Design and Planning - Page 390 of 439

Yes, recycled lumber and plantation-grown lumber cost more, but designing smaller houses, orienting them for solar gain and minimizing job-site waste don't.

Ground-source heat pumps rely on buried water loops to heat and cool efficiently and economically.

SIPs provide solid structure and insulation for walls and ceilings

Q: I’ve been interested in widow’s walks ever since visiting Cape Cod in my youth. I’m now building a house for myself, and I’d like to incorporate a widow’s walk on…

From tropical hardwoods to man-made plastic composites, the choices are more varied than ever.

Available as single-shot, semiautomatic or full automatic, these low-velocity tools are the ones carpenters choose when driving fasteners into concrete or steel.

Careful planning and knowing exactly where the framing is help factory-made cabinets go in quickly and easily for a custom look with no nasty surprises.

A New Jersey design/build team recreates a large, comfortable porch with 19th-century details built to last into the 21st century and beyond.

Q: We are putting an addition on our Wisconsin home and elected to go with a concrete-block crawlspace. The floor joists rest on open block atop a layer of foam sill…

Despite the obstacles, converting that dark, scary place into comfortable living space is much cheaper than adding on.