Stucco, Yesterday & Today
Plaster describes the earliest interior coatings. It is a Greek term meaning to "daub on" and it dates back to 500 BCE. It was not until the invention of Portland Cement that exterior plastering, then called Stucco, was developed that could withstand the elements. A...
Engineering 101
We, " Levco" just encountered another situation where the handy man would not be a good fit. Did you ever get the feeling that the (fill in the blank) just didn't feel strong enough to hold a few folks in the same place. Weird feeling, trust your gut. I recall seeing...
Hydronic Heat
Although I have remodeled many homes we haven't run into too many hydronic heating systems. By the time we remodel most of the home's heating systems have been altered several times. My own home started with Coal, then converted to Oil and then to Natural Gas forced...
Hardwood Floors
This project had original 2 1/4"x 3/4" tongue and groove #2 Red Oak floors already as the primary flooring in the home. It was easy to weave in the new identical product and refinish the entire place. Josh at Sunrise hardwood floors did the work. Oak flooring like all...
What is Asbestos
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...
What is Molding
Moldings, also called trim are wood pieces that have been incorporated into homes to add detail to flat walls and cover up places where gaps have been left between material. They were the carpenters signature much like a plaster texture on a fished wall. There are...
Recent Posts
I can’t turn the HOT water off
OK, so you own your home and you know that there are some fairly simple systems that work together to keep you warm, safe and sound. Electrical. (If you can keep the smoke in the wires everything works out) HVAC. (Why does the AC only fail on the hot days after...
Sediment in your pipes?
Stump the plumber Another in the series called Stump the Plumber. Although not a plumber myself, I have plenty of handy man experience but, (My father-in-law Bob is my retired plumber that verifies that everything I say is true.) Sediment can come from a number of...
Water recirculating pump problem
Stump the Plumber This is another installment in the stump the plumber series. The situation I went to look at a kitchen remodeling project and during my evaluation I asked an open question that I always like to explore. "Is there anything else that you would like to...
What is a Water Hammer
"No honey, there are not ghosts in our house rattling the pipes." Much like the "Snow Lion," my friend's son was having trouble seeing in the foot hills. "No son," he said "Snow Line." In our case, the rattling pipes are being caused by a water hammer. A water hammer...
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