A: Garages can be surprisingly vulnerable structures. The house gets all the attention, and the garage is where the builder cuts costs. Take fire-taping, for instance. This is the minimalist technique ...

Q: I recently purchased a home built in 1970. In the garage, we noticed a small crack in the middle of the ceiling that runs the entire width. This winter in Minnesota, the crack has become larger.

Dear Pat: I am planning to convert my garage into abedroom with drywall. I have read many books about how to hangdrywall. What are the most common mistakes with installing drywallin a room? —- Nan D.

Q. I have been told that the sagging drywall ceiling in my living room needs to be braced for at least a week before we can add new screws at the joists. Can you advise on the proper bracing ...

While there is no such thing as a perfect building material, drywall comes pretty close. For one thing, it's dirt cheap, costing about $7 for a 1/2-in.-thick 4 x 8 panel. It's also DIY friendly--about ...