Design and Planning - Page 397 of 439

Foundations hold up the house, hold back the earth, and keep out the water. If they're not level and square, you may end up custom-cutting every rafter.

Start with a sturdy wood underlayment, and plan the layout to get cut tiles in the back.

Housing electronic equipment, routing wires, storing CDs and dealing with that big TV are all part of the challenge.

Full-scale patterns on the floor and prefabricated sections help you to build these small dropped ceilings accurately and efficiently.

Q: We are building a log home with a metal (Galvalume) roof in a hilly area, but not at the top of the hill. With the metal roof, should we be…

Careful testing is your hedge against frayed insulation, faulty splices and missing ground wires.

Q: I’d like to remove ten ceiling joists in a second-floor 13-ft. by 13-ft. bedroom on the front half of my house to create a vaulted ceiling. The back half of…

One-piece fixtures are quick to install, but should you buy a gelcoat or an acrylic model?

Q: I’m moving from Colorado to California soon. While living in Colorado, I’ve really enjoyed having a basement with lots of extra space for storage. However, I’ve never seen a California…

Careful installation of fiberglass batts is likely to have a bigger impact on your life than tight-fitting miters.