Journal

Adhesion – (stickiness?)– is one of those topics that can’t be reduced to a simple heuristic, other than to say that successful adhesion results from multiple things, not one thing. 

Why does tile sometimes look wet when it’s dry? Because it’s wet! This is one of those SUPER irritating problems for anyone involved. It’s almost exclusive to stone tile flooring in wet areas.

Why doesn’t my bathroom fan prevent all that fog and condensation? Is it really supposed to do that?

A desiccant is any material that separates water vapor from air. Meaning, it pulls water vapor out of the air; AKA “drying.”

All about the decorative and structural guastavino tile vaults, including Catalan vaults, built by the Guastavino Company.

Why does the shower curtain always billow in, and stick to your leg, at the bottom?
Answer: The real question is, why did it take so long to figure out that tiny magnets in the bottom of the curtain solve the problem!

How does water – a very slippery thing – make sandcastles stand up? Answer: Sandcastles… those were the days. Anyway, that water miracle in sandcastles works

Do I really need to acclimate my new wood flooring material before I nail it down? Answer: Yes, but… Acclimate is the wrong word. 

Why do the Brazil nuts always rise to the top of the mixed nuts jar? Answer: It depends. Turns out, this is one of those things that is not yet entirely understood. 

Parallel lines have so much in common.  It’s a shame they never get to meet. How much excess water is still in a house at the end of the building process…