Saw your article on ice dams. I want to resolve a disagreement with my wife….we have a cold roof/attic. Is ok to be preventative and install a manual roof and gutter de-icing kit to help prevent ice dams? Please let…
Why old windows are better than new
We are told old windows are drafty, do not function well, and lose energy through the single panes. Window replacements are pitched as giving us better energy efficiency and longevity. But is it true? And with claims replacement windows can…
A building is a reflection of where it is and what we do to it
There can be consequences for changing a building and its behavior towards its environment. As time passes, the natural environment matures and a building wears. We manipulate and upgrade buildings for energy efficiency, ourselves, and because we have to. We…
Designing to Fail
I have often wondered why windshield wipers don’t last longer. We have the technology to send stuff into outer space, but cannot make an everlasting wiper that can remove bug splats, tree droppings, or water. Architecture and building components have…
Installing the Right Picture Hanger
Putting up pictures, mirrors, art, and other wall hangings always goes well, right? You have never gotten frustrated with picture that mysteriously falls, or the plaster blows out, or you put a hole in so many times you can see…
Lead Laws and Safety
Lead poisoning is a concern for good reason. A small amount of pure lead dust can create substantial health risks. For example, if you take the same quantity of lead as a 1-gram packet of sugar, it can over 100…
Metal Roofing and Repairs: The Good, The Bad, and the Real Ugly
The Rhode Island economy was booming in the 1880s. The economic prosperity created some of the most spectacular late 19th century architecture across our state, with styles like Second Empire and Queen Anne having complex mansard roofs, curved window hoods,…
Why Paint Peels
My 1914 shingle-style house on the Providence River/Upper Narragansett Bay was reshingled with white cedar in 1996 and recoated in 2005 with bleaching oil. The house was repainted Sept. 2010 with a different acrylic house solid stain. Within 2 -1/2…
Ice Dams and Your Sick House
The Internet can be a great thing when we are sick, right? We can find some reassurance or simple treatments to get us through or we can find that we are doomed. So to placate our freak out, we go…
Best Basement Floor
We had a bit of water in our basement recently. There is carpet over a concrete floor, and the concrete floor is old and uneven. I was wondering what the best way or product to use when installing a new…