As a remodeling contractor I am often asked to troubleshoot home comfort related problems. I have used this blog platform, specifically the Understanding Your Home partition, to help others figure out their homes and solve all sorts of issues that we come across....
No, it has nothing to do with insulated packaging. It does, however, involve thinking differently about energy efficiency and reducing air infiltration into our living spaces. I recently had an in service at a heating company by a nice young man who really knows his...
I have been confused for years about just what the term R-value means. You would think that if you have 16" of insulation it should correlate to an R-Value. That is all well and good, as long as you are talking about the exact same insulation. What an R-Value is, as...
For years now I have noticed an interesting phenomenon that I am not sure anyone else notices. It has to do with recognizing roof patterns in the winter. This is clear evidence that heat is escaping through your roof. Head down the block and check out your roof and...
Asbestos is a mined substance commonly found in all sorts of building materials. In the meantime it was used since the days of the ancient Greeks for its many fire resistant and its ability to be used as cloth. It has gone in and out of vogue. There had been...
Master Suite AdditionThe Challenge They came up with a plan drawn by others with several significant errors. One was the size of the addition, and the other was the angle of the trusses. The clients who work remotely turned out to be excellent communicators and...
Dining Room Addition and Kitchen RemodelThe Challenge The home had an odd entry room with a coat closet and partition wall in the way. This room was pretty useless and annoying to the client. Then, the kitchen was blocked from the activity in the living room, and the...
Primary Suite Remodel & DeckThe Challenge Inaccurate plans were provided that had to get updated over the course of the project. The project is on a creek so lots of precautions were needed to keep erosion out of it. The Idea Create a primary suite that is...
Whole House RemodelThe Challenge The home was in the hillside district and in the WUI which means that the home has some extra requirements as far as firesafe and extra structural requirements. There had been an addition done to the house years prior that was not...