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: Building Envelope
Holiday Window Decorating Tips :: Do’s and Dont’s
Santa's not the only one with a naughty and nice list this year. The experts at Simonton Windows® have provided a list of do's and don'ts for decorating vinyl windows during the...
Can Your Wood Deck Survive Another Harsh Winter? :: How to Winterize a Wood Deck
Unfortunately, when it comes to wood decking, poor maintenance can also pose a safety hazard. Dry rot, weakened ledger connections and failing footings can all contribute to deck collapse. Not to get...
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...
VOCs :: Smell That Chemical Cocktail
Little did I know I was having my first major run-in with volatile organic compounds: VOC's. I wouldn't hear that term for many years to come, but though I had no name...
Installing Window and Door Cap Flashing :: Sealing Out Water on Wood Siding
One of the biggest challenges with saving the original siding on an 1889 farmhouse (well, other than dealing with 13 decades of paint) is ensuring against water entry at the windows and...
Replacement Window Options :: aka Window Shopping in 3 Steps
But the point being: If it's too much for a professional, someone who supposedly sells and installs windows, and they have difficulty navigating the maze of decisions, imagine how hard it must...
Restoring Hardware :: Common Reasons Hardware is Painted
If you have lived in or worked on an old house, you probably know exactly what I mean. There is almost nothing that is more frustrating than having to work the paint...
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...
Making a Bi-Fold Door :: Salvaged from a Solid Wood Door
To make the bi-fold, I started by cutting my 30" (less a few fractions of inch from previous work) door in half. I did this by placing it on my temporarily work...
How to Remodel a Bungalow :: Start Where the Water Is and Then Move to the Air
They always say put the money where the water is. In other words, you as a homeowner often get the most from your remodeling dollar with work on the kitchen and on...