 | A Panelized Home: When Weather Strikes
Foul weather hits the site before the roof is finished, forcing some fast-paced work to seal out the elements so interior work can continue.
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 | Asbestos In Your Home
Once a common element in a wide range of building materials, asbestos is now known to be a serious health risk. Before you start a serious remodel on an older home, study these facts from the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association.
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 | Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are an economical roofing solution. But shop around, because not all shingles are the same.
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 | Building a Tighter Roof with Roofing Underlayments
Roof underlayments are designed to protect the roof sheathing and structure from moisture and penetration. Advances in materials and technology have created more options and increased manufacturers’ warranties.
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 | Caring For Cedar Shingles
Cedar roofing and siding are a classic building material, and with proper installation, care and maintenance will last 20 or more years.
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 | Cooling Your Home Naturally
There are several methods to reduce or even replace the use of an air conditioning system by using nonmechanical ways to keep your home cool when it's hot outside.
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 | Copper Gutters
Gutters are the unsung heroes of a home's exterior. When constructed from copper, this oft-overlooked detail becomes more than a rainy day standout.
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 | Easy Attics
Engineered roof trusses speed roof framing and save money.
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 | Engineered Siding
Engineered siding products are a popular alternative to wood, vinyl, and aluminum siding. Engineered wood and fiber cement have an authentic hardboard or real-wood appearance without the maintenance and expense of natural wood.
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 | Fireplace Safety
More than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels.
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 | Home Maintenance Checklist
Here's a simple bi-annual "Top to Bottom" checklist to keep your home in shape year round.
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 | Prevent Damage from Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting and, unlike termites, wood damaged by carpenter ants does not contain mud-like debris.
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 | Roof Terms and Terminology
A roof is made up of many details that come together to define a home and its style. Reading a roof right means understanding these components and how each is used to create a structure that complements the home.
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 | Roofing Materials
Cost, ease of installation and appearance are all factors when choosing a roofing material.
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 | Roofs: Design, Function and Maintenance
A good roof is graceful, it's good-looking, and it ages well. To realize that end, however, you'll need to do three things: design the roof appropriately, build it right, and take good care of it.
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 | Six Steps to Better Roof Protection
The weak link in most existing houses is in the connection of the roof sheathing to the rafters or roof trusses.
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 | Skylights for Residences
Skylights and roof windows can provide interior building spaces with the warmth and brightness of natural daylight. Their ability to enhance almost any interior has made them increasingly popular. However, installing a trouble-free, energy-efficient skylight can be very difficult. In order to gain the maximum benefit from a skylight, it is important to understand designs, materials, positioning, and proper installation.
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 | Solar Water Heating
Solar water heaters, sometimes called solar domestic hot water systems, may be a good investment for you and your family. Solar water heaters are cost competitive in many applications when you account for the total energy costs over the life of the system. Although the initial cost of solar water heaters is higher than that of conventional water heaters, the fuel (sunshine) is free. Plus, they are environmentally friendly. To take advantage of these heaters, you must have an unshaded, south-facing location (a roof, for example) on your property.
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 | Standing-Seam Metal Roofs
When a standing-seam metal roof is used to cap off a home, garage, or other structure, the builder’s axiom “water always wins” falls away like rain off the roof.
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 | Storm-Ready Home: Protecting Your Roof
The roof covering, and the deck beneath it, form one of your home's critical shields of protection from high winds and rain. Unfortunately, this shield is often the first to be lost during high winds.
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 | Storm-Ready Home: Protecting Your Roof Framing from Wind
Gable end roofs are more susceptible to damage by high winds than hip roofs or flat roofs. The gable end presents a large obstacle to the wind and receives its full force.
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 | Storm-Ready Home: Roof Trusses for Strength and Span
An engineered roof truss system is two to three times stronger than conventional stick framing and will ensure that a house and its roof remain married throughout the most horrific storms.
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 | Storm-Ready Home: Structural Adhesives to Strengthen Roof Sheathing
Most existing houses contain a weak link in the connection of the roof sheathing to the rafters or roof trusses. This makes them vulnerable to loss of roof sheathing in a severe windstorm.
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 | Sunspace Basics
Anyone who lives in a home with a sunspace will tell you that the sunspace is the most enjoyable room in the house. Many times the homeowner's only regret is that the sunspace is not larger. Although aesthetics often drive the decision to add a sunspace or include one in a new home design, sunspaces can also provide supplemental space heating and a healthy environment for plants and people. In fact, a well-designed sunspace can provide up to 60% of a home's winter heating requirements.
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 | Sunspace Orientation and Glazing Angles
A properly designed sunspace can provide a bright, invigorating, and useful alternative to the typical space within a house. It also functions as a solar heater, augmenting the home's winter need for space heating. There are two basic considerations for optimizing the solar heating potential of a sunspace: the directional orientation and the angle of the glazing.
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 | The Roofing Process: The Basics
While no two roofing jobs are exactly alike, all share one basic premise: when completed it cannot leak.
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 | Tubular Skylights: Installation Basics
Easy installation and no-cost lighting makes tubular skylights an easy alternative to traditional roof windows.
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 | What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a serious health risk—and it may be in your home. Educate yourself with this helpful asbestos fact sheet from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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 | Wood Siding Options
Which wood siding to choose depends on a home's style, location, and the homeowner's budget. While Cedar shingles are perennially popular, other options abound.
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