Never Do Plumbing on Sundays

"... #1 rule of fixing: Never Do Plumbing On Sundays. Even if you think you won’t need some specialty part, I guarantee that you will...
A corollary to this rule is that any plumbing repair will require at least TWO (if not more) trips to the hardware store. "

you can read the rest of Jane Powell's advice for lovers of hardware in her latest article for the Berkeley Daily Planet: "A Rude Survey of Local Hardware Resources"

Friend or Faux? Examining the Origin of House Materials

May, 2008

"I don’t necessarily have a problem with fakeness as a concept. Faux finishing has a long and splendid history, and I like a linoleum oriental rug as much as the next person. Okay, more than the next person. But I despair for a world that so willingly sends real old growth timber to the landfill by demolishing old buildings, while building new ones using materials that are often synthetic or composite because that is more “green.” "

Read more of Jane Powell's article for the Berkeley Daily Planet

Understanding the Virtual World of Home Price Fluctuations

April, 2008

"If your house disappears from zillow.com, does that mean it no longer exists?"

find out more in this article by Jane Powell for the Berkeley Daily Planet

Green Envy by Jane Powell

May, 2007

"Green building is an oxymoron..." our own Jane Powell debunks the myth of green building. Read her article in the San Francisco Chronicle