Secure that Exterior Hinge with a Pin
As any of my close friends can attest, I am completely paranoid. Add to that paranoia the fact that someone stole two Sago Palms right off our front porch in the middle of the night …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Old Plumbing is not Necessarily Bad Plumbing
Sometimes any old toilet just won’t do. There’s a big difference between a 60’s vintage generic toilet, and a true classic throne. My friend Darren recently went off on a mild tirade about how you …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Old Wood Made into New Floors
With so much waste and landfill being created by construction and remodeling, it’s great to see some eco-friendly re-use in building materials. A company called Southern Wood Floors “harvests buildings, not trees.” This immediately conjured …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Stylish HVAC Register Vents
Who needs a heater in San Diego? We do!!! My wife got cold easily to begin with, but after three years of school in Phoenix, she now thinks anything under 90 degrees is “chilly.” I’ll …
Written by: Marc Lyman
SF Bay Area Resource for Used Building Materials
Building resources is an eco-friendly non-profit located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among other things, they provide used materials donated by homeowners, remodelers, contractors, etc. They accept tax-deductible donations of clean, reusable materials. Building …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Carry Heavy Panels with Ease
Anyone who has carried huge panels of sheetrock, glass or titanium armor plating knows what back-breaking awkward work it can be. Gross Stabil (that’s the company name, not a description) makes some heavy duty panel …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Vacuum Those Stinkies!
Our house is so old-school, that rather than having a vent fan in each bathroom, we actually have electrical heaters. Sadly they look and sound just like a normal vent fan, so our guests often …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Don’t Get Dirty!
After one or two crawls through our crawl space I realized I was in desperate need of some coveralls. My first step was to get a white tyvek coverall suit from Home Depot. This solution …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Get the Skinny on Solar Technology
Imagine being able to run your electrical meter backwards. . . . it’s a reality with many of today’s solar technologies. No longer just an “off-grid” concept, many businesses and residences are opting for solar …
Written by: Marc Lyman
Pimp Your House with LED Colors!
Lighting can make or break the ambience created inside and even outside your home. Color Kinetics, with offices in Boston, the UK, and China, is one of the latest firms to leverage the benefits of …
Written by: Marc Lyman