From the Buildwise Unauthorized Dictionary
Common Definition: A person who employs mathematics and scientific analysis for the design of building systems.
Unauthorized Definition: Engineers get excited about things no one else does. They love solving problems you didn’t know existed, in ways you don’t understand. Engineers solve these mysterious problems by performing precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by architects and builders. Continue reading Featured Term: Engineer
Buildwise editor, Todd Remington, wins Best of Houzz Award for 2017. He has won this award three years in a row.
From press release – Todd Remington specializes in the art of traditional architecture. His award-winning homes and retreats integrate timeless patterns of design with cutting edge technology and today’s building science. That’s why people from all over the world voted his designs the Best of Houzz for 2017. And why he has become a design leader in residential architecture. Remington also writes about home-building and design at Buildwise.org. Whether you’re a homeowner or building professional, Remington’s posts shouldn’t be missed.
Pocket doors slide inside a wall. When closed, they can look like other doors or provide a dramatic focal point. Either way, they’re hidden when open. Which means they don’t waste space or swing into toilets, cabinets and furniture. Since they slide on tracks (instead of swinging on hinges) pocket doors can service larger openings. For these reasons architects and designers rely on the pocket door as a versatile design tool.
Sadly, pocket doors aren’t a panacea. While they look good in pictures and usually work right after installation. Designers are long gone before the pocket door’s shortcomings become painfully apparent. Continue reading Review: Pocket Doors
After the new room is painted, furnished and finally ready. You sink into the couch and turn on the television expecting a blissful evening at home. Instead you’re accosted by a nasty echo. “No big deal, I can ignore it”, you murmur. But soon you’re acting like a torture victim. What seemed like a minor problem is destroying your life. Continue reading Room Echo is Annoying and Unhealthy
Today’s regulations, combined with consumer culture make affordable building more difficult than ever. Not only do codes require expensive construction (for noble reasons like safety and energy efficiency). Homeowners consider luxuries standard amenities. “The new refrigerator isn’t wifi enabled – what’s wrong with you?” Continue reading 8 Timeless Rules of Affordable Building
What Your Contractor Can’t Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating, could be called “What Your Contractor Should Tell You”. This paperback is full of valuable advice for everyone building or remodeling. Written by a construction manager, the focus isn’t about self-building or self-contracting. Instead, the reader will learn to reduce risk and increase success when hiring building pros. Thorough discussions about working well with others, budgets, contract types and avoiding common pitfalls are included. Also covered are tips for using budget as a management tool and understanding the pro’s perspective. Continue reading Review: What Your Contractor Can’t Tell You
From the Buildwise Unauthorized Dictionary
Common Definition: A manufactured fireplace appliance. These units are made of lightweight insulated metal and don’t require a foundation. Gas units with sealed glass doors are vented “directly” through an exterior wall. Since no chimney is required, they can be placed almost anywhere.
Unauthorized Definition: A cheap metal box that doesn’t look like a real fireplace. A fake fire, only slightly better than hanging a photo of a burning log on the wall. Continue reading Featured Term: 0-Clearance Fireplace
Can Homes be too Clean for Health?
Yes, a growing body of evidence suggests hyper-clean homes aren’t always healthy. Not only are today’s homes dirt free, energy codes encourage tight building, effectively sealing the environment like Tupperware. Together these trends reveal Westerners live in sterile bubbles. Yet the research is clear, this lifestyle choice is causing a public health crisis. Continue reading The Not So Clean Home
Home Improvement Projects for the Busy & Broke: How To Get Your $h!t Together and Live Like An Adult, is a book geared towards the young professional finally living in that first apartment or house. If you don’t mind the occasional swearing for emphasis, the text is entertaining and edgy. A writing style undoubtedly appealing to millennials who read sentences between texts and tweets. Chapters begin with the basics of how to live like an adult: Stop partying every night, get motivated, make your bed and clean your room. Advice my teenagers hear daily, usually at high volume. Apparently many kids don’t. Continue reading Review: Home Improvements for the Busy & Broke
Can Homeowners & Pros Prevent Mold?
Homeowners often wonder if mold can be entirely eliminated from their home. Sadly, the answer is no. Don’t panic, mold naturally occurs in every environment. Humans have evolved to coexist with small amounts of this tiny microbe. Many foods humans love, including cheese and soy sauce, contain mold. Antibiotics like penicillin, which transformed modern medicine, are derived from mold. Continue reading Mold Resistant Home Design