The Historic District

Building science, and green building advisor, are great, but remember....they do NOT deal with our old homes. There also isn't all that much consensus on many topics. Building science is always playing catch up with the new technologies and practices. For example, many in the building science commu...

I strongly recommend against any kind of entry level/portable saw. They are loud, underpowered and imprecise. My first saw was a basic craftsman model I got off craigslist. It was better than none, but I never enjoyed using it - setup was painful and the loudness of a universal motor made using it v...

The other option is JELD-WEN windows - they advertise Auralast wood - wood that's been soaked in preservative. they appear to be wood throughout and they offer double hung, but it's not clear if the divider lights are suitable for an old house. They're advertised as "wood muntins permanently a...

I have two houses in the city and only two streets away from each other. One generates enough income to cover both mortgages. I'm planning to use the house I live in for airbnb/international students, once big restoration projects are done. I strongly believe real estate should generate income. My p...

Language does evolve but at a glacial pace so one can't claim "evolution" to excuse ignorance. The OED is much more likely to add a widely used, recently coined word than it is to add a new meaning to an old word; and it will never eliminate what already exists (it will just refer to it a...

I don't think anyone owns the language though. Just because some bigwigs at Oxford say words should be spelled certain way or have a certain meaning, doesn't make it so. Language is a living thing that is constantly evolving. Of course that doesn't apply to examples of dyslexia or stupidity I'm pers...

Has anyone here gotten trim milled to match what is in their house ? My kitchen trim was hacked up when the awful 70's MDF cabinets were installed. I have been searching for antique salvaged trim to match what is missing, but it seems to be an uncommon profile. There is nothing locally available th...

Love those old videos!!! The explanations are so clear and concise!!! Hate the 'leave it to pro' attitude though. I'm surprised they didn't show the bumbling DIYer's wife which would complete the narrative that is so typical nowadays(hapless husband tries a project, fails and ultimately has to hire ...

Another thing to consider is the air gap via a rains screen. Take a look at this: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blo ... ainscreens

It should improve paint life on that siding.

Those are all very good points Phil, but let me offer a different perspective. Most modern stuff like cars and appliances already lasts a very long time. Any modern car will easily go 100k miles or something like 10 years without any repairs at all(unless its a lemon) and probably even without maint...