How long do you have to wait until the hot water at your faucet reaches your desired temperature? Have you thought about all that water running down the drain as you find other things to do waiting to jump into the shower? If so the Autocirc® Pump System is the product for you. Another advantage is the timer that is a part of this unit. You can program the unit to activate ... more

Did you know that the water heater in most homes is the number-two energy consumer next to the heating system? These hard-working appliances go unnoticed until water appears running on the floor or both faucets deliver the same temperature water, cold. Not what you want to wake up to. The average life of a storage tank water heater in the Tri-County area is approximately 15 years for electric and 13 years for gas. The age... more

“Have you ever thought of going tankless?” asks the Bosch USA website. Imagine, a houseful of guests for the holidays. You are worried that they will run out of hot water in the middle of a shower! Now you have to figure out who gets to shower first, or whether you can even run the washer or dishwasher. You’ve got better things to worry about. A tankless water heater may be just what you’ve been waiting ... more

Tile these days is moving. It’s shifting away from the standard, functional floor and wall covering we’re all used to seeing, and towards becoming an art form in its own right. Out are the endless seas of tooth-white square tile of the past, and in its place have come pieces so striking that they’ve become a focal point all their own. Feel free to finally take down last decade’s framed prints of cappuccino mugs... more

People most often judge the quality of water by its taste. The scary fact is that you cannot taste, see, or even smell most contaminants. Since Portland water is so soft, it does a great job of leaching lead and lead solder from pipes and fixtures in older homes, and even from the city’s distribution system. Even at low levels, contaminants in drinking water have an impact on your long-term health. If you plan on ... more

One option to consider when considering the purchase of a new kitchen is to contact a craftsman to have your cabinetry locally built. This offers a custom fit job, and can also make more options available to the homeowner. For example, Ron Ring of Cascadia Custom Cabinets offers not only the standard woods available but also a wide selection of other interesting choices. Cascadia promotes the use of local woods, ... more

You know what you want your new kitchen to look like, how you want the room to flow, how you want the workspace to work. Magazine articles and pictures have been clipped, advertising pored over, a hundred images downloaded from multitudes of cabinet websites, all stuffed into the overflowing manila folder marked “new kitchen.” But the measure of success ... more

There’s an elegance to pedestal sinks. When placed in a small bathroom they can give the bathroom a larger feel due to their small footprint. If you have a wood vanity and want to replace it with a pedestal sink you should hire a licensed plumber. The location of the drain and water supply lines is commonly lower than what you’ll need for a pedestal sink. If so, you’ll need to open up the wall to replace the plumbing. Also you’ll need to install blocking between studs that the sink will screw... more