Renovation Archives - 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.

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.

Cities & Urban Planning Environment

April Showers Bring May Combined Sewer Overflows

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 Nat Zorach 0 Comments climate adaptation, climate change, combined sewer overflow, CSO, Detroit, drainage, flooding, french drain, green stormwater infrastructure, GSI, home rehab, rainfall, Renovation, stormwater

I woke up several times last night to the sound of torrential rain drumming on the roof. The attic roof

Real Estate Cities & Urban Planning Affordable housing Housing

The ADU as Community Development Tool?

June 26, 2016May 24, 2017 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments Accessory dwelling unit, ADU, affordable housing, community development, densification, Density, neighborhood stability, Renovation, rental, rental income, rental units, single-family housing, upzoning, Zoning

While managing the Detroit Land Bank housing development programs at Southwest, I’ve come across a number of scenarios in which a

Urban Planning

That Dude Who Voted No On My Zoning Proposal Is Now In Jail And Schadenfreude Is Real

January 27, 2016April 25, 2017 Nat M. Zorach 0 Comments Calumet Region, community development, East Chicago, Indiana, Indiana Harbor, Inland Steel, Renovation, Rust Belt, Steel mills, Urban planning, US Steel, Zoning

In a scenario worthy of the Duma or a small, post-colonial African republic, newly reëlected East Chicago city councilman Robert