East Bay Home and Gardens

Friend or Faux? Examining the Origin of House Materials

By Jane Powell
Thursday May 08, 2008
Once upon a time, houses were built with the materials at hand, or those things that could be made using the materials at hand (concrete, for instance). Around here, that tended to be wood and masonry (stone, brick, stucco, and concrete). These days, more and more construction materials are fake. -more-

Green Neighbors: Alder News That’s Fit to Print

By Ron Sullivan
Thursday May 08, 2008
Alder trunk and rhomboid leaves in Sunol Regional Park.
If you’re like Joe and me, you’re spending as much of this sunny weather as you can outdoors, especially in our handy local parks. The breeding birds are here, and they’re putting on a show as they sing and chase and carry on, establishing territories, picking mates, building nests. The bloom season is at its height, multiple species carpeting outer Point Reyes and interior grassy hillsides. -more-

About the House: Conflicts of Interest and Expertise in Contracting

By Matt Cantor
Thursday May 08, 2008
I had a slight tense phone call with a rather difficult person this morning. Not a great way to start the day, but I guess it goes with the business and I’m lucky to be employed. -more-