Q. I've heard all kinds of things from friends about concrete foundation piers. To say the least, I'm confused. Some say you just dig a hole and fill it with concrete. Others say you need to be sure ...

Kevin Parr has been a contractor for 40 years. His experience as a contractor led him and Jimmy Schau, a Union Laborer of Local 1149 to engineer and develop Green Key Telescoping forms. “Over the ...

SANTA CRUZ — When Mike and Cindy Grall imagined their dream house, it was something much more than three bedrooms, two baths, a white picket fence and a swimming pool. “We wanted the home to produce ...

On the lookout for ever more energy-efficient building envelope solutions, a growing number of Building Teams are turning to insulating concrete forms as an alternative to light-gauge steel frame, ...

Build With Strength (BWS), a coalition of the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA), has partnered with the Commonwealth of Kentucky–Office of Energy Policy to host three training events on ...

POP Projects is a collection of new and classic projects from more than a century of Popular Mechanics. Master skills, get tool recommendations, and, most importantly, build something of your very own ...

Concrete form tubes aren’t just for pros—they’re a versatile DIYer’s dream. From sturdy deck footings to chic planters and creative décor, these cylindrical molds open endless possibilities. With the ...

Progressive builders and developers of homes and commercial buildings have been championing the use of insulated concrete forms (ICFs) for the past several years as a replacement for wood framing due ...

For decades, concrete walls and foundations were made the same way. Plywood or plain boards are built into forms that contain steel reinforcing bars (rebar) and into which wet concrete is poured. When ...