Several months ago I did a Toolbox Tuesday on the proper tape to use when sealing up your ducts. In spite of its name, duct tape is not the tape of choice, go figure. But since that post, I've used one other method for sealing up our ducts that I've not used previously, and I want to share that with you today.

As you may have noticed, we've been spending a significant amount of time in the attic working on our duct work. After my discovery of the giant hole in the side of our air conditioner's main duct trunk, I've been on a mission to seal this puppy up and make our air conditioner run as efficiently as possible.

Until recently I've been relying almost entirely on the foil tape to sure up all of the leaky and horrible joints. When I run across things like this, I'm glad I'm finally hunting down and fixing all of these problem areas.

Yep, that's a patch with a patch on top of it, just screwed into place with no sealant, tape, or ways to secure it beyond the screws. Do you want to place a wager on whether or not I could feel cold air blowing out almost completely unrestricted near this spot? Who were these guys that installed this air handler? Oh right, I know just who they were. I won't be calling them anytime soon. That's some clown ductwork, bro, that's for sure. 

Beyond these glaring holes and giant problems, every seam in the duct work is leaky and loose. While tape has worked wonders, it's a little slow and tedious, especially in tight areas. Recently I started to use something different, and I learned about it while watching This Old House (TOH).


My HVAC and Plumbing Hero, Rich Trethewey

Our favorite TOH plumber, Richard Trethewey, was raving about the efficiency of the newly installed forced air unit on the most recent season of TOH and touched on the use of the sealant rather than tape. This sparked my interest enough that it got me to pick up a bucket the next time I found myself aimlessly wandering the aisles of Lowes (okay, it happens more frequently than I care to admit). Who says product placement is ineffective?


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Monday, June 18, 2012
The Quest for a New Bathroom Vanity
Posted by Wendy

Vanities are perhaps one of the most important fixtures in a bathroom, and can be one of those important aspects of a home that can impact the overall success and happiness of a marriage. Having lived with just one sink in our master bathroom for seven long years, I can attest to the bickering and elbowing that can result from an insufficient vanity. 

Here's a look back at the hideous unique vanity that was in our home when we purchased it. This failed 1980s DIY effort from a previous owner was oddly tall, partially obstructed the view out of the window, and had an uneven tile surface that made cleaning difficult but growing mold cultures in the deep grout lines super easy. 

Let's face it. The harsh lighting and unframed mirror certainly didn't do anything to enhance the experience either. Our best guess is that the previous owner had retrofitted particle board kitchen cabinets to make this bad boy, and then slapped a thin coat of cheap paint on it. 

After wrapping up the vestibule project, we've now turned our attention to renovating our master bathroom. While Alex works through the less sexy tasks of duct work, insulation, and vent fans, my attention has been focused on the search for a new vanity. My wish list for this extremely important bathroom fixture is as follows:


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Saturday, June 16, 2012
Score! Getting Satisfaction from a Bargain
Posted by Wendy

Every once in a while I get really excited about a deal or a bargain. Typically this is an internal excitement that I take from the store to the car or blab on to Alex about, but in this case I couldn't resist sharing my shopping win with you. 

Do you remember the two large brass trays we picked up at a local estate sale last year? If you don't recall the specific post, or you haven't been around these parts since last September, here's a photo to get you up to speed.

They weren't in great condition when I bought them, but for only $55.00, I took home both and felt like I could make them work. I was hoping they wouldn't look weird or out of place, and today my purchases were validated. As I was just doing a little browsing on One Kings Lane, I stumbled on something that looked very familiar. Check it out.

Yep, almost identical to one of the asian brass trays I scored last year. Did you catch the price? Here, let me help you see it.


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Friday, June 15, 2012
Open Housing: This Federal Lets the Light In
Posted by Alex

One thing that's kind of cool about living in Old Town Alexandria for as long as we have, and the fact that we've made a habit of visiting open houses for the whole time we've lived here, is that we're starting to see a lot of houses that we've previously toured come back on the market for the second or third time. This means we have the unique opportunity to see how people decorate, arrange, and even renovate their spaces. It's amazing how different the same place can look, even without major renovations, and it's completely dependent on the personality of the home's owners (or in some cases, the style of the home's stagers).

Last weekend we toured a beautiful home in the very old section of Old Town, and it's actually the second time we've been able to see the inside of this home. We weren't only paying attention to the home, but we were also paying attention to how the home had changed since we had last gone through.

The house is a large white brick federal home built in 1845 with three stories and lots of large windows. The photo of the front just doesn't do it justice because the trees hide a lot of the windows -- 28 to be exact.

When you walk into the entry hall your first view is not of the typical stairs, but rather a long hallway with a formal room with fireplace off to the right.

This configuration is one of the few of this kind that we've seen around Old Town, and it's somewhat unexpected. The living room has windows in the the front and rear of the room, so it has very good light. But since the entrance is only through the single doorway, the room is sort of cut off from the rest of the house. it definitely makes the configuration feel like an old home, but it's not the most functional setup.


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Thursday, June 14, 2012
Container Gardens: The Best Pot(s) in Old Town
Posted by Wendy

Given the horrendous traffic in the Washington, DC metro area, I consider one of the biggest perks of my job to be the fact that I commute on foot to and from the office. Not only does my seven minute door-to-door walk free me from the angst and stress of rush hour traffic, but it also allows me to walk the streets of Old Town Alexandria, taking in the sites of beautiful homes, holiday décor, and seasonal gardening.

As of late, I’ve found myself taking alternate routes to and from work so that I can admire container gardens around town. Urns, pots, window boxes, and the like have come into their own due to the unseasonably warm start to the season. Here’s a rundown of what I deem the best pot(s) in Old Town.

Take this beautiful arrangement for example. I love the combination of textures, and the variegated leaves add so much interest.

This window box stopped me in my tracks. I love the bright green of the sweet potato vines, and the sweet purple flowers and pop of red are striking.

It's hard to get a feel for just how large this container garden is. If you take into consideration that our pink hydrangea is a full, large pot in our back yard, think about how the blue hydrangea in the photo below is only a small section of the container. I love the trailing vines, the softness of the round hydrangeas, and the impatiens are a nice touch too. Though not incredibly colorful, the varying height and texture is interesting. 


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