The houses, and the stories about them
Start with the house you live in. The last section applies to all of them.
The Triple-Decker
Three apartments stacked on a narrow lot, built mostly between 1870 and 1920.
1
Can a Triple-Decker Go Heat Pump One Floor at a Time?Convert one apartment now, or wait and do the whole building?
2
Who Decides About the Heat in a Triple-Decker?Owner, tenant or condo association: whose call is it, and who pays?
3
Sealing a Triple-Decker: Balloon Frames and Back PorchesSeal the whole building, or just your floor?
4
Where Do Three Outdoor Units Go on a Narrow Lot?Side yard, rear wall or brackets: where the machines end up
The Cape
A story and a half, knee walls, sloped ceilings and a chimney in the middle.
5
How Many Mini-Splits Does a Cape Actually Need?One head per floor, one per room, or something between?
6
Why the Upstairs of a Cape Is Always WrongInsulate first, or buy more heat?
7
Ducts in the Knee Wall: Fix Them or Leave Them?Keep the ducts you have, or go ductless?
8
Keep the Oil Boiler as Backup, or Let It Go?Partial-home with backup, or whole-home with no fuel left?
The Colonial
Two full floors, radiators, a basement full of old pipe.
9
Keeping the Radiators: Hot Water, Steam and Heat PumpsKeep the radiators, replace them, or run both?
10
What Happens to the Oil Tank After You SwitchRemove it, or leave it for now?
11
Asbestos Pipe Wrap and Lead Paint: What Stops the JobWho touches what before anyone drills?
12
The Boiler Leaves, the Water Heater StaysReline the chimney, or change the water heater too?
13
Cooling an Old Colonial With No DuctsWindow units, ductless heads or small ducts?
Every Older House
The money, the code and the bid, whichever house you own.
14
Mass Save Heat Pump Rebates, Read SlowlyWhole-home, partial-home or basic, and why the date matters
15
The Home Energy Assessment and the HEAT LoanBook the assessment first, then borrow?
16
The Stretch Code, in Plain WordsDoes your job trigger it, and who says so?
17
Oil, Gas or Heat Pump: What a Winter Costs NowRun the arithmetic on your own bills before you decide
18
Reading a Heat Pump Bid for an Older HouseWhich bid actually sized your house?