Gardening Help

We’ve all been there: the light goes out, we unscrew the bulb from the light fixture (after we’ve accidentally burned our fingers because we forgot to let it cool) and then we toss it into the trash without thinking twice. Unfortunately, the modern light bulbs of today, particularly the compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, contain small amounts of mercury that gets released into the environment when we throw them into the garbage (and they subsequently break open from being crushed under the weight of other garbage).

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It’s no surprise that when you view a roof, more often than not you’re going to see similar styles of asphalt shingles. That’s not to say there’s only one roofing type available. Far from it. There are many types of roofing, each having their own advantages and disadvantages, and after all’s said and done, choosing between the types is a preference – or in some cases, specified based on house limitations – that homeowners must consider.Whether it’s part of a home remodeling project or you’re starting completely from scratch, here’s a short list of the types of roofing available:Clay Roofing: Aside from being weightier than most roofing, clay shingles are great for deflecting mold problems that may arise from water damage, is resistant to moss formations and stands up very well during the winter. Read more…

Grammatical goofs and flight delays aside, we had a great time celebrating the end of 2011 in Marrakech, Morocco. I’m back home now enjoying my final day off before its back to work tomorrow.

It was such a great holiday season but I’m way behind on so much. Like sharing the rest of my photos from our trip to India (Jaipur photos in tomorrows post!) and working on a million little projects I have on my to-do list. What about you?

I’m not sure what 2012 has in store for me. I’m feeling a bit anxious about it actually – not sure why – but I do want to wish every one of you an amazing new year. Read more…

Paper lanterns are inexpensive and extremely versatile. Paper lanterns are essentially hanging lanterns that are covered in a thin tissue paper. They are commonly used in Asian countries but you don’t only have to use them in a thematic setting! Just like a ceiling light, a paper lantern can be used in almost any room as long as it is transformed into the right style.

A great idea is to enhance the simple structure of a paper lantern by adding details to it. For instance, add more tissue paper:

This lantern was simply made by gluing pieces of scrunched up tissue paper to the exterior of the hanging lantern.

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Jerry’s Question: We had our garage insulated and drywalled and now have a tremendous amount of moisture on the windows. What can I do to help with all of this moisture?

Dave’s Answer: Did you leave the garage door in place? Are the floors concrete? Do they appear damp? What about the space above the ceiling? Is it insulated? Is the garage door insulated or not? Did you add heating and cooling ducts to the garage space?

The moisture problem is caused by outside cold air on the windows meeting warm air in the interior. Are the windows single glazed or double? Are there storm windows to help reduce the amount of air outside.

Let me know and I can give you a better answer.

Jerry: Thank you for your response Dave.

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