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.

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 ...

Q: 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. It ran ...

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 ...

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

Building codes have strict guidelines with respect to diagonal bracing. The code almost always dictates the type of nail, length, shape of the head, special coatings and so forth. The reason is simple ...

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 ...

Question: 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.