Ceramic tile provides a lower-cost, extremely durable alternative to hardwood flooring and is much easier to keep clean than carpeting. While not all that hard to install, tile and stone do pose some specific challenges that don’t exist with other types of flooring. To counter these challenges, it is typical to install a vapor barrier/uncoupling … Read more
As home space became increasingly scarce and fewer homes were built with basements, architects and home builders turned to putting the furnace and HVAC air handling unit in the attic. While this is a seemingly good answer to the problem of where to put the unit, it has pros and cons. The current design is … Read more
There are those who say that porcelain or ceramic tile should only be installed over a concrete floor and that they should never be installed over plywood. While there is some reasoning behind that claim, it’s a reasoning that comes from failure. If the plywood subfloor is not properly prepared to support the tile, there’s … Read more
One of the many signs of a properly constructed home is a flat, level floor. But not all homes’ floors stay flat and level, even if a home is well-built. Settling of the foundation, as well as shifting of the ground beneath the home, can cause a number of structural problems, including floors becoming unleveled, … Read more
Many homeowners eventually build a garden shed in their backyard. That generally coincides with them deciding that their garage just isn’t big enough for everything they’re trying to store in it. Adding a shed, even a small one, provides someplace to put the lawn mower, wheelbarrow and other gardening tools, even if that’s all it … Read more