Hidden Surprises

The physical first stage of any remodel is demolition. This simple process can be full of surprises, as in the following case. I am remodeling the first floor of a very nice home. I was surprised to discover significant problems with the HVAC ducts below the floor. It...

A Custom Glass Door

I’m just about finished with the completion of a music room. The room is in the lower level of my home and it is open to the rest of the house via a large doorway. The doorway looks good, but it is transparent to my son’s guitar practice. I wanted a way to...

A Hairy Situation

Life can be full of little annoyances, and one of them is a slow moving drain. There are many solutions to this issue, and some work better than others for a given problem. Naturally, the best way to have an open drain is to treat it with respect. Don’t dump...

It’s Your Responsibility

You may think that anything that is attached to a utility is the responsibility of that utility. However, that is not always the case. For instance, the gas pipes behind your gas meter are your responsibly to maintain. I noticed that the pipes connected to my meter...

Removing Stucco So I Could Replace The Wall to Roof Flashing

I replaced a roof that suffered storm damage. The home has a stucco facade, and this had to be cut out so that I could replace the wall to roof flashing. I had to call upon my stucco expert who cut out part of the 2nd floor wall and then replace the stucco. I also had...