Housing is a pervasive industry few can escape. From new developments and real estate sales to home improvement and maintenance, economists and politicians encourage spending on homes as critical to a healthy economy. They link consumer culture in housing with economic vitality. But this consumption oriented approach creates problems. Including the creation of a housing stock which isn’t always suited for its occupants or local climate. Continue reading Homeowner Beware!
Most people don’t pay attention to their crawlspaces, unless they’re stashing piles of cash like Walter White in Breaking Bad. However, crawlspace details greatly affect the comfort, energy efficiency and longevity of your home. If poorly executed, crawlspaces becomes damp and moldy in summer. Yet uncomfortably cold in winter. Thankfully retrofitting a poorly detailed crawlspace or creating a new well performing one, based on the latest research, isn’t difficult. Continue reading Crawlspace Basics
She ran through the house, screaming. What could elicit this blood curdling reaction, a burglar in the garage? Perhaps an injured kid? Nope, “we have a mouse in the house”, yelled my panicked wife.
“We’re in good company” I laughed. Dr. Thomas Cucchi of the Museum National d’Histoire naturalle, Paris recently found evidence that mice have infested human habitats since the beginning of permanent settlement. Continue reading A Mouse in the House
The Holmes Inspection: The Essential Guide for Every Homeowner, Buyer and Seller, is a book written by Mike Holmes. This author is both a contractor and the host of a couple HGTV series. He also runs a home inspection and certification company. Ultimately Mike is well qualified to write this no-nonsense book outlining what to look for when purchasing a home. Although the text appears thorough and complete with checklists, the author is clear – this isn’t a do it yourself guide. Doing your own inspection is like operating on yourself, or representing yourself in court. Yes, you can do it. But should you? Continue reading Review: The Holmes Inspection
Spring is arguably the best season. Kids can finally escape the house, exploring beyond the gaze of parents. School is nearly over. Filling the air with promises of a carefree summer. Spring also brings excitement for homeowners. A chance to dream of planting new gardens, expanding that small kitchen or building a new great room. Yet, before starting the big projects consider a spring maintenance check of your home. Continue reading Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home, is a great idea. The book’s goal is providing homeowners with simplified drawings and diagrams of home systems, including written explanations of how each system works. For common problems, simple fixes are proposed that anyone can accomplish. Drawings are informative. Written explanations are typically integrated within the drawings or succinctly itemized without unnecessary “writer’s” fluff. Continue reading Review: How Your House Works
Home Improvement Projects for the Busy & Broke: How To Get Your $h!t Together and Live Like An Adult, is a book geared towards the young professional finally living in that first apartment or house. If you don’t mind the occasional swearing for emphasis, the text is entertaining and edgy. A writing style undoubtedly appealing to millennials who read sentences between texts and tweets. Chapters begin with the basics of how to live like an adult: Stop partying every night, get motivated, make your bed and clean your room. Advice my teenagers hear daily, usually at high volume. Apparently many kids don’t. Continue reading Review: Home Improvements for the Busy & Broke
Can Homeowners & Pros Prevent Mold?
Homeowners often wonder if mold can be entirely eliminated from their home. Sadly, the answer is no. Don’t panic, mold naturally occurs in every environment. Humans have evolved to coexist with small amounts of this tiny microbe. Many foods humans love, including cheese and soy sauce, contain mold. Antibiotics like penicillin, which transformed modern medicine, are derived from mold. Continue reading Mold Resistant Home Design
My wife swears it wasn’t her. Yet we lived in relative bliss before she brought home bags of produce from the farm. Within days our kitchen was infested with fruit flies. I mean hundreds of the little buggers. Whatever the cause, we suddenly had a perfect experiment to answer the burning question: Does wine trap fruit flies? Continue reading Does Wine Trap Fruit Flies?
Maybe I’m just a neurotic architect. Or maybe seasonal change encourages existential reflection for everyone. Whatever the reason, as the leaves turn I’m acutely aware of a dependence on home for shelter and survival. Which means fall is a great time for a home maintenance check. I relish the thought of discovering small problems when easily fixable. And I laugh out loud when fixing them. Because a nasty winter catastrophe is avoided. Thought I’d share a list of maintenance items I diligently check. Just in case you feel the same about fall. Continue reading Fall Home Maintenance Checklist