Tag Archives: Old house

Rubble, Rubble, Toil and Trouble*

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Buildinggeek

Here in New England most of our older houses have rubble foundations. Rubble foundations are uncut stone, often called field stone. Even the best builders of rubble foundations had spaces between the stones that essentially connect the soil directly to … Continue reading →

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Short thought on a long sentence

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Buildinggeek

  “Where a preservationist might insist that broad expanses of decayed original plaster be repaired or restored with new material mixed and applied according to traditional recipes and finishes, a renovator would more than likely remove the plaster entirely, replacing … Continue reading →

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A recipe for success

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Buildinggeek

    I bet you figured out, at a very young age, that food is pretty important. Eating became a real habit, and, at some point, you discovered that you could make your own food. But it didn’t always go … Continue reading →

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Attic adventures #1: Insulation is where you find it

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Buildinggeek

Something new, I’m going to be adding an occasional post about oddities and adventures in building science. Funny things do happen and I’ll be sharing them with you. I’m a New Englander born and bred. Grew up on a farm … Continue reading →

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Old houses are like old people. You can learn a lot from them.

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Buildinggeek

One of my indulgences is taking time to look at a detail in an old house and trying to get into the head of the craftsman who made it. I can’t say that every try is successful, but when I … Continue reading →

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