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.