Age in place articles, news & tips from industry experts in your community
We have just launched a new service: A thorough inspection can save up to 30% on energy costs with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR When was the last oil change on your car? You know that your car needs to be well maintained for maximum performance and longevity. You know that the cost of … [Read more...]
I just took some great “after” pictures of Paul and Doris’ Master Suite Addition, living room remodel and laundry room remodel. This project began last year in their desire to stay in their two-story home, but have an accessible master bedroom and bathroom on the first floor, which would allow … [Read more...]
In November I gave a talk to the Academy of Lifelong Learning (sponsored by Oregon State Alumni Association) about Reducing Home Energy Use, Deep Energy Retrofits and Net Zero Homes. In front of a group of about 50 inquisitive people, I talked about how energy audits can detect home air leaks, which … [Read more...]
Andre came to us this spring looking to build a custom home in Monroe, Oregon (south Benton County). He had already jump started the process by having his friend (an engineer) draw up the design and he began searching for property to build on. We helped him refine his material selections and design. … [Read more...]
Framing at Paul and Doris’ house is progressing at a fast pace. We are adding a master bedroom and a master bathroom on the main level of their home and finishing it to their custom specifications. In a previous blog post, I uploaded some renderings that we used to help finalize the design. I’m … [Read more...]
Everything we know about lighting is changing faster and faster. As of January 1, 2012, all light bulb packaging will be changing as we move from Watts to Lumens! Incandescent bulbs will be unavailable in a couple of short years! As with other technologies, we have found ways to make better lights, … [Read more...]
Corvallis Kitchen Remodel Before and After Photos Pat and Bob asked us to completely remodel their dated kitchen to provide better functionality by increasing the brightness and updating the kitchen materials. In order to best use the space available in their kitchen we decided to use custom … [Read more...]
Our carpenters use advanced framing techniques reduce the amount of wood used in construction and increase the amount of insulation. These techniques were created by structural engineers in the 1970’s. By following the advanced framing techniques included in the Oregon building code, we are … [Read more...]
One of the things that I always feel insecure about are car repair estimates. I know NOTHING about cars. I can quote cabinets, plumbing, tile and lighting specs and prices off the top of my head, but I don’t know the difference between a spark plug and a piston. Let’s face it. Unless … [Read more...]
Last night I attended our Nor Cal NKBA (National Kitchen + Bath Association) monthly meeting, up at the beautiful showroom DJ Mehler, hosted by the always-elegant Doris Mehler. The talk by Henry Brunelle, President, Bain Ultra, was brief and showed off some extremely high end solutions for … [Read more...]
