Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery.It’s been a while since I’ve received a good, general-interest question to address in an Ask Katie post. So, I’m sweetening the pot. If you have a residential design question that many might share, email it to me at Katie@katiehutchison.com and put “Ask Katie” in the subject field. Please do not include or attach photos. If I select your question to answer in the next Ask Katie post, you’ll receive a complimentary box (chosen by you) of KHS photo note cards. I look forward to hearing from you.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Q: Can you offer any general guidelines for helping the overwhelmed home renovator on a tight budget set priorities? I’m buying another fixer-upper after selling my first one and was wondering how we can be more strategic with renovations this time ‘round. Are there things you always recommend tackling first? Things that I can ignore for awhile? Things you suggest that are almost always a worthwhile investment?

Gerry from Concord, MA

A: It may not be sexy, but deal with the infrastructure first. Address any moisture and/or structural issues as well as inadequate drainage systems. Upgrade outmoded electrical, plumbing, and heating systems so they’re both safe and efficient. Remove hazardous materials, like asbestos insulation or siding. Consider lead abatement if you have young children. Install life-safety devices such as smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Get rid of any bugs, rodents, or other pests. There’s no point investing in reconfiguring space or adding a family room if the existing house is likely to rot around you, collapse, make you sick, or catch fire.

Once you’ve made the necessary improvements to the infrastructure, determine the minimal additional changes that will make it livable enough to move in. That might mean removing old carpeting, refinishing floors, and

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Q: I would like to upgrade the builders’ grade trim package in our center hall colonial home. Faced with all the different molding choices at the lumber yard, it is very difficult to make a selection on the size and scale. Our home has 8-foot ceilings and I would like to add a crown, chair rail, new base, and window and door casings. How large can these moldings be before they start to look out of scale with the 8-foot ceiling?

Dave from Wheaton, IL

A: The way you’ve phrased your question suggests that you’re already on the right track. Selecting trim that is aesthetically appropriate to your space, while in proportion to it, is the key to a successful upgrade.

Since your home is a “center hall colonial” you may be looking for more traditional trim options. These are typically comprised of multiple components for each location and are generally larger than more contemporary alternatives. Since I suspect that yours is a newer “colonial”, not an antique, you needn’t slavishly reproduce period details. I recommend keeping it simple and elegant.

Consider a two-part base that consists of 1x6 flat stock plus a molded cap or

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Q: Can you weigh in on the much-debated replacement window question in old houses? I need to buy replacement double-hung windows and, although vinyl is seductively cheaper, I am a diehard all-wood fan. Recently I have heard that vinyl-clad windows can be more energy efficient. We are trying to make green choices in our home to reduce our energy consumption. What to do?

Jane from Concord, MA

A: To my mind a great, old house shouldn’t have to bear the indignity of vinyl replacement windows. There are many attractive alternatives that can improve upon existing performance, some of which may cost more in the short term but are well worth it.

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Q: I am currently looking for an older, one and one-half story home in the Pittsburgh area. Unlike New England, many have first stories that are mostly brick - yellow brick, red brick, brown brick - you name it. Often they have, at some point in the past, sided the dormer of the house with some sort of inexpensive (and ugly) siding, like aluminum. Sometimes they do this in a contrasting color (white dormer siding with a red brick first story) and sometimes they try to match the siding to the brick, colorwise. Is it better to blend the siding and the brick color or pick a contrasting color? Is it possible to clean or re-paint aluminum siding? Are there other, and better, options for siding? What about changing the brick color/finish?

Karen from Pittsburgh, PA

A: I’m a purist, so to my mind the aluminum siding on the dormer has got to go. Don’t even think about painting it; that defeats the point of the product. As long as it’s aluminum, it’s going to be aesthetically impaired, no matter how you try to conceal it.

I’d consider replacing it with cedar shingles, cedar clapboards, or another type of cedar siding, like shiplap novelty siding. I wouldn’t recommend

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