Coordinating Your Door With Your Home’s Roof

Designing the exterior of your home can be an exciting prospect. However, it can also be quite daunting. There are many roof and house color combinations, all with their own appeal. Every expert has a different opinion, and every online exterior decorating source has an array of inspiring options to present. How do you make your way through all the … Read More

Choosing the Best Siding and Roof Color Combinations

Matching the color of your roof with a color of siding that fits just right is a great way to make your home more visually appealing from the outside. If you pick the right combo, it’s also going to do a lot in terms of boosting your curb appeal, which will raise the value of your home and help you … Read More

Energy Saving Solutions – Passive: Higher-tech Roof System

This is a system we hope to try some day for a client that is a bit more progressive thinking.  We got it approved by our local building authority a few years ago now but the owners backed out due to the increased cost of the system. And, this is from a News Release dated September 10, 2012: Oak Ridge … Read More

Energy Saving Solutions – Active: Photovoltaic (Solar) Panels

Amazing return on investment here!  This is a project that we did at our home several years ago now – photovoltaic panels to gather energy from daylight. At the back of the property is a ‘shop.’  Really it’s a storage building more than a shop.  So, after being contacted about having an energy converting solar photovoltaic panels system installed, we … Read More

Remodeling Features: Structural – Foundation Cracking and Separating

After nearly 50 years, this foundation just had ‘enough.’ The foundation wall was showing serious signs of stress but the owner didn’t know exactly what the problem was, or how it could be repaired. First thing: assess the damage and get the structural engineer involved. After he looked at it, we talked through the options for repair and came up … Read More

Remodeling Features: hot water circulating systems – getting the Hot Water where you want it, when you want it

Hot Water Circulating Systems – hot water when and where you want it: I recently did some research on some different hot water circulating systems (sometimes called ‘on-demand’, ‘recirculating’, etcetera) for a home remodel that I have been working on. Here’s a comparison of what seem to be the most common features, approximate costs for each, as well as some … Read More

Energy Saving Solutions – Passive: Parabolas & Double-Shells

My own introduction to this field of Energy Saving Solutions . . . began in 1977 when I worked for a company (called Sonoma Solar) in northern California that was testing and manufacturing energy saving products for the marketplace, like parabolic solar collectors. These collectors used water as a heat collection medium and were designed to track the sun’s travel … Read More

Remodeling Features: Cabinets

Cabinets, Storage Spaces, Shelves & Such Here are some photos of a few of the cabinets we’ve built and/or installed. Even most of the factory-built items have needed modifications or repairs before installation could be completed. One time we had a kitchen cabinet unit come from an east coast manufacturer and the largest cabinet (the pantry) that had to be … Read More