Seeding a New Lawn :: My Own Personal Growth
This front yard, when the home was purchased, had a rather medium-sized and unruly tree smack dab in the middle of it. In an effort to make the home more curb-appealing, Mrs....
Tag Archives: Architecture
Mrs Moxie Flips Out :: The Bride of Building Moxie Flips Her First House
This particular house, a Colonial (I guess), sits less than a mile from ours. After a short shopping period, she purchased it for a near rock bottom price . . . after...
Want to Buy a Fixer Upper? Five Tips to Help You Decide If You’re Ready
It can be a fun project, a great investment, or even a good way to settle into your forever home without spending a fortune to get what you want. But before you...
Renovation Loans :: What is a 203k Loan?
I have gotten a handful of questions recently about Renovations Loans, and more specifically -- 203ks. Like many, I knew only that 203ks were “Renovation Loans,” but not much else. So I...
The Story with Story Tapes :: An Alternative to Traditional Tape Measures?
The 12ft tape - a fantastic option for shop work or really any repetitive building activity that fits in that scale. But as Jane suggests, story tapes may be as equally valuable...
Wood Fireplaces :: How To Get the Most Out of a Wood Fireplace
The net value of a wood fireplace may however come down to one simple thing. What type and quality of wood you choose to burn in your fireplace. A skill perhaps –...
Insulate a Basement Ceiling in an Old House :: How to Estimate & Install for Where You Live
As I stood in my basement, looking up at the floor joists of the dining room above, I thought to myself, “I guess I do know a few things about insulation.” Learn...
Energy Audit Cost :: What’s in a Price? :: What to Know about Survey Style vs. Diagnostic Energy Audits
While there are hundreds if not thousands of variations of “audits” performed daily, it essentially boils down to two types; survey style & diagnostic. Learn more about what each entails + common...
Side Venting a Dryer :: Close Connect Revisited + Weatherization Tips
I posted about the dryer’s hook up in our laundry room in a side vented fashion. This is the follow up post to that - finishing the close connect fitting. Includes information...
What to Know About Green Roofs :: Those are Plants, not Weeds, on my Roof
What is a Green Roof? Technically, color has nothing to do with it. Numerous four-inch garden trays of plants (the Sedum) in a special soil are installed on a roof to capture...
How to Select an Interior Door that Matches Existing Architectural Elements
I was naked . . . and stepping into the shower when she started, “What's wrong with you?!”. . . but she continued, “I mean – do I really have to have...
Securing Your Home Against Forced Entry :: Designing for Security at Doors and Windows
Creating a secure home is a matter of design philosophy, construction technique and the habits of the occupants. While it is possible to design and build a home that is extremely secure,...