I grew up in an older home and my father Ed Levitch MHRIP was an Architect and remodeling contractor in and around Berkeley California and the surrounding cities since 1958. Growing up I learned so many things from him, he taught me the value of family, respect and everything I know today about remodeling homes safely.
I remember a time at Levco Builders when I received a call from a man who shared a personal story about lead poisoning. He thanked me for advocating for the rule. I assured him of my commitment to safety. I was an early supporter of the EPA’s RRP rule, and I’m still a strong advocate today for ensuring people are safe in their homes.
What is a Healthy Home?
We all believe our homes are healthy places but all too often the opposite is true. As a remodeling contractor too, I deal with it every day. From the materials we use to how they are installed and the environment we create within the envelope of your home is unbelievably important. The CDC describes a healthy home as “One that is designed, built, and maintained to support our health” I couldn’t agree more. The other pivotal moment in my quest to promote healthy homes was a document written by the then Surgeon General, Steven Galson in 2009 who articulated the need for a healthy housing stock. This blog is dedicated to all things related to healthy homes with an emphasis on lead, lead detection as well as protection of humans and pets.
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...
Anatomy of a Window
Windows come in all shapes and sizes. They essentially let light in and have glass in them, which allows us to see out, ideally without losing heat. Many of the windows I come across are ruined by settling and/or too many poor paint jobs, you name it. Imagination is...
Foundation Moisture Protection
Much of what we do at Levco here in Boise Idaho, seems to be dealing with moisture in foundation walls. Weather we are dealing with a remodeling project and active problem, doing preventative measures, or just inspecting foundations that have telltale signs of...
Anatomy of a Door
Q: When is a door not a door? A: When it's a jar. Not much thought is given to doors these days but they are a vital component to every structure we build. I have used a number of companies to provide them and have been involved in many of the buying decisions made by...
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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...
Little Kiss, Big Hug & Window Handing
Hugs & Kisses from Levco Did you ever wonder how to determine what kind of windows you are getting, reading plans can be confusing. Understanding the window handing is handy. Here are my tips and techniques to help you understand the madness behind the secret...
Snookered by a hose
As a self-proclaimed fix it kind of guy, I do these things separately from my company as a hobby and past time that I enjoy. Nothing makes me sleep better than knowing that everything is working. How dare you not work I had been struggling to repair a washing machine...
Dryer not working well solution
I got a concerned call the other day from an old friend about a dryer problem. The first indication of the problem was prolonged drying times. There was the suspicion that when the new roof was installed that the roofer had neglected to reattach a vent to the outside...