every nest starts with a simple twig…
Traditional suburban homes, single family wood built house, generally lack enough insulation to keep heating and air conditioning bills reasonable. To keep an older home feeling comfortable, one has to use more energy (electric, oil or gas) or add insulation. Energy Savings: Best Wall Construction explores the options.
Continue reading “Energy Savings: Best Wall Construction”The following, so well written, I had to share (with permission) for the benefit of others. It is a comment in reference to a Crain’s article on scaffolding in NYC and why there is so much of it.
By Edward C. Greenberg; NYC copyright and intellectual property litigator and teacher • 4 days ago
Continue reading “Masonry Facade Repair Overview by Ed GreenBerg”
We’re at that point in the year where the sun is starting to make its presence known by giving us extended day light hours. But the effects of the cold acts like winter is an entity cuddled in a slingshot in that the cold of winter is about to hit us, along with snow and ice that makes a daily walk a risk taking adventure. Is there a way of guaranteeing that our walkways will be free of snow and ice year around? I believe there is.
Continue reading “Natural Flow Snow Melting System, Zero Energy Consumption”
In order to ensure a dry townhouse for years and decades, one has to properly detail roof connections so that there are at least 2 different systems in place directing running water away from the home. Here we examine the often overlooked townhouse gutter system which is typically slapped on the back of the house and glued in place.
We are proud to have developed a simple pipe system that prevents basement and cellar flooding due to a blockage in the house trap. It’s a rather simple system that for a couple hundred dollars can spare a homeowner from thousands of dollars in damages, including sparing them from the week or so to make their flooded area ‘sewer free’ which is not an easy task and often leaves residue behind despite the best efforts. YUCK!
Continue reading “Natural Flow Flood Prevention Drain System”
This is a very cut and dry analysis of four different stair configurations that could help generate an additional $54,000 in rental income from a 4 story townhouse type structure just by reconfiguring the stair, touched on in a previous article (which we would recommend reading). The first option is the traditional townhouse stair, found in most townhouses in New York City. Often this stair offers stunning architectural detail and should be preserved, but more often than not the original stair has been replaced with a metal stair, due to sagging or some other issue. Sadly the replacements lack character and often do not fix the underlying issue to why they were sagging and are themselves sagging, causing stress fractures in party-walls at each end of the stair.
The advantages of replacing the stair are simple, it frees up square footage that can be used inside an apartment. The following compares three different stairs, the traditional, the compact and the ‘extended landing’, and a new comer, the squarish stair which is the best option (< spoiler alert). It is noted as ‘Stair 8’ which reflects the number of versions we’ve studied to get to that point. This ‘best option 8’ is shown in the article ‘The Ultimate Townhouse Floor Plan’ released August 28, 2017, so take a look at that one as well.
Continue reading “Analysis of Residential Stair Configurations for Townhouses”
A SimpleTwig Article: Galvanic Corrosion, sometimes referred to as Galvanic Action, describes the corrosion to a metal when that metal is in contact, either directly or with the help of a catalyst or another element, with another metal whose characteristics are not complimentary. Often two different metals can come in contact with one another without any corrosion, but some combinations do lead to corrosion and ultimately failure. This can be critical to prevent ‘rusting’ and unsightly stains, to prevent water penetration when a flashing fails, or to even prevent parts of a building from falling apart when a fasteners like a screws fails.
We take a look at what it is and how to prevent this type of corrosion so our buildings will last many decades longer.
Every winter, at least those with a lot of snow, we pull out our shovels and get to it. But there are things you can do to make the snow go away faster, and make the job easier…
It goes without saying that removing snow from sidewalks is imperative to keep people safe from falls and make life easier for those pushing strollers, or for old people to get around. One winter while shoveling my own sidewalk I looked across a street and saw an elderly woman literally stuck at a crosswalk. There was no way for her to cross as the snow was just too deep. Upon approaching her with my shovel she quickly apologized saying she had to get to the pharmacy. So I shoveled a path for her to get to the other sidewalk. It’s just too bad those who lived on those corner lots didn’t take care of this themselves.
So lets get to the tips:
Here’s a few tips to help you save money, help the environment and yes, help others (by conserving, you are helping keep prices lower for everyone, especially families in need). Continue reading “Lower your Electric/Gas Bills and Save Money this Winter: TIPS”
There will be a time when there will be a machine, itself larger than a section of a house, that will act like a self running factory. This machine will extrude a house who’s walls and floors are made of a synthetic new material. Continue reading “There will be a Time… Future Homes.”