Sick of no-shows? No return calls? How to find people to work on your home.

Nearly 55% of the workforce in the trades are nearing retirement age, according to the US Chamber of Commerce, and “There are more than 10 million job openings in the US.” Ask the Remodeler’s Mark Philben offers a way to boost your chances of finding a quality tradesperson.

Send your home improvement questions to Ask the Remodeler at [email protected].

By Mark Philben -- Globe Correspondent

February 14, 2024

Q. My home needs all kinds of work: stripping old wallpaper, drywall repair, painting, floor tile replacement, insulation, and electrical, just to name a few. The property dates to the early 1950s, and a previous owner put on an addition in 1996. How do I find professionals I can count on? My calls and emails have been ignored, and I’ve had no-show appointments.

T.K.S., Newton

A. If you do not have a solid referral from a friend or family member who has had work done recently, start with building and remodeling trade associations. These are like any industry trade association; the members are professionals who work together to improve their industry. They have educational, community outreach, and professional enhancement programs. Perhaps most important is that the members are usually vetted, so your chances of finding a professionally run company are greatly increased. The memberships will range from large-scale builders to remodelers. There are several good associations in New England with great websites to help you find the right fit:

Professional Remodeling Organization | New England

Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston

National Association of Home Builders

Q. I’ve got a historic 1860s-era brick house in Boston. I’ve read in several places (in British historic-home guides and on Reddit groups) that it’s a bad idea to insulate brick walls. They say the bricks will completely freeze in the winter, and the moisture in them will cause them to spall (crumble), eventually compromising the integrity of the walls. But my neighborhood has a lot of brick sidewalks and exterior knee walls, and they don’t seem to spall. Is it OK to insulate the space between the sheetrock/lath/plaster and the brick wall? It would help a lot if I could. Does the type of the brick make a difference? The brick on the front of my house has a smoother, almost porcelain finish, while the side and rear walls are rougher. The historic-home guide was probably referring to 18th-century brick houses, and mine is firmly 19th-century.

C.B., Boston

A. Building science and building materials/technology are constantly changing, so it is difficult to keep up. Building Science recently published an article on the topic: www.buildingscience.com/file/5801. Its conclusions did not convince me that you can insulate masonry walls to today’s code without creating problems of durability for the brick or any wood framing that is embedded in the brick. The reality is that these systems and materials were meant to breathe. Sealing off the ability of the brick to dissipate moisture from both the front and back seems very risky, especially in an older building where you cannot control many of the variables.

If you really need to insulate and reduce heat loss (which we applaud for environmental considerations), do so in a way that leaves space between the brick and the insulation. The brick will still get colder than with an uninsulated wall, but the moisture problem poses a greater risk, which will have been mitigated to the extent possible.

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Mark Philben is the project development manager at Charlie Allen Renovations in Cambridge. Send your questions to [email protected]. Questions are subject to editing.