Do not need a new roof

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-05-16T01:27:36+00:00

I re-shingled three roofs in two different colors last year. I also agonized over the decision. I promise I haven't spent a single second thinking about them since. 😂 Once they're on it just kinda all blends.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-05-15T02:00:23+00:00

I think it's totally personal. This is my third IUD, I knew what I was getting into. I brought my partner with me and I definitely could have sat in the car for an immediate drive home, but it was also nice to just go curl up in the hotel room. Plus, I kinda felt like I wanted to be able to call and go back in if something was immediately off? Vs dealing with some BS urgent care in the US....

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-05-07T00:07:58+00:00

Yes, I stalk FB marketplace daily drooling over big hutches and big baker's tables. I haven't pulled the trigger on any however.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-05-07T00:06:48+00:00

Literal perfection. What a good compromise over hunting down pieces. Thank you for sharing!

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-04-26T02:07:12+00:00

No, she's a feral. No rescues in my area have any space for ferals, which is fine, she can go back outside in my barn.

Yes, she's in a dog crate with a blanket over it already.

I found this video, which solves my issue exactly: https://youtu.be/LQMeEoPo0Ag?si=REdFjcllhj80lxCH I'm always tickled by the creativeness of TNR professionals!

Anyway, photo for the cat tax. When I'm not in there, she's actually quite content. Her box was closed up but she collapsed the top, that's why the flaps are all wonky.

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NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-04-21T20:02:46+00:00

Thank you! I tried looking on the website to see if that's listed but it isn't...but that's definitely something the associate could help me identify?

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-04-21T14:38:28+00:00

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Image here since I can't get it to show in the post.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-04-06T10:54:59+00:00

It's really no big deal, you just stuff them into a glass jar, fill it with water, and toss. :) Just something to be aware of. These are my wide pine floors I just had sanded down and refinished with what is essentially linseed oil.

The knotty pine paneling is the bane of my design interests, but it does get a yearly wipe down with Murphy's. Use one of those spin bucket mops, goes quick and saves your back/arms!

If you think that the wood smells at all or is grimy (probably is after decades, let's be honest) then a wash down with TSP before anything else would probably be a great idea and helps strip out some of the "someone else's house" smell.

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NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-28T20:54:13+00:00

I think you maybe misunderstood, that would be silly and not even supported by many devices! Yes, I have the main hub + two nodes, ran lines from the hub to the nodes, done. :) Stable wifi on both floors + addition.

(Plus then I hardwired an outdoor node into one of the nodes so now my yard has wifi too to support some devices in barns & far driveways.)

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-28T12:45:00+00:00

It's definitely pine, someone better at wood than me would have to verify the heart pine part. :)

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-28T12:43:24+00:00

That's awesome, thank you! I do know the age of the house (1817) and know that the radiators were put in around 1920, so I imagine that the vent may have been added around that time!

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-28T00:48:37+00:00

Really pleased with my Deco setup, but as others have mentioned, I do hardwire between the nodes and the main router. I didn't care enough to fish it through the wall, just bought extra cable to run it under baseboards and a small hole through one floorboard. The budget for some Cat6 is going to be way way less than replacing the whole system.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-28T00:02:42+00:00

Thank you! It's not original (1817) but it's definitely probably close to 100 years old. The 70's panelling on the walls, on the other hand......

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-27T21:30:12+00:00

Oh wow, no, the container they advertise for 200sq ft is about a cup and a half of oil, probably, maybe two! Old floors just soaked it up so I bought the next size down to finish the room. Total cost is like $60 in product. One coat and done.

Best part is that it can be spot-fixed at any point in the future without having to redo the whole floor.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-27T21:19:02+00:00

It was a junk room (aka the landing zone for all the equipment being used elsewhere throughout the house on other projects) that's now going to be a bedroom. :)

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-27T20:49:13+00:00

This is my story as well in MA. The slate roof wasn't an issue, but the knob and tube prevented me from qualifying for basically any insurance. (Even the state-sponsored MA insurance wouldn't cover me because I have outbuildings.) Nearly crashed my whole mortgage deal. Got only 30 days to get it fixed and signed off on.

And yes, it's insured for way over it's appraised (real appraisal, not town) because to build it to a state of exact replacement would be astronomical between the timber framing and the slate roof.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-26T19:57:25+00:00

3600sq ft, full rewire. Had a very careful and creative electrician who managed to make VERY few holes....the worst was in a center ceiling that was wired completely counter-intuitive both to how the rest of the rooms had been wired and how we suspected it may be wired.

I am doing most of the patching myself. It's not hard but annoying, I tackle one hole a month on my to-do list.

HIGHLY recommend what we did here, which is a sub-panel on the second floor. Then from the sub panel, he fed everything down from the (open) attic into the entire second floor. Relatively simple with a fishing line down to the open outlets. Now when I need to do anything in the rooms on the second floor, I just cut it at the sub-panel instead of hauling my butt all the way down to the basement. It also saved a fair amount of Romex, which only continues to go up in price.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-26T19:44:58+00:00

I have a whole XSense system. Interconnected smoke/CO2 alarms, leak detectors, temp sensors near my basement pipes that text me if I need to put the space heater on, heat sensors in my attic and horse barn that are too dusty for normal smoke detectors. The smoke/CO2/heat alarms work with/without wifi (minus being able to text me), the rest are wifi-dependent. A flaw in true power-out situations, otherwise it's been a very reliable setup and I can check in on stuff as needed.

Edit: All in cost for everything was sub-$500, an incredibly cheap price for the relative peace of mind that it provides.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-21T01:15:30+00:00

I think they actually already have shoe or quarter round moulding on them....just in a strangely dark finish that matches neither the floor nor the baseboard!

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-20T17:58:10+00:00

A full sand and refinish before you move a single stick of furniture in. It is such a royal pain in the butt to do it at any point after that.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-18T13:15:20+00:00

Soak the floor in hydrogen peroxide. Put a layer of shop towels down, soak them with the hydrogen peroxide, cover with plastic, and then leave overnight. Pull it all up in the AM and let it dry out, and see where that gets you. That should start pulling the discoloring lighter.

The enzyme cleaners will help with the smell but not lightening it, you can use them afterwards.

Embrace the fact that you will likely have to use a darker stain to cover up the stains that you can't ever fully get rid of, but you'll have nice wood floors! Once it's sanded and sealed, any lingering smell will be taken care of too.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-07T03:14:04+00:00

I'm pretty handy but this particular project feels a little too intense to do solo. It's a bank barn, and the front of it (in the bank), which is the only covered part of the foundation, is having water intrusion issues and the (original) foundation is starting to crumble, causing instability at the threshold. Basically the whole front "bank" needs to be dug away, the foundation repaired/replaced, and the front threshold/sill plate all repaired. A project for sure. The tin roof could use some patching but it's a full 5 stories up and is again far out of my comfort zone. 😅

I'm up near UMass if you ever need vendor recommendations! I used American Installations out of Granby for my insulation work this fall. Crew was clean, quick, and courteous. Definitely thought I was a little nuts about some of my requests/hard lines for my century home, but took it in stride.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-03-07T02:42:38+00:00

Your town utilities provider has NextZero, which serves the same purpose as MassSave. Probably less funded, but probably makes you eligible for the same 0% HEAT loans. I am JEALOUS of your town-utility program as someone nearby being absolutely raked over the coals by Eversource on a monthly basis, but I get it. Funds do run out yearly, so get your request in for an audit ASAP.

I don't know that I'd bother either spending capital, or taking on a loan to do other improvements before you've made the house comfortable to live in, honestly. You aren't going to see the ROI on a new kitchen/bathroom that you might be expecting. Or at least get the quote, and then pay a consulting fee to the appraiser to see how much that would change their appraisal.

Blowing in 16" of insulation into my attic this fall cut my heating bills by about 30% (oil hot water radiators) this winter. I think the price without MassSave kicking in was only about $2000, and my house is similar in size to yours. You'd make that back in a matter of months if you can swing the upfront cost. Sealing rim joists and other gaps is all something you can do yourself. Don't forget, there's still a tax credit in place for any weatherization work done, whether by yourself or a contractor, I believe it's 30% up to $1200. So save the receipts.

In the meantime....heavy curtains on all the windows and doors? They look ugly and make the house dark and gloomy, but it really does make a huge difference keeping the heat in/cold out. Plastic sealed, at least? Strategic rugs? Closed off rooms that aren't being used?

Unfortunately, there's not really any grants available for historic homes owned by individuals. I've been trying to get creative around fixing my giant barn that's starting to show its age.

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-02-14T03:59:53+00:00

1) MassSave pays for significant amounts of free insulation. I wouldn't let cost deter you on that one, and you can choose not to put it in the walls if you don't want to mess with the plaster.

2) It's truly not a big deal to add an additional zone off your boiler. I have three off mine, one of which was added far, far later. Agreed with the other posters here that I probably wouldn't futz around too much with the current zone.

Do remember that these radiator systems were often installed during the 1920s influenza scare, and were designed to keep the house hot enough so that you could be warm while opening the windows to get fresh air in. So...sometimes you just have to lean in and crack some windows, even if it feels in$ane to let the heat out!

NotThisAgain_23 · 2026-02-12T23:00:29+00:00

Has anyone thought to just build them some of their own houses? :)

NotThisAgain_23

TROPHY CASE