Millwork businesses have most trim profiles or can make it to match measurements. The reason you cannot just go to a home improvement store is simply the thicknesses of the thicker pieces. Most home improvement stores stock basic sizes of hardwoods or pine, which are 3/4" thick and thinner. To best mill the stock you need, a shop needs to start with rough sawn 8/4 stock---that is a full 2"+ thick. They resaw the stock into two thicknesses of a nominal 1&1/4" and 3/4". Then plane the sides to the desired dimensions of 1" and 1/2" and edge design. The 3/4" thickness would start with 4/4 stock(1" thick rough sawn) or simply buy 3/4" thick stock. A small shop like mine could buy three thicknesses of sawmill cut(rough cut) in 5/4, 4/4, and 3/4(rough sawn lumber is much less expensive than that which is finished----which is what the process is of which I described. Milling that much stock is a huge chore, however, for a small shop. The other option would be to order those thicknesses/widths from a full service lumberyard and pay for all the milling that way.

Weep holes are seldom done in residential construction in my experience. I have never seen a code requiring them(could be though). While they are recommended in commercial construction, they are part of a drainage system of through wall flashing & often a mortar baffle that helps keep the weep holes clear of mortar. The flashing intercepts any water & directs it to the weeps. I would not add weep holes to a wall not designed for them. I doubt if they would work & would more likely cause trouble or damage. If their are no water issues at this point their most likely won't be.

Isn’t Christmas stressful enough? Now we have to worry about weather or not our Christmas tree matches our year round home decor? Let’s get rid of all our tree ornaments we collected and invested in over the years and run out to buy new to match the decor in our homes. I’ll decorate my tree with the same ornaments I use year after year and receive so many compliments on it even if it doesn’t match my year round interior decor. I donate to charities throughout the year. I think this year I’ll choose a family who can’t afford a tree and take them to pick out a tree and ornaments. I don’t think there going to question weather the ornaments and kind of tree they choose are going to match there decor. I’m pretty sure they will be happier to be able to gather their family around the Christmas tree this year. I doubt they will look at each other and discuss weather the tree matches the decor. They will be so happy just to have a tree they decorated together.

One shouldn't compare durability of old brick buildings to current residential practices. Old brick is usually structural, three bricks thick or more. The weakness of brick is in the mortar and old professional work usually featured better sands with sharper, more varied particle sizes. Masons these days usually just stick with cheap, readily available masonry sand. Unfortunately, masonry is a dying trade. The biggest problem is that most residential brick work is a masonry veneer, covering wood-based construction. Along with stone and stucco, most brick veneer projects use inadequate vapor barriers and flashing. The masonry may look great from the outside, but the finishes are hiding mold, mildew and deterioration of the wood structure. Sometimes, this happens surprisingly fast. Masonry is considered a moisture reservoir cladding. It will soak up moisture from rain or sprinklers and send it towards the inside as the sun comes out. This makes it a more risky cladding than wood, metal, composite or vinyl. Masonry is one of my favorite exterior finishes but it takes extra effort than what is common in current construction practices. If you go with masonry, ensure your construction team understands the details like minding the gap and weatherproof window installations. When I was in Germany, there was a lot of troublesome renovation happening to the very old timberframe structures that had been stuccoed during times when stucco was considered more fashionable. The lime stuccos inhibited the drainage and drying of the wood, speeding up the timbers deterioration.