Teak lumber is increasingly popular for many uses. This distinctive wood comes from trees of rare beauty whose wood proves to be ideal for a wide range of indoor and outdoor projects. This tropical hardwood can be imported from Myanmar, Indonesia, India, and Central America. Like many imported woods, teak lumber consumption raises concerns over […]
Construction
Adding an Attached Garage to Your House
Attached garages have become more or less standard for new construction homes today because of the convenience that they provide. Anyone who has a garage can tell you how amazing it is not having to scrape snow off of their car in the middle of the winter or to carry multiple loads of groceries through […]
The Hidden Costs of Commercial Renovations
Many commercial tenants will receive a build-out allowance from their landlords. This will provide them with money to renovate, expand, or remodel their existing work space. Often times the length of your lease will determine just how flexible and generous your build-out allowance will be. This ensures that the space will be created particular to […]
Improve Energy Efficiency and Earn LEED Credits With Sunshades and Cladding
In 1998 the United States Green Building Council established the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program as a third-party certification system for judging the energy efficiency of buildings and communities. Since its inception, the LEED rating system has become the mainstream standard by which architects and developers judge the energy efficiency of a […]
Architects Use Metal Acoustical Panels for Superior Sound
Many elements combine in a theater to produce the ideal performance. Shakespearean costumes, complete with breeches, tights, and three-cornered hats. Rows of lights projecting hot, intense beams of light in various colors. Elaborate painted and molded sets, from town fronts to mountain backgrounds. Swords, canes, umbrellas, candles, and every other prop imaginable. After months of […]
Preparing Your Home for When You Are Older
When renovating a home in preparation for habitation of the elderly, there are some things that need to be taken into consideration. At the ripe old age of 59 and 61, my parents have determined that they will not wait until it is impossible to do this chore. They thought of almost everything from remodeling […]
Remodeling Around the House–Landscaping
Not all the remodeling of a home is done inside the basic four walls of the house. Developing the potential of the outside can be just as daunting a task as renovating the inside. In some ways, though, landscaping can be more quickly satisfying than remodeling, though it can also hold the promise of long-term benefits. […]
Living in This [Leaky] Old House
We first saw the house almost two years ago, and the smell of mildew probably should have scared us away, but it didn’t. It was obvious, from the state of the ceiling (gaping seams between the sheets of drywall, with chunks and peelings of spackle trying to fall) and the carpet (large square in the […]
Moving from Storage to Sanctuary
It’s amazing to me, how one space, with a little bit of work, can serve two entirely different purposes. Take, for instance, our current storage space. Right now, a cumulative fifty years’ worth of junk is sorted (more or less) on floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall shelving, tucked in a tall-boy dresser, and stacked in a double-wide closet […]