guest tradition

BEFORE | Fading Facade The heart has its reasons, as they say, so best not to overthink another home buyer’s surprising infatuation. In Teresa Dau and Amanda McMillan’s case, it started with a certain neighborhood in Decatur, Georgia—steps from schools, public transit, the library, the playground, and old-timey Decatur Square—and culminated in a rash gamble on a carved-up bungalow that had idled on the market for months. Shown: The unrenovated house, complete with a sun-blocking metal awning attached to the front porch....

Work is under way for the 41st season of This Old House, with TOH home builder Jeff Sweenor’s crew tackling a ranch in Westerly, RI. The original one-story house will expand into a two-story Dutch Colonial for a family with young children. Lori Foley, architectural designer for Sweenor Builders, says: “The original ranch design is a perfect starting point to create a Colonial-style layout. Our homeowner prefers the look of a Dutch Colonial with the gambrel roof style....

Most dog lovers know what it’s like to greet a guest at the door with two excited pups scrambling at their feet, trying to break free. That’s exactly what spurred homeowner Lori Spiak to begin pricing out Dutch doors for her North Tustin, California, home—until she found they cost nearly $3,000 and weren’t even the style she wanted. How to Make a Dutch Door Acknowledging that it was a risky move, Lori decided instead to cut her existing wood front door in half, just above its two large lower panels....

Tackling these problems now will pay off when entertaining or relocating, so it’s best to address sooner than later. Here are some common household issues and their solutions: Glaring holes in the wall from picture frames The fix: Overfill holes with a lightweight patching compound. Once dry, smooth with a damp sponge. Unlike with sandpaper, there’s no dust and no damage to the wall paint. Cabinet doors won’t stay shut The fix: The old spring or roller latch is worn out or covered with paint....

This article appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Quick rewards are rare in the garden. Flowering perennials usually creep for several seasons before filling out, while small trees and shrubs can take up to 10 years to reach full size. But edibles? Now, that’s a group that delivers instant gratification. Sow a packet of lettuce seeds tomorrow, and you’ll have a nice little side salad within just weeks....

“The front wall of our house has some bricks that are falling apart. We have replacement bricks on hand but no clue as to how to replace them without damaging the intact ones.”—ROBIN DOLBOW, SHOREVIEW, MN Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Where to Start: TOH mason Mark McCullough: This kind of repair is fairly straightforward, but I would recommend that you rent a shrouded grinder to cut into the old mortar and a tool triggered vacuum that works with the grinder to collect the dust it generates....

Steps for repointing brick with hand tools: Chisel out the existing mortar down to about ¾”. Start with all the head joints before moving to the bed joints. Clean out any excess mortar with the cleanout tool and the brush. Dip the brush in some water and dampen the brick. Put the mortar mix into a bucket and slowly add water. Mix with the trowel until the mortar has an oatmeal consistency....

Potting Bench Even if you love gardening, repotting plants or dividing flats can feel like a real chore if you have to scavenge for supplies in the dark corners of the garage. Park them on a dedicated workstation, however, and you’ll never waste time hunting them down again. Our simple, three-tier potting bench features a wire mesh backing that keeps your favorite hand tools right at your fingertips. If you plan to leave it outdoors, make sure you build it from cedar or exterior-grade lumber....

Previous episode: S41 E9 | Next episode: S41 E11 In this episode: Kevin is on the Westerly jobsite and takes a look at the final touches happening on the first floor. It’s about time to think about furniture. Homeowners Scott and Shayla asked Jeff’s team to design a special two-tiered oval coffee table using some old boards they pulled from a nearby family sawmill. Jeff invites Norm to his workshop where they plane the boards and join them with mortises and tenons....

Pegboards are used to hang tools and supplies, allowing you to organize your workshop and quickly access equipment when needed. They act as both wall decor and storage and can be mounted on a wall in your workshop, garage, kitchen, craft room, or another area of your home. Top 5 Pegboards Best Value: Wall Control 30-P-3232GV Galvanized Steel Pegboard Pack Most Customizable: Wall Control 4-Foot Metal Pegboard Standard Tool Storage Kit Most Storage Space: WallPeg Black Plastic Pegboard Panels Best For Small Tools: Azar Displays 70-Piece Pegboard Organizer Kit Most Durable: Azar Displays 771620-WHT Pegboard 1-Sided Wall Panel Key Features Available in black, silver, gray, beige, blue, green, orange, red, white, or yellow Available with or without hardware Comes with two panels that are 32 x 16 inches Made of galvanized steel Has round and slotted holes for mounting What Customers Are Saying Customers liked how quickly they could install these pegboards and liked how versatile they were, making them useful for storing tools in the garage or hanging pots and pans in the kitchen....

CONCORD, Mass., MAY 22, 2019 – This Old House Ventures, LLC’s Generation Next program – the philanthropic initiative which aims to close the skills gap by encouraging young people to master vocational trades – is pleased to announce the apprenticeship winners for 2019. Kathryn Fulton of Pembroke Pines, Florida and De’Shaun Burnett of New Orleans, Louisiana will be working alongside—and learning from—the This Old House team on the Westerly Project House and projects in the Greater Boston area, which will air in the 2019-2020 season....

Allwood Arlanda Garden House Kit Arlanda is a garden house kit made from high quality Nordic wood. The modern cabin can also be set up on rooftops of multi-story buildings. Check local codes before purchasing any of the tiny houses in this gallery. These renderings show the interior layout possibilities of this tiny house model. Lillevilla Escape Cabin Kit This popular 113-square-foot hideaway is more practical than you might think....

The housing market in Philadelphia is on the rise. According to a study performed by popular real estate company Long & Foster, the median price for a home in the area was up 11% in February 2021 compared with the previous year. This, combined with active inventory decreasing by 27%, means it’s a great time to sell for top dollar. It also means buyers need to be more aggressive when searching for their dream homes or investment properties....

Tom Silva may be best known for his skills as TOH’s general contractor, but he has a bit of the detective in him as well. During an early scene at the Brookline project—a 1957 mid-century-modern house in Brookline, MA—Tom and hazardous-material expert Ron Peik, of Alpine Environmental, discussed the possible presence of asbestos, which Tom had suspected from the start. “The age of the house is a teller because back then they did a lot of things with asbestos,” says Tom....

A few years ago, marketing executive and green thumb David Jensen of Clare, Michigan, moved outside the city limits so he could grow a bigger, better garden—only to watch it get devoured by deer that seemed to fear nothing. “You could go out and clap at them, and they would just look at you,” says Jensen today. He was so inspired to control the critters that he quit his job and opened Deer Resistant Landscape Nursery, which specializes in plants and products that limit the extent of the damage....

For this project, we’re teaming up with our friends at Sherwin-Williams® to elevate a headboard into a new, luxurious centerpiece with a rich color and the addition of some smart, hidden storage. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time To get started, I visited my local Sherwin-Williams paint store where the painting expert suggested Extreme Bond Primer so I don’t have to worry about scuff-sanding the headboard’s glossy surface. For my finish coat, I wanted a rich, dark tone in a matte finish....

In This Guide: Types of Microwaves | Key Features | How Much Should You Spend on a Microwave? | The Most Trusted Microwave Brands | Frequently Asked Questions About Microwaves | Other Kitchen Appliances to Consider Microwaves provide a quick way to heat food without using a conventional oven or toaster oven. Not only are microwaves used to reheat leftover food or items that have gotten cold after sitting out for too long, but many frozen food dishes are meant to be cooked in a microwave....

What is Indoor Air Quality? Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a description of different compounds and pollutants that comprise the air inside a home or building, which includes everything from particles released from cooking, CO2 from humans breathing, VOCs from cleaning products, etc. IAQ has become more top of mind for HVAC engineers because homes are tighter and keep air inside the building for significantly longer than in years past....

Top 5 TV Carts Best For Large TVs: Perlegear Mobile TV Cart Most Lightweight: PERLESMITH Mobile TV Cart Best Color Options: VIVO Universal Mobile TV Cart Best Weight Capacity: Yaheetech Mobile TV Cart Best Medium Capacity: 5Rcom Mobile TV Cart Best For Large TVs: Perlegear Mobile TV Cart Pros and Cons ✔ Has 360-degree rotatable wheels✔ Includes built-in cable management✔ Has a camera tray above the TV mounting bracket Compare Top TV Carts Perlegear Mobile TV Cart...

Warmer weather means more opportunities to enjoy your outside, and outdoor bars are the ultimate backyard accouterment and the center of any summer soirée. Here are some fun ideas to help get your party started. Gazebo Bar Similar to a pergola, a gazebo can be used to create a stylish outdoor bar space. This freestanding, roof-covered garden structure has more columns than a pergola due to its typically hexagonal or octagonal shape....