Q. I’m facing some building projects. One’s a tall deck, another is framing a garden shed, and then I need to help a friend with a room addition. I’m wondering about diagonal bracing. I don’t ...

To prevent racking, a kind of building stress often caused by horizontal pressure of the wind, you need to install diagonal bracing under the floor joists. I happened to use two 2x6s that extend from ...

I’m facing some building projects. One’s a tall deck, another is framing a garden shed, and then I need to help a friend with a room addition. I’m wondering about diagonal bracing. I don’t understand ...

Q:I read your article on diagonal bracing and was hoping you would clarify your instructions so I can explain them to my contractor. I, too, have lath-and-plaster walls with many cracks. My house is ...

DEAR TIM: Yesterday I stopped by my new house that’s under construction. I go there at the end of each day to take photos. I saw a strange board nailed across the wall studs that surely is a mistake.

Are you about to build a deck by yourself? Perhaps you’re going to hire a professional. My guess is you don’t know as much about the process as you should know. Add to the mix the cable TV shows that ...

It’s not all that easy to build a great and safe deck. There are countless small tips that you’d probably never know about. Allow me to share with you some very important things that just might ensure ...