Essential design and installation information
A home's appeal depends a great deal on its exterior paint or stain, brick and stonework, siding, trim, and other details -- and it's not just the type of finish that's important. It's also how well the job was done. This first-ever collection of Fine Homebuilding magazine's most popular articles on the subject provides you with ideas for choosing the correct finishes for exteriors, plus solid how-to information covering everything from building shutters to the much debated use of PVC.

Written by the pros who actually do the work, these articles help you to:

* Create exterior-trim details that last
* Use modern materials that protect historic trim
* Choose the best caulks that are flexible and paintable
* Create an EIFS retrofit for leaky windows
* Match the mortar to the brick
* Learn why housewraps and building papers fail
* Choose the best wood for clapboards

To get the best results when building or remodeling, you need advice from the best professionals in the business. For Pros By Pros® books bring together expert designers, builders, and remodeling pros who have written for Fine Homebuilding magazine.