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Greenstone Home Reference

Working notes on repairing, insulating and upgrading older masonry houses.

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Fifteen notes, grouped by topic. Dates are the day each note was last worked on.

Insulation & Air Sealing

How heat and air actually leave an older house, and what changes inside a wall or roof once you slow them down.
NoteLast worked on
Where air leaks hide in an old house2015-03-11
Insulating a brick wall from the inside2015-02-02
Attic and roof insulation basics2014-11-19

Windows & Doors

Openings leak far more per square metre than the walls around them, and most of that is repairable without replacement.
NoteLast worked on
Repair or replace old sash windows2015-01-22
Weatherstripping a door that still fits2014-12-08
Storm windows and interior panels2014-10-30

Heating & Ventilation

Two separate jobs that share the same rooms: getting heat where you want it, and moving moist air out before it condenses.
NoteLast worked on
Why radiators heat unevenly2015-04-06
Ventilation for kitchens and baths2015-02-27
Balancing forced-air registers2014-09-24

Plumbing & Water

Knowing what you can isolate, and what changes when you reduce flow at the fixture rather than at the main.
NoteLast worked on
Reading a shutoff valve layout2015-05-14
Low-flow fixtures and water pressure2015-03-30

Masonry & Exterior

The rule that governs almost every masonry repair: the material you can replace must be the one that fails first.
NoteLast worked on
Repointing mortar and why hardness matters2015-06-02
Diagnosing damp in a basement wall2015-04-21

Millwork & Finishes

Repairing and matching original timber detail, and the order of operations that keeps a repair from becoming a replacement.
NoteLast worked on
Stripping and repairing original trim2015-01-08
Matching a missing moulding profile2014-12-16

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