How To

  • Foundation: Slab on Grade

    During foundation construction, getting the details right prevents costly delays and callbacks.

     
  • 6. Water intrusion through penetrations

    Water intrusion through penetrations is the entry of water through punctures made by plumbing and electrical lines in the vapor barrier.

     
  • 5. Cold floors

    Cold floors occur when heat is lost through the foundation slab.

     
  • 4. Efflorescence

    Efflorescence is a powdery deposit, usually white in color, that appears on the slab surface.

     
  • 3. Water intrusion through the slab

    Water intrusion through the slab is the movement of groundwater into the slab.

     
  • 2. Honeycombing

    Honeycombing is the formation of weak areas in the slab.

     
  • 1. Slab curling

    Slab curling is the shrinking of the slab surface that makes the slab try to curl upward, cracking in the process.

     
  • Troubleshooter - 1. Slab curling

    Slab curling is the shrinking of the slab surface that makes the slab try to curl upward, cracking in the process.

     
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    Make a Custom Counter For $8 Per Square Foot

    Concrete specialist Fu-Tung Cheng tells builders how to easily and economically fabricate their own countertops.

     
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    Bargain Basements

    New building code standard, ACI 332, offers builders a better alternative for building concrete basement foundations.

     
  • The NAHB Research Center is Producing Web-based Videos to Help Solve Moisture Problems

    The Research Center’s new videos spotlight and solve moisture challenges.

     
  • Cold Weather Painting

    Q: I have some homes that need exterior painting, and cold weather is closing in. My painters say they can paint outdoors when it’s as cold as 35 degrees F. Should I be worried?

     
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    Cold Weather Painting

     
  • St. Baristo

    AS LAND PARCELS SHRINK near urban areas, builders face the proverbial puzzle: How to disguise multifamily housing in a single-family neighborhood.

     
  • Members Only

    NAHB wants to be an ally who provides valuable services that give members a competitive edge in a complex and demanding industry.

     
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    From the President: Building for Tomorrow

    Few things in contemporary America are more contentious than the question of how to fund new infrastructure and improvements to existing infrastructure. To help identify innovative ways of meeting the infrastructure needs of the growing U.S. population, the NAHB's new report--"Building for Tomorrow: Innovative Infrastructure Solutions"--focuses on several promising alternatives being explored by communities around the country.

     
  • How-To: Minimize to Maximize

    Frost-protected shallow foundations. In-line framing. Single-layer subfloors. These techniques can save on your hard costs, at the same time benefiting generations of homeowners. Here's how to shave costs without sacrificing quality or energy efficiency.

     
  • Found Water

    Public environmental concerns have forced builders to investigate how to address water shortages.

     
  • Tower of Power

    One of the great challenges builders face on any new project is how to set up data communications at a site where none exist. Other gear at the communications tower included a solar panel to create DC power, two standard 70-amp batteries, and a power inverter to change the DC power to AC.

     
  • Strong Foundations: America's Best Builders

    Winning builders stand firm in recession and sputtering recovery, supported by sophisticated systems, dedication to detail, and buyer-friendly approaches. How many of you, in this age of NIMBYism and public fights over planning and zoning proposals, have had a day named in your honor by your city council?If you can answer yes to these questions, congratulate yourself, for these are the hallmarks of America's Best Builders (ABB): Sattler Homes, Thompson Homes, Don Simon Homes, and Pardee Homes. They value their employees and know how to retain them: Thompson and Don Simon provide profit-sharing programs, and the average tenure among Pardee's senior management is 17.25 years.These builders also aren't afraid to innovate: Pardee has developed a "LivingSmart" program that features homes with energy-conserving appliances and green products, and Don Simon builds all its homes to Wisconsin's Green Built standards.