Construction

The roof of a house is not just a protective covering; it's a defining element that contributes to the overall aesthetics, functionality and energy efficiency of a structure.

By Yara Simón

The cost of building a home can vary widely, depending on the size of your house, geographic location and interior finishes. However, we have a breakdown of average costs for you.

By Dave Roos

Soapstone countertops can be stunning in the right kitchen. But they do come with certain disadvantages. Are they the perfect fit for your dream kitchen?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D. & Austin Henderson

Many homes in rural parts of the U.S. rely on well water rather than city water. But well water has pros and cons that city people may never have considered.

By Nathan Chandler

You may not know what soffits are, but there's a good chance your house has them. So what is a soffit? We'll explain what they are, how you can identify them, and most importantly, how to keep them in good shape.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Painting roofs white is an easy way to reflect heat and save costs in the summer. But even better is planting gardens on rooftops, bringing the green back to the urban jungle.

Planning to run your house completely on solar power? It will cost you up front, but it could also pay you back big in the long run.

By Cherise Threewitt

As concern grows over the use of natural resources, many people look to major corporations to set an example for energy efficiency. Which companies make an effort to work in green environments?

By Jane McGrath

The deck is the perfect outdoor entertaining space in any home. But what happens when furniture and house guests take up too much space? It's time to stretch that deck out a little.

By Jane McGrath

If you study a brick wall, it looks simple enough. It's just a stack of bricks and some mortar to hold everything together, right? The job takes a bit more experience than you'd think.

By Jane McGrath

Sure, you can remove most walls, but if you try to remove a load-bearing wall, your entire house could come crashing down around you -- or will it?

By Allison Wachtel

What does concrete have in common with cake? If you want to build a structure with concrete, you need a good mold -- and that tool is known as formwork.

By Jeff Harder

How do you slow down a fire? These six building materials are particularly resistant to fire and intense heat, reducing the possibility of fatalities.

By Jane McGrath & Talon Homer

More than just a couple nails here and a few screws there, a construction project is a complex commercial enterprise that draws on a variety of workers, tools and materials. At the helm is a construction project manager.

By Chris Opfer

Cleaning gutters is certainly no fun, but it's a job that has to be done. Unless you have gutter guards, and then it's a job that you have to do a lot less. We'll show you how to install them.

By Mark Boyer

The simplest ingredients -- stone, gravity, ingenuity -- still create, for some of us, the most perfect solution for building. Get ready to assemble your own long-lasting stone masterpiece.

By Jacob Clifton

Dreaming of busting up that large room you never use and turning it into two smaller ones? Here are some best practices for putting up an interior wall, no matter what sort of space you're starting out with.

By John Kelly

Home remodels can range from the extensive (can you say money pit?) to the everyday (a new roof, perhaps?). When fixing up your digs, do you always need to pull a permit? We'll explain why getting approval is prudent in this article.

By Gerlinda Grimes

Although they've traditionally dominated the commercial building sector, metal studs -- or frames -- are making waves in residential building. What's the difference between them and their wooden counterparts?

By Shanna Freeman

If you've outgrown your home but don't want to (or can't) move, it may be time for a "renovation intervention." Here are some ways to expand your existing floor space.

By Colleen Cancio

Many say the pioneer of green design was the irascible Frank Lloyd Wright, but others note that sustainable architecture has been around forever. Regardless, who are some of the leading figures in the field today?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The production of traditional cement accounts for 5 percent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions. Could carbon negative cement change all that at a reasonable price?

By Chris Warren

Is your new home proceeding on schedule or is your contractor just blowing smoke at you? Here's how to tell.

By Becky Striepe

Is your contractor buying shoddy materials, then pocketing the remainder of the dough you gave him for quality materials? Yep, it's time to fire him.

By Garth Sundem

The identical ranks of cookie-cutter neighborhoods have been immortalized (and often satirized) in American pop culture, but who first came up with the idea for these "little boxes on the hillside?"

By Kate Kershner