The Constant Craftsman The Constant Craftsman This weblog profiles the ups and downs of renovating a 1926 Dutch Colonial and building a new Craftsman home from scratch. Along the way will also profile and review companies and products associated with the homebuilding or home renovation process.
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ConstantCraftsman.com Is Live and Ready for Visitors
2007-09-09 08:35:00 It’s official. The Constant Craftsman has a new and improved website. Jog on over to constantcraftman.com to see my latest entry. The new place will give me much more freedom to build the site I’ve envisioned for a while. If you have a website and you’ve been gracious enough to link to me, please update ... More About: Live , Visitors , Ready
Comic Relief: You?ve Got To Be Kidding?Is This For Real?
2007-09-07 06:06:00 Look, I can appreciate culture as much as the next guy, but this whole Utilikilts thing is borderline hysterical. Not sure what guy would wear this or what guy would want to wear this but apparently there’s a market for this kind of garb - a quick peek at all the customer submitted photos clearly ... More About: Comic , Kidding , Real , Relief , Comic Relief
Craftsman Home Plan with Beautiful Wraparound Porch
2007-09-05 07:28:00 Love the columns and love the porch. My wife is a little iffy about wraparound porches though because they keep a lot of direct sun from coming through the windows. I’m not sure if that’s a big deal or not - sun coming through just makes the house hot anyways…I don’t think I care much ... More About: Home , Beautiful , Craftsman , Plan , Wrap
Did You Know These Even Existed?
2007-09-03 07:57:00 I was watching Living with Ed on HGTV last night and saw two products I never knew existed - first was the water powered garbage disposal. Invented by a NASA engineer and produced by Hydromaid, this disposal acts like a food processor, grinding all types of food into small bits. It consists of “five stainless ... More About: Sustainable Living , Exist , These
A Fence At Last: Privacy Has Never Felt Better
2007-08-31 07:16:00 Sweet Mary and Joseph, the fence is finally finished. What was expected to be a two day build turned into a week and a half long fiasco that involved myself (the disgruntled homeowner), the misfit fence crew, their boss man (a voice in the phone), and my local home store sales manager (the vigilant savior). I ... More About: Privacy , Landscaping , Felt , Fence , Riva
Getting Rheemed: My Furnace Is How Old?
2007-08-29 07:43:00 In 1978 gas was 63 cents per gallon, Star Wars hit the big screen, and after being down 2-0, the New York Yankees won four straight to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. The Bee Gees were storming the air waves with hits like Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever and after 30 ...
Fence Progress: The Nightmare Continues
2007-08-26 08:20:00 If you’ve been keeping up with my fence debacle, you already know that things have been going far from smooth…miles from it actually. After I brought to the crew’s attention the 34 posts that weren’t set deep enough in the ground they returned the next day with a “driving auger.” It had mini tank tracks ... More About: Nightmare , Landscaping , Progress , Fence , Conti
Damage from the Storm
2007-08-25 07:59:00 High powered wind and rain did a number on a couple houses in my neighborhood this past Thursday night. The one pictured to the left (2 streets down from our home) was dealt a serious blow as a large branch from the looming oak tree snapped, causing significant damage to the roof and sunporch. My ... More About: Storm , Damage
The Cedar: A Craftsman House Plan with a Choice of 3 Skins
2007-08-23 23:19:00 I love being given the power to choose. From the flavor of ice cream I want for desert, to the type of music I want to play on my iPod on the way to work, to the type of video camera I’ll be purchasing in the next couple months. Choice is empowering and gives me ... More About: House , Craftsman , Plan , Skins
5 Fence Building Rules Everyone Should Follow
2007-08-22 08:03:00 For those looking to pay a builder to install their fence, following the five rules below just might save you from strangling someone when everything blows up in your face. Rule #1: Do Some Research Know something about fence building before you bring someone in to build your fence. It’s a heckuva lot easier to spot mistakes ... More About: Building , Landscaping , Rules , Fence
Free Photo Gallery of Arts & Crafts Home Design Ideas
2007-08-20 23:28:00 Check out the Design Ideas Gallery Page just added to the menu above. Seriously, just click on it and check it out. Trust me, it’s pretty cool. It’s what everyone’s been waiting for…and by everyone I mean me. More About: Photo , Home Design , Home
I?ve Got Wood and Good Things Are Coming
2007-08-19 07:45:00 Lots happening. Giant flatbed trucked rolled up to our house this afternoon with stacks of lumber and a palette of bagged concrete. Dude got out and after verifying the address proceeded to hop in his 3-wheeled forklift that was attached to the backend of the truck. This thing was pretty sweet lookin’ - throw on ... More About: Wood , Things , Good , Ming
Craftsman Comic Relief: Bungalow Furniture for Pets
2007-08-17 07:44:00 Bungalow Bob’s Pet Designs offers what I would say is hands down the most well-crafted pet furniture I’ve ever seen (seriously), and the fact that it’s bungalow style is icing on the cake. Have I died and gone to heaven? [SMACK!] Yep, those were the pricetags bringing me back to reality. $350-800 is enough to buy a fairly nice bed for my daughter ... More About: Comic , Pets , Furniture , Relief , Craftsman
Seven Craftsman Fireplace Mantels That Will Make You Drool with Envy
2007-08-15 07:52:00 These are hands down the best craftsman style fireplace mantels on the web. I challenge anyone to find one that should be included in this list. Let me know if you’ve found something better than what I have here by leaving a comment and if it’s as good as you think, it just may end ... More About: Make , Craftsman , Envy , Antel , Fireplace
Two Story Craftsman with Excellent Curb Appeal
2007-08-14 07:44:00 Found another well thought out houseplan for your viewing pleasure at The COOL house plans company. This one comes in at 2,481 sq. ft. and as I’ve said before, this size home has a bit more space than we need, but that being said, I wouldn’t be totally opposed to selecting this as one of ... More About: Story , Craftsman , Tory , Curb Appeal , Lent
World Premier: Night of the Living Trees
2007-08-12 07:08:00 The dead elm is now truly dead and the stumps are no more. This past Friday the tree dudes came out with their cherry picker, wood chipper, and stump grinder and in a matter of two hours had taken care of business. About and hour into the job the owner of the company rapped on ... More About: Living , World , Landscaping , Night , Trees
Chili Cheese Fries vs. Defining Your Home
2007-08-10 08:30:00 For some married men, when their wife and kids leave town for a night they relish in the freedom by drinking frosty beverages, watching Ultimate Fighter reruns in surround sound, and eating an over-sized plate of chili cheese fries at 2 in the morning. They sleep in till close to noon and get up just ... More About: Home , Cheese , Chili , Home Improvement , Sunroom
Classic Two Story Craftsman Houseplan Causes Column Envy
2007-08-09 06:42:00 Architectural Designs has a number of well-designed Craftsman house plans including this one. At nearly 2,700 sq. ft., this house is a tad too big for our needs, especially considering we plan to have a finished basement, but it has a nice open floor plan with a large master suite that has access to the ... More About: Story , Classic , Column , Envy
Closet Organizers: The Ultimate Online Tool
2007-08-07 22:54:00 Closets are often overlooked when it comes to building or updating your home, but there is real value behind taking your closets a bit more seriously. A well organized closet can double and sometimes even triple the amount of space you have available for storage. Typically, most reach-in closets come stocked with a top shelf and ... More About: Tool , Online , Ultimate , Home Improvement , Closet
Home Repair 101 & Extreme Roofing
2007-08-06 08:39:00 Any good Do It Yourselfer knows that if you don’t have experience with a certain aspect of home repair or remodeling, the best way to get it is to practice on your own home practice on your neighbor’s home. Something goes wrong - you just pack up your tools and head back to your place. ... More About: Home , Extreme , Roofing , Home Repair , Home Improvement
The Dead Tree and Stump City
2007-08-03 07:34:00 A few days ago I wrote about getting a large dead elm tree removed from behind the shed in our back yard. Here’s an update on the price quotes: $350 (doesn?t include removal of wood) $550 (includes removal of wood) $750 (includes removal of wood) $350 (includes removal of wood) + $90 to grind the stump + $40 to ... More About: Landscaping , City , Dead , Tree , The D
Renovation Blogs: Tuscan Bathroom Remodel
2007-08-02 19:45:00 Just wanted to quickly point out this bathroom remodel I stumbled on today as I was reading a bit of the Our Pemberley blog. It’s not authentic Craftsman style but I would have no problem having this style of bathroom in our dream home. It’s too bad the owners are now selling the home they’ve ... More About: Bathroom , Blogs , Renovation , Reno
Homerun Floorplan Makes This Craftsman Home A True Winner
2007-08-02 07:30:00 You gotta love that cheesy title. I found this Craftsman house plan at Architectural Designs. I’m sure some of you would agree that the drawing of the exterior doesn’t really do justice to this home, but regardless, it’s the floorplan that knocks this one out of the park. To be honest, I don’t get all that ... More About: Home , True , Winner , Homer
Successful Home Improvement?Sorta
2007-07-31 08:32:00 This past weekend some things around the house were finally completed. Not directly related to home improvement, but incredibly important nonetheless, I finally finished building my daughter’s wooden swing set - which is good right? Well, sorta. See now I have to cut out a bed for the mulch that will go under the swings, ... More About: Home , Improvement , Home Improvement , Rove , Improv
The Ultimate Craftsman Fireplace Mantle
2007-07-26 07:34:00 Gary Katz is a well-known general contractor that specializes in finish carpentry. On his website he has a detailed article on how he crafted this amazing fireplace mantle inspired by design elements found in the Gamble House - a 1908 Arts and Crafts masterpiece. Truth is, I want to be like Gary and the only way ... More About: Ultimate , Craftsman , Lace , The U , Fireplace
10 Rules of Finish Carpentry Everyone Should Follow
2007-07-24 23:06:00 For me, finish carpentry is a thing of beauty. The details, the precision, and the higher level of craftsmanship fits my character to a tee, though at times there are other aspects that make me crazy. Another thing of beauty (though admittedly on a different scale) is Fine Homebuilding magazine and after becoming a recent subscriber ... More About: Rules , Home Improvement , Details , Everyone , Rule
The Lead Up To Some Major Upgrades
2007-07-24 07:11:00 I’ve found that taking some time off now and then from home improvement projects gives me a chance to regroup and refocus. So when I do come back I’m ready to hit it hard and scratch some of the items off my never ending list of things to do. This was the case this past ... More About: Landscape , Upgrades , Sunroom , Major , Lead
Award Winning Craftsman Style House Plan
2007-07-23 06:44:00 This is a big one, folks - 4,700 sq. ft. with a four car garage. Far too big for our needs, but the point of bringing this beautiful home to your attention is to show you some of the gorgeous wood and stone details inside. This home has won several awards including The People’s Choice ... More About: House , Style , Award , Craftsman , Plan
?The Builder? Tim Carter Says No Body Slams
2007-07-19 21:03:00 Tim Cart er emailed and had a problem with the photo in my last entry of him getting body slammed : Jason, I will respond in a few days on your blog. The first thing I will address is your copyright violation…… of the mashup of the photo. If you want to take that photo down ... More About: Body , Carter , Slam , Builder
Tank vs. Tankless Revisited: Tim the Builder Gets Bodyslammed
More articles from this author:2007-07-19 07:33:00 If you remember, I wrote this entry a few days back in an attempt to shed some light on the tank vs. tankless water heater debate. Tim Carter, a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, explained in a 2002 article that in many situations, tankless water heaters may not be as efficient as they claim. Since that ... More About: Tank , Slam , Builder 1, 2 |
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