Building Science 101:: The Three Fundamental Rules of the House
The fundamentals of building science are pretty simple. We boil them down to three rules here. Know the House as a System, Build for Your Climate & Control the Flow of Moisture,...
Tag Archives: Architecture
Goodies and Gadgets and the Extras in Remodeling :: Plan for the Added Extras in Remodeling
And you know - it reminds me just how frequently we, as homeowners, (and OK, maybe it's only me) forget about all the ancillary stuff that comes along with doing any sort...
Finishing a Kitchen Passthrough :: Enter the Other Man
I mean -- I can do some things. Seeing progress to on our kitchen reno come to a halt, we turn to contractor Paul (who later becomes Mrs. Moxie's partner). He helps...
Restoring Wood Windows :: A History Lesson & What Would Tom Silva Do?
The whole story here depicting the essence of mastery, maybe. I mean -- where the real skill comes in . . . with any, well . . . act. Like a writer...
Restoring Wood Windows || Working on the Framing at a Wood Window Repair
And I am not kooky . . . really . . . like a Jehovah's Witness or anything, but I do believe that *every* day should be celebrated like every other day...
Down the Laundry Chute :: Echos of Yesterday
And now, I am not saying they are especially girly, but as I am into my third week here -- I reflect and realize that my all-time most favoritist thing about my...
Old Square Nails :: Yes, Virginia, They Really Do Still Make Them
Most of us are familiar with the old square nails used centuries ago. We've seen them on display at museum homes, or historical society exhibits, or perhaps being hammered out by blacksmiths...
Remodeling Rules :: A Few (House) Rules to Live By
As the daughter of an architect dad and a DIY queen of a mother, I think I truly had no choice but to become a home enthusiast. From growing up watching my...
Testing Hardwood Floor Finishes in an Old House (Part 1)
A few days later, Jeff hit me back; he had gathered some info from a couple places on the internet. He said, Well, I tried the water test like you suggested, and...
Lead-Based Paint in Homes :: Don’t Eat the Paint Chips
And actually it's a fate not too dissimilar to that of at least one other building product that I can think of. Yes, another naturally occurring substance that in its day was...
Paint Removal from Copper and Other Uses for Aluminum Foil :: Copper the Near Perfect Building Product
An ode to the near perfect building material, Copper. Plus, incorporating a common household product into a home improvement task. Yes, the Reynold's Wrap I had grabbed slyly from the kitchen counter...
Exterior Restoration and Preservation :: Siding, Paint and Windows
We decided almost immediately that we were not going to remove or cover the near original german clapboard siding. (Did replacing it cross our minds? At that time, honestly, no.) We had...