Storm windows are a big part of having an energy efficient old house. Do you know all the options out there for you? This post will walk you through all the options you have when it comes to storm windows and help you outfit your house with confidence.
No matter the season or region attic insulation is a major part of any house. And when retrofitting an old or existing house you need to be very purposeful when it comes to how, where , and with what you insulate. Installing insulation willy-nilly can create serious moisture problems leading to a bunch of problems […]
Back when I first started this blog in 2011 one of the very first series I wrote was called The 5 Worst Mistakes of Historic Homeowners. I went back and read those posts recently and realized that my conclusions close to a decade ago deserved a revisiting. Are those five items still the biggest mistakes, […]
Whether you’re a DIYer or a professional renovator you need to protect your lungs from the assorted stuff floating around the air as you work and picking the right dust mask is extremely important. Some of these airborne meanies are nothing more than an annoyance and some of them can kill you or shorten your […]
Old home insulation is a controversial topic among old house owners and restorers. What are the right materials to add and where can I use them? Will it cause unforeseen problems down the line? There are lots of questions and it seems fewer answers than needed, so, with this post, I hope to provide some […]
What if I told you that you could make your own DIY window screen in just one day? Would you believe me? Well, you should, because with this post and accompanying video, it’s very doable for just about any DIYer! This is a relatively similar process to my post about how to build DIY Storm […]
Does your husband or dad really need another tire gauge or techie gadget this year? Maybe this year he’d be better suited with a tool to help him get his hands dirty or a good book to learn something new. Father’s day is June 17th this year, and the handy dad in your life is […]
Here we are on week two of your free content from my new book Old Windows In-Depth. This week I’ll be sharing the chapter on how to restore varnished window sash, since the process is a little bit different. All of the techniques and materials you’ll need are below and don’t forget- you can pre-order […]
Well, technically May is preservation month here in the states, but I am making a declaration of my own for May of 2018, because I have some very exciting news! I am officially declaring May to be Old Windows Month! I have been long toiling over a follow up book to my bestselling books Living […]
I never really knew how serious the discussion about which screw to use could be until I posted a picture of a restored sash lock on social media the other day. I was particularly proud of this meticulously restored piece of Victorian amazingness, but the reaction was anything but what I expected. There were plenty […]
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you get ready to start renovating an old house. The questions will swirl around your head like tweety birds after a cartoon concussion about where to start and how much it will cost. You need to learn to triage an old house or the patient may die. I don’t […]
While I may live and work in Florida, I’m not unaccustomed to living in the great white north. For years I lived in New York and Boston and suffered through my fair share of winters before heading south. Insulating an old house is very dependent on the climate. You can’t necessarily use the same materials […]
