Since moving into our new place we knew we needed to add a compost bin but the question was not only where, but how to build one that could blend in and didn’t cost a mint. In this case we choose a spot close to a shed which while it gets some sun is mostly […]
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Going Off-Grid in the 21st Century – Composting Toilets (A Guest Post)
In our ongoing series about off-grid living we have reached the part of dealing with human waste. There are two ways this is normally handled, with the most popular being a septic system. Another lesser known option is a composting toilet. While I have installed both systems, I have no clue how the composting systems are […]
Composting Leaves – a quick guide
In the November Monthly Home Maintenance Checklist, we recommended composting your leaves instead of simply disposing of them. Why, wouldn’t it be easier to just rake them up and either burn them, or just bag them and send them off to the landfill? Well, not really, when you think about, besides you do not get […]
Tiny Homes: Things to Consider
With todays hustle & bustle, I can see the allure for many for downsizing & jumping on the “Tiny Home” craze. While many might consider this a new movement, there have been versions of it before, along with many lessons one can learn from them. Having worked on many of these why not take a […]
FAQ: Exterior HVAC units – Should I cover my unit, or… fall & wintertime questions
When it comes to the exterior HVAC unit most people wonder about hiding them and reducing the amount of noise. We delved into that topic in our Spring & Summer HVAC FAQ but now that fall & winter has arrived… Yep now the leaves &/or snow starts falling the some start to wonder; should I […]
#KBTribeChat: Saving Water – a precious resource
Every Wednesday at 2PM ET, I try my best to catch #KBTribeChat on Twitter where many of the industries best & brightest designers, manufacturers & contractors get together and take on a topic. This weeks is “Saving Water – a precious resource.” Unfortunately I will be missing this weeks chat, but as I feel this is such an important […]
Condensed Gardening Checklist
This condensed checklist is derived from Monthly Home & Garden Maintenance checklists much like our Condensed Home Maintenance checklist. The catch as many know is that there are 15 “planting zones” in the US & our checklist was for Zone 4. In order to combat that issue we broke this up into specific zones – like pre & planting […]
Droughts, Lawns, & Reducing Use
For four years most of California has been in drought status and yet they never instituted any reduction strategies until now. This has left many scrambling to not only see how much they are using now but also how to reduce. One of the quickest methods for most is to stop watering altogether or changing […]
Creating a Raised Garden Bed – Part Deux
In an earlier post, we created a simple raised garden bed from 2×12’s – ahh but what happens if you want taller than that. While we have done some with 6×6’s around 3′ tall the costs for those now is astronomical. In this case we simply went with 4×6’s which was about half the cost. […]
Common Sense Building: Stop termites & critters in their tracks
With all the damage that termites are known for, it is amazing how silent many of the green / energy efficient programs are on them. Granted both LEED (points for use of non-toxic pest control) and NGBS (use a shield in conjunction with a low-toxicity spray) mention them, but finding detailed drawings, best practices…. yeah, […]