The Blackstone River cuts through Millbury, and the town grew up around the mills that ran on it. That history is still in the housing. Near the center, you'll find older wood-frame homes and multifamily houses built close together, with framing that's settled over the years and windows that were never flashed the way they would be today. Out toward the edges, newer capes, ranches and colonials fill in the rest.
River valley air is heavy. Fog sits low on cool mornings, and walls that don't get much sun stay wet for days. On an older home, that means rot at sill plates, soft window sills and paint that peels in sheets. Add freeze-thaw and you get gaps that let water behind old siding. Route 146 and the Pike bring traffic, but the damp is what really works on houses here.
Our crew drives over from Auburn, the next town west. We start every job by opening up the wall and photographing what's underneath, so you see rot before it gets covered. Bad sheathing gets replaced, not hidden. Then Tyvek with taped seams, flashing at every opening and new aluminum-wrapped trim. Your gutters get 5-inch K-style aluminum with downspouts pitched to carry water away from the foundation.
What we see on Millbury houses
- Mill-era wood-frame homes built close together near the center
- Damp river valley air that keeps shaded walls wet
- Rotted sills and window frames under old siding
- Downspouts dumping water at old foundations
