Carbonless Retrofit & Remodeling Guide
Second Edition
Affordable Housing matters. Affordable Living matters more.
Digital edition · $49
For real houses
This guide is for people working on real houses. Not perfect ones. Not new ones. Not houses on paper.
Every action has a reaction, and retrofit is where that gets people into trouble. You add insulation, and another surface gets colder. You seal air leaks, and moisture loses its escape route. None of those are bad decisions, but none of them are neutral.
Older houses were not built wrong. They were built before anybody understood air, vapor and moisture, and they were meant to breathe. Tighten one up without a plan and you can create new problems. Do it right and that house can be comfortable, healthy and affordable for another hundred years.
What is inside
- How heat, air and moisture actually move through an existing house
- Why mold shows up in normal houses, and what it is telling you
- How to put a wall, rim joist, ceiling or roof back together so it can dry, tolerate mistakes and last
- Nine chapters, plus two real case studies with field photos and thermal images, including a 1908 Craftsman with an $800-a-month utility bill
- Searchable PDF with clickable chapter navigation
Who it is for
Builders, remodelers, homeowners, inspectors, mold remediation professionals, architects, and anyone who has to decide what to do before a wall gets closed.
This is educational. It is about cause and effect, not a one-size-fits-all recipe.
Which retrofit guide is right for me?
| Guide | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Retrofit & Remodeling Guide, Second Edition | Start here. How heat, air and moisture move through an existing house, and why every change has a reaction. Nine chapters and two real case studies. | $49 |
| How to Make a Thermal Break on the Inside of Your Home | The method. The interior strip, step by step, with the verified wall and roof numbers. Thirty chapters, 279 pages. | $169 |
| The Retrofit & Remodel Field Guide: The NightMare | The pictures. Nearly 200 field photographs from more than 25 real projects, showing what was found when the walls came open. | Digital $199 · Hardcover $249 |
Not sure? Email me at hello@carbonless.org and tell me about your house.
Retrofit & Remodeling Guide, Second Edition: Digital
$49
Buy the guide: $49Instant digital download. No physical book is shipped. Open your download link on a computer, or in Safari or Chrome, not inside the Facebook or Instagram app, and save the file right away. The link expires 24 hours after you first open it. If it expires, email hello@carbonless.org.