Library builder

  EVERY NEW ENDEAVOR COMES WITH a new vocab­ulary that you need to learn before you can get started. Building stairs is no exception. Once you learn the names of the different parts and how they relate to each other, you can begin to put together a set of stairs. Stringers: The diagonal members (here, […]

Concrete piers and FT posts work well for supporting the front of the porch. In some areas, code may require that concrete porch piers be set on concrete footings, so check with your building department. For a deck that’s 6 ft. wide by 16 ft. long, set three piers (16 in. square by 12 in. […]

IMAGINE MARION WILLOUGHBY, sitting on the rotting front porch of his leaking rental house, listening to Habitat’s offer to have volunteers help him build a new home. Imagine him hearing that Habitat will sell the new house to him at cost and also give him a mortgage with 0% interest. Marion did not believe a […]

Many builders like to use flashing when installing a ledger. Find out which types of flashing builders use in your area. I tend to use heavy-gauge aluminum behind the ledger, though I sometimes opt for high-quality galva­nized sheet metal or even copper—expensive though it is—instead of aluminum. Although it can take a while, ocean air […]

Helping Hand Framing connectors are worth checking out. If you haven’t discovered the vast variety of framing connec­tors that are available, try to do so before building a porch or a deck. A well — stocked lumberyard or building supplier will sell connecting hardware designed to reinforce all kinds of joints among dif­ferent framing members. […]

THE PORCHES ON HABITAT HOUSES ARE AMONG THEIR NICEST FEATURES. AH Habitat houses have a covered porch of some sort. On the Charlotte house, there’s a small porch tucked underneath the main roof, sheltering the main entry door. The side door has a landing that could grow into a larger deck sometime in the future […]

COMBINING AN ENCLOSED SOFFIT with a gable — end roof overhang means that you need to construct a boxed return. The return creates the nailing sur­faces required to bring the soffit and fascia trim around the corner of the house. Here’s how to do the job: 1. Use 2x lumber to make the framing for […]

GABLE WALL Soffit (unvented) Barge rafter Roof shingles Metal drip edge 2-in. gap Baffle Double above baffle J top plate for ventilation STEP 7 Finish the Soffits

The last piece of siding at the top of an eave wall can be fastened in different ways. If the eaves will be left open, use strips of undersill trim and cut and fasten the final panel in the same way as the one under the window. If the eaves will be closed with soffit […]

PRECISE CUTOUTS ARE SOMETIMES REQUIRED for certain situations, such as fitting siding panels over vents or electrical outlet boxes. Careful layout is the key here. 1. Place the siding panel directly below where it will be installed. Mark where the sides of the box hit the panel. 2. Reposition the panel to one side of […]