House Renovation Tips

Old chimneys were built without flue liners. The mason simply applied a layer of plaster to the inside of the chimney as he built it. If you have an old chimney that’s in need of repair, consider adding a flue liner instead of rebuilding the chimney. The former approach is much less expensive than the [...]

To reduce indoor pollution from insulation, plywood glues, gas stoves and oil-fired furnaces in a highly insulated house, it’s a good idea to ventilate the home during the day or install a heat exchanger. A heat exchanger will transfer the heat from the warm indoor air you are exhausting to the cold fresh air you [...]

If you’re replacing your old radiators with a more modern system, don’t discard the radiators or sell them for scrap. They’ll fetch a fancy price on the restoration market. Ironically, it sometimes seems that the older and less efficient the radiator, the better the price.
When selecting or building an enclosure for a radiator, be sure [...]

Central heating systems burn fuel in a furnace and distribute the resulting heat through the house, either by blowing hot air through ducts or pumping hot water through pipes. Generally, temperature levels in the house are controlled by a thermostat, and the furnace is able to function for a long period of time without refueling [...]

If you’re installing a furnace in the basement, especially if it’s a wood or coal furnace, the best location for it is in the center of the room. As the heat radiates from the furnace, it will rise to warm the floor above it. Centering the furnace maximizes the size of the heated area above [...]

You can save water-heating costs (about 15% for an average home’s energy bill) by reducing the amount you use, its temperature, and heat loss from pipes and tanks. Try some of the following, and you’ll save water, energy and money.
Insulating you water heater
Every tank-based water heater should have an add-on insulating blanket. Inexpensive and easy [...]

If you smell the garlic-like odor of leaking natural gas or suspect a gas leak, take the following steps immediately:
1. Get everybody outside and open the doors to ventilate the house.
2. Do not light any matches or lighters, or flip any electrical switches. The resultant sparks could ignite an explosion.
3. Turn off your home’s gas [...]

 
If you need firewood fast, cut ash. Unseasoned, it burns better than any other wood. Seasoned, it’s excellent.
White birch burns fast but not very hot. It’s good for a quick fire to take off the chill in spring or fall. Or use it with slower-burning woods to keep them going. Strip off the bark and [...]

Don’t try to burn wood in your fire-place on andirons that are too high. Firewood will burn better and provide more heat when burned on andirons with 3″ legs. These are low enough that the hot coals that fall through the andirons can still preheat the firewood that’s sitting on top of them. Also, the [...]

In buying insulation, it’s helpful to know that the R-value stands for the thermal resistance of the material. One type of insulation may be thicker or thinner than another, but if they have the same R-value, they’ll do the same job.
If the winters are hard where you live, try to have an R-value of at [...]