This is the place to rant, rave, brag, belly-ache, crack a joke, procrastinate, and delve into the metaphysical aspects of the DIY mindset. We’re off the map, on a tangent, and frequently off topic. This is the stuff we don’t show on TV.
As we continue to search for ways to make our homes more energy-efficient, some are finding that reverting to old methods is opening new doors. One such old building practice that is catching on across the nation is straw bale construction.
What does the word “Integrated” in “Integrated Project Delivery” (IPD) mean? While there is no single, authoritative definition of IPD, interpretations can be taken from the IPD report published by McGraw-Hill Construction and AIA California Council, along with looking up the definition of the word “integrated” on dictionary.com:
in•te•grat•ed [in-ti-grey-tid] adjective: combining or coordinating separate elements so as to provide a harmonious, interrelated whole.
Decking 101 is our quick guide to popular deck materials (like wood, composite and cellular PVC, and aluminum), installation, cost, and maintenance tips.
Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, better known as EPDM, is a common roofing material in the construction and building industry. In low slope roofing applications, EPDM is considered one of the three thermoset types of flexible single ply sheet materials. Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSPE) and Polyisobutylene (PIB) are the other two types of roofing in the thermoset category.
Love it or hate it, Marcel Breuer's granite-clad Whitney Museum of American Art has loomed over 75th Street and Madison Avenue in New York's Upper East Side for over 40 years. After repeated attempts to expand and add much needed gallery space, the Whitney has officially announced it is headed downtown. Renzo Piano designed a new building for the Whitney in the hip Meatpacking District adjacent to the High Line, an abandoned, elevated railway that has been converted into a highly publicized park.
Chasing water leaks means working backwards. Instead of using the best materials to put a project together, you must break apart a masterpiece to find a flaw. Without x-ray vision and a clear way to proceed, the job could be a real headache. A good approach to chasing water is to form a checklist of possibilities and eliminate each one until the mystery is solved. Understanding how water behaves will make working through the clues faster and more efficient.
Fullsteam, which is located in Durham, North Carolina, is setting themselves apart from traditional breweries. By not focusing solely on established beer styles, they are able to incorporate local sustainable ingredients and have the potential to become a new source of opportunity for Southern farmers.
Completed in 2006, the University of Cincinnati’s 350,000 sq ft Campus Recreation Center, designed by Southern California based Morphosis Architects Inc., is a successful attempt at weaving four distinctly different programs into one comprehensive building.
The chief zoning official for the City of Columbus, Ohio, says that many homeowners and business managers who don't routinely renovate or build often don't find out about laws that effect them until they have already spent thousands—or even tens of thousands—of dollars on their projects. That's why, he says, despite the size of your renovation or construction project, your first step should be researching the zoning and building rules governing your particular land plot. Local zoning laws state how plots of land within your municipality, neighborhood, and street may be used and developed and the types of improvements that may be made.
Grading activities take place after clearing the project site of demolition debris, vegetation, and top soil. Grading refers to the adjustment of site slopes to the extent required to facilitate new construction and site function, including proper storm water run-off gradients and features. Having both an existing site survey (including a soil investigation) and a new construction site plan are critical to understanding the starting topography and desired end state throughout the project area. Also important is an evaluation of the existing site soils to match new construction purposes such as foundation work, or even to facilitate temporary construction needs such as equipment movement and soil sediment control.
Unlike many other industries, the construction industry is, by nature, required to be highly mobile and portable. In major commercial construction projects, hundreds or thousands of workers converge on a specific geographic location for a period of time lasting from a few months to a few years. Then, everything is packed up and relocated to a completely different location. Due to the dynamic nature of industry relationships and projects, many of the workers will actually be spreading their time across multiple job sites at any one time.
Interested in lowering water resource costs, wastewater costs, and being able to use water during periods of restricted use? If so, consider installing a greywater system. Greywater systems are plumbing systems that recycle wastewater collected from washing fixtures such as showers, tubs, and sinks. The wastewater is filtered so that it is able to be used in non-potable (i.e., do not drink it!) applications such as irrigation and flushing a toilet.
