Driving up to Tangledweed on the 5th I got a call from Rick about a problem. It seems my former plumber thought I wanted a rain forest in the new kitchen... I won't mention the former idiot plumber's name (I'm saving that for my Angie's List review) but there is a special place in hell for him. The whole issue was caused by an amateurish installation of a bath tub valve in the apartment above. This was only one of many issues caused by this terrible plumbing company. The comp

The trickiest part of the insulation job was the walls. The installers were very reluctant to blow the insulation into the walls because they were afraid the pressure would blow out the old plaster. After inspecting the interior walls they realized I had reinforced the old plaster with plaster washers. That made them a bit more comfortable so they started taking down select clapboards, drilling into exterior walls and pumping in the insulation. Took several days but they got

With the attic snug it was important to control any dampness from the basement. If the dampness isn't controlled it will rise and create mold as the moisture has nowhere to escape (since the attic is sealed). Also the windows will frost over every time it's cold outside. So a vapor barrier is needed! The plastic is 6 mil thick and the guys from Potential Energy did an amazing job sealing the floor. Within two days it was noticeably drier in the basement. Not very pretty but v

Tangledweed turns 130 this year so I thought I'd give the old girl a gift: Insulation! After many sweltering days cleaning out the debris from the attic area this summer, I ripped out the knob & tube wiring so the insulation could be blown in. The guys from Potential Energy of Connecticut spent a full day just blowing in 18" of insulation between the floor joists. For the first time ever this attic is cold because the heat stops at the second floor. A cozy blanket for the ol