At some point in everyone’s life they learn that they really can’t do everything.  Some things are just beyond our knowledge base.  Sadly, the guy doing the bathroom above hasn’t realized this yet.  If you can’t tell what’s going on in the above picture, the towel ring is supported by some electrical wire that’s coming out of the wall.  To all you would-be handy men and women out there, make sure you hire a professional when things go beyond what you are comfortable handling.

Are you one of those people who marvel at the gardens of friends and relatives and think “If only my thumb where green like theirs”?  Believe it or not, there are people who can help you.  Backyard Harvest is a company that helps people set up and maintain gardens.  They specialize in edible gardens, from vegetable gardens to herbs, but they can help you design and build any type of garden you wish.  They will take a look at your land, deck, or patio, and make recommendations about what to plant based on your taste, the natural conditions, and your budget.  They can provide just the design service all the way to installing your new garden.

There is something rewarding about making dishes out of ingredients that come from your own backyard.  Just because you’ve killed every houseplant you’ve ever owned doesn’t mean, that with a little help, you couldn’t be pulling juicy tomatoes and other goodies from your soil.  Even though the growing season is coming closer to the end here in New England, this company can help you set up cold frames, which are covered raised beds which extends your growing season further than you thought possible.

We’ve worked with Backyard Harvest in the past, and can say that they provide an amazing service, quality construction and products, and the knowledge and experience to get your garden growing right away.

You can visit them at www.backyardharvestboston.com

Facebook users visit Backyard Harvest

This is a complex problem that developers often face.  But what if you’re not a developer?  Everyone wants their house to appreciate over time but buying a house with the direct intent to add to it, or renovate it can be a risky venture.  There are no hard and fast rules about which properties are best for adding on to or renovating in order to increase it’s value.  The general rule says buy the cheapest house in the best neighborhood.  But there is often much more to it than this simple rule.  For instance what is the median home price for that neighborhood?  How much can the property be purchased for?  The bigger the gap between the two, the better.

Then there are many zoning issues that must be researched.

What are the setback requirements?  Setbacks are areas on the property where building is not permitted.  These are usually described as a certain distance from the property lines.  Each town has their own setback requirements and they can be deal breakers.

What is the height restriction?  Most districts also have a height restriction meaning a structure can’t be taller than a certain height.  This is usually not an issue with single family homes but can become a problem in multifamily residential which may benefit from a taller building.

What is the maximum lot coverage allowed?  Each town also has rules regarding how much of a property can be covered by building.  This is usually represented as a percentage.

The bottom line is, if your unsure about whether buying a property in order to add square footage to it and eventually resell it, then it might be time to call an architect and have them go over the project with you.  They can help you understand all of the above restrictions and even go look at the home with you in order to determine if it’s a good candidate to remodel or add on to, before you buy it.

We’ve done exactly that in the past.  Go to Lineal Inc. to contact us.

Some people feel that if you have an old house, everything you add to it and anything you put in it should be old too.  Hogwash!

In this renovation, a house from the late 1700′s was redesigned with a small addition while gutting the parts of the house that were not original.  The antique part of the house is seen above to the left of the kitchen.  While all of the details and layout of the existing salt box from the 18th century remained, the other spaces were given a modern touch by maintaining an open floor plan.  The large heavy timber beams are juxtaposed against modern steel beams painted black.

The open floor plan, modern gloss white cabinets, concrete countertops, and stainless steel appliances helps the kitchen embrace the way we live, cook, and entertain today.

Rather than trying to match the original 18th century house, the strategy here is to make something all together new and exciting.  By contrasting the old with the new, you end up appreciating all of the details of the old, while enjoying some modern touches that are more in sync with today’s lifestyle.

To see more of this project, visit Lineal Inc

Supporting the weight of a couple kids from a tree is one thing, but what if the adults want to play in the trees?  Trees can support a lot of weight, but only if your connection to the trees is sufficient. There are special bolts made that literally screw into the tree trunk and can hold the weight of a small car.  Best of all, it doesn’t hurt the tree.  Special provisions must be made to make sure that the trees can still move and sway in the wind without putting undue stresses on the treehouse structure, or the trees themselves.

As you can see in the diagram above, a special metal angle that has a slot cut into it allows the rigid structural beams to move while still being supported by the tree anchor.  It’s also a good idea to have a tree specialist inspect the trees to make sure they are free from disease and insects, and to check to make sure the root structure is adequate to hold the weight.

To see more pictures of this treehouse visit;

Eastham Treehouse

Lineal Inc. Architects and Builders welcome you to a blog about living, design, style, maintenance, DIY, and how to’s for everyone wanting both a pragmatic and fashionable approach to living in today’s ever more complex and technologically advanced homes.

Lineal Inc. specializes in architecture and general contracting services for new buildings, homes, additions, renovations, and any unique projects you might need.  We thrive on designing all types of projects from Cape Cod renovations for an old home or a new home in the Boston area.  Click on the link below to learn more about us.