Today it is more than 90 degrees outside, and the funny thing about when it is this hot is that you all get really grumpy. Thankfully, by the time you read this it will be 10 degrees cooler, and hopefully we all will be a little more rational because the message I have for you today is a bit counter-intuitive. Here’s the message: A properly designed house could have intentionally been DESIGNED to not be comfortable on days like today. What a shocking statement, can you believe that I said such a thing? I am a huge comfort snob yet I have modified my own expectations.
Here is why I am willing to be uncomfortable 10 days out of the year. It’s all about efficiency. Most of our cooling systems are drastically over-sized. What that means is the equipment Read More!
5 Tips to beat the heat in a poorly performing house:
1) Don’t forget to close your windows and shades in the morning to keep in the cold air trapped inside during the day.
2) Change your furnace filter monthly or as soon as the light passing through it is reduced by particulates.
3) Keep your AC Condenser clear of plant material, level, and raised up off the ground at least a few inches.
4) Cut the power at the breaker box and rinse the fins of the condenser when dirty.
5) Put a fan at the bottom of the stairs blowing cold air up to the next level. Read More!
Okay, it’s that time of year to put out our ideas for Fathers Day 2010.
Gifts from Woodcraft
- Quick Cutting Corner Chisel $7.99 Practical, Time saving.
- 10 piece Forstner Bit Set $18.99 Clean hole cutting.
- Read More!
The belief that people want to Love Where They Live is the central theme for why our firm exists. When I hear that phrase it’s like hearing a musician play the most perfect cord on his guitar. When I just reread it I heard a harp this time. It’s just right on – you and I want to love where we live – and it may mean something entirely different for you and for me, but it’s the same dream.
The good news is people are starting to take hold of that dream again. A few weeks ago we shared a story from the GR Press that housing starts were up 159 percent over last year at this time. A really cool note about that is so many of those new homes were for 1st time home buyers. It’s very exciting to think back to the joy of walking into your Read More!
If you’d like to read great coverage of the current BP oil spill in the Gulf please enjoy this link below.
Thank you Randy Boss, Ottawa Kent, for sharing it with us. Read More!
Q: Good Morning Ben, My son had a house built in Savannah Georgia and sent me this question. Thank you, John
What makes a toilet keep bubbling, when the shower is used, or water is going out of tub? I have a video file of what is occurring, but I think it is too big to send to you.
A: Hi John,
Very common question and I’m so glad you asked. I talked to my “gurgle expert” Don Somderdyke, Peter Somerdyke Plumbing, in Grand Rapids, MI 616-977-3377 and Don has this insight.
It probably is some sort of partial obstruction in the main drain line servicing the bathroom. The assumption we’re making is that along with the gurgles/bubbles that the drain also slow drains. Otherwise it could be a sag in the line Read More!