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Get the answers you need to get the job done right. Home-building and remodeling pros and industry experts answer your questions about construction details, materials, tools, building codes, and more. Email Fine Homebuilding at [email protected] to have a question considered for publishing in the magazine.

Making Sense of Snow Loads When Building Decks
The local building official often has the last word, so it’s always good to check how he or she addresses snow and live loads.
Building Soundproof Walls
To start, minimize sound bridges, seal penetrations, and fill wall cavities with acoustical insulation.
Horizontal vs. Vertical Drywall: Which is Best?
Hanging drywall horizontally does place seams at a more convenient height for finishing, resulting in better work, but that’s only part of the story.
Will Traditional Framers Use Advanced Framing?
One reader wants an architect to design a home using advanced-framing methods, and wonders if a typical builder will follow those plans and build it correctly.
How to Deal With a Humid Basement
Doors, especially garage doors, are notoriously leaky, so warm, humid air may enter from the outside.
Drywall Repairs and Vapor Barriers
While air barriers need to be continuous and without holes to work effectively, vapor barriers don’t have to be free of holes.
Preventing Cedar-Post Rot
You can’t completely stop wood from rotting, but you can delay the decay.
How do I Mount a Deck Ledger Over Zip System R-Sheathing?
The thickness of the foam insulation will dictate whether you should use a standard fastening schedule or get advice from an engineer.
Is Aluminum Electrical Cable an OK Substitute for Copper?
Safety concerns caused aluminum wire to be banned from use in branch circuits years ago, but it is a common option for feeding main service panels and subpanels.
Can My Flooring Be Refinished?
Learn how to refinish hardwood floors in a 1910 bungalow correctly.

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