FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter X Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Restoration
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In
The Fine Homebuilding Podcast

Podcast 626: Walls with Fiber Sheathing, Optional Building Inspections, and Heat Pump Water Heaters

Listeners write in about high water bills, soggy straw bales, and house fires and ask questions about tightening wood-fiber walls, places without inspections, and heat pump water heaters.

By Patrick McCombe, Brian Pontolilo, Mike Guertin, Andres Samaniego
  • X
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • pinterest
  • email
  • add to favorites Log in or Sign up to save your favorite articles
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Background
      Window
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.


      Follow the Fine Homebuilding Podcast on your favorite app. Subscribe now and don’t miss an episode:

      Watch on YouTube

      Jon has an update on his coworker’s water bill. Dave shares his experience fixing a straw-bale house. Jeremy says fireplaces and woodstoves require pro repairs. Steve is working on a pretty good gut renovation. Steve asks about a new build in Cochise County. Will asks about heat pump water heaters.

      Editor Updates:

       

      • Mike: Patio project completed, roof painting, and hauling instead of dumpsters
      • Brian: Truck battery and dishwasher woes
      • Patrick/Andres: Air-sealing video shoot
      Mike's patio
      Mike's patio
      Mike's patio
      Mike's patio
      Mike's patio
      Mike's roof paint

       

       

       


       

      Listener Feedback 1:

       

      Jon in Cazenovia, NY, which is near Syracuse and Chittenango and our Podcast friend Adam, writes: FHB podcast crew,

      I am writing in with an update to a question I asked in episode 614 about my coworker’s extremely high water bill. After much pushback from the utility, persistence has paid off! They finally sent someone out to replace the meter, and the new bill showed 6,000 gallons used in that quarter, which included some time on the old meter and some on the new. Thanks for all of your suggestions!

      Patrick, you mentioned that you recently installed some low-voltage landscape lighting! That is a goal I have for this spring. I have a 75-ft. walkway, which I want to outfit with path lights. I would also like to add three or four uplights to highlight some trees in the landscape. There has recently been much discussion on the LED undercabinet and closet lights and how terrible the included connectors are. Could you provide listeners with some words of wisdom or recommendations on what to do/not do specific to the low-voltage landscape lights? There are kits available at the box stores at a fraction of the cost of kits I see on some electrical supply house websites. Should we stay away from those at the box store? I am located near Syracuse, NY, so we get the freeze/thaw/snow/ice to deal with, and I don’t want to find myself replacing a faulty product within the next few years!

      Thanks for the input!
      Jon

      Related Links:

      • Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting
      • Choosing Outdoor Lights
      • Installing Low-Voltage Path Lights

       

       

       


       

      Listener Feedback 2:

       

      Dave in Vermont writes: 

      Hi Patrick and crew!

      I’ve been working in the shop on a small built-in for a client, and my Bluetooth-enabled hearing protection has gotten me pretty well caught up on back episodes of the podcast.

      I have some feedback for WAY BACK to episode 598. There was a fellow, Seth, who was trying to troubleshoot his straw-bale home. I wrote in years ago about a failing straw-bale home I was working on, and wow did I learn a lot through that process. I forget which episode you all answered it on, though. It was BC (Before Covid), and I got a sticker for the question! If I recall correctly, your advice to me was similar to yours in 598—you didn’t know a whole lot about straw bale and, well, good luck!

      I made many friends as I researched how to best repair and, hopefully, solve the underlying issues of this house. It was an early 2000s iteration of a straw-bale home, and so I was relying heavily on info that was well intentioned but which misunderstood stucco as an exterior cladding. The California Straw Building Association (CASBA) was extremely helpful to me. One of their folks set up a phone call with me, and we spent nearly two hours talking through the issues I was seeing. This was initiated through Instagram’s high-performance building community, which is a remarkable and generous bunch of people, to put it mildly.

      I did a passably okay job documenting it on my Instagram page (@blackcatbuilders). Suffice it to say, we did an enormous amount of work on this house to rescue it from structural failure, but we did succeed in the end.

      We removed all the exterior stucco and framed a wall outside the bales—sort of Larsen trusses, now that I think about it—and filled it with dense-packed cellulose. We sheathed it with 1/2-in. CDX, taped the seams, put on an off-the-shelf WRB, and sided it with tulip poplar bark that the clients found on the internet and fell in love with. Years later the house looks like it’s holding up well, though the clients sold the place so I don’t have access to keep an eye on things. This project justified me buying a battery-powered chainsaw, which is very cool, and I use it all the time now.

      I’m including some photos of the project. It was a doozy. I’ve done a couple larger jobs since, but this was my most extensive repair/remodel at this point in my career. Whew! If you still have Seth’s info, feel free to pass along my contact to him if he’s still looking for some advice. I feel I need to pay it forward when I recall how much free wisdom folks lent to me. It’s six months after that podcast aired, so probably he’s figured it out by now, but who knows?

      Dave's straw-bale build
      Dave's straw-bale build
      Dave's straw-bale build
      Dave's straw-bale build

      Thanks for all your hard work with the podcast! And also the magazine, which continues to be great and inspiring.

      Warmly,
      Dave

      Related Links:

      • Building a Straw-Bale Home to Code
      • The Case for Straw-Bale Houses
      • GBA.com: Time to Give Straw Another Look

       

       

       


       

      Listener Feedback 3:

       

      Jeremy writes: FHB Crew,

      Your recent podcast where you discussed finishing an incomplete fireplace piqued my interest. I agree wholeheartedly with the recommendation to have a professional take care of this. With my main line of work being fire restoration, I see all sorts of causes of house fires, and starting in October we start seeing a lot of fireplace- and woodstove-related fires. I have two houses I’m putting back together right now that both had fires caused by fireplaces/woodstoves, but for different reasons.

      On one project that I am currently wrapping up, the fire was actually caused by cleaning the chimney. The homeowner had a triple wall pipe running up through the attic space and through the roof, and he was very studious about cleaning it. So studious that his aggressive brushing caused two sections of the chimney in the attic to come apart, and when he started his next fire the hot gases were venting right into the attic and caught the roof on fire. Thankfully no one was injured in the fire but it did result in us having to completely gut the house in order to remediate all of the smoke and water damage.

      On the second project there was no actual fire. This was a traditional brick and masonry fireplace. It looked like the wood framing above the mantle just slowly cooked at an extremely high temperature. The only hint that the owner had that there was a problem was that their rock lathe-and-plaster living room wall was extremely hot to the touch. I have attached some pictures of the damage caused by this fire and how it started. The previous homeowner had installed a woodstove insert into an existing fireplace opening. But the insert was too big for the firebox, so he removed the fire brick. When the fireplace and chimney were originally constructed, the clearance to combustibles may have been less than it is now, but there was a small 3/4-in. by 3-in. channel that went from the backside of the firebox into the wall. So the heat that was coming out of the woodstove was being channeled up into the wall cavity and slowly cooked the wall from the inside.

      Jeremy's fireplace fire
      Jeremy's fireplace fire
      Jeremy's fireplace fire

      When I had my trusted woodstove vendor assess the masonry work, he recognized the woodstove and said that there was an adapter to direct the smoke from the woodstove up into the throat of the chimney. He also noticed that the throat and damper were not sized or constructed correctly. So whoever installed the insert not only removed the fire brick, but they also didn’t use the proper components to direct the hot gas up the chimney because the original firebox and throat were not built properly. During the chimney inspection, we also found evidence of a previous chimney fire when we found burnt creosote. So this fireplace was bad news from day one. There are some other aspects of this disaster that I am forgetting, but this email is long enough as it is.

      Keep up the good work,
      Jeremy

      Related Links:

      • Code Requirements for Fireplace Clearances
      • Tips for Choosing and Installing Woodstoves
      • Video: Build a Fireplace, Brick by Brick

       

       

       


       

      Question 1: Is spray foam the right choice?

       

      Steve from New Zealand writes: Good day FHB crew from sunny New Zealand!

      I am a big fan of the podcast and have been an off-and-on subscriber of the magazine for a few decades. Full disclosure: I am a structural engineer who has worked on building design since the turn of the century. I very much appreciate how much knowledge and experience you all bring to the table, and I also think you do an excellent job of identifying areas where an engineer or Mike Lombardi are needed to answer a question.

      As someone who has worked on buildings from the design side for my entire career, I really enjoy listening to you discuss things from the builder’s perspective.

      I have been in NZ since July and previously lived in Miami, Syracuse, and Plattsburgh, NY. My wife and I purchased a mid-century home in Hanover, NH, in 2022 that had been abandoned for a few years. I am overseeing an extensive renovation from very far away. The house is a wonderful example of mid-century modern design, and we are going for something of a “pretty good gut renovation.” It was built in 1953 with acres of single-pane glazing and low-sloped roofs. One interesting element of the house was the in-ceiling hydronic heat—something I had never seen before and hope to never see again. I generally enjoy demo work, but taking out the inch-thick plaster reinforced with metal lathe and 1/2-in. copper pipes at 6 in. on center was awful.

      My question relates to the exterior wall assembly. The original wall section includes vertical tongue-and-groove cedar installed directly on 3/4-in. fiberboard sheathing with wood studs. There is horizontal blocking within the stud bays to which the cedar siding is face-nailed. All of the interior gypsum board and fiberglass insulation has been removed, and the condition of both the fiberboard and exterior siding are shockingly good—likely because the house has generous overhangs on most sides.

      Steve's New Zealand house
      Steve's New Zealand house

      Triple-pane Marvin windows are being installed as I type this email (or so I’m told). The cedar siding was cut back around the windows to allow the flanges to be installed directly over the fiberboard. Despite some misgivings for environmental reasons, I am planning to spray the wall cavities with closed-cell foam. On the outside, we will remove the cedar siding and replace it with vertical red cedar of a slightly lower grade than what was originally installed. Between the cedar and fiberboard, I intend to use the HydroGap dimpled WRB. I would like to get the siding replaced prior to spraying the walls so that the exterior surface of the fiberboard can be viewed before foaming the walls, but the schedule might not allow this.

      I am spending a small fortune on the envelope upgrades to this house, and I am looking for some reassurance that I am not setting myself up for issues down the road. Do you agree with spray foam on these walls? I also considered dense-pack cellulose, but ultimately decided that the foam would provide better R-value and would avoid the fussiness of air-sealing the existing walls, installing a vapor retarder, etc.

      I’ve talked about this with architects and contractors and gotten mostly mixed messages. Any thoughts?

      Steve

      Related Links:

      • Spray-Foam Insulation
      • Is Using Closed-Cell Foam Worth the Trade-Offs?
      • Is There Environmentally Friendly Spray Foam Insulation?

       

       

       


       

      Question 2: Should I opt out of reviews and inspections?

       

      Steven writes:

      I’m a new listener and only on episode 17, so forgive me if you covered this already. I’m a 42-year-old truck driver and only home four days a month right now, since the account I work on is out of state. I randomly decided to look at rural land for building my retirement home and stop with the Roommate model.

      I discovered Cochise County Arizona allows you to build with (I think this is right) no site-plan review and no inspections—or you can choose to opt in for certain inspections and reviews. Have you ever heard or dealt with this? I would like to hear the pluses and minuses of this model. I plan on building a traditional single-gable 2×6 exterior on an ICF crawlspace with 2×4 interior approximately 40×36 with a rafter roof in stages as time and money allows. Nothing too fancy. I’m decent with tools and electrical; I also used to drill water wells and plan on drilling my own well with the M50 prepper rig.

      Related Links:

      • Cochise County Owner Builder Amendment
      • Foundations for Success
      • A Short, Sweet Guide to Building Permits

       

       

       


       

      Question 3: What’s the best replacement water heater?

       

      Will in Virginia writes: Good evening gentleman,

      Long-time listener, first-time caller…

      I live in a 1953 cape on the south fork of the Shenandoah River in Luray, VA. The house was built by my wife’s great uncle, from timber off of the same land the house is built on. At only 1100 sq. ft., the house is beautiful but an absolute energy hog. The house had a coal furnace in the basement and a cookstove in the living room that were both pretty much constantly lit—air-sealing was not an issue in 1953. We have a carrier heat pump with dual fuel that also has a 92% propane furnace. We use less than 150 gallons of propane/year, which is nice.

      Will's Kentucky house
      Will's Kentucky house
      Will's Kentucky house

      While there is an absolute ton of work left to do, I am addressing issues one at a time, as finances and time allow.

      We will need a water heater soon, but many of the consumer heat pump units scare me. Hermetically sealed condensing units wouldn’t be a big deal, but it appears service parts are non-existent and expected life is short. I stumbled across Stiebel Eltron Accelera heat pump units recently, and I am very intrigued.

      Have you guys run into these units?  Real-world reviews within North America aren’t abundant.

      I am attaching some pics of the house and property to give perspective of where we are geographically.

      Thank you!!
      Will

      Related Links:

      • Accelera 300 E, 80 Gallon Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater
      • Heat-Pump Water Heaters
      • Choosing an Efficient Water Heater

       

       

       


       

      End Note:

       

      FHB-KCA-stickers

       

       


       

       

      This episode of The Fine Homebuilding Podcast is brought to you by Titebond Adhesives & Sealants

      Titebond

      The name Titebond is well-known in the woodworking community for their wood glues, but did you know that they have other impressive product lines? Titebond’s Construction Adhesives and Caulks & Sealants are made with the professional in mind. Builders and contractors depend on Titebond to deliver the most consistent and high-performing construction adhesives for their projects, including the industry’s #1 FRP adhesive. Titebond’s line of caulks and sealants ensure unbeatable adhesion for a wide variety of applications and weather conditions, with the most comprehensive color-matching program in the industry.

      To see Titebond’s complete variety of products, visit their website at Titebond.com.

       

       

       


       

       

      Check out one of our latest Project Guides: Energy Retrofit!

       

      NEW! FHB Project Guides

       

      Check out our FHB Houses:

       

      FHB Houses 2023

       

       

      Visit the Taunton Store  •  Magazine Index  •  Online Archive   •  Our First Issues   •  All Access

       

      Fine Homebuilding All Access

       

       

       


      FHB Podcast T-shirts!

      Represent your favorite podcast! Available in several styles and colors. Made from 100% cotton. Find the Podcast t-shirt and more cool products in the Fine Homebuilding Store.

      Podcast t-shirt and more cool products


      Fine Homebuilding podcast listeners can now get 20% off anything in the Taunton store, including Pretty Good House.

      Use the discount code FHBPODCAST to take advantage of this special offer.

      Pretty Good House “Finally, knowledgeable people talking about building reasonably-sized, high-performance houses for normal people with real budgets!”
      — DanD, VA, 8/19/22, Amazon.com review

       


       

      We hope you will take advantage of a great offer for our podcast listeners: A special 20% off the discounted rate to subscribe to the Fine Homebuilding print magazine. That link goes to finehomebuilding.com/podoffer.

      The show is driven by our listeners, so please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Google Play, and if you have any questions you would like us to dig into for a future show, shoot an email our way: [email protected]. Also, be sure to follow Fine Homebuilding on Instagram, and “like” us on Facebook. Note that you can watch the show above, or on YouTube at the Fine Homebuilding YouTube Channel.

      The Fine Homebuilding Podcast embodies Fine Homebuilding magazine’s commitment to the preservation of craftsmanship and the advancement of home performance in residential construction. The show is an informal but vigorous conversation about the techniques and principles that allow listeners to master their design and building challenges.

      Other related links

        • All FHB podcast show notes: FineHomebuilding.com/podcast.
        • #KeepCraftAlive T-shirts and hats support scholarships for building trades students. So order some gear at KeepCraftAlive.org.
        • The direct link to the online store is here.

       

      Sign up to get the Fine Homebuilding Podcast newsletter and special offers delivered to your inbox.

      Signing you up...

      This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
      See all newsletters
      See all newsletters
      ×

      Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

      Signing you up...

      This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
      See all newsletters
      See all newsletters

      New Feature

      Fine Homebuilding Forums

      Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

      • X
      • facebook
      • linkedin
      • pinterest
      • email
      • add to favorites Log in or Sign up to save your favorite articles

      View Comments

      1. VegasFD | Apr 18, 2024 04:19pm | #1

        The discussion about fiber sheathing in walls is particularly timely, as I've been seeing more builders exploring this option. Understanding the proper installation techniques for optimal performance is crucial.

        The segment on optional building inspections is also thought-provoking. While inspections can be valuable, it highlights the importance of builders taking responsibility for quality construction regardless of inspector involvement.

        I'm curious to learn more about the troubleshooting tips for leaky doors. Perhaps a future episode could delve deeper into this topic, focusing on common causes of leaks around doors and best practices for achieving proper door flashing and sealing. Las Vegas Foundations

      Log in or create an account to post a comment.

      Sign up Log in

      Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

      More The Fine Homebuilding Podcast

      View All
      • Podcast Episode 685: Patching Drywall, Adding Air Barriers, and Rotted Walls
      • FHB Podcast Segment: Patching Drywall Near a Shower
      • Podcast Episode 684: Masonry Heaters, Whole-House Ventilation, and Porch Flooring
      • FHB Podcast Segment: Repairing an Old Home While Maintaining Its Integrity
      View All

      Up Next

      Video Shorts

      Featured Story

      The Trump Administration Wants to Eliminate the Energy Star Program

      The end of this program will likely lead to higher energy bills and fewer business opportunities for the American people.

      Featured Video

      Video: Build a Fireplace, Brick by Brick

      Watch mason Mike Mehaffey construct a traditional-style fireplace that burns well and meets current building codes.

      Related Stories

      • Making and Installing Wood Wall Paneling
      • Putting Drywall Sanders to the Test: Power, Precision, and Dust Control
      • Precut Bottom Plates in Doorways
      • Fast, Accurate Wall Framing

      Discussion Forum

      Recent Posts and Replies

      • |
      • |
      • |
      • |
      • |
      • |
      View More Create Post

      Highlights

      Fine Homebuilding All Access
      Fine Homebuilding Podcast
      Tool Tech
      Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

      "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

      Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

      Signing you up...

      This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
      See all newsletters
      See all newsletters

      Video

      View All Videos
      • Making and Installing Wood Wall Paneling
      • Putting Drywall Sanders to the Test: Power, Precision, and Dust Control
      • FHB Podcast Segment: Drywall-Free Half Wall Finish
      • FHB Podcast Segment: Plaster Peeling Predicament
      View All

      Walls

      View All Walls Articles
      • Precut Bottom Plates in Doorways
      • Fast, Accurate Wall Framing
      • FHB Podcast Segment: Drywall-Free Half Wall Finish
      View All Walls Articles

      Fine Homebuilding Magazine

      • Issue 331 - June 2025
        • A More Resilient Roof
        • Tool Test: You Need a Drywall Sander
        • Ducted vs. Ductless Heat Pumps
      • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
        • Deck Details for Durability
        • FAQs on HPWHs
        • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
      • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
        • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
        • A Kominka Comes West
        • Making Small Kitchens Work
      • Issue 328 - Dec/Jan 2024
        • How a Pro Replaces Columns
        • Passive House 3.0
        • Tool Test: Compact Line Lasers
      • Issue 327 - November 2024
        • Repairing Damaged Walls and Ceilings
        • Plumbing Protection
        • Talking Shop

      Fine Home Building

      Newsletter Sign-up

      • Fine Homebuilding

        Home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox.

      • Green Building Advisor

        Building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox.

      • Old House Journal

        Repair, renovation, and restoration tips, plus special offers, in your inbox.

      Signing you up...

      This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
      See all newsletters

      Follow

      • Fine Homebuilding

        Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

        Start Free Trial Now
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • X
        • LinkedIn
      • GBA Prime

        Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

        Start Free Trial Now
        • Facebook
        • YouTube
      • Old House Journal

        Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

        Subscribe Now
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • X
      • Fine Homebuilding

        Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

        Start Free Trial Now
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • X
        • LinkedIn
      • GBA Prime

        Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

        Start Free Trial Now
        • Facebook
        • YouTube
      • Old House Journal

        Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

        Subscribe Now
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • X

      Membership & Magazine

      • Online Archive
      • Start Free Trial
      • Magazine Subscription
      • Magazine Renewal
      • Gift a Subscription
      • Customer Support
      • Privacy Preferences
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Careers
      • Terms of Use
      • Site Map
      • Do not sell or share my information
      • Privacy Policy
      • Accessibility
      • California Privacy Rights

      © 2025 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.

      Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

      • Home Group
      • Antique Trader
      • Arts & Crafts Homes
      • Bank Note Reporter
      • Cabin Life
      • Cuisine at Home
      • Fine Gardening
      • Fine Woodworking
      • Green Building Advisor
      • Garden Gate
      • Horticulture
      • Keep Craft Alive
      • Log Home Living
      • Military Trader/Vehicles
      • Numismatic News
      • Numismaster
      • Old Cars Weekly
      • Old House Journal
      • Period Homes
      • Popular Woodworking
      • Script
      • ShopNotes
      • Sports Collectors Digest
      • Threads
      • Timber Home Living
      • Traditional Building
      • Woodsmith
      • World Coin News
      • Writer's Digest
      Active Interest Media logo
      X
      X
      This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

      Main Menu

      • How-To
      • Design
      • Tools & Materials
      • Video
      • Blogs
      • Forum
      • Project Guides
      • Reader Projects
      • Magazine
      • Members
      • FHB House

      Podcasts

      • FHB Podcast
      • ProTalk

      Webinars

      • Upcoming and On-Demand

      Podcasts

      • FHB Podcast
      • ProTalk

      Webinars

      • Upcoming and On-Demand

      Popular Topics

      • Kitchens
      • Business
      • Bedrooms
      • Roofs
      • Architecture and Design
      • Green Building
      • Decks
      • Framing
      • Safety
      • Remodeling
      • Bathrooms
      • Windows
      • Tilework
      • Ceilings
      • HVAC

      Magazine

      • Current Issue
      • Past Issues
      • Magazine Index
      • Subscribe
      • Online Archive
      • Author Guidelines

      All Access

      • Member Home
      • Start Free Trial
      • Gift Membership

      Online Learning

      • Courses
      • Project Guides
      • Reader Projects
      • Podcast

      More

      • FHB Ambassadors
      • FHB House
      • Customer Support

      Account

      • Log In
      • Join

      Newsletter

      Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

      Signing you up...

      This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
      See all newsletters
      See all newsletters

      Follow

      • X
      • YouTube
      • instagram
      • facebook
      • pinterest
      • Tiktok

      Join All Access

      Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

      Start Your Free Trial

      Subscribe

      FHB Magazine

      Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

      Subscribe

      Enjoy unlimited access to Fine Homebuilding. Join Now

      Already a member? Log in

      We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

      Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

      Start your FREE trial

      Already a member? Log in

      Privacy Policy Update

      We use cookies, pixels, script and other tracking technologies to analyze and improve our service, to improve and personalize content, and for advertising to you. We also share information about your use of our site with third-party social media, advertising and analytics partners. You can view our Privacy Policy here and our Terms of Use here.

      Cookies

      Analytics

      These cookies help us track site metrics to improve our sites and provide a better user experience.

      Advertising/Social Media

      These cookies are used to serve advertisements aligned with your interests.

      Essential

      These cookies are required to provide basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website.

      Delete My Data

      Delete all cookies and associated data