Home Improvement & DIY - The Handbuilt City

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Age of Incompatibility: Fixing Smart Home Tech

December 13, 2022December 11, 2022 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments alexa, amazon alexa, amazon echo, amperes, amps, asbestos wire, ballast, dimmer, dimmer switch, dumb home, echo dot, electroluminescence, gosund, halogen, home rehab, home renovation, how to install a dimmer switch, incandescent, knob and tube, knob and tube wire, LED, LED bulb, LED bulbs, led compatible dimmer, led lights, Leviton, light emitting diode, light switches, light-emitting diode, lutron, rehab, rewiring an old house, smart home

A minor saga involving a dysfunctional lightswitch led me to thinking about some of the challenges of integrating smart home technology.

Energy Efficiency Home Improvement & DIY Energy

Summer Breeze: Heat Pumps, Mini-Splits, and the Magic of Thermodynamics

June 10, 2021June 16, 2021 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments ac inverter, air conditioning, air source heat pump, alpine home air, amazon, ampacity, beneficial electrification, blueridge, blueridge mini-split, boiler replacement, bosch, bosch appliances, carnot cycle, cooling, DIY, electric vehicles, electrification, electrification of buildings, energy efficiency, heat pump, heat pumps, heating, home energy, home improvement, home rehab, home renovation, HSPF, HVAC, inverter, manual d, manual j, mini split, mini-split, mitsubishi, mr. slim, power grid, refrigeration, Renovation, residential energy, SEER, split system, split system heat pump, statistics, thermal comfort

Mini-splits are the coolest new thing. Literally. Here is a guide to how to figure out how to navigate the sea of product options based on a simple calculation.

Sustainability Home Improvement & DIY Construction

Pervious Paving Patio, One Year On

April 8, 2021April 8, 2021 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments brick theft, DIY, home improvement, impervious, pavers, pervious pavers, pervious paving, pervious surfaces, rain garden, rain gardens, salvage brick, salvaged brick, unilock

We did a somewhat experimental project last year at the old homestead around a pervious patio installation. It was a

Energy Efficiency Home Improvement & DIY Construction Energy

DIY Energy Tips: Insulating Boiler Pipe

December 7, 2020December 10, 2020 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments boiler, boiler loop, boilers, comfort, DIY, DIY energy, DIY energy projects, DIY projects, energy, energy efficiency, energy savings, fiberglass, home comfort, home improvement, home renovation, hot water boiler, hydronic, hydronics, infrared, insulating boiler pipe, insulation, manifold, mineral wool, pipe insulation, pipe wrap, radiant barrier, radiant heat, reduce utility bill, Renovation, rockwool, roxul, steam boiler, thermal, thermal comfort, water boiler, water heating, winter

Got a boiler? Insulate your pipes to save you some bucks.

Energy Efficiency Home Improvement & DIY Construction

Glazed Over: Donald Trump’s Tiny Windows Conspiracy

October 23, 2020October 27, 2020 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments Donald Trump, energy, energy efficiency, energy waste reduction, glazing, green new deal, home rehab, home renovation, home repair, insulation, windows

US President Donald Trump’s claims that Democrats want to make the windows smaller in everyone’s houses were, while baseless, not the craziest thing he’s ever said. Glazing, energy, and you!

Home Improvement & DIY Construction

Home Improvement: Lessons In Deck Paint, or, Customer Service 101

August 14, 2020August 14, 2020 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments deck paint, decks, home improvement, home renovation, home repair, porches, rehab, rehabilitation, Renovation

In which Nat argues with an $11 billion company over some utterly foolish application instructions on a gallon of very, very expensive deck paint.