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Fortunately, rotted trim is generally easy to repair. (Rot-infested framing or mudsills pose a much bigger problem.) But before you can fix it, you have to find it. Check out the horizontal areas that don’t drain well and places where the paint is cracked, peeling, or blistering or the wood is darker. If your screwdriver pushes deeply into a suspect board, it’s time to root out the rot. Pay particular attention to joints, which dry slowly, and to all wood that’s close to dirt, concrete, or masonry....

What Makes Snap Seam Special Roofers are already familiar with Bridger’s 2-inch Mechanical Lock product, a traditional double-seamed standing seam metal panel. They may also be acquainted with Bridger’s Tru Snap snap-locked panels. The new Snap Seam panel is something of a hybrid of the two: It snaps into place like Tru Snap, but then can receive a folded seam like Mechanical Lock. The result is a improved quality and efficiency, says Bridger Steel product development manager Russell Jensen....

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Where Do You Start When Finishing a Basement? Here’s our bottom-line advice for turning this underutilized space into a place you’ll be eager to spend time in. Remember to Plan Your Layout First Put the main socializing area in a spot that gets the best natural light, to draw people in. Bedrooms need a window for egress, so they’ll need to be located at the perimeter. The TV-viewing zone can be in a darker spot, to reduce glare and create a home-theater feel....

But all that cold and snow had an upside, says Pamela Haines, owner of a 19th-century Cape Cod–style house in the river town of Buxton. Houses like hers have an assortment of small rooms, the better to close off ones not worth heating, and that configuration can itself be a source of warmth. “Capes are just cozy,” she says. “Rooms tend to be small and separate, which I like.”Carpentry (cabinets and woodwork) and roofing, siding, wainscoting, and flooring: Saco River Remodeling, Buxton, MEWindsor chairs: The Workshops of David T....

If you haven’t heard of these systems, this short video will give you an idea of what they are all about. You can also send a link to the video to your customers. They can see the advantages of these systems immediately. How Mini Duct Air Conditioning Systems Works Air is drawn in through a single return duct. The air is then pulled into the air handler mounted in the attic where it’s cooled....

In this episode: Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner replace all the plumbing components in his pedestal sink; Heath Eastman discusses some new technology for bathroom vent fans; the team shares more home inspection nightmares; Tom Silva explains how to clean dirty tile grout using only household supplies. How to Replace Pedestal Sink Parts Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner replace all the plumbing components in his pedestal sink. Where to find it?...

In this episode: Carpenter Nathan Gilbert takes us on a house call to help a homeowner with a pocket door. After salvaging a pocket door that will work perfectly in one of her doorways, she asks Nathan and his father to help source missing hardware, prepare the door, and hang it. The trio works together to swap out the old rollers for period-correct hardware and maneuver the heavy door into place, giving this classic home a fittingly-classic touch....

In this episode: Host Kevin O’Connor and general contractor Tom Silva shirk the typical house call and head to local Brookside Elementary school to meet some students. After speaking with the school principal, they find out the school needs a Free Little Library—a small book lending station accessible at all times of the day throughout the year. Tom and Kevin meet with a classroom full of students and talk about the designs the students came up with for the Free Little Library....

In this episode: Former apprentice Kevin Barker is now an accomplished trim carpenter. Tom Silva helps him trim the antique bay windows in the kitchen. Richard Trethewey finds electrician Ben Giles installing an up-to-date meter socket outside the house and a special panel for the generator in the garage. Hardscape elements are coming together in the backyard. Mark McCullough shows Tom the stone veneer on the new outdoor kitchen and the limestone for the patio....

In this episode: It’s almost time to wrap the project, but there is still much to be done. This week the crew spends time helping out in the kitchen starting with the crown molding. Kevin O’Connor and Tom Silva tackle the last stretch of molding before it’s time to surrender the project to the homeowners. A unique feature of this particular kitchen is the pantry. In earlier days it served as an outhouse....

In this episode: The barge rafters on the Queen Anne style house are decorative, and the Historic Commission wanted to reflect that in the new garage addition. Tom Silva helps to route the design on the rafters and then they get lifted in place and screwed on. Figuring out where to hide mechanicals is always a creative challenge. Richard Trethewey shows how Jeff Sweenor’s team solved the problem in the new and old parts of the house....

In this episode: The bright blue house in historic South Atlanta needs attention. So, today the team makes discoveries, and the demo begins to address those areas of concern. On the front porch, the deck boards were installed in the wrong direction and are rotted and cupped. Builder Jerry Davis and General Contractor Tom Silva remove the boards to reorient them and to identify if there are any structural issues present....

SIP Construction Instead of traditional stick framing, the building envelope of our Modern Barnhouse is made of structural insulated panels, or SIPs. Like a sandwich made with a core of insulating foam and skins of structural oriented strand board, SIPs have the strength of traditional stick framing but offer much better energy performance because the insulation is uninterrupted by heat-conducting wood studs or rafters. “Using structural insulated panels built in a controlled environment just makes sense,” says Amy....

Installing a stair runner on a straight staircase is a relatively easy project, even for novice do-it-yourselfers. Winder stairs that turn corners are more challenging, but still doable with our expert instructions. Stair runners are priced by the linear foot, and available in two widths: 27 inches and 32 inches. They’re made of synthetic fibers, wool, or a combination of both. Visit a carpeting outlet to see samples of the patterns and colors available....

Top 5 Best Hand Sanitizers Best For Offices: PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel Best Spray Sanitizer: Everyone Hand Sanitizer Spray Largest Pack: Germ-X Hand Sanitizer Best Sanitizing Wipes: The Honest Company Sanitizing Alcohol Wipes Best Moisturizing Sanitizer: Hempz Triple-Moisture Herbal Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer Best For Offices: PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel With 36 one-ounce bottles, this hand sanitizer is ideal for office spaces, reception areas, or meeting rooms, as it allows each person to grab and use their own bottles....

Top 5 Paint Sprayers Best Medium Flow Rate: Graco 262800 Magnum X5 Stand Airless Paint Sprayer Best Cart: Graco 262805 Magnum X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer Best Storage: Graco 257025 Magnum Project Painter Plus Paint Sprayer Best Containers: Wagner 0518080 Spraytech Control Spray Max HVLP Paint or Stain Sprayer Most Portable: REXBETI Ultimate-750 Paint Sprayer Best Medium Flow Rate: Graco 262800 Magnum X5 Stand Airless Paint Sprayer This Graco paint sprayer can spray up to 0....

Top 5 Refrigerators Best Mini Fridge: Midea WHS-65LB1 Compact Single Reversible-Door Refrigerator Best Design: Galanz GLR10TRDEFR True Top Freezer Retro Refrigerator Best For Beverages: Whynter Beverage Refrigerator Best Medium-Sized Fridge: Frigidaire FFHT1425VV 28-Inch Freestanding Top-Freezer Refrigerator Best For Families: Kenmore 71212 Top-Freezer Refrigerator Best Mini Fridge: Midea WHS-65LB1 Compact Single Reversible-Door Refrigerator This mini fridge from Midea works well in dorm rooms, bedrooms, basements, or offices. With 1.6 cubic feet of storage space, it’s compact enough to fit anywhere but large enough to store snacks....