Marshmallow Walls

Marshmallow Walls

Marshmallow Walls March, 2010  It looks a bit like sheepskin has been tucked into every nook and cranny of the walls. The whole house has become quieter. Foam insulation is a little pricey, but a great way to get an air-tight barrier. Anyone who’s lived in a drafty...
High-tech Heat

High-tech Heat

High-tech Heat February, 2010  When the old radiators were removed last fall, we found they were full of scale and rusting in many places. That opened the way for many choices for a heating system. The oil furnace is “newer” and could be used again with...
Tighty Whitey

Tighty Whitey

February, 2010  Thirty seven. That’s how many wet painted boards I can stack on the makeshift shelves Clark nailed up for me in the garage. Priming: that thankless task of applying a layer of paint that will never be seen but will hold tight to the wood and grip the...
Fresh from the Mill

Fresh from the Mill

February, 2010  I happened to follow a big truck on my mid-day dash out to the farm, and when it blinkered at the corner of Foster Road, I knew it held my cargo of fresh-milled siding. The hill is quite a climb so I was patiently anxious, trailing behind, hovering...
Electric Blue

Electric Blue

January, 2010  The house is now peppered with vivid blue electric boxes strung together with bright yellow and white wire. It’s like flashy undies, a little wilder than you want to show in public, fun to see but soon to be hidden by a tasteful covering of sheetrock...
Colonel Mustard?

Colonel Mustard?

January, 2010  This was a week for mysterious discoveries. Today a dark puddle suddenly appeared on the dining room floor. The apparent source was a newly drilled hole in the floor joist above. But there was nothing on the second floor leaking onto the joist, no sign...