Customer Reviews

Fine Homebuilding

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Aimed at the professional builder, FH is also a great resource for the amateur and for the homeowner seeking to educate him or herself about quality construction and design. A recent issue on siding installation is a must-read for anyone thinking of having siding installed. I started reading it shortly after I bought my first house, and learned a number of things I used in repairing windows,m plastering, painting and so forth.

But where it really paid off was when I did a major remodeling job on my house, adding a second story and completely residing with cedar. Reading over back issues I found dozens of ideas for trim, insulation, a/c, siding and other details. I learned enough technique to install my own tile backsplash, install a lot of the electrical work, and do all the phone and data wiring.

Required reading for professionals, inspiration for the homewoner, and a great resource for the amateur. Six stars.

Put out by Taunton Press, the same people who bring you Fine Woodworking, along with several other high quality magazines, Fine Homebuilding is unflinching in its approach to home building. You have to do it right!

There is excellent coverage in the techniques of quality home buiding. This is not a magazine which covers putting up "cracker-box" houses. It is about creating a unique home, with features that reflect your personality and meet your needs. Now, that may sound a little high-falutin', but they succeed admirably.

This magazine is not necessarily for the average, amateur do-it-yourselfer. It is geared towards more experienced homeowners and homebuilders who are able to think for themselves. If you are not sure if you fall into this category, pick the magazine up at the newstand before you subscribe and decide for yourself.

My wife and I subscribe because someday we are going to build our own house, and this magazine gives us plenty of ideas and information to aid in our planning. Highly recommended to the right readers.

Admittedly I am a big fan of everything that Taunton press puts out, but I truly think that Fine Homebuilding is a great magazine. Reader be warned though - this magazine is written for professional builders/contractors and serious DIYers. If your building and home renovation skills are any less than the intermediate/advanced level, this will not be the magazine for you. There is not a lot of hand holding here. The authors of these articles often assume that you know more than the basics so that they may cover more high-end techniques.

Bottom line: Fine Homebuilding will give you great ideas for building fine homes, help you achieve success on complicated home projects, and keep you clued in to the cutting edge trends in homebuilding and renovation. If this all sounds like too much for you, take a look at Workbench or Family Handyman magazines.

I have recommended this magazine to friends/co-workers/family that have shown an interest in architecture, woodworking, and custom houses. You do not have to be a professional to appreciate Fine Homebuilding, I happen to be in the high-end woodworking business, but I am always interested in other methods and techniques of the pro's and this periodical (in my humble opinion) is the best in its class.

Fine Homebuilding avoids the jargon and has some great writers. Their articles come from professionals with real world situations and solutions be it how to properly vent a roof to the best way to layout a kitchen. There are also some novel ideas that come from architects, designs, professionals, and homeowners.

Fine Homebuilding provided me with some excellent knowledge/methods that I have been able to apply to my profession and weekend house projects. I'm sure you will find yourself, as I do, checking the mail hopping your next issue has been delivered.

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I've been woodworking for over 20 years, and this magazine inspires me more than magazines geared for woodworking. The articles are clearly written; the pictures are crisp and to the point (show just what's necessary without slipping in paid name-brand product shots.) And the ads seem to be kept to a minimum (sure, they are in there, but not every other page.)

If you are simply looking for ideas to show a carpenter, or looking for tips this is the magazine for you. Each month you will find:
Safety tips
Q&A
Finishing Touches
Testing power tools
Product comparison
Building skills
Replacing the old (doors, windows, decks...)

It seems that every month there is at least one article that is beyond the scope of most subscribers. But I have found this the most useful, thus far. A couple of these articles have helped me view / approach a project from a different angle, and each with a far better result than my initial design. While most of us may not be able to DO all of the incredible things shown in the magazine, we can take away some great ideas and techniques that we can use in other projects.

The best thing is that two articles have already saved me more money than the one-year subscription cost me!

I highly recommend this magazine in conjunction with Handyman magazine. Together, you can build / fix just about anything.

An architect friend who redid their own bungalow turned us on to this great magazine. While it is not as well known as thoses magazines with a TV show attached, Fine Homebuilding really stands out for those interested in craftsmanship over quick & easy solutions. Popular within the trade (all the articles are written by contractors but most are accessible by anyone reasonably handy), they take a very loving approach to each task they focus on. We just love reading advice for people with as much passion for old homes as we have but with way more experience! Lauded as the magazine for "do-it-yourself'ers with taste, a budget and perhaps a need for scholarly debate on whether vinyl siding belongs on a fine home." If you really want to learn how to approach a project from multiple ways and you don't want to "muddle it", this magazine is for you. It's like having a kind contractor over your shoulder the whole way...we have a hard time ever lending this out. Our DIY library would not be complete without every issue.

These days home improvement magazines, TV shows and books are everywhere. Most of them are terrible. The same 3 dozen tips and ideas repeated ad nauseum, always winding down with a failure to describe how to actually do anything that entails skill or risk. 'Your parents put it together' is the usual message behind anything more complicated than painting.

Not so with 'Fine Homebuilding.' Unlike most home improvement and construction-related magazines, this one is for the grownups. Professional tradespeople, homeowners and contractors alike can look here to find out how to actually build a house and do it very well. You'll find time-saving ideas as well as ways to spend a lot more time in order to do a better job than you thought you could. This is not a 'fast food' ethic. This for the true gourmands of homebuilding; the 'Saveur' of construction.

This magazine is for those who are interested in viewing how people working in the trades do it right. People who are willing to share their wonderful knowledge, projects, and homes. Not cookie cutter homes but homes that inspire its readers to take the higher road. For those who want to be involved in doing something the correct way.
Great information on tools and projects, as well as lots of ads and reviews for products that your local hardware store won't being carrying until you ask them about it. A magazine that you will save, treasure, and find yourself looking back through for many years to come to refresh yourself anew.

Great articles for the professional or DIY home builder or buyer. Articles by professional home builders for anyone interested in quality residential construction. Great product reviews as well.

I really enjoy getting my bi-monthly Fine Homebuilding as well as the annual issue on "special" homes. I have enjoyed the ads in this magazine as much as the magazine, its just a great resource. I can honestly say, advertisers in this magazine often get my attention which is really saying something because I'm one of those that just hates advertising anymore. In the 80's and 90's, this magazine was absolutely superb, lately it has gone overboard on the "green theme". I enjoy green, I want green, but not to the extent that it makes me feel guilty every time I open it and find out what I am doing wrong, thus 4 stars rather tan 5. If it was like it was in the 80's and 90's it would get 10 stars. Its really a great magazine that I often give as a gift to folks I know would like this kind of information... Try it, you will like it!