Architectural Corner – Greek Revival
Thomas Jefferson was a man of many talents. A statesman, a scholar, an inventor, and an architect. He designed the University of Virginia. Although he never practiced Greek architecture, he was instrumental in introducing the Greek Revival to the United States.
During his presidency, Jefferson appointed Benjamin Henry Latrobe as surveyor of public buildings. Latrobe went on to design many important public structures in DC and Philadelphia, including work on the United States Capitol and the Bank of Pennsylvania.
Latrobe’s Capitol design was an imaginative one, incorporating both American motifs such as corncobs and tobacco leaves with traditional Greek. Although his original plan did not survive, many of his interiors do to this day, including the US Supreme Court interior. Consisting of bold yet simple moldings, symmetrical shapes, pedimented (low-pitched, triangular) gables, heavy pillar cornices, and decorative piasters, the Greek Revival captured the beauty of ancient Greece with the practical styles of the mid 1800’s. While it was not isolated to the United States, Greek Revival building was heavy in buildings, both public and private.
DFW MLS Statistics – May 2021
Beyond Spring Cleaning: Servicing Your HVAC
There are a lot of things – from changing your car’s oil to treating your home for termites to buying new underwear – that should be done in regular intervals. Often forgotten until it’s too late is servicing your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioner).
CHANGE YOUR FILTERS! – The easiest thing you can do is keep your filters clean, and it makes a profoundly helps not overtax your system. Dirty, clogged filters can lower your air conditioner’s efficiency by 5 – 15%, or even more, it can shorten your HVACs life by years. Most technicians suggest replacing your filter every 1-2 months, depending on the filter. One thing I’ve also learned in 18 years of real estate is that a dirty air filter is often a sign of a negligent seller, and if the filter looks like it hasn’t been changed in years, chances are other mechanicals are suffering from neglect as well.
SCHEDULE SEASONAL CHECK-UPS – General rule of thumb is to have a licensed technician inspect your system before systems switch between heating and cooling. April and October are good. It’s more of a safety issue with the heater – especially if it’s gas-powered – but if your air conditioner is out of coolant, it can be miserable.
MONITOR YOUR COMPRESSORS – It’s important to keep your outside system clean, and free of debris. Leaves will eventually fall into the system, the paint will eventually start to peel, but if you have cottonwood trees nearby, ivy growing, or tall grass, your exterior coils can easily become clogged. Clogged coils will decrease your unit’s efficiency and can end up drastically shortening the lifespan of your system.
BONUS: MONITOR YOUR SECONDARY DRAIN LINE – Depending on when your property was built, there should be a mysterious piece of PVC leading through a gable below your roof or above a tub or sink. This is your secondary drain line. If this is dripping water it means the primary line is clogged, which can lead to damage to the secondary drain pan or even a leak. If you see this dripping water, call your trusted HVAC technician.
MLS Statistics: April 2021
MLS Statistics – March 2021
Spring Cleaning: It’s That Time Again
As we emerge from the depths of winter, we must finally address the dust bunnies, stale odors, and various to-dos that we put off until spring. To some people, cleaning is therapeutic. To others like myself, it’s as much fun than a root canal. But alas, we must all engage in our spring cleaning ritual. A few ideas for you:
1) Choose Cleaning Products & Stock Up – Making multiple trips to the store can kill your momentum. Buy multi-surface cleaners, glass cleaners, soap, dusters, and plenty of reusable microfiber towels among other things. If possible, use natural cleaners, or even make your own. There’s a reason chemical cleaners are popular – they get the job done – but the stench of chemicals isn’t much better than a dusty, dirty home, and there is evidence that harsh cleaners can be toxic.
2) Let the Air In – If you suffer from seasonal spring allergies, skip this. If not, opening all your windows will blow the stale winter air out as well as the smell of your cleaning products. If you have an attic fan, this will take no time at all.
3) Go Room-by-Room – As a multitasker (read: ADHD), I tend to bounce around everywhere, but studies have shown (in cleaning and life-in-general), that a methodical item-at-a-time approach is far more effective.
4) Organize & Get Rid of Clutter – There’s a very broad gap between minimalists and hoarders, but I’ve always held as a rule of thumb that if there is an article of non-event specific clothes that I haven’t worn in 18 months, it’s time to get rid of it.
5) While You’re at It, Don’t Forget:
All Kitchen Appliances Shower Drain & Grout
The Junk Drawer Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Washer/Dryer Change Air Filters
Bookshelves Clean Gutters
Windows & Blinds
Recovering from Snowmageddon
What an unforgettable, terrible cold front it was it was. Record snow, near-record low temperatures…. and in typical Texas weather fashion, 70 degrees the next week.
Unfortunately those of us who don’t have a crystal ball and didn’t winterize ahead of time, the damage is largely already done. The best we can do is assess the damage and rebuild/replant/repair.
Here are a few things to consider:
Plants – When you hit a hard freeze, even “hearty” plants can suffer. During an extended hard freeze, the water within a plants cells freezes, causing destruction at a cellular level. It can take several days for the damage to appear, and like someone recovering from frostbite, gradually introduce heat to your plant will help slowly introduce warmth to the cells. Remove mushy leaves/flowers, so fungus doesn’t take hold. With wooded plants, it’s best to leave them until spring. and prune/cut as necessary. The best thing you can do for your lawn is to fertilize it in March.
Swimming Pool – Hopefully you a) had power and b) kept your pump going. There are a lot of different indicators that you have damaged pool plumbing. The most obvious is bubbles coming out of the jets. More subtle signs include: tile cracked/falling tiles, wet spots in the yard, water pooling under pool equipment, and dropping water levels. Pools can be absolute money pits, but to pool lovers they’re essential for Texas summers.
Plumbing – If there is an upside to your plumbing being damaged by freezing temperatures, you’re going to see it once your pipes thaw. “Assessing the damage after a winter freeze is a pretty straightforward process,” says Andy Parrish, owner of Pro-Bowl Plumbing, “The damage has already been done, and if you’ve had damage done to the copper or cast iron piping in your house, you’re going to know about it the moment the water starts to flow again.” If you need a great plumber referral (such as Andy), give me a call.
DFW MLS Statistics – February 2021
Architectural Corner – Shotgun House
Also called the shotgun Shack (The Talking Heads once made a reference), this housing style was popular from 1860’s – 1920’s, beginning in New Orleans but spreading through the deep south and as far as Chicago. Originally built for the middle class, Shotgun houses quickly became associated with poverty in America.
No more than 12′ wide, the shotgun house was a quaint product designed to make the maximum use of space in cramped subdivisions. They were typically elevated several feet above the ground to compensate for frequent flooding, and were so narrow that hallways were unfeasible. They were almost all wood frame & wood shingle construction, and many of them had no windows on their sides.
Thousands of these homes have been renovated thanks to urban gentrification projects; Chip & Joanna Gaines did one in Waco!