The Historic District

You want the nail either flush or snug

Heat is basically transmitted 3 ways - Conduction: the heat is transferred through a solid material (such as the heat you feel when you touch a radiator) - Convection: gas or liquid (air or water) rise when heated because they are less dense. When they conduct their heat to another material they coo...

I think ventilation is very important for an attic space, and with HVAC equipment up there rejecting heat into the space makes it even more important. The most important part of attic ventilation is that there much be an intake and an exhaust. The ridge vent (such as the Cobra vent) would be an exha...

The siding we are installing on our house now is rough side out. They say it holds the paint better.

Yep, we're both pretty sore today. We used the shop vac you see in the photo to get the majority of the dust, then our dyson, then cheese cloth. Tonight we'll sand and repeat the cleaning process before putting another coat on (we're going to do one per night until the end of the week).

We finally decided it was time to sand and finish the hardwood we laid down in the front entry. We rented a home depot drum sander and picked out 36 grit sandpaper to strip the floor. The 36 grit worked great on the finish, but the wood was so hard that it barely touched it. Some boards were thicker...

They probably used lead flashing or (depending on age) a wood board and relied on big overhangs to keep the bulk of the water away. Under the right circumstances (snow/ice/wind) it probably would have leaked. Houses weren't as 'tight' as they are today, so the occasional leak wasn't an issue as it w...

If your going for something that is watertight and will last, "tar" is not what you want. Any type of sealant will be a maintenance item and should not be used as your main waterproofing method. There are times when sealant is appropriate, but don't use the bucket of asphalt (plastic cemen...

Glad to hear you and the hounds are back on track! Look forward to seeing you around more.

Do those with carpet runners find they make a significant difference? I love the look, and the shallow tread does make it difficult to get a good grip. Personally, I think the carpet runners make the tread even more shallow and therefore less room for your foot. They may make the surface less slipp...