As much as I love whole house remodels, bathroom blowouts, and full-tilt-boogie decks, docks, and pergola building, some of my favorite projects ever are the small ones: small projects that make a giant difference in the way we see, feel, and interact with our homes. Exterior window shades, for example—especially those on a Western wall—are [...]
Ice Dams
December 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Warren, as usual, is on the money as it relates to how a house works. The main culprit in the creation of an ice dam is insulation — or, as Warren points out — lack thereof. What’s happening is that the above-freezing air in your attic is melting snow under the snow-pack. Once it hits [...]
QuickTip: Hanging Holiday Lighting
December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Before you head outside to string up your holiday lights, here’s a quick-tip for staying safe on a ladder (phrased in the form of a question): How do you know you have your ladder set up at the correct angle? If you set it up too steep, the ladder is too close to the house and [...]
Snow Removal After a Blizzard
December 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
After being buried in the blizzard of 2010, residents of the Northeast are once again preparing to dig themselves out of as much as 1-2 feet of snow. Meanwhile, much of the Southeast is still iced over from a chilling winter storm that slammed the region on Sunday and Monday. In the midst of all [...]
Lexi’s Gardening Tips: Deadheading And Gardening
December 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Hello! This is a follow-up blog to my planting flowers blog. As winter comes, it was time to “deadhead” our cardinales plants in our backyard. Let me explain to you what deadheading is. Deadheading is when you cut the tops of the flowers off right near the ground so they grow better the following year. [...]
Snow Removal
November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
After a big snowstorm I have to admit, I kind of like to get out there and get after it. There’s more than a little joy in using the snow-thrower and maybe a little primeval need that gets met from digging out. However, there’s only so much throwing and digging I’m interested in doing, so [...]
Winter Weather Tips
November 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I like winter. I like snow. I like the opportunity to use my snow thrower. However, I could live without some of the damage winter weather can cause, notably to my vehicle. I drive a 4-wheel drive and my wife drives an all-wheel drive, so when it snows, we can leave the house. But, so [...]
Get Your Snow Blowers Ready for Winter
November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
If you live in an area where it snows, cleaning up and digging out after a heavy snowfall is a simple fact of life. Sure, shoveling is the traditional way to get the job done, but your back, shoulders, and legs may be pleading for an easier alternative. Plus, with record snowfall pounding many cities [...]
Using Pressure Treated Pilings: Wood All ‘Round
November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Go to almost any lumber yard and the wood you’ll find there is milled on all four sides. Two-by, 4-by-, 6-by…you get the idea. But since we built the Real Wood Playground for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Joplin, MO where using round, pressure treated pilings made building our complicated layout possible and practical, I [...]
The Purpose of Snow Guards
November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Question: Hey MyFixitUpLife, I have an old house question. I feel like I should know the answer to this, but I don’t. On the roofs of many old houses, along the eave, there are…best as I can describe it…bird-shaped thingies. I’ve seen others that look octagonal and yet others that are round. I’ve seen them [...]
