It seems there are numerous questions regarding the outside HVAC unit – from how can I hide it, can I build a deck over it, to does shading it really help save me money? Well lets see if we can help answer some of these typical spring & summertime questions and look at some of the reasons behind […]
Guest Musing: Practical Advice on surviving 5 plus years
I am honored once again to do a guest musing on Chris Hills Construction Law Musings. This one was inspired by him not only surviving but thriving 5+ years since going solo and another piece he did on making sure you classify an individual properly. This got me thinking about the changing landscape many new (and […]
Who says you cant make money playing with LEGO’s?
I was able to take a rare Monday off with the family and go see the newest exhibit at the Morton Arboretum, “Nature Connects” which if you happen to love(d) playing with LEGO’s this is something to see. Over 494,000 LEGO’s, 27 sculptors led by the 1st “LEGO® Certified Professional” – Sean Kenney spending 4,170 […]
The Latest: Illinois & the 2015 Energy Codes
As a brief recap: all states must adopt the 2012 IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 (or better) energy codes no later than February 17th, 2017 & the 2015 code by June 12th of 2017. Many states are electing to skip the 2012 code all together and are pushing for the 2015 version for some very good reasons. […]
Essential Security Tips for Home Based Businesses
This week we have a guest post from Cassie Phillips of Secure Thoughts. Secure Thoughts is based on helping everyday people make sure their information and loved ones are protected online. Cassie is a writer and blogger who likes to focus on internet security issues, technological solutions, travel, and business security. She particularly enjoys writing for small businesses […]
OSHA’s New Confined Spaces Rule – The Who & What
If you have been in construction for any length of time, you are bound to have one story about working in an attic or crawl space; maybe it is the 140° degree heat or coming face to face with some animal or snake. Unfortunately for some, they don’t get to tell their tale… Say hello OSHA – On […]
Building Semi-Floating Shelves with Hidden Fasteners
A traditional “floating” shelf looks like the shelf (or slab of wood) simply sticking to the wall with no visible support. In most cases this is done with a specialty metal hanger mounted to the wall with two or more pins mortised into the shelf which are held in with a few screws from underneath. […]
Illinois GreenBuilt Home Tour 2015
This July 25th & 26th, marks the third year that the USGBC of Illinois has hosted the Green Built Home Tour & my second year participating. Just like last year there are 16 houses on the tour ranging from simple remodels, to custom houses integrating different “green” features. Looking for more cutting edge, some are achieving “net-zero” usage to one that is still […]
SkillsUSA 2015 – TeamWorks the Pics
This last week marked SkillsUSA 50th year with the Nationals (NLSC) now being held in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the nice things about this is that the TeamWorks event (a team of 4 – one carpenter, an electrician, a plumber & a mason work to complete a project in less than 2 days) isn’t being held a few miles […]
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 […]
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