Buffalo Basics

When my Granddad was not well a couple of weeks ago, I rushed to see him after working on a demolition crew all day...I was COVERED with soot from head to toe.  Everyone was cracking jokes about...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2011/06/work-day-at-eaton-st.html

Yesterday was the first F+D baking day of the season in the oven in my backyard...and a mother's day bake at that!  Everyone brought their mothers, enjoyed pizza and lounged in the backyard on s...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2011/05/mothers-day-bake.html

Today was the second work holiday hosted on the east side, at Josh and Emily's place, Solrise Farm !  There were many enthusiastic workers there from morning until late afternoon/early evening,...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2011/05/work-holiday-at-solrise-farm.html

There are no official workshops being held at my house in the near future, but I would like to announce a great way for east siders to fix up their homes, DIY style. From now on, this blog will p...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2011/04/east-side-diyers.html

Announcing: there is an official date for the workshop in December! If no other requests for workshops are received (you still have time to submit a request by the way), the workshop will be on p...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/11/for-those-leaky-toilets-out-there.html

Haven't reported in a while, but there is some good news in the works: free home repair workshops are likely to resume at the house, albeit in a limited capacity. There are no scheduled dates as ...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/11/resuming-workshops-fingers-crossed.html

First post since settling in at Yestermorrow (in Vermont) for six months... Lately, I am into learning about different treatments for wood, especially for wood that will be used in eating, such...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/11/finishing-woodcuckoo-for-coconut-oil.html

So I'm off on my 3 month journey around the country, but replacing me at the house will be Pat and Brendan...two awesome guys who will be continuing work on the house! They're open to learning an...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/07/moving-out-and-moving-in.html

Have you ever had the experience of going to the paint store, picking out your favorite color of paint JUST for this one room and (knowing it will match perfectly and all the people in the paint ...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/06/coughing-and-wheezing-be-gone.html

Because the kitchen is a priority for Maura to be able to teach baking workshops in during stormy weather, we have been working on finishing the cabinets and countertops. Speaking of workshops, ...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/06/countertops-and-orange-sinks.html

Now offering baking workshops! Ok, so they're not home repair workshops, BUT Fancy & Delicious is offering baking workshops at the house! If you want to learn, please RSVP and come to the baking ...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/06/baking-workshops-and-tiling-kitchens.html

I was looking through the used books on Amazon the other day and found a book that I thought I'd share: Hard-Hatted Women , edited by Molly Martin. Now, usually I am searching for "how to" repair...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/05/hard-hatted-women.html

Thankfully I turned in my thesis on the concrete radiators this week! Can't say the experiment was totally successful. I discovered many flaw in the design and included may variations in my recom...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/05/newtons-law-of-cooling-and-several-heat.html

So the radiators work, but are they hot enough? Depends what temperature they're run at. Unlike radiant floors, these babies need to be hotter in order to have a better heat output in a concentra...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-update.html

The radiators are working! I connected a concrete radiator to the heating system and...eureka! Well, not really...it was hours of poking and prodding before I got the system up and running with n...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/02/eureka.html

In it for the long haul. My thesis is due in April, so I am traveling back and forth every weekend in February to finish testing, generating data. Stressful, but necessary. Plus, I get to enjoy t...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/02/thesis-work.html

I presented on this project at school last Monday (2/1), a compilation of my work in Buffalo as well as the experimental work on turning found items (dumpsterdived in NYC) into functional furnitu...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/02/recollection-wasted-in-buffalo.html

Apparently the 3pm time was inconvenient for many people wanting to attend the solar heat collector workshop. I got many emails telling me to switch the time, so next time I know later is better...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/01/solar-heat-collector.html

It was in the negatives today with the windchill factor. Eek. I found myself shivering even with the battery powered self-heating socks and a few extra layers of long johns I threw on in the morn...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2010/01/frozen-pipes-and-frozen-toes.html

I was in Buffalo last weekend and worked on the spray foam insulation (sealing the gaps between the rigid foam and the joists) in the crawlspace. It's very simple...after installing the rigid f...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2009/12/spray-foam-insulation.html

I was home again for Thanksgiving weekend. No, I did not work on Thanksgiving... Friday through Sunday was spent insulating the crawlspace underneath the first section of my house. I am unfortun...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2009/12/crawlspace-insulation.html

Columbia/Barnard gives us the weekend off so we can go home and vote. I took advantage and went home to work on the house all weekend! I was working alone, then suddenly VOILA! I find myself work...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2009/11/election-weekend-windows-and.html

Matt has been suffering in the October cold weather, but there has been a report that the heat is now on. Hooray!!!! A small victory in the grand scheme of things, but we're all glad our favorite...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2009/10/hooray-for-heat.html

I met with my thesis adviser this week to finalize my thesis topic and...it's going to be studying low-cost green upgrades on houses, using recycled materials! How fantastic, right?!? Research ...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2009/10/greenery-in-winter.html

There are few things I like less about home improvement than slithering around on my stomach in a dusty, spider ridden crawl space. False. Truth be told, there is a bit of satisfaction to be ha...

http://buffalobasics.blogspot.com/2009/09/creepy-crawlers.html