Greening your historic home

The Philadelphia region has more than its share of historic buildings.  Beautiful, sure, but also notoriously drafty, leaky and difficult to heat or cool. Not good for the planet.

If you're looking for help making an older home more energy efficient, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has launched an online guide chock full of information about what to do and how to do it without ruining the character of your home. Or, in many cases, spending an attic-load of money to do it.

The guide includes discussion — and tons of photos — about what to do with older windows, from replacing them to adding things like interior storm windows to retain the home's character. It also gives tips on general weatherization, roofing and insulation.

Mechanical systems — heating and cooling, for instance — are another big challenge. Among other tips, the guide suggests using closets and nonworking fireplaces to hide duct work and electrical boards. Unlike new homes, older ones also have cavity walls and false floors to hide all those modern wires.

The guide includes nearly 200 links to Web sites, articles, reports, case studies, and do-it-yourself checklists. IT can be found at www.PreservationNation.org/weatherization