
a chance to add

:I~::::;~'~O~IO~':':":d~':':':"~'~'~'
is reldily available, Il.'\e it. If the siding isn't
available, pick something similar.
Keep in mind that the garage apa rtment
iltw~stoo"~Y~~~~~~~i::l~j. :fo~,~'~mJ'~I~"~'; =I'f1'~
breaks up
facade .•
supports
..
docs not have to match the house in every
way. If the housc and the garage apartment
share ~me but not all materiah, they still
can h3rmonize and look good together. For
example, brick wainscot around the base of
the garage can be just enough connection
eye.
to a brick-veneered home. Transitioning
to stucco or fiber-cement siding above the
wainscot saves money and introduces DECKS ADD SPACE, SHELTER, AND STYLE
another texture on the building. A deck is another way to break up a two· into a neighbor'S house or yard, though.
De~ign choices for the roof are key when story wall. If there's a vie w to enjoy, you If the dimate permiu outdoor stairs, the
you'tc blending in. It's beSt to usc roofing might want to include ill deck, a balcony, angled stringltTS, railings, and baluste rs can
that matches as closely as possible, but it'~ or a porch upstairs. As a bonus, a porch! create geometric designs thilt cnt pla yful
observation d&c:k upstairs creates a covered shadows. An exterior stair should have a
not absolutely critical. Using similar roof
space ;!It the ground level. Don't orient covered landing at the top to protect the
types and pitches is more important, Pay a deck or large windows to look down apartment door.
d()!;C attention to the eaves. The wide·
brimmoo horizontal caves of prairie~style
homes and foursquares should be mim-
icked. Likewise, the prominelll rake eaves of a Craftsman bunga- all-wood windows. Depending on the distance between buildings,
low should be copied, right down to the sizes of the barge rafters most people would never notice that you switched to vinyl windows
and wall brackets. These details might cost more, but they are to save money. Just don't pick divided lite~ ifthtre ar~ none on the
worth it. house. Around windows, choose trim boards similar in size to the
Windows and trim are the other two harmonizing dements. The originals; Ix4s look JUSt fine next to a house with actuaI4-in.-widc
garage will blend in better with window5 similar in style to those trim---espt'cially if you match the: head-trim cap detail dosely.
on thc house. Match double hungs with double hungs and casc-
ments with casements wherever you can. It doesn't mean that you Architect Paul DeGroot (www.degrootarchitect.com)practices in
necessarily have to usc all-wood windows because the: house ha., Austin, Te)(as. Drawings by the author.

88 FINE HOMF.RU1LDING
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masterca

harp w.!l1 corners :m: as common as

d irt. so some homeowncn prefer the
softer visual appearance ofbu!1nosc:
cornets on interior walls. While the chtlnge
is refreshing, trim carpenters ohm dread
working in homes with hullnO$C corner
bead hecaUse;1complie.llcs the trim, espe-
cully crown molding.
I've fvund that it's expedient 10 make
curved Intcrior-trim details in plaster r.uher
than in wood (sec "Making Pla~er Mold-
ing," FH8193, and online at Fim::Homc-
huilding.com). Recently, I m~t::ll1 cd crown
m~ding around several bullnose drywall
corners and opted to use this t«hnique.
I ran the 6Yt-tn.-widc crown around [he
room first. Where the crown hit the bull-
nose corner bead. I made a 90" CII I rhat leC!
1M enroer empty. Afi:u CO:I.ting everything
with a bondmg primer (PrcpR ilc; www
.sherwin-williams.com>, I btllh up an arma-
ture of wire mesh that was bachd by t..i n.
dowd~ glued and fastened to the crown
with 23.ga. brad nails.
For the plaster work, I useJ Durabond
120 !.cu ing compound (www.usg.com)for
the fim two coot) and USC's Lite Top- BUILD THE ARMATURE
p lRg Joint Compound fOf' the last twO After cutting the erown square where it intersected the bullnose corner, I glued and
co.1U, I could have: used traditional piaster, brad-nailed two ¥t.in, dowels into holes drilled into the molding . When the glue was
but I didn't h.we: any ex~rience worki ng dry, I painted the sUlTOunding areas with a bonding primer, After loosely filling the spaee
with It and was fami lia r ",,-jlh the: setting behind the dowels with erumpled.up rosin paper, I rut two layers of expanded metal lath;
compounds. Plus, the setting compound the first lay& was stapled to the dowels straight across the corner, I bent the HCOnd layer
allowed me time (0 U~ a !ingle batch to of lath into a eone shape, stapled it to the crown on both sickos 11). and packed in the fIrSt
rn
..
complete ooe coot for an six corners I had

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mastercarpenter

BUILD UP THE LAYERS

A plywood template screwed to the ceiling made an tnuy-to-use guide for my profile knife rn.
I used oil sJow-drying setting compound for
the scratch coats and leveled out subsequent coats with the profile knife III. Then I went back to the putty knife to fill small di\lots LJJ. I
also sanded and Yilcuumed betwefl" coats, which maintained oil smooth profile.

to make. I shaped the plaster some degree. However, if I use After the painter primed and The join! between wood
with an 8-i n. drywall knife that this technique again. I'll make painted the crow n molding, we crown and plaster corners has
I cut to match the profile of the a second knife ground to a discovered that the wood took the potential to crack. The
crown (sidebar below). When slightly smaller, more recessed the finish diffe rently from the lxmding primer, dowel, and
I pulled the knife- too far from profile for the ~ratch COOt; then plaster, which had more sheen. wire lath r used help to stabi-
the wall a5 I made my origi- I'll follow with a finish version In hindsight, the wood should lize this joint. Fortunately, the
nal pass, however, I left some of the knife for the final coats. have been given an extra coal lengths of crown that meet at
high spots in the profile that The scratch-coat knife could of primer. The general contrac- each of the six corners are all
had to be sandal down before be left rough, and any scratches lor fixed it by spraying the bull- less than 4 ft. Additionally, the
subsequent coats were applied. the knife made would provide nose att:.:ls with a elear mane moisture content of the wOcXi
The ceili ng template helpc:d more {()(){h for the next coat of fini~ h , which did a good job of before I started was less than
to mini m ize this prohlem, to drywall compound. deglossing the corners. 9%, and I confirmed that the

" F["F HOMFHUII.[)['-"':"

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"
rnastercarpenter CONTINUED

setting and topping compounds

did not de,'ate the moisture
level of the W(xxi. Another
way to minimize movement at
corners is to fasten the crown
thoroughly closer to the outside
corners and to usc minimal
fastcJ'K:rs at the uther end. The
ends of the crown op~ite the
bullnose corners were coped,
which allows those less noticc-
abl.e joints to move rather than
to crack at the plaster joint.
Plaster corners obviously are
limited to paillte(\ crown. It's
worth mentioning that for
stain-grade trim, bullnose-
crown corners Ciiln be turned on
a lathe to match the profile.

Brhm Campbell is a finish car-

penter in Minnesota City, Minn.
Photos by the author, except A lighter coat for it smooth finish. 1 applied lightweight joint compound for the last two coats because it
where noted. shrinks less than regular compound and therefore would be less likely to crack under the paint.

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greatmoments
IN BUILDING HISTORY

The Rescue
wo years into our remodding and in. How could anything possibly have to the knocking ncar the light fixture and
project, we had completed gouenin?" seeme.:l wanswa me with .'iCratching <Ind
phase one of the work and had It sounded as though the anim31 might chewing sound~.
paid a great deal of attention have been chewing on wiring .. round a r decided to loosen rhe recessed-light
to the little things, including recessed-lighting fixture. Frankly, we wert~ fixture, which I thought might save my
findy det:liled concrete floors and beauti- less concc-rncJ about the idea of a fire than husband from cuning into the drywall. k
fully fil\l~hed ceilings. We live III PhCX"nix, about the pruspcxt of a dead. decaying .. ni- I looked up at the loose fixture, big claws
Ariz., where air-conditioning is a mainstay; came through the gap. "Honey," I yelled,
building a well-insulated house was also ~it has claws and i~ trying to get out, the
a neco~ity. We built the house with poor thing."
insulating concrete forms. and As my hushand came back with
when it came time [Q insulate the the ladder and saw, my claw-
spaces hl:tween the roof and sighting cinched the deal on
the ceiling, my husband made cutting into the perfection
SUfe that I~ sealed every ofilis work on the ceiling.
location that could leak My hu~hand figured that
conditioned air or allow 11 2-ft. by 2-fl. hole should

any means of access to be big enough to free the

birds and rodents. creature trapped above
For the next six us. He said. "Stand
months, we enjoyed back. This thing could
our gUt!.\ts' comments come flying out into
when they visited out your hair or face."
house, espe~ially when As I stood far back.
they complimented our my husband open<..-d the
beautiful halls. The long hole, and the scary thing
hallway starts with a Clme into the light. Well,
warm knoay-pine ceil- it wasn't a rat, or a bird.
ing, then transitions into or a Mluirrd, or anything
a drywall ceiling that leads that wuld have caused any
to the bedrooms. My hus- harm or any odor from dymg
hand i.~ justifiably proud of his in the ceiling. It was nO(hing
drywall-ftnishinJ.:: work. other th;m an ordinary Palo Verde
One aftenuxm, my hlL~hand was beetle. There are lots of Palo Verde
walking down [hi~ hallway \vhen a beetles here in Phoenix. They .werage
sound like little footsteps or scratching 6 in. in length and have very long legs, not
gO( his attention. A roof rat? A bird? How claws. They are one of the largest beetles in
in the world did it get inr And why the mal stuck in rhe ceiling. My husband North America.
ceiling? It would he a pain to patch, and it decided ht: had no choice hut to cut a hole in As the bcc:de crawled out of its pri~n, T
would never look as perfect as it did now. I the beautifully timshtd drywall ceiling. could only imagine how my poor husb..1nd
could sense my huslxllld's frustration. As he set otT to the garagC" for the ladder must ha . . e felt about ruining his perfect
"Everything is sealed," he said. "1 insu- and saw, T knocktxl on the ceiling. To my drywall work to ~ve a hug.
lated and spray-foamed everywhere outside surpris.c, the creature s.eemcd to be attracted -M. Gustafton, Phoemx. Ariz.

98 FINE HOMEB UILDING