List Of All Posts

Posts organized by category

Feb 08, 2023

About page
Why I started my Substack.

The Three Rings of Hell
An irrevocable and painful loss leads to something new
The story of my renovation

State and Country Resources for Building Codes and Compliance
Resources and building codes by state and country

Cracking The Contract, Part 1
Navigate construction contracts with confidence

Architecture & Design

No, It's Not Pantone (Paid)
The color system used for historic paint matching, dental restoration and beer!

How Surroundings Impact Color
A better understanding of the factors that affect color can lead to bolder choices
The factors that impact color and how light changes colors inside

In New York City, the chances are high that you live close to a landmark (Paid)
The city’s landmarks are varied, unexpected and everywhere
Covers the different types of landmarks (you’d be surprised!) and has links to resources on landmarks including a map of all NYC landmarks

Isn't It Ionic?
How to identify NYC row house styles
An easy to understand guide for understanding NY row house styles or for that matter row houses in most east coast cities.

Floors

The Finish I Dreaded
An introduction to sealers and finishes for wood floors.
An overview of on sealing and finishing wood floors

Tread Wisely (Paid)
Assessing floor finishes
An overview of different kinds of sealers and finishes with pros and cons of each type.

Insulation

Cold Comfort (Paid)
Figure out if you need insulation and why it's a win in all climates

Hot, cold or humid? (Paid)
The factors that dictate insulation requirements

Frosty Instead Of Toasty?
Hidden pathways may be the cause of heat escaping your home
Learn about thermal bridging and why it’s important to address.

Green Insulation Without The High (Paid)
Hemp: A weed with unlimited possibilities
The advantages of hemp as an insulating material, how it compares to other insulation, pricing and where to buy.

Grenfell Took Many Lives...Yet We Continue To Play With Fire
Why you should avoid foam insulation as much as possible
A detailed post on how foam and chemicals from industrial disasters are being used in people’s homes. Includes information state energy policies.

R-Value: A Measure of Insulation Effectiveness (Paid)
From mud and straw to how we measure insulation effectiveness today
Explains R-values how you can calculate them, values for common materials, thermal bridging, continuous insulation, recommendations for your region etc.

Understanding Mineral Wool Labels (Paid)
Don't compromise your insulation's performance or waste money by choosing the wrong product
This post explains the labeling of Rockwool and Thermafiber products, what the information on the label means, and how to install the material properly.

Why I'm Freezing After All These Years (Paid)
The surprising and hidden causes behind a cold and drafty house
Explains all the possible causes of drafts and cold areas in your house and related information on R-values.

Interviews

Convo with Nick Parisi, CEO, Buildable
Build a dream home without a nervous breakdown.
Interview with a custom home builder in San Diego where we talk about their process and the common issues people run into when building a new home.

A Chat With Russell Nohelty
A Substack author shares his remodel experiences and insights.

Lighting

Illuminating Standards
The lighting marks and regulations one should pay attention to.
Understand what marks like UL mean and other regulations

Victorian Delights
Types of Victorian lamps and guidance for optimal placement.
The common types of lamps and where they were installed.

Become Enlightened
Take cues from the masters to design your lighting.
How you can think about layered lighting like an artist or designer.

How Much Light Do You Need? (Paid)
Foot-candles and the math behind lighting explained
How to calculate the amount of light you need for every room in your home.

Vintage Lamp Ordeal Pt. 1 (Paid)
How to deal with the headaches that come with buying vintage lamps.
Common problems that you can run into with vintage lamps and how to solve them.

Vintage Lamp Ordeal Pt. 2 (Paid)
The tragic tale of a Swiss chandelier

Lumber

Battle Of The Boards
Hardwoods vs. softwoods; and which one to choose
Which wood should you choose for flooring or cabinetry. Learn about the pros and cons of hardwood and softwoods.

Nailing The Right Wood
Hardwood vs. softwood in construction

Paint

Penny-Pinching To Perfection (Paid)
How to use cheap paint and get away with it
What to do if you can’t afford a quality paint.

Plumbing

Hot, Hot, Haaaawwt!
How to avoid leaks and other issues with your handheld bidet
An introduction to bidets, where to buy, preventing problems and parts for repairs.

Tile

The Day The Tile Fell Off The Wall
About an extremely bad tile installation technique
A story about tile and why this type of installation is not an approved method.

Walls

Drywall Debacles (Paid)
Some common issues and what to do about them
Covers some of the common drywall issues and what to watch for.

Get Plastered (Paid)
Plaster Walls; Keep or Ditch
Pros and cons of keeping plaster walls including their historical significance

Avoiding Brick Blunders And Breakdowns (Paid)
Tips for navigating brick restoration
How to maintain brick walls, how to restore them, the correct materials and examples of bad work.

Windows & Doors

Mind your Rs and Us (Paid)
Two important letters that relate to home comfort
What are R-values and U-values and why you need to understand them.

The Quest For White Gold (Paid)
A self-abusive odyssey for an elusive porcelain knob
The origins of the porcelain door knob and options available for period homes.

Some Windows Are So Crummy, You May As Well Use Cardboard (Paid)
How to evaluate ratings so you can finally love your windows
A detailed explanation of window energy labels, what the numbers mean and how to choose.

Let There Be Light (And A View)
The evolution of historic windows
A post on how glass influenced window styles so you can identify windows based on the era or buy the correct window style for your home.

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