Repairability: to restore to a good or sound condition after decay or damage; mend; to renew by any process of making good, strengthening. Fixing stuff has been replaced by buying new stuff. But it’s not because we don’t want to…
Fix or Toss?
Timber Frames
We live in a culture of impatience and instant gratification. But for the first European American settlers, nothing was instant. When the Pilgrims finally landed in Plymouth of December 1620, they were hungry, weary, and desperate. They arrived without a…
Holidays are Family Building Time
The winter break is a great time to get grounded with family, sleep a bit more, and complete some home projects. While the recent weather makes us think there is still outside work to do, don’t be fooled, the cold…
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…
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…
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…
Stacking wood the German Way: The Holzhausen
I love our wood stove. It is cost effective and gives a nice intense heat that accommodates my large, old house. Yet I am pretty green when it comes to cord wood stacking, trying to find the best way to…
Deck Preservatives
Read your column about using preservatives on outdoor wood. We just had a new pine slat floor made for our outdoor shower. Would Penofin be good to use to treat it? If so, where can I purchase it? Would also…