June House Projects: Contractor's Guide to Summer Renovations
As the temperatures rise and the days grow longer, June marks the onset of summer—a perfect time for homeowners to embark on a variety of renovation projects....
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Recent Blog Posts
In Depth: Trim & Moulding
The famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright had a thing for trim and moulding. In his house designs, he made liberal use of overwhelming horizontal...
Building Safety from the Ground Up: Crafting an OSHA-Compliant Program for Homebuilding Construction Sites
Safety is the cornerstone of any successful construction project, and in the realm of homebuilding, it takes on heightened significance. As the construction...
Kitchen Design
Most kitchen layouts start from the concept of a “work triangle” between the sink, refrigerator, and cooking surface (Figure A). For an efficient work triangle...
A Look at Traditional Trim Designs
While I spend much of my time traveling around the country teaching carpenters and contractors the ins and outs of trim carpentry, I don’t often have the...
Beautiful Hazard: How to Design Safe, Functional and Beautiful Stairs
While on a recent trip to Dallas, I had dinner with a friend at an outdoor restaurant. One of topics we discussed was this very article on designing better...
5 Essential Summer Safety Tips for Contractors
Summer brings warmer weather and longer days, making it a busy and productive time for contractors. However, working in high temperatures and under intense sun...
Attaching Posts to a Rooftop Deck
Q. How can I mount newel posts to a deck on a flat roof without cutting into the roof? A. Paul Nichter, a contractor in Islesboro, Maine, responds: I’ve been...
JLC Field Guide: Shingles
Shingle and Shake Coverage The same shingles and shakes used to cover roofs may be used as siding; however, different maximum exposures apply (see Figure:...
The Strength of Wood
The strength of wood is typically measured by a number of "strength properties," including: Modulus of rupture in bending - This reflects the maximum load...
Is Fence Installation the Next Big Opportunity for Home Improvement?
Outdoor spaces are one of the hottest remodeling trends for 2021, but designing full-scale outdoor living rooms may be out of scope for many companies. However...
The Secret to Handling High Material Prices
There have been many silver linings for the residential construction industry throughout the pandemic. Families relegated to their houses were driven to...
8 Tips to Help Find Employees During Low Unemployment
A shortage of skilled labor continues to plague the remodeling industry. In time like these, it’s more important than ever to reach out to potential employees...
Estimating Shortcuts for Circular Concrete Shapes
When it comes to estimating concrete quantities, most remodelers rely on a quote from a subcontractor. But occasionally it’s easier to estimate the costs...
4 Rules for Flexible Ducts that Remodelers Need to Know
On most projects, HVAC flexible ductwork is located in designated chases that maximize the efficiency of the airflow. But the path for the final branch of the...
How to Install Hardwood Flooring
The good news is that most will consider installing hardwood floors easier than installing carpet because the pieces are easier to assemble than cutting carpet...
Protect Your Jobsite Crews From the Summer Heat
On a jobsite in Kingsville, Texas, in August 2013, a worker was mixing gypsum concrete in preparation for gypcrete installation on an apartment building. It’s...
Keeping Business in the Black: Take Control of Cash Flow
If your business has unhealthy cash flow, you constantly need to delay payments—antagonizing your subs and suppliers—and you typically end up paying interest...
Best Practices for Coronavirus Safety and Prevention on the Jobsite
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. increases, a majority of states are mandating the closure of non-essential businesses. The construction industry is...
Preventing Common Callbacks
Callbacks typically result from three things: poor design, faulty construction, or the actions of a clueless homeowner. While this is true everywhere, coastal...
Independent Contractor Taxes: What You Need to Know
There are a lot of benefits that go along with being self-employed. One of which are the tax advantages. These benefits won’t happen without a little effort,...
How to Choose a Remodeling Contractor
At first glance, it would seem like the easiest way to find a remodeling contractor would be to just Google them. Of course if you did so, you’ll probably find...