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CONSTRUCTION
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From HVAC repair to electrical upgrades, some home improvement projects require the help of a professional. But even though contractors are well versed in repairs...
Building codes promote safety and uniformity, but they’re usually enforced only during construction and remodeling projects. If you live in an older home—or if yo...
Got your sights set on a major building project? Not so fast. First, you need to know more about how the site soil wo...
While some home improvement and maintenance projects require professional help, others are easy enough to do yourself. But most homeowners can’t get through a DIY...
Even though most homeowners set a budget before they start a remodeling project, the final cost of renovations can end up being thousands more. Why? Well, one big...
Most homeowners think they’re capable of handling minor remodeling jobs and have the wisdom to call a contractor for projects that warrant professional help. But ...
You've probably heard the saying, “Measure twice, cut once.” But when it comes to home improvement, another useful bit of advice—always learn from others' mistake...
Just because you can do it yourself doesn’t mean you should. Some jobs call for a licensed professional, especially jobs that involve plumbing, electric, and HVAC...
So, you’ve finally hired a contractor for your home renovation. You’ve done your homework, checked references, and even have a written contract. You think you're ...
Even the simplest home improvement projects can be messy. Be sure to protect your floors while you work. There's a w...
When doing an attic or a third-floor renovation, consider using a crane for the heavy materials. For about $500 a da...
When it comes to architectural renderings, I have two recommendations: First, make a few preliminary sketches yoursel...
You will probably have a choice when you look for someone to help design your remodeling project. The most likely can...
A designer must be both creative and pragmatic. He or she must have an artist's eye for shapes and color. The designe...
No other profession leaves such large tracks. The work that architects and designers do is hard to hide: buildings, o...
Different designers have different working styles. Some take the let's-go-for-it approach, and their initial sketches...
These large pieces of paper are, finally, what you are paying your architect for. The drawings should be fully dimens...
My adrenaline really starts to run when the noise of construction rings in my ears. As a remodeler, getting a demolit...
There is one last piece of paper that you'll need: a building permit. A general contractor usually handles the permit...
If your designer has specified all the fixtures, appliances, and building materials needed for the job, you may not h...
On the exterior of the walls, a layer of a water-repellant material will probably be applied, especially in cooler cl...
The plans, as usual, guide the work. For the electrician, there'll be a separate drawing that will map out the locati...
Many of us would love to design and build a dream home, the house created just for us, but is that something only the...
Building application and approval processes vary from town to town and district to district, but most municipalities ...
In your mind you’ve got a dream house, but in reality you have a building lot. Before you get locked into a building ...
Foundations rest on soil, soil pushes against their sides, and wet soil pushes water and humidity against them, so it...
If your designer has specified all the fixtures, appliances, and home building materials needed for the job, you may ...
Construction Manager vs. General Contractor?A construction manager is an alternative to hiring a general contractor. ...
What follows is a long – yet hardly exhaustive – list of costs common to home building projects. You probably won't h...
Interior designer Patricia Brown has counseled hundreds of clients through renovation projects large and small. She e...
Before you dive headfirst into that renovation project, make sure to assess the full scope of the job—from budgeting to sourcing materials to hiring the right con...
Labor. Materials. Pizza?Some costs do not fit neatly into a renovation project's line-item budget, but if you ignore ...
Homeowners begin every renovation with the best of intentions. The budget is fixed, the schedule is firm, and the res...
Remodeling projects and furniture moving can sometimes have not-so-welcome side effects. Here’s how to protect your b...
During your construction project, you will have to deal with the workmen. Even if you feel comfortable with them—and ...
How long do the steps take? No two jobs are the same, but here are some reasonable estimates of what will be required...
Two grateful and happy families are living in new homes this week thanks to the efforts of Habitat for Humanity of Gr...
If you’re planning on adding to your house, great care must be taken to protect the trees and their root systems from...
As the end of the project approaches, enjoy the signs of completion as they emerge. At the same time, however, take c...
For the novice renovator, one of the chief frustrations of the process is the hurry-up and slowdown nature of the wor...
What was I thinking when I promised myself—and more importantly my husband, Phil—that we would be ready to move into ...
A sampling of some of the innovative new products showcased at this year's International Builders' Show.
Every year, builders, contractors, manufacturers, and industry professionals attend the NAHB International Builders’ ...
Making professional working drawings takes training and practice. For many simple, around-the-home kinds of jobs, how...
How long do the steps take? No two jobs are the same, but here are some reasonable estimates of what will be requir...
How long should the finish work take? That depends on the job, of course. When the job involves plastering and painti...
The Plot Plan As you go about your examination of the property, update your plot plan (or sketch one if none exists)....
Bob introduces homeowner Howard Brickman. Steve Ivas, an environmental engineer, describes the area wetlands, which must be accommodated. Innovative building tech...
A big farmer's porch will run the whole width of the house. Bob discusses the boiler, which will heat the domestic hot water, radiant floor heating, and hydro-air...
It’s time to start restoring the structure, marking an important moment in the house’s history.
Bob helps carpenter Bob Ryley build a redwood deck. Carpenter Danny Ruffini installs a custom-made redwood-and-cedar fence on the perimeter.
Bob meets up with carpenter Bob Ryley, who is adding two third-floor dormers to the roof in keeping with the house's original one.
Bob works with carpenter Bob Ryley to construct an insert for an antique cherry armoire to house his bedroom TV and video collection.
Bob reviews the Victorian design elements of his front-corner porch and the interior columns that echo the exterior ones, and then watches the turn-of-the-century...
Bob helps carpenter Bob Ryley create an elaborate five-piece cornice molding in the dining room.
Before putting on the blue board, Bob looks at what goes behind the walls: wiring, light fixtures, heat ducts, water lines, and a pocket door frame.
Bob reviews the site preparation process with the on-site contractor, Michael Sheils.
Bob looks at the order and placement of the windows on the facade of the modern Colonial. Upon closer inspection, the classically inspired fenestration, size, typ...
Bob meets lead carpenter Connor McKenna from Thorough Construction, who is working with the original floor joists in preparation for the hardwood floors.
Thorough Construction's lead carpenter Connor McKenna applies panel adhesive to the tops of the new, sistered joists before laying four-by-eight sheets of Georgia...
Bob joins Connor McKenna of Thorough Construction as he works on installing the new steel-stud framing.
Bob meets Bob Bevilacqua at the River Hill site in Mashpee, Massachusetts, where Bevilacqua and his crew have undertaken a mammoth job of earth moving as they cle...
Bob visits with John Druley of Quaker Homes in Falmouth, Massachusetts, who is developing a parcel of land in Falmouth that will have eight homes, two of them aff...
Bob and developer John Druley walk through a home under construction by Quaker Homes in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Bob joins John Druley at another of the Quaker Homes that is nearly completed and ready for landscaping and then tour the interior of a finished single-family hom...
Bob and John Druley continue their tour of the finished model built by Quaker Homes in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Bob walks through the Manhattan Brownstone floor-through apartment with project manager Chris Vila, looking at the ductwork that has been run in the ceiling for t...
Bob is in Mashpee, Massachusetts, where the affordable housing project is well underway with five of the eleven homes currrently under construction.
Bob meets Lance Olson of Louisana Pacific as LP's Smartside lap siding is installed on a Mashpee house.
Bob is joined by Mike Hobson of Westchester Insulation as the crew prepares one of the Mashpee houses for insulation installation.
Bob is joined by Michael McDevitt of Therma-Tru Doors as Wes Lohr and his crew prepare for the installation of the pre-hung exterior door.
Tom Sullivan of Bellawood is in one of the four Mashpee affordable homes where they have donated hardwood flooring for the living room, dining room, and kitchen o...
Bob visits with Mark Lundquist of Burnham Hydronics to check out the boiler for the hot-water heating system being installed in the Mashpee, Massachusetts, afford...
Thomas Bump of Fine Custom Cabinetry shows Bob the Maple and hardwood panel cabinets that were built specifically for the Brownstone kitchen.
The front room of the Manhattan Brownstone is getting its finishing touches as prefabricated oversize cove molding is installed at the ceiling.
Bob meets general contractor Wes Lohr at the Colonial-style affordable home in Mashpee, Massachusetts.
Bob meets plumber Charlie Delvecchio of Cape Plumbing at the ranch-style affordable home in Mashpee, Massachusetts.
Bob meets Scott Howard of Dean's Carpet, John Livermore from the Energy Star Homes program, and Damon Markowski from Leviton to show some of the features built in...
Bob visits Emma and Jacob Josselyn in their Cape Cod-style home to see the new Vermont Castings Addison cast-iron electric stove that will warm the corner of thei...
Bob introduces Medford, MA, a city five miles north of Boston. Settled in 1630, Medford once flourished with industry, including the shipbuilding building. Today,...
Bob tours the first floor of the house, then turns his attention to the family room addition. Demolition has taken place in the barn, where a concrete floor has r...
Much of the space on the first floor has been opened up to give the house a 21st-century lifestyle feel. The framing of the new addition is ongoing, and the Kohle...
A representative from Owens Corning tells Bob about the architectural shingles that have been selected to replace the old roofing material. And Velux VSE skylight...
Bob visits the site to watch the Steve Thompson and his crew from Premier Building Systems raise the SIPs walls. Jim Tracy (from Premier) provides SIPs details.
Bob visits the Willamette I-Joist Mill in Woodburn, OR, before returning to Yonkers where the crew is assembling the second floor walls with structural insulated ...
Bob meets with building consultant Steven Easley to learn about Tyvek: what it is, how it works, and how to install it.
Bob meets with the general contractors and the architect for the project house to discuss mid-construction changes to the building plan.
Carpenter Bob Ryley and the finish carpenter install interior trim in the dining room.
Architect and town planner Andres Duany explains how the project house in Mount Pleasant, SC may be expanded if necessary.
General contractor Sam Daniels gives Bob the details about the three-level northeast addition.
Having reviewed the progress made in the basement, Bob checks out some of the finish carpentry techniques used in applying wood moldings.
Carpenter Bob Ryley and general contractor Sam Daniel issue a progress report on the construction of the north addition to the Viriginia governor's mansion.
In the Virginia governor's mansion, Bob and Bob Ryley look at baseboard replicas and inspect how the space behind the baseboard is used.
Bob visits Todd Allen's cabinet shop, where he helps to mill and assemble the cabinets for the loft conversion project.
Bob gives assistance to carpenter Todd Allen, who is building a bookcase for the built-in cabinet array.
Bob explains the engineering and construction of the truss system supporting the roof of the accessible home.
Carpenter Bob Ryley lays out and constructs a corner bracket for the accessible home.
Carpenter Bob Ryley continues to fashion a wooden bracket for the exterior of the accessible home.
Carpenter Bob Ryley and George (from Crosswinds Enterprises) collaborate to build a porch railing for the accessible home. Looking on, Bob discusses the building ...
Bob pays a visit to the site of another unit's construction in the Roxbury development. Here, a carpenter is adding custom sills to windows.
Bob meets Arquitectonica's Laurinda Spear, an architect who has come up with some eye-catching and very tropical ideas for the project.
Bob and contractor Ed Weller tour of another work in progress, a home being built using construction techniques unique to tropical climates.
Bob tours of The Barnacle, one of the first homes built in Dade County, FL, to see how early settlers built in order to deal with the heat.
Bob meets with stucco contractor Angelo Dattini, who walks Bob through the first steps of stucco application.
Bob confers with carpenter Cortney Lofton and cabinetmaker Brian Comeaux on the milling and construction of an interior soffit for the bungalow.
Bob meets homeowners Tracy and Linda Gallagher at their 1930s Colonial Revival home. Bob also meets the architect and contractor, whom the Gallaghers have enliste...
Bob and contractor Paul Morse review the excavations and formwork for the foundation.
Bob reviews the framing for the new addition. Homeowner Linda points out the corner notches, which add architectural interest. And a large opening punctuates one ...
Bob and carpenter Bob Ryley demonstrate how to lay out and build interior partitions.
Bob joins Jack O'Leary to review the rough-in plumbing and electrical work, and, together, they install a roof vent.
Bob and carpenter Bob Ryley demolish a wall on the second floor in order to connect the framed-in addition to the existing house.
Bob meets with Bob Ryley and Al Worth to install a pair of Andersen mulled windows with a transom, as well as an interior window seat. Bob discusses the window it...
Bob joins carpenter Bob Ryley, who is putting sidewall shingles onto the exterior of the new addition.
Bob and carpenter Bob Ryley meet in the workshop to build a set of bookcases for the home. Ryley demonstrates the various cuts and joining methods used to make th...
Bob meets Jack O'Leary, the plumbing and heating contractor for the Newton, MA project. Since the house has doubled in size with the neaddition, the old heating u...
Bob and carpenter Paul Morse go over the details of the budget and discuss whether or not they'll be able to finish the project under the estimated cost.
Bob is on site to discuss the design of the completed addition with the project architects.
Bob, the architect, and the homeowner discuss plans for the new greenhouse. The exact position of the greenhouse in relation to the existing house is chosen so as...
The foundation has been hand-dug and the forms laid for the footings. Bob and contractor Bob Ryley discuss the layout of the greenhouse foundation and framing.
The wood has arrived for the perimeter benches, so Bob and contractor Bob Ryley begin constructing the architect-designed benches for the greenhouse. The wood is ...
Bob meets with contractor Bob Ryley, who outlines the door construction process and builds the first of seven doors.
Bob tours a home that was designed to affordable, flexible, and easy to build with a do-it-yourself, low-cost construction system.
Bob meets the framing sub-contractor, Ron Gates, and the two discuss framing the 18-step winding staircase, as well as the work of framing, in general.
Bob and interior decorator Robyn Peterson tour the master bedroom and bath. The 'antiqued' wood carpentry adds warmth to the bedroom, as does the use of unbleache...
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley review the Insulspan structural insulated panels (SIPs). These Styrofoam panels save steps in construction, since they include struct...
Bob joins contractor Bob Ryley and the tree removal specialist to discuss clearing the site. Special tips on chainsaw use and safety are provided.
Bob and contractor John Clancy discuss creating the new concrete chimney at the Victorian-style project house in Martha's Vineyard.
Bob reviews progress in the kitchen, which includes the installation of a pantry, and contractor Bob Ryley demonstrates how to build a door into a wood-paneled wa...
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley review costs for the Victorian-style remodel-and-build project in Martha's Vineyard, MA.
The designer shows Bob around the addition, pointing out certain highlights, such as the breezeway with exposed studs and the Victorian-influenced lighting design...
Bob meets with homeowner Paul Paresky and tours the project. Expanding the lakefront home with a second floor addition will be a major undertaking. General contra...
Bob remarks on how much progress has been made in one week of work on the Wayland project home. The footings have been established and the crew has begun building...
Bob reflects on the project house's previous appearance and how the addition will change both the appearance and functionality of the home.
Contractor Bob Ryley demonstrates how to build a gable end dormer into the new roof.
Contractor Larry Landers demonstrates how to install roofing shingles around skylights.
Electrician Steve Bradley is on hand to install the electrical wires and boxes for the addition. Bob discusses the codes regarding receptacle placement and Steve ...
Bob helps contractor Bob Ryley hand-craft a medicine cabinet using a radial arm saw, Dado blade, router, screws, and carpenter's glue.
Bog gives a mid-renovation tour, reviewing the progress that's been made on various projects throughout the house. He also provides an update on the changes have ...
Bob helps carpenter Bob Ryley and crew install a new box bay window, which will enlarge the dining space and enhance the interior atmosphere.
Bob reviews the plans to create a new screen porch with a ceiling fan at the Naples project house.
Bob reviews the construction of a carport, bench, and storage structure, situated adjacent to the Naples project house.
Bob watches as the crew clears more trees and brush to make room for building structures.
Bob assists carpentry contractor Bob Ryley, as he builds a staircase from the first floor.
Bob and carpentry contractor Bob Ryley complete the raftering job on the roof of the Cape Cod house.
Bob helps carpentry contractor Bob Ryley and his crew install a wooden window at the Cape Cod project house.
Bob joins architectural historian Susan Benjamin for a tour of some of Chicago's landmark buildings.
Carpenter John Pringle demonstrates a simple way to build a set of winding stairs.
Bob meets with homeowner David Masher and architect Greg Colling at the project house, a Queen Anne Victorian in Rowley, MA's historic district, to review plans f...