At steveworks, we’re not just “sustainable remodelers,” we’re also a family who chooses green living practices – whether it’s adding solar panels to our roof, purchasing an electric vehicle or composting food scraps. Every little bit helps! And we seem to attract a lot of like-minded friends who are also doing their share to protect […]
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Why We Recommend Induction Stoves
Hopefully you know where the steveworks team stands in terms of choosing electric over gas. (HINT: electric all the way!) We thought we’d take a minute to take this stance one step further and get specific in terms of ranges and cooktops. Hands down, at steveworks, we believe that an induction range/stove is your best […]
Steveworks’ Own Asher Greenberg Discusses Sustainable Building on the “Drinking & Drashing: Torah with a Twist” Podcast
Asher Greenberg, our Production Manager extraordinaire here at steveworks, was recently the featured guest on the Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist podcast. The podcast, hosted by fourth-year rabbinical student Amanda K. Weiss and fourth-year cantorial student Gabe Snyder, and produced by Edon Valdman, explores “turning Torah into real life, tangible tactics.” Each episode […]
Cool Things: Ecobee Home Thermostat
Every now and again we come across a product that impresses us so much that we’re compelled to blog about it. Enter: the ecobee home thermostat. We’re sure you’ve heard of Google Nest, which seems to be the most well-known smart thermostat. Over time, we’ve come to prefer ecobee’s digital thermostat for a variety of […]
Whole Home Remodel/Expansion Part 3: Building an Airtight Addition – Blower Door Testing
What was once simply empty space above the garage has now been completely framed out. Entering the space, the homeowners can now see where their new office, bathroom and guest bedroom will be. It’s starting to come together! In our last blog, we discussed framing and insulation. The next step is to make sure the […]
Whole Home Remodel/Expansion Part 2: Framing the Addition
Construction is in high gear in Hopkinton! You may have read our previous blog where we outlined our latest big project: adding a large addition, as well as remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms of this three-bedroom home built in 1983. Our first mission: build a large addition above the garage that will include an office, […]
Choosing Electric Over Gas
At steveworks, we always recommend the most efficient and cleanest products to our clients – whether it’s building materials, appliances, deck materials, or even heat pumps. These decisions often involve tradeoffs, as carbon impact, price, aesthetics, comfort, recycled content etc. don’t always dictate the same solution. However, in the case of gas vs. electricity the […]
The Story Behind a Newton Accessory Apartment: Appliances
For some homeowners, remodeling a kitchen and choosing appliances means going “bigger” – double ovens, 6-8 burners on the stovetop, or adding a steam oven or warming drawer. In the case of our accessory apartment, bigger doesn’t mean better. Instead, we chose appliances that are not only appropriately sized for the space and amount of […]
The Story Behind and Accessory Apartment: HVAC
Work continues on the Accessory Apartment we’ve been blogging about over the last couple of months. The project is really starting to come together! A few weeks ago we installed the HVAC system now that the walls are up and the unit is insulated. The main section of the home has a gas fired furnace […]
The Story Behind a Newton Accessory Apartment: Insulation
It’s time to insulate the Newton accessory apartment that we’ve been writing about. We know…we’re probably the only ones that get excited about insulation, but choosing the right materials for the job and using the best installation techniques are not only what will keep this family warm in the winter and cool in the summer, […]