A short interview with the owner of Portland Vintage Plumbing, Brenda Wasco on what products she has to offer and why she opened her business. Why did you start Portland Vintage Plumbing? I have worked in the plumbing industry for 10 years, and can’t imagine anything I would rather do. I feel it’s an honor to work with customers that trust you with their home projects and joy to see the finished result. I love the whole process of the job, from picking out fixtures to keeping track... more

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed on February 17, 2009, by President Obama has made significant changes to homeowner tax credits for qualifying energy-efficient, residential tankless water heaters placed in service between the years of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010. Federal Tax Credit Tankless water heaters need to have an energy factor of 0.82 or greater to meet the required standard of “Qualified Energy Property” under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act... more

Gone are the days of purchasing a burly tank-type water heater. Navien America’s latest product explodes onto the scene with an eye-popping 98% efficiency rating. The wise men in the east have been using tankless water heaters for years; unfortunately, “super size me” Americans have only recently caught on to the economical benefits of downsizing their utilities. Although a handful of manufacturers now produce condensing tankless water heaters, it’s Navien’s state-of-the-art technology... more

With energy bills on the rise, water conservation is a major concern for homeowners. Did you know, toilets make up about half of a home’s water consumption? Americans flush nearly five billion gallons of water down their toilets each day. To help conserve water, years ago the federal government required builders to install toilets that used no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Although these new toilets met the government’s requirement, they often performed poorly. When low-flush toilets... more

Whether you are remodeling a kitchen or bath or upgrading an existing home, there are many options and decisions to consider. What are the latest trends, and will granite countertops still be in vogue 10 years from now? However, I am pretty sure rough-in plumbing won’t make the top of anyone’s design to-do list. Choices in plumbing products used to be left up to the professional plumber, until now. With the increasing popularity of the PEX tubing, plumbing has changed and is turning green due... more

Several companies manufacture rubber roofs from recycled tires. These products are durable (many come with 50-year warranties), as well as fire and wind resistant. Metal Roofing With a long life, metal roofs keep composite material out of our landfills. Also 100% of the material used is recyclable. Solar-Powered Attic Fan Make your home more energy effcient and save money too. Attic fans operate by solar power from sunrise to sunset at no extra cost. It’s possible to reduce the workload on... more

When our family decided to move, we looked for a house with charm and character that was close to the city. We found a home with single-pane windows, no insulation, three layers of roofing sitting on top of 2″ x 4″ rafters, and inadequate plumbing and electrical systems. We soon found ourselves in a total down-to-the-studs remodel. Solar panels for heating the indoor lap pool. Radiant heat panels used on the first floor and around the pool. Drilling rig used to... more

If you’re converting the attic of a four-square or creating an entertainment space in the basement of a bungalow, you already know that installing a kitchen or bath with conventional plumbing can be costly, and digging up the floor to make drainage connections can be a real mess. Here’s something you may not know: Regardless of the type of home you’re renovating, above-floor plumbing (macerating technology), gives... more