Home Soil Testing
I have always been interested in horticulture but I have never had a “Green Thumb”. My wife keeps telling me to get my soil tested to achieve the beautiful lawn and plant life that I have always wanted. What are your recommendations? Gene Walzel Gene, if you are serious about gardening and want to grow [...]
Attic Ridge Vents
Attic ventilation is extremely important especially during the hot summer months when your attic temperature rises dramatically. The moving the air minimizes the temperature increase, thereby lowering air conditioning requirements, adding life to composition shingles, helping to prevent mold and mildew in the winter and providing lower electric bills.
Synthetic Stucco Problems (EFFS)
Synthetic Stucco, also known as EIFS (Exterior Insulated Finish System), was developed in Europe after the end of World War II. The EIFS system made its way over to the United States and was first used on commercial properties. In the 1980’s, architects and builders started using synthetic stucco on residential homes and it soon [...]
Grandma’s Vinegar Weed killer
I was about the job of eradicating the weeds in my lawn using a chemical weed killer when my neighbor came over and suggested that I use an organic vinegar weed killer. This sounded a little hokey to me so I just smiled and went on with my business. Is there any value in using [...]
Termite Inspection and Identification
The other day I received a flier in the mail informing me that termites recently swarmed across my city infesting homes. It also stated that termites will infest more than 4 million homes this year and offered a protection plan for about $30.00 per month. I feel this is a scare tactic, however I certainly [...]
Install Weather Stripping
In our grandparent’s day energy was so inexpensive that the cost of weather stripping doors and windows wasn’t worth it. The skyrocketing cost of energy today has created a greater environmental awareness. Because of the entrepreneurial ship of the American businessman, there are many more products to choose from today at a much lower price; [...]
Metal Roofs for Homes
In the early to mid 20th Century, if you had a metal roof on your house, it was because you were poor and it was all that you could afford. The metal roofs then were of corrugated, galvanized metal and if you remember they were called “tin roofs”. No middle or upper income family would [...]
Building a House – 12 Important Steps
Once you have considered all of the pros and cons of building your own home and you see this happening in your future, move very cautiously straight ahead. After you have settled on a budget and a floor plan, you are now ready for the real work and the many decisions in this process. You [...]
Should I Build My Own House
Building your own home can be an exhilarating experience or perhaps a disaster. You can do it, but you should move slowly and with much caution. I am a retired home builder and trust me, there could be many pitfalls awaiting you. I have seen a number of people fall into them. Probably the saddest [...]
Remodeling Green
In the days of inexpensive energy, especially in the warmer climates, it wasn’t cost effective to spend extra money on green building products. As energy costs go up, it now has become cost effective to replace cheap windows and doors and add insulation. Ten or so years ago when I converted my garage into a [...]
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