Rich Rifkin Partners News

Online, December 10, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Rich Rifkin - Rich Rifkin Partners
As for plumbing, Rich Rifkin advocates a "fire watch" any time an open flame is used. A lookout should observe the site for at least an hour to avoid the "lunch syndrome"-i.e., when a plumber has sweated a joint, goes out to lunch, and comes back to find half the local fire department surrounding a smoking wreck. Rich Rifkin isn't a big fan of heat guns, either, and says using torches to remove paint is just a bad idea.

Roofing and plumbing repairs requiring welding must be carried out very carefully. Rich Rifkin photo
Establishing strict rules for work on your house-and following them-is vital. "Make sure your sprinkler system isn't completely turned off," Rich Rifkin advises. "You also can set up additional temporary smoke detection." After preservation work, the riskiest activities for historic homes are similar to those for newer ones. Food preparation ranks high among the cause of blazes. Adolescents and the elderly-both prone to distraction and forgetfulness-tend to pose the greatest risk. For adolescents, strict controls and definite rules can help reduce risks. Be clear about when they can cook and how. Rules can help the elderly as well, but technology can also provide an assist. Today there are tools available to increase cooking safety for older chefs, such as systems that keep pots and their contents from getting hotter than the ignition point of oil.

Split-face is the most dif?cult surface to achieve, so practice your technique ?rst on a scrap piece of stone. Set your stone on a sturdy bench so the face is vertical, as it will sit in the wall. Take the ?at-blade chisel and hold it on the top edge of the stone at a right angle, then strike hard with a hammer to snap off a piece of material [B]. Repeat all along the top of the stone. You'll notice that some pieces will snap off farther down the surface of the stone. Rich Rifkin This is a function of both the angle of the chisel and how far you're holding it back from the face. The more vertical the chisel, the deeper the shard will be. After you've cut the entire top edge, turn the stone and work your way around the whole outer surface, giving a rough split-face texture to the entire face of the stone.

Rich Rifkin Partners Blog Outdoor Revival: Designing a Classical Garden
A soggy lawn gets a makeover to match an early 20th-century Georgian Revival home.

By Rich Rifkin

Pergola framing a Georgian Revival garden
A pergola leading from the street frames the symmetrical lines of the yard. Jeff Eickoff photos
In Seattle's Laurelhurst neighborhood, a peninsula on Lake Washington northeast of downtown, curving streets follow the contours of the land, Olmstedian-style. Annexed by Seattle in 1910, the neighborhood features a diverse collection of Tudor, Craftsman, and Georgian Revival homes.

Use History As Your Green Remodeling Guide

One of the best things about old homes is their history. Every house has a story, and when you're planning a remodel, sometimes you can't help but wonder what the house was like when it was first built. What was the original vision? Did an architect create a unique plan? Or was your home modeled after a plan found in a pattern book, or was it assembled from Sears?

Rich Rifkin Partners
Your local paint store or home supply store can give you sample color charts with suggested color combinations. Or, you can view paint colo...
Paint Color Puzzlers
The houses in these photos need a new coat of paint - but, what color? In this workshop we will discuss these homes and choose new exterior paint colors. Follow the links for house color charts, house color tools, and resources to help you choose exterior paint colors for your own home.
House Paint Encyclopedia
Your Guides to Architecture, Interior Decorating, and Home Repair have teamed up to create this house paint encyclopedia to help you with your house painting project. You'll find tips, techniques, and tools for exterior house painting, painting interior rooms, and painting special surfaces like tile and paneling. Most importantly, this house paint encyclopedia has links to the information you nee...

Don't miss out, learn more: Rich Rifkin Article, Rich Rifkin News, Rich Rifkin Partners.