Latest Projects
Promoting Healthy Homes Is An Endless Undertaking
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. I was a bit of a pioneer when the EPA's RRP rule was coming into play. At Levco Builders in...
Lead Testing Without The Normal Tools
As we step lightly into the future of remodeling pre-1978 homes in a post-3M lead test swab era, we find ourselves hoarding swabs and stretching the most out of them. If we could make them last, then we can avoid the inevitable disappointment of the Old Mother Hubbard...
Your Copper Plumbing Pipes are Shot, NOT
I recently had an interesting conversation with a client that had contacted a local plumbing outfit to fix a broken tub faucet. After looking in the crawl space he made it clear that the copper plumbing pipes need to be replaced because he saw evidence of corrosion at...
A Visit To The Crawl Space
Nobody really wants to admit that they have one especially if you haven't been down there for a while or ever. I just bought a new to me 1988 home and what I found told a story. Fortunately, I had a prepurchase inspection and so there was not much shocking to deal...
Whole House Water Filters
Nothing gives a guy a warm fuzzy feeling than knowing that your home is protected by a whole house water filter. I took it one further and added a secondary filter beneath the sink that provides water to a drinking spigot and the ice maker in my fridge. All is good...
I Bought A Cool Tool
I recently replaced a Garbage Disposal for a friend and struggled to get the darn thing attached to the collar. Then once installed, I realized that I had not installed the little protective rubber piece that keeps big things from falling in and pieces from shooting...