intersect

It  usually begins without much fanfare. You notice a small puddle of water in front of your dishwasher. Or the living room feels more drafty than it should. Or you open the front door and notice that the house feels feels stuck at 52 degrees -- instead of the comfortable 68 degrees at which you'd set your thermostat.  At first glance, these might seem to be minor inconveniences, remedied by using a towel to mop up that water, or wearing a sweater to keep warm. But, as anyone who has owned a home can tell you, what first appears as a minor inconvenience can quickly become a harbinger of worse problems. Take that puddle of water in front if the dishwasher.  In January, I spent the day with my friend Andrew, the owner of Vanstra Contracting, a general contracting business located in my hometown of Salem, Oregon. Our day began in his shop, just as the sun was rising. Andrew, his crew of three, and his dog Lacey, gathered to load up their tools, assign projects, and review the work tha