home improvement - The Handbuilt City

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.

Sustainability Construction

Old House Love: Ditch The Chemical Floor Finishes

October 21, 2020October 26, 2020 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments barrier finish, carpentry, chemicals, DIY, finish carpentry, floor finishing, floor refinishing, flooring, green building, hardwood flooring, historic preservation, home improvement, home rehab, home renovation, lacquer, LEED, linseed oil, natural finishes, oak, old house love, old houses, petrochemical, petroleum distillates, polyurethane, Renovation, sanding, shellac, softwood, trim carpentry, usgbc, varnish, wood finishes, wood finishing, woodshop, woodworking, zero-VOC

Nat explores wood finishes using a domestically-made, zero-VOC linseed oil-based varnish for some 1895 hardwood floors.

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.