Here we have two identical windows on the same wall in a bathroom. A spider has built a web on one window (top), but not the other (bottom). Do you wonder why? It’s all about air leaks and food. Spiders don’t choose their home sites like we do. They don’t check Zillow for nearby home prices,…
I’m so happy to see that the editors of Fine Homebuilding are fun, lively and enlightened enough to not only admit that workers bring their dogs to the jobsite, but to have a whole photo gallery of these furry workplace companions. I suggested such a feature to some other editors in the past and they reacted…
Vernon McKown, co-owner of Ideal Homes of Norman, Okla., is a pretty enlightened green builder whom I heard speak last week at the International Builder’s Show in Orlando. The topic was how to build affordable green homes and Vern made a shocking statement: He said he’s quitting all green-building rating systems programs. That includes Energy Star…
(Washington, D.C.) Mar. 7, 2012 - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in conjunction with The Home Depot®, has launched an online green home products database. The database: leed.homedepot.com is a special microsite within homedepot.com that features products geared toward green home building, many of which may contribute towards earning LEED® points and prerequisites for the LEED for…
This is a simple and cozy covered porch, but I wonder: Does anyone use it? I’ve walked by this house many, many times and have never seen anyone using it. Maybe they sit out and smoke late at night? What I like: The colors! The rich oranges and reds appeal to me, especially against the…
You can tell what’s up in the world by what people search for on the Internet. Here on Kathy’s Remodeling Blog, we’ve got five consistently favorite subjects that interest your fellows readers. They are: Green Remodeling Kitchens Before & After Contractor Issues Design Ideas
Just the other day, I was waxing on about the regrets people feel about their butcher block counters. In the back of my mind, I’m wondering if anyone’s having a good long-term experience with their wood counters. So today I get a comment from Bryan with T&B Construction in Howell, Mich., who says this: As a home remodeler…
It’s true: People don’t generally like the way grab bars look. The industrial feel of old-school grab bars brings to mind an institution of some sort. And so while it would make sense to install grab bars during any bathroom remodel, many homeowners don’t on account of the looks. These are from our friends at…
Think you can renovate better and chaper than a contractor? Do you live in the Los Angeles area? Then HGTV’s popular new renovation show Professional Grade is looking for you. The goal is for you to find high-end materials on the cheap, do most of the labor yourself, and hire and manage subcontractors — such as plumbers…
So I’m sitting here watching HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with Larry David, one of my many guilty pleasures, and Larry is in one of his typical fixes. He’s offered to let the residents of a battered women’s shelter use his washer and dryer when theirs has gone on the fritz. Of course, if you know…
Here’s a clever ad that ran July 9, 1965 in the St. Petersburg Independent: The newspaper ad reads: “Buy an Opel Kadett. Put it in your garage and suddenly your garage never looked so cavernous. Opel’s 58 inches of width makes all sorts of room for tricycles, lawn mowers, bushel baskets and sleds. However, do…