Some people like the clean, flat look of drywall. It's cheap, easy to install and finish and the repairs are relatively painless. But, like most old home fans, I like the unevenness of plaster walls. Besides its durability and sound deadening properties, plaster adds mass and character to a wall. It also looks more interesting in side lighting. Unfortunately, plastering is also one ...

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This may sound odd, but I think Arlen Specter's decision to switch from the Republican to the Democratic party might awaken the suddenly relatively dormant clean tech industry. No, I'm not expecting Specter to morph into Al Gore, but his decision to cross the aisle might embolden others in the White House and Congress to be more ambitious when it comes to crafting climate, energy, and environmental legislation. Specter himself has ...

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Old House Q & A: We live in an old house in upstate New York and we're thinking of replacing our very old boiler with something more efficient. Winters are pretty cold here. We keep hearing how wonderful ground-source heat pumps are. Is this a good option for an older house? Possibly. Ground-source heat pumps are attractive for a couple of reasons. They don't burn any fuel to produce heat, at least ...

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