Looking for contractor to reconfigure drafty old windows by replacing the rope and weight system and insulating the channels where the weights were. Is this something you can do? The short answer is no, we do not fill weight pockets. The…
An old house can be there by accident but most of the time it’s because someone cared. It could have been the craftsperson from 200 years ago. Or it could have been the handyman that cleaned the gutters. Or it…
Lead is all around us. Prior to 1978, lead was in many everyday products like paint and gasoline, but it also was the pipes and solder feeding us water and in the glazes that covered ceramics and cast iron fixtures.…
It has been an interesting winter. In the last week we have gone from 9-55 degrees, with even bigger ranges over the past month. In January we had about 6.5″ of precipitation, most of it rain coming down horizontal. Right…
Repairability: to restore to a good or sound condition after decay or damage; mend; to renew by any process of making good, strengthening. Fixing stuff has been replaced by buying new stuff. But it’s not because we don’t want to…
New or old poorly operating windows are one of the most common home repair questions, with many homeowners at a loss at what to do. Nothing is more frustrating than a window that will not open, slams down when opened,…
Winter brings out the worst in buildings. Many existing and old buildings have air sealing and insulation deficiencies that can make rooms cold and heating systems overworked, or worse, not able to keep a house or area warm enough. Many…
We are told old windows are drafty, do not function well, and lose energy through the single panes. Window replacements are pitched as giving us better energy efficiency and longevity. But is it true? And with claims replacement windows can…
There can be consequences for changing a building and its behavior towards its environment. As time passes, the natural environment matures and a building wears. We manipulate and upgrade buildings for energy efficiency, ourselves, and because we have to. We…
Lead poisoning is a concern for good reason. A small amount of pure lead dust can create substantial health risks. For example, if you take the same quantity of lead as a 1-gram packet of sugar, it can over 100…