On August 1, 2010, Oregon’s “Heat Smart for Clean Air Law” went into effect. This law is meant to protect homebuyers and clean our air of unnecessary wood-smoke pollution. This law requires a homeowner to remove and decommission an uncertified older woodstove or fireplace insert from a home at the point of sale. The law also applies to uncertified woodstoves located in outbuildings, shops, and garages. Uncertified wood stoves and inserts are required to be removed only when a home is sold.... more

Without an Indow Window With an Indow Window Brian McLean’s breakfast nook, with its seven windows looking out onto northeast Fremont Street in Portland, OR, was cold and drafty. The windows, in close proximity to the kitchen, also experienced condensation, with potential damage to the wood frame from water running down the cold panes and collecting on the muntins. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

Guess who’s coming to town? Old Man Winter and his entourage for some chilly days and frosty nights. Are you ready to bother through another season or two of cold carpet, bulky area rugs, and a family of stinky slippers? Or have you been considering a new radiant heating system with wood flooring for your home to warm it up, cut down on energy costs, and improve indoor air quality? Well, there’s quite a bit to consider, but knowing the basics behind this major home project can help you decide... more

Most of us have thought about barns at some point in our lives. For many of us, barns evoke a simpler time. A time when we were closer to the earth, we worked hard, and we knew where our food came from. Maybe like me, you grew up in the country seeing barns every day. Or possibly you drive past barns on the way to the coast, or driving down the Willamette Valley, or out through eastern Washington. We see them in all sorts of conditions: beautifully restored, in original and fine condition, or in... more

This year is the 10th anniversary of Build It Green! The tour sparks the imagination, provides resources, and presents green remodeling ideas. Ever since the first event in 2002, approximately 1000 do-it-yourselfers, contractors, students, homeowners, and renters buy tickets every September for the tour. Build It Green! is presented each year by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. This year’s tour will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 11 am to 5 pm. Twenty-two... more

I recently had a customer come into the northeast Hollywood district A-Boy store, sit down at my desk and tell me about his recent remodel and his brand-new high-resolution 240Hz, plasma flat screen TV in his basement. The client then started to tell me about his leaky water heater. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

On average 25% to 50% of energy used in a home goes right out the window — literally. In most homes, windows provide the biggest openings between indoor and outdoor air, and they provide the biggest opportunity for valuable energy to escape. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

You’ve been tearing pages out of magazines, searching websites, talking to co-workers, friends, and family members to find that right kitchen or bath design. You seek a design that you can afford that won’t disrupt your household for six months or more. Over and over you keep thinking, I love the layout of my kitchen. The space works well. It’s just dated. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →