karinoyo

please to not be flash-flooding me until AFTER I have completed all perimeter retaining walls, kthxbai.

I thought clarify some of the influences on the designs (that is, the regional tex-mex influences, architecturally). Plus, don’t forget that pesky floodplain. A few of the things that hem me in when it comes to options:

I can’t increase the house’s footprint in any way. This includes impervious surfaces adjacent except where I can [...]

If you’ve ever eyeballed a house and said, “something’s not right about that,” then please look this way as well. Gotta figure out what to do, and could use some extra input.
Bottom line is this: the brick archways in front of the house — some contractor’s measly attempt at arched spanish/tuscan style veranda — are [...]

Productive over the past week (somewhat). Well, not really, unless you count quantity.
Just today, brought back a quarter-ton of road base, along with a stretch of geotextile fabric and 10′ perforated tube so I can finally do the french drain. Then set up a compost pile — three old fence boards laid over concrete block, [...]

And though the plan itself hasn’t changed (in general) over the past year or so — excepting tweaks here and there — what’s different now is that the actual plants are identified. All are natives to the blacklands prairie; the white space on the plan will be filled with native grasses (or, in a few [...]

None of my random house-related projects have been of a size or type to warrant a construction or remodeling permit. If I follow through on building a deck to cover (or outright replace) the existing concrete patio, that seemed like something that might need a permit. Maybe. It seems it’s pretty widespread for low-elevation (1′ [...]

This entire post is mostly to organize my thoughts, make something I can come back to, refresh my memory so I don’t forget — again. That book I got in college from a friend should’ve had a theme not of, “oh, the places you’ll go,” but “the places you’ll redo.”
Things left undone, by room.

Boy, that phrase has taken on a new meaning around here.
When we bought this house, we didn’t know until we were driving through West-by-god-Virginia that we were purchasing a house in the 100-yr flood zone. (Gee, thanks for the warning, assholes.) Given the type of loan, flood insurance would be mandatory — there goes about [...]