What’s a Double Hung Window? Last week I had a conversation with an old house owner out west. She really wanted to replace her windows so I told her that she should go ahead and replace her 100-year-old windows if she liked spending more money than necessary for something that won’t be as energy efficient […]
Hannibal, Missouri—America’s Best Kept Secret! My wife Pat and I moved to Hannibal, Missouri in July, 2008. We’ve been here over a year now and feel more than ever it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. I was born in St. Louis and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. Pat was born in […]
Getting Shellacked For over two thousand years, shellac was a product of choice for dyes, flooring, woodwork, furniture and as a sealer. Its use as a wood finish flourished in America from the 1600’s through the first half of the 20th century. The qualities making it so popular are ease of application, fast drying time, […]
Rats with Bushy Tails I know most folks think squirrels are cute and adorable. Not me, I consider them to be no more than rats with bushy tales. Not only are they pesky, they’ve had trouble adjusting to city life. It seems they like to play with moving vehicles, giving them the dubious distinction of […]
Getting Floored–To Grind or Not To Grind? Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that we are murdering the wonderful hardwood floors in our homes. The warmth of hardwood floors in America has been popular since the Victorian era of the late 1800’s right up to new construction today. We tend to want the […]
Counter Top Reality In the mid-1970’s some clothing designer came up with the brilliant design for polyester leisure suits. For about five years everyone just had to have one. Why, you wouldn’t be groovy if you didn’t wear one to work, the disco or even church. We look back now and wonder why anyone would […]
Old House Unveilings In the past, nothing epitomized neighbor helping neighbor more than a rural barn raising. Today, in our central city, historic neighborhoods, a modern day version of a barn raising is bringing neighbors together, old house unveilings. An old house unveiling is a coordinated event bringing neighbors together to remove replacement siding from […]
Myths About Insulating Old House Walls I was recently chatting with a neighbor who asked, ” We love our 100 year old home. However, it sure is a drafty old place! We’re interested in blowing insulation into the walls, what do you think Bob?” Let me start by saying, if you live in an old […]
Historic Districts Protect Your Property Rights Some people will tell you that if you live in a historic district or the community is thinking about making your neighborhood a historic district, the world is coming to an end. They say things like, “It’s nothing but a left wing conspiracy to take my property rights away” […]
Abandoned Lots – What’s a Community To Do? Abandoned lots dot the central city landscape in small towns to big cities throughout America. Tearing down an existing historic house is one of the least green things a community can do. Doing so also takes away the cultural and historic context of our neighborhoods. Vacant lots […]