Our first energy priority is helping you find things that you can actually do yourself.  If you can't do it all yourself, our next level of sustainable thinking is "buy it here" (for that, visit our local buying section).

Step one in your home energy saving is to select an approach that's compatible with your building.  Let's think of this in terms of type of construction combined with the era of construction, as follows:

Pre-1900 Wood - Walls typically a full 4-inches thick, clapboard outside, wood lath with plaster inside. Post-and-beam roof with wide planks, spaced inches apart, no roof sheathing, modern shingles over old wood shakes, possible slate. Single-pane windows in wooden frames. Crawl space over oldest part, shallow basement with utilities under newest part. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Insulate the attic. In crawl space under oldest part, insulate inside the outside walls, to prevent air flow across the space. Consider insulated curtains for all windows. During winter, keep interior doors closed to prevent cold air flow. Carefully research insulation for exterior walls. Improperly done, without a vapor barrier, insulation can damage the walls. If you want to add central air conditioning to a two-story building, consider a unit in the attic and a second in the basement, to minimize interior wall damage from ductwork.

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Pre-1900 Brick - Walls typically 3 brick courses thick, with air gap in center. Post-and-beam roof with wide planks, spaced inches apart, no roof sheathing, modern shingles over old wood shakes, possible slate. Single-pane windows in wooden frames. Crawl space over oldest part, shallow basement with utilities under newest part. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Insulate the attic. In crawl space under oldest part, insulate inside the outside walls, to prevent air flow across the space. Consider insulated curtains for all windows. During winter, keep interior doors closed to prevent cold air flow. The air gap in the brick exterior walls provides a degree of insulation.   The brick walls provide a thermal mass, which when heated in the winter or cooled in the summer provides a degree of comfort by preventing extreme temperature swings.  If you want to add central air conditioning to a two-story house, consider a unit in the attic and a second in the basement, to minimize interior wall damage from ductwork.

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Pre-1900 Stone - Walls typically 18-24" thick. Interior walls brick with plaster over. Post-and-beam roof with wide planks, spaced inches apart, no roof sheathing, modern shingles over old wood shakes, possible slate. Single-pane windows in wooden frames. Crawl space over oldest part, shallow basement with utilities under newest part. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Insulate the attic. In crawl space under oldest part, insulate inside the outside walls, to prevent air flow across the space. Consider insulated curtains for all windows. During winter, keep interior doors closed to prevent cold air flow. The stone walls provide a thermal mass, which when heated in the winter or cooled in the summer provides a degree of comfort by preventing extreme temperature swings. If you want to add central air conditioning to a two-story house, consider a unit in the attic and a second in the basement, to minimize interior wall damage from ductwork.

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Pre-1900 Other - Old barns or stables. Walls typically 1 layer of wood, attached on outside of studs or posts and beams. Post-and-beam roof with wood or slate shingles. Single-paned windows. Typically no basement. Typically no heat. To convert to livable space, a new foundation footer is often needed. Walls can be insulated, along with a proper vapor barrier and then drywalled is added on the interior side. Roof should be insulated.

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1900-WWII Wood - Walls typically a full 6-inches thick, clapboard outside, wood lath with plaster inside. Post-and-beam roof with wide planks, spaced inches apart, no roof sheathing, modern shingles over old wood shakes, possible slate or rigid asbestos shingles. Single-pane windows in wooden frames. Full basement. Originally the houses were heated with a coal-fired furnace in the basement. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Insulate the attic. Close and insulate the coal chute that connects the basement to the outside. Consider insulated curtains for all windows. During winter, keep interior doors closed to prevent cold air flow. Carefully research insulation for exterior walls. Improperly done, without a vapor barrier, insulation can damage the walls. If you want to add central air conditioning to a two-story building, consider a unit in the attic and a second in the basement, to minimize interior wall damage from ductwork.

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1900-WWII Brick - Walls typically 3 brick courses thick, with air gap in center. Post-and-beam roof with wide planks, spaced inches apart, no roof sheathing, modern shingles over old wood shakes, possible slate or rigid asbestos shingles. Single-pane windows in wooden frames. Full basement. Originally the houses were heated with a coal-fired furnace in the basement. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Insulate the attic. Close and insulate the coal chute that connects the basement to the outside. Consider insulated curtains for all windows. During winter, keep interior doors closed to prevent cold air flow. The air gap in the brick exterior walls provides a degree of insulation. The brick walls provide a thermal mass, which when heated in the winter or cooled in the summer provides a degree of comfort, by preventing extreme temperature swings. If you want to add central air conditioning to a two- story house, consider a unit in the attic and a second in the basement, to minimize interior wall damage from ductwork.

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1900-WWII "Stone" - Walls typically made of cement blocks, with a stone-like decorative pattern on the outside. Houses typically in the "four square" style. Post-and-beam roof with clay tile or slate shingles. Originally the houses were heated with a coal-fired furnace in the basement. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Insulate the attic. Close and insulate the coal chute that connects the basement to the outside. Consider insulated curtains on all windows. During winter, keep interior doors closed to prevent cold air flow. The cement-block walls provide a thermal mass, which when heated in the winter or cooled in the summer provides a degree of comfort, by preventing extreme temperature swings. If you want to add central air conditioning to a two story house, consider a unit in the attic and a second in the basement, to minimize interior wall damage from ductwork.

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1900-WWII Other - Garage. Walls typically same material as house. Roof same as house. Often foundation is poor, and garage has begun to sag. Install new footer, straighten walls, and begin to garage your mini-car.

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WWII-1960 Wood - Interior walls typically plaster with no insulation. Truss roof with asphalt shingles over plywood sheathing. Windows typically single-paned, often with aluminum frames. Often has an aluminum-frame storm window unit on the exterior. The outside doors may have storm doors. Often exterior is sided with rigid asbestos shingles. Full basement about 8 feet deep. Often house is one story with an extra large attic. When there is no basement, the furnace and hot water heater are in the attic. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Insulate the attic. Consider insulated curtains for all windows. During winter, keep interior doors closed to prevent cold air flow. Carefully research insulation for exterior walls. Improperly done, without a vapor barrier, insulation can damage the walls. If you want to add central air conditioning to a two-story house, consider a unit in the attic and a second in the basement, to minimize interior wall damage from ductwork.

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WWII-1960 Brick - Walls typically full-brick veneer over wood frame. Truss roof with asphalt shingles over plywood sheathing. Windows typically single-paned, often with aluminum frames. Often has an aluminum-frame storm window unit on the exterior. The outside doors may have storm doors. Full basement often 8 feet deep. If house is built on a slab with no basement, utilities are in a separate room near to the kitchen. Some houses have insulation in the walls. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Add insulation to the attic. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in vertical chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases.

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WWII-1960 Stone - Walls typically a cut stone veneer with interior walls made of plaster. Truss roof with asphalt shingles over plywood sheathing. Windows typically single-paned, often with aluminum frames. Often has an aluminum-frame storm window unit on the exterior. The outside doors may have storm doors. Full basement often 8 feet deep. If house is built on a slab with no basement, utilities are in a separate room near to the kitchen. Some houses have insulation in the walls. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Add insulation to the attic. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases.

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WWII-1960 Other - Carports.  Leave them as they are, and enjoy them!

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1960-1980 Wood - Walls typically wood with drywall finishing on the inside. Exterior is alumni um siding and, by 1980, vinyl. Prefab-truss roof with asphalt shingles over plywood or particle board sheathing. Windows in 1960s are single-pane with a separate storm window unit. In the 1980s, windows are double-pane, with an integrated storm window. Storm doors are standard.  Full 8-foot-deep basement. Most houses have insulation in the walls, and in the attic. Add insulation to the attic. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases.

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1960-1980 Brick - Exterior walls are brick veneer. Interior walls typically wood with drywall finishing on the inside. Prefab-truss roof with asphalt shingles over plywood or particle board sheathing. Windows in 1960s are single-pane with an exterior storm window. In the 1980s, windows are double-pane with an integrated storm windows. Storm doors are standard. Full 8-foot-deep basement. Most houses have insulation in the walls, and in the attic. Add insulation to the attic. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases.

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1960-1980 Stone - Walls typically cut-stone veneer over wood frame. Interior walls typically wood with drywall finishing on the inside. Prefab-truss roof with asphalt shingles over plywood or particle board sheathing. Windows in 1960s are single-pane with an exterior storm window. In the 1980s windows are double-pane with an integrated storm window. Full 8-foot-deep basement. Storm doors are standard. Most houses have insulation in the walls, and in the attic. Add insulation to the attic. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases.

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1960-1980 Other - A-frames, pre-fabs, double-wide trailers. A-frames were built as cabins for seasonal use, where exterior walls are actually roofing material. Interior is drywall. Add or improve weatherstripping of exterior doors.  Use light-switch insulation kits in switch boxes in exterior walls.  Seek cold-air inflows through various openings to the outside, and stuff with appropriate insulation. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these shafts. Pre-fabs, including double-wide trailers, are manufactured in a factory and moved to the site. Insulate under the structure to ensure that no air can flow through. These buildings are normally somewhat insulated.

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Post-1980 Wood - Exterior is wood or vinyl over particle board. Typical walls with 3.5-inch space filled with R-13 fiberglass insulation. Some walls with 5.5-inch space filled with R-19 fiberglass insulation. Prefab-truss roof with asphalt shingles over particle board sheathing. Windows have double panes, or even triple panes. Basement is 8 to 9 feet deep, often of poured concrete. The main room is often two stories high. Install drop-down ceiling fan in the main room to attempt to move the warm air down in the winter. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases. Consider whether your house might be too tight, which can encourage mold and increase potential radon exposure from the basement.  In such cases, you might need to improve fresh-air ventilation.

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Post-1980 Brick - Walls typically half-brick veneer over particle board. Typical walls with 3.5-inch space filled with R-13 fiberglass insulation. Prefab-truss roof with asphalt shingles over particle board sheathing. Windows are double pane, or even triple pane. Basement is 8 to 9 feet deep, often of poured concrete. The main room is often two stories high. Install drop down ceiling fan in the main room to attempt to move the warm air down in the winter. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases. Consider whether your house might be too tight, which can encourage mold and increase potential radon exposure from the basement.  In such cases, you might need to improve fresh-air ventilation.

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Post-1980 Stone - Walls typically artificial stone veneer over particle board. Typical walls with 3.5-inch space filled with R-13 fiberglass insulation. Prefab-truss roof with asphalt shingles over particle board sheathing. Windows are double pane or even triple pane. Basement is 8 to 9 feet deep, often of poured concrete. The main room is often two stories high. Install drop down ceiling fan in the main room to attempt to move the warm air down in the winter. Look for areas where the heat and plumbing are run in chases between floors, and install some insulation to block the air flow up these chases. Consider whether your house might be too tight, which can encourage mold and increase potential radon exposure from the basement.  In such cases, you might need to improve fresh-air ventilation.

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Post-1980 Other - Storage sheds. Walls are wood or vinyl sided, with exposed studs in the interior. Floor is often particle board. Roof has asphalt shingles over particle board sheathing. Foundation is minimal.  If space is to be heated, insulate the roof and walls.

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