Jean

I did say flat out “keep it at a fixed setting” although the spirit of the article was do your homework.  So I apologize for doing the same thing I was criticizing: there is a one-stop formula for every building.  Jean is correct is saying that you will save energy and money by lowering your thermostat.  Were we differ is that keeping the thermostat at a constant will cost you more money 100% of the time.

There are a lot of variables that dictate the ability to maintain and recover heat.  You cannot use strict science to apply to every building.  Here is a recent case study to illustrate the point.

Building 1

Conditions

Building 1 is a late18^th century granite construction.  It was originally a carriage house, where the stones were laid in some mortar, although there are plenty of gaps.  The interior was stud framed and plastered in the late 19^th century.  There is some insulation in the attic.  There is steam heat with a 20-year-old boiler.

Assessment

The first thing was a blower door test.  Airflow was a huge problem.  The storm windows were old and drafty (being there does not make them efficient), basement windows were loose and windowpanes were missing, and doors were not weather-stripped.  The steam boiler was not maintained well and the system was functioning poorly.

The goal was to make the building more efficient without spending a lot.  The budget was about $15,000.  We replaced the storm windows and repainted the window trim.  The basement windows were reattached or boarded up and sealed (all reversible of course).  The doors were weather-stripped.  The boiler was tuned and cleaned, return pipes replaced and bleeder valves replaced.

Since the building is an office with a steam system (which recovers very quickly) they turn the thermostat up and down about 5 degrees.  So far, they are saving about 36% in fuel consumption and about 33% is costs.  About a 12-year pay back.

Building Two

Building Two’s zone one is a massive space, about 50 feet by 100 feet with ceilings soaring to 70 feet.  The building is granite with stud walls and plaster for interior walls.  The old oil heating system was steam, and they used the building once a week.  They cranked the heat to 70 on Saturday to Sunday and kept it at 50 the rest of the week.  The steam heat generated a lot of moisture that was causing condensation damage in parts of the building.  They spent close to $18,000 a year in heat.  The system had failed and required replacement.

The second zone was forced hot water radiators, which we kept for savings despite them known to be inadequate by the heat calculation.

Treatment

We replaced the system with 4 high efficiency forced hot water gas fired boilers that would rotate based on demand.  At first, we had a hard time keeping the temperature by raising and lowering the thermostat, since the building had tremendous heat loss and the mass was so huge.  When we kept the thermostat at more of a constant, the system performed perfectly.  The reasoning was the system was designed to be efficient, with the water staying at the lower temperature of 185 degrees, instead of the old 220, so the system ran better at a constant, even through they needed heat once a week.

The second zone was already inadequate, so keeping it at a constant was the only way to make it work.

So far, the cost savings are about 43%, with about a 25-year pay back.  A combination of switching to gas and the high efficiency boilers are what is making the savings.  The building is also healthier since it stays at more of a constant heat.

This is why science is sometimes trumped by field condition variables.

Observing a building requires all senses.  Become one with the building.  Spend time with it.  Know it in all its phases.  Study the quirks, the mundane and the expected.  Thinking about what makes a building tick is a top priority.  It should be a good investment, but only if you pay attention and help it live another decade or ten.  Here are some ways to get Zen with a building:

Seeing

Know your building by not just looking at it, but SEEING it.  See how the house behaves in all weather conditions, especially rain.  Watch the water run off the roof, into the downspouts and out onto or into the ground.  Walls don’t just crack.  Floors don’t just sag.  If you see something out of the ordinary, figure out why it is happening, because everything happens for a reason.  Wood rots, paint peels, pipes fail by reacting to its environment, installation or care.

Smelling

One of the cheapest and most effective methods of testing a healthy basement is to smell it.  Not up close at fist, but the air as you walk in.  Then find out why.  Bad downspouts that bring water in, water that seeps up through the floor, open windows, or other clues all have an effect.  A basement should not STAY wet, musty or moldy.  When you know why is when mitigation becomes effective.  Other house scents can trigger clues to problems, such as sewer gases, electrical shorts, or bad furnace venting.

Hearing

The sounds of my own house can drive me nuts.  I listen intently when it rains for drips outside my bedroom window and the downspout I never cleaned.  A house has a distinct sound pattern, most of us get used to it.  Like when the heat comes on and the pipes against the wood “crack”, or slip from expansion, or some movement when the sun beats on an elevation.  Investigate sounds out of the ordinary.

Touching

Most investigative work involves seeing and feeling, where we can either gently probe or tear into something.  “Destructive Analysis” is reserved when the homeowner or client is ready to own what is revealed.  Feeling confirms the other senses, like when wood looks a little wavy from the ground is in fact a soft sponge when you touch it.

Tasting

I do not recommend putting house parts in your mouth.  But there are times a small tasting has been prudent, like tasting the salty efflorescence from mortar.  Otherwise, resort to the other senses.

Bottom line: pay attention to your building.  It can save you thousands of dollars and potentially poor health.  A simple leak that got into a wall, rotted the wood, made the insulation moldy, cracked the drywall or plaster from movement, could have been avoided by listening for the leak, watching for the wall crack or wood rotting, and smelling the mold.

Most of us do not have the time to be “one” with our building.  We ignore it or hire people.  But you should, you must, pay attention.  Paying for the small is cheaper than waiting for it to get big.  Fix the cause of the problem and not just the effect.  It will help all of us who obsess about buildings.

Could you please elaborate?  Are programmable thermostats obsolete?”

Every building is different.  Some buildings can’t help but get cold fast so they need blasts of heat. Others keep air in and insulate well and like a steady, even heat.  Then there is everything in the middle.  Our own field-testing, trade journals, as well as various heating professionals seem to agree that heating the mass rather than the air can be more comfortable and efficient than cranking your thermostat up and down.  But what is the most efficient?

A mass can warm a space quicker than a radiator or baseboard.  When a door opens for a bit, the mass will recover the room faster than the radiator.  So if you lower your heat too low, your mass gets cold and makes the heat work harder to get it warm again.  Even if you can heat the air is quickly, the mass will be sucking heat from the air.

Several plumbing and heating professionals have suggested only moving the thermostat 2-3 degrees when you are gone for more than 24 hours.  You should set the heat at your comfort level, then turn it up when you want more.  But there are factors to consider in what is best for you, your house and your heating system, as well as methods to see if in fact you are saving money either way.

1. Air Infiltration. Too much negates the effect of heating, too little is unhealthy.
2. Building efficiency.   How does the heat escape?
3. Heating system.  Delivery system, maintenance cycles, heating zones and efficiency make a big difference.
4. Building use intervals.  When and how many people, and how often.
5. Building construction type.  Materials and building techniques.
6. Building age.  Can you do anything?
7. Building exposure.  On a hill, shaded, lots of sun.

As you can see, many factors affect how a building heats up and how it holds it. But there is hope.  Take a bit of science, mix it with some experience and most importantly, read the building.

1. Get a FULL Energy Audit.  Observe and document the building variables.
   1. Computing energy use.   The ever changing New England weather can be leveled out by using Heating Degree Days(HDD).  HDD are developed through calculating the difference between your desired interior temperature and the outdoor temperature.  It may be on your heating utility bill or you can find it on the web.   Calculate your efficiency by dividing your fuel consumption units (gallons for oil and CCF for gas) into the HDD for that period.
   2. A blower door test tells you how much air your house is losing and where.  This is critical.  An air-sealed house will perform better than an insulated house that is not air sealed.  Stopping drafts helps keep the mass warm.
   3. Insulation needs.  Insulation should always be used where it is most critical, and least impactful to the building’s health.  Blowing in insulation to areas where air and moisture are present is worse than doing nothing.  Air seal first, then insulate.  Basements do not need to be insulated if the basement is well air sealed.  Attics are the first choice.
   4. Calibrate your heating system over time.  See what is the most economical. Keep the thermostat at a constant temperature for a month.  Compute your energy use.  Compare that to the months previous when you were adjusting your thermostat. If you do not touch your thermostat and change nothing on the building, that calculation will stay the same during the heating season.  If you turn the thermostat up and down, you are now gambling that you know when and how much to turn it up and down.  So do some testing, and find out what your building’s ideal temperature and setting are.

The suggestion that all buildings are the same and turning the thermostat up and down is the most efficient do not consider all of the factors.  The reality is keep the thermostat as low as comfortable and only move up if you are cold.  Otherwise, leave it alone.

I emphasized the list would save them energy, trick thieves, or make it like they never left.  I reassured her it was about helping them be at peace leaving the house, rather than leaving with the thought of coming home to a house with everything gone or the place in ashes.  Wrong choice of words.  My funny was not hers, although my father-in-law did enjoy it.  Regardless of her anxiety, I kept going.  Here were some of the suggestions, some obvious, some not so much.

Vacation timer.  This is a plug in timer that turns a light on or off at irregular intervals.  I never knew they existed until I bought one by mistake.

Washer machine valve.  Anyone with a newer washer machine hook up should have a single lever that controls both the hot and cold feeds.   The washer machine valve should be shut every time you use it since a broken hose can happen at any time.  Most hoses should last years, but you never know when its time is up.  If I was really paranoid before I left, I would consider turning off my water main (be sure your boiler is not relying on water).

Electricity.  The easiest way to save energy on phantom loads, or an energy draw when something is off, is turning off power strips.  Phantom loads can add up to 8% of your annual energy costs.  A good time to start this practice is when you are traveling.  You may want to unplug suspect appliances, like toasters, coffee pots, phone chargers and everything non-essential.

Thermostat.  Dialing back your thermostat is a practice under great debate on our jobsites.  All of our heating specialists, including plumbers, boiler technicians and heat suppliers, are telling us something earth shattering, “Keep your thermostat at a constant, do not turn it up and down.”.  Whoa, what?  This is a whole other topic to discuss, although when you are away from your house more than a few days, turn the thermostat down about 8 degrees.  Just remember, it may be cold when you get back, and take some time to warm up.  This is where a remote wireless thermostat may come in, since you can monitor or adjust it anywhere your phone works.  Very cool.

Locked up, tied down, and prepared.  Be ready for any weather because you may be traveling during the storm of century.  Make sure all outdoor furniture, garbage cans and flyaway stuff is tied down or put away. Check all window locks, ALL doors, including the basement, and all other openings that can be secured.  Make sure you have someone shovel the snow or check the house after severe weather event.

Friends with keys and eyes.  You may even want this friend to move your car in the driveway a few times.  Have them stop by and make sure everything is OK and in place.  Put them on your call list for the alarm company.  Have them take out the garbage and recycling.

Mail & paper hold.  These days it is easy to hold you mail, so do it.  Also, have the paper held or have that friend pick it up and enjoy it.  Who knows, maybe they will subscribe.

So besides not forgetting the toothbrush and the kids, the house needs some attention too.  The house will not be spiteful, but it’s good to be respectful during your absence.  Chances are it will be fine but you never know when the next thing will happen.  By the way, the house is still there.

I have little tolerance for intentionally bad or poorly thought out work, and scammers are the bottom of the barrel because they do not even try.  They take people’s trust, stomp on it, and make people have little faith in whole industry.  The scam is to give the impression of work, to take your money and make sure you have little recourse to reclaim your money, let alone fix what the mess they made.  These types of scammers are different than contractors specifying too much work, who are just unscrupulous.

No doubt, buildings can be dangerous.  There are many parts and functions that are unseen, only becoming a problem when people notice something different.  There can be a lot of things wrong but not necessarily dangerous.  We see them all the time, in every house.  Sometimes it is a matter of opinion, other times it’s science.  So when in doubt, get three opinions.  And never choose soley based on price.  Choose on experience, references and your gut.

Here are some ways to avoid scams:

• Do not pay cash unless you get a receipt.  Better yet, use a check.
• Never pay a deposit more than is reasonable.  Small jobs under $2,000.00 may get ½ down.  Over that, maybe 10-30%.  If you are skittish, pay enough to get them there, that’s it.
• Get a permit.  Think of a permit as professional oversight.  They are not a burden unless you are doing something wrong.  They are there to protect you, after all.  Building departments can be very reasonable.  Yes, some requirements can get ridiculous, but remember, regulations are made from good science and the stupidity of bad contractors.
• Check for a business/contractor registration and certifications.  It is way too easy to get a contractor’s registration in Rhode Island, which is perhaps the best reason for a contractor to have one.  Many specialties require certifications, like chimney sweeps, electricians, and plumbers.
• Get a copy of their liability insurance.  Ask to be an additionally insured, where you are notified when their insurance is dropped or changed.  And talk to your homeowner’s insurance agent before you start work.
• Get a proposal that describes what exactly they will be doing.  Don’t let them just say “replace roof”.   A detailed, more expensive proposal may mean they are doing more work than a one liner.  A detailed proposal also makes them accountable for what you thought they would do.
• Ask for 4 references and recently completed project addresses.  Ask questions like:
  • “Did they finish on time and on budget?”
  • “Did they show up when they said they would?”
  • “Where they clean and respectful?”
  • Hire an independent inspector to look at the work before, during and after.  They are required for any LEED certified project, so why not you?
  • Hire a lawyer to do some background checking.  They can check registrations, insurance, credit ratings, bankruptcy and lawsuit history.

Some recent scams include chimney sweeps, driveway repaving, and even post-storm repair work.  What to look for?  Anything too good to be true, like a really low price, or someone who shows up right when you need them, or you are desperate.  And if you are scammed, contact every government department you can, the paper and post it everywhere.

Some government resources:

• RI Contractors and Registration Board
• RI Attorney General’s Office
• RI Department of Elderly Affairs

Nails can determine a building’s age.  Building technology changed significantly since the industrial revolution, and fastener technology grew by leaps and bounds.  But dating gets messed up when people keep bins of fasteners for years.  They did it then, and I do it now.  I was the proud recipient of my grandfather’s fastener collection.  You may laugh, but people were jealous.  There are times you need a brass #6 wood screw with a taper head, or an eyehook, or a machine screw.  It is easy to accumulate inventory.  Keep spares from everything and sort them out.  There are suppliers for just fasteners; bulk, individual or kits.

Like most products, fasteners by the same name are not all the same.  There are grades.  Some are garbage and some are extremely high quality, and it’s not just the metal. Manufacturing process and where it is can determine quality.  Big box retailers have a fraction of what is out there, and when they do, they are smaller sized packages, expensive and lower quality.  Local hardware stores have better quality selections.  Lumberyards have a great builder’s selection, but less of an overall selection of small specific stuff.  Catalog retailers can have over 25 categories of screws, and hundreds to thousands in each category.  Rhode Island has one of the best catalog marine fastener companies anywhere, with quality fasteners at a good price.

There is a right place, right time, right prep for fasteners.  Proper fastener use, size and type can be a matter of life or death.  Porches can collapse, roofs can blow off or walls can fail.  There are some basic rules to ensure safety based on their ability to hold and provide sheer, or strength.  The building code is very explicit defining the use of fasteners with the right quantity for very good reason.  Always ask your retailer, an engineer, or an experienced builder about using the right fastener.  Do not wing it, undersize it or cheap out when it comes to safety.

Fastener selection plays an important role is holding as well.  Yet there are many things that could compromise holding.  A failing fastener wreaks havoc.  To make it worse, today we deal with even more incompatibilities than ever.  Years ago all we had to worry about was water (there are less problems in dry conditions) and galvanic reaction (one metal rotting from touching another metal).  Galvanic reaction is real and has a profound effect on longevity and performance.  Look up a galvanic reaction or galvanic corrosion chart to understand metal compatibility.  Another rule of thumb is keep like metal with like fasteners.  Fastener failure can happen with certain woods too.  Today’s ACQ treated lumber, cedars and other woods can quickly rot a fastener.  Read directions, boxes or use other resources to be sure you are using the right fastener.

Biggest pet peeve?  The overuse of drywall screws.  They have a low sheer, rust fast and tend to split wood.  Use a decking screw, it has higher shear strength, is coated, and has a chisel tip with less tendency to split wood.  Pre-drill with harder woods, near the end of a board, or just when you do not want wood to split.  For nails predrill with a drill bit one size smaller, and for a screw, use a bit the size of the solid shaft inside the thread area.

There was an innocent time when the list of fasteners was limited to what a blacksmith could make.  By the industrial revolution, screws, rivets, and nails were punched out faster than any blacksmith could imagine.   Things also came apart a lot easier than today.  Another reason I love old buildings, because they are easily reversible.  Today, things are glued, screwed and ring shank nailed together, which will surely frustrate someone trying to resuse and repair today’s building in the future.  But the innovation of tomorrow has a way of solving the problems we create today…..most of the time.

Single service contractors are a vital part of a building’s maintenance.  Specialists know what they do by practicing it.  Years of experience lead to a strong ability to develop multiple solutions, since few situations are the same.  Experience helps create the best solutions for your particular situation.  But not all contractors are the same.  I had a professor years ago that wrote about, and stressed emphatically, “The Headless Hand”.  “The Headless Hand” is the worker who does not think before they do, or cares little about the consequence of their actions.  These are the ones you try to weed out, or watch them like a hawk.

When I was a real green horn, I once had a job where a client pulled up a chair and watched me work all day.  It was hot, he was not much of a conversationalist and he was perhaps the most intimidating person I ever met.  It taught two very important lessons.  First: I need to have the self-confidence to do my job alone or in front of a crowd.  Second: people have a right to be engaged in the process.

Spending money on your house should be the best investment you can make.  Too many times I hear about people having to spend it twice and usually more the second time.  How can you avoid it?  Here are some things to make the project more comprehensive:

Have people prove themselves to you.  Develop a relationship of trust.  Without trust, a project can go bad very quick.

Start small.

Keep a watchful eye.

Ask a lot of questions.

Have them report to you on a regular basis.  Pick a method of communication that is consistent.  Be available.  If the job is big enough, request a written summary.  Not only is it a good way to find out what was done, it is an easy way to look back and remember what was done.

Everyone, take lots of pictures.  You can never make too many.  Take pictures of the work before, during (especially problems) and after work is done.

Get a permit.  It protects everyone.

Get insurance certificates.  You can request to be a certificate holder, so you will be notified if they cancel or have their insurance dropped.

Make sure you have proper insurance, especially if you are creating hazards during construction.

Talk about the budget.  Ask how it is going, if they are on track.

Ask about the schedule.  “Two weeks” four weeks ago creates bad blood.

Ask if they found anything you need to address.  Most contractors see a lot more than they are doing, so find out if they see some things that need to be done, now or in 5 years.

And IF you have a conflict or problem, invest in a third party assessment before you get a lawyer.  A third party has little to gain from one observation or another, as well as no emotion tied to the situation.

Have fun!  One of my mom’s favorite sayings about project angst was “A year from now, none of this will matter”.  But poor work lives forever.

Layers

I hate being cold.  One day early in my career I didn’t dress warm enough.  Like many recollections from long ago, it was about 20 below with 50 mph wind gusts.  We were far away from home.  I didn’t drive, so I couldn’t run out or home for more stuff.  I froze.  My boss and colleagues thought it was funny, like many teachable moments back then.  But it was an important lesson.  Always have a spare layer or two in your vehicle.

Layering is the key to comfort.  I pretty much put on long underwear in November and don’t go back until spring (except this year, I am totally thrown off).  Doesn’t matter if I am in the office or outside, I dress the same since I almost always end up outside.  Theory is: you can take layers off.

Long Underwear

I do have a preference, as many do.  I prefer a good, tight fitting upper and lower body, a soft inner layer that wicks moisture and keeps you warm.  A recent new pair has an inner liner of 100% polyester, and an outer layer of 30% wool and 70% polyester.  You can do wool, but it is all about texture and fit.  Some prefer silk, but it is delicate and requires special care when washing, so it’s out.

Pants

The second layer is the durable layer that works from fall to spring. Good pants are an important investment.  There is a well-known manufacturer that is about $75 for a pair of pants.  Bottom line: you get what you pay for.  If you know you will be outside all the time, wool lined pants work great too.  If it’s wicked cold, coveralls are a great way to stay warm, although you move around like the robot in Lost in Space.

Upper Body

Shirts are another variable.  Switch from long sleeve to short sleeve.  Heavy or light.  And it can be any kind of material, since it is on top of the long underwear layer.  They can be a bit looser.

The layer over the shirt is what gets left around the site as you warm up.  This layer is all about style and preference.  A sweatshirt made of cotton, fleece, or wool works great.  But they key is being sure it is loose enough to move and fit over the other layers underneath.  It should also be durable, since this is the sacrificial layer, meaning it can tear and be stained easy.

The jacket is what takes the bite off from 6AM to 9AM, then after 5PM.  It can be hard to work with if it is real bulky.  If you can do it with layers, then do it.

Shoes and Socks

I never put much into shoes and socks when I was young.  Yet age does something.  You feel pain in new spots.  A good friend of mine is a podiatrist.  When I met him I never saw a podiatrist, all was good.  But then things changed and I needed him, badly.  I have learned that your foot comfort and support affects your whole body.  A bad shoe can lead to a bad back, make your spine go out of line, or even make you tired quicker.  Shoes are another case of you get what you pay for.  A good shoe should lasts only about 6 months, longer if you rotate.

Shoes should be replaced at the first sign of wear, sloppiness, or broken stitches.  They should support you, with your foot snug in the shoe.  If you are on a ladder a lot, get a shoe with a hard base or steel plate in them.  High top boots do not prevent a twisted ankle, they just tell you brain you are about to do it. In my humble opinion, waterproof boots are more important than insulated ones, since the socks do most of the work.  Get a boot dryer, it keeps them dry and stink free.

Socks are very, very important.  Your feet should be dry at all times.  Wool is king.  Cotton holds moisture, wool wicks it out. Thick socks keep you warmer than thin ones, so thicker is winter and thinner summer. I put a few puffs of body powder in the sock first.

The practical gift should not be wasted on boxers and cotton socks.  Step up for you outdoors guru, get some gift certificates, or just do it, buy it, and keep them warm and dry!

Too many households tolerate a poorly functioning toilet, I know, because it is another one of my pet peeves.  The function of a toilet is pretty simple.  Water fills a tank, you push a handle, a valve opens, water drops, pushes out the waste and it fills back up.  Yet the simplest function can be the most difficult for many reasons.

How do they fail?  Start by observing.  Close the toilet lid, sit backwards on it, lift off the back cover and let her rip, or flush it.  Watch what happens to all of the parts.  Repeat until you see what’s wrong.

The Handle: How does it travel?  Does it have any conflicts?  Is it attached to the flapper?  Is the chain too long?

The Flapper holds the water back until you need it.  See if it is snug by listening for leaking water.  The water in the tank is clean; always was, always will be.  If anything, it may have some mildew in the tank, that’s it.

The Float:  This is the part that moves up as the tank fills.  When the water is at the fill line (notch inside the tank) the toilet stops filling.  You can manipulate the float to see if it is working properly.

Refill & Overflow Tube:  The water fills through the overflow tube.  The refill is clipped inside the overflow tube to prevent splash.  When the tank overfills, it will keep running.

Shut off valve:  The shut off valve allows you to work without water.  It is located on the bottom left of the toilet.  Clockwise for off, counterclockwise for on.

Failures

The Run

The running toilet is the biggest culprit of toilet woes.  It can be a bad flapper, a stuck handle or a bad float.  But don’t be too fast to throw out a toilet from a bad flapper. If you need new parts, copy the make and model before you get new parts. They are not all created equal.

Wiggle, Rock or Tilt

A wiggle, rock or tilt is not good for the toilet or the user.  A toilet should be level in all directions, not moving at all, and sitting solidly on the floor.  A wiggle or rock may be fixed temporarily as long as what is underneath is sound using plastic shims pushed lightly into place. A rotting or unstable base is dangerous and should be replaced.

The Seal

The main seals to be aware of are the water feed and the waste.  Look for water on the floor.  First test the water line by wiping it off with a cloth.  If it gets wet again, then tighten the bolts after the valve gently.  If it still gets wet, then turn off the valve.  Flush.  Check for dry again.  If it is still wet, you may need a plumber to replace the valve.  If it is dry after all that, you may need to replace the water line from the valve to the tank.  That is a standard piece, only the length changes. Tighten the floor bolts too much can break the bowl.

The Sweats

A tank sweating does not happen when it is cold out but when the water is colder than the air outside, causing condensation on the tank.  Adding warmer water to the tank, or waiting it out till it gets cooler resolves it.

Conveniences

Have a plunger in a predictable spot, inside the bathroom.

Leave matches or spray.

Make sure your fan works.

Show your guests two bathrooms, one for the short visit, and the other for more contenplative times.

Have enough TP for 10 parties.

Wipes are not just for kids you know.

A standard practice for any tradesperson should be to provide a homeowner with the paperwork of installed products.  They should also spend time explaining the product to you and how to use it, even though they may see the glaze in your eyes.  The “call me if there is a problem” is a fine way to deal with a new machine or product, but what is the likelihood that the same tradesperson or company will be able to respond?  Or even be around?

What to do?  What do I save?  Where do I put it?  For me, it’s like winter.  I love winter because I have more pockets to put stuff in, but then I have to search more pockets to find it.  So get organized.  Here are some tips:

• Have a central location for all file storage.  Start with a room, but then just don’t throw it on a pile or on the floor.  There are some appliance specifications that stay with the appliance, like boiler or furnace information.  And boilers have tags of the history of maintenance, now wouldn’t that be nice for most things.
• Organize your files based on type.  You can put doors, heating, master bathroom and the like together.  It does not have to organized by fixture or appliance, just make them easy to find.  It can be a file folder, accordion file, or my favorite, the 3-ring binder with tabs.
• Save instruction manuals, warrantees and receipts.  Most warrantees are based on having the receipt, not for mailing in the card.  But check each product after you or your contractor buys it.  And if you do not get the care information, maintenance manuals, cards and specifications from your tradesperson, ask for it.  Products like windows, doors, heating appliances, and anything manufactured has information.  This information also allows you to be sure they installed what they said they would and in the correct manner.

Most houses 5 years old don’t have records.  There is the rare occasion of an old building that has an amazing collection of records.  They are not only an insight into what and how things were done, but it also gives product names, quantities, and even scarier, prices.  These product names take the guesswork out of compatibility.  Let’s say a brick fall out or a window breaks.  Wouldn’t it be nice to know where products were from, instead of just slapping in any old thing or spending hours to find it?

One of my favorite houses is the Governor Henry Lippitt House in Providence.  Not only is it one of the finest authentic examples high style Victorian architecture anywhere, Governor Lippitt kept meticulous records.  As he planned and built the house, he kept a ledger of every materials and contractors transaction. These records are immeasurable on the how and what was used to become one of the most modern house’s of it time.  This house was built with central heat, running water and impeccable décor, plus many functions that are long forgotten.  The ledger also allows an old house geek like me to see the low prices from companies that help build Providence in the 19^th century.  It helps connect the dots to other properties.  The records allow a more coherent interpretation of what is seen and most importantly, take the guesswork out of building and product maintenance.