Posts

Looking to make a round concrete fire pit for your backyard? If you’re planning to do the work yourself, I’d recommend getting a fire-pit kit, like the 48-inch Necessories Grand 48-inch Firepit Kit shown above ($529; Home Depot). Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time This kit includes enough heat-resistant, cast-concrete blocks for a circular pit three courses high, and a powder-coated steel liner. To build it, you need 6 1⁄2 cubic feet of crushed stone, 2 cubic feet of paver base, 5 cubic feet of lava rocks, and a couple of tubes of low-VOC adhesive, such as Gorilla Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive (Gorilla Glue)....

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough replaces a chipped brick in a fireplace surround. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Fix a Fireplace Prep the surrounding work area by hanging plastic drop cloths. Tape them to any door, window, and hallway openings with painters’ tape. Put the canvas drop cloth down immediately underneath the work area. Use the grinder to cut the damaged brick out of the fireplace....

Steps for Installing a Stair Handrail Stand 4-foot level on first step and hold it plumb. Mark the level where it meets top of second step. Calculate height of handrail and mounting brackets; mark bracket height on level. Use level to mark bracket height on wall at top and bottom of staircase. Snap chalk line to connect the two wall marks. Using electronic stud finder, mark wall studs at top, middle and bottom of staircase....

Like any mechanical system, air conditioners needs a little care to run smoothly. Luckily, AC maintenance includes many tasks you can tackle on your own. What Maintenance Does an Air Conditioner Need? We asked This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey to share his air conditioner maintenance tips for central air and window units. 1. Change Your Filters Dirty filters kill your AC’s efficiency, so install a new one every month during the cooling season for central and window units (or clean them if you’ve got the washable type)....

In this video, electrician Scott Caron shows new technologies and applications for LED lighting. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Facts About LED Lights Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are commonly used in flashlights and Christmas tree lights. LEDs are long-lasting, super-bright, and energy-efficient. A standard Christmas tree light consumes seven watts of electricity per bulb. An entire string of LED lights uses just three watts. Replace old incandescent bulbs with retrofit LEDs, which screw into standard lamp sockets....

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission. It’s no secret that a good night’s sleep can work wonders for our quality of life: It can give us increased energy, help us recover quicker, reduce stress, and much more. Good sleep starts with a quality mattress, which is where this Puffy mattress review comes in....

The Rumford fireplace, built in the sanctuary where the altar used to be, was to be the focal point of the enormous living room. The fireplace—a log swallower at five feet wide and four-and-a-half feet tall—would take advantage of ingenious engineering from the 18th century that minimizes smoke and maximizes energy efficiency. Rumford Fireplace Design The secret is in the Rumford’s design. In the mid-1700s, Count Rumford (born Benjamin Thompson in Woburn, Massachusetts), the fireplace’s creator and namesake, realized that the only useful heat generated by a fireplace is radiant heat, and that in traditional fireplaces, much of this heat mixes with smoke and goes right up the chimney....

If you’re looking for a source of entertainment that can fit in tight spots around your home, small TVs are your answer. Though you don’t get as big of a picture as larger TVs, smaller models are easy to transport from room to room as well as easy to fit in novel locations, such as in an outdoor kitchen. To help you find the right model for you, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best small TVs....

This article appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. At first glance, smart lighting can seem more like a gimmick (are bulbs that turn purple really necessary?) than a practical tool. But it turns out this technology makes life easier in lots of small, unexpected ways. Screw a smart bulb into a desk lamp to adjust the hue and brightness before a Zoom meeting....

Nothing beats relaxing on a chilly evening with a cup of something warm and a fire in the hearth. Traditionally a place to cook and a way to heat a home, today’s fireplace serves more as an accessory than a necessity—but a coveted one at that. A fireplace is a safe place for a fire, lit to give off light and heat. Generally made of brick or stone, a fireplace includes a firebox to contain the fire, a chimney to channel smoke and toxic gas out of the space, and several other key elements....

It’s the fundamental question facing anyone who has ever embarked on a home renovation: How likely am I to get the money back when I sell my house? There’s no easy answer, because what a buyer might be willing to pay depends on many factors — everything from the choice of project to the materials you use to the value of other homes in your neighborhood. But it’s important to have some idea of what your improvements might be worth....

Jenn Largesse starts by assembling a very basic porch swing frame using 2x4 and 2x6 lumber. To keep this project budget-friendly, she skips the expensive outdoor cushion, and instead uses a repurposed crib mattress with a waterproof shell. Once a few outdoor pillows are added, this seat is ready for lounging. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for building an easy, DIY porch swing: 1. Cut the Boards to Size • Using the cut list provided, cut the 2x6 and 2x4 pieces to length....

Steps for Improving Home Insulation An easy way to improve the insulation in a home is by insulating the attic floor. Fiberglass insulation can be unrolled and placed into floor joists. Be sure to install unfaced insulation. Faced insulation has a vapor barrier that can hold onto moisture and cause mold in the attic floor and the ceiling below. It’s possible to rent an insulation blower and buy cellulose insulation to blow into the floor joists....

Carpenter Nathan Gilbert shows host Kevin O’Connor the proper way to hang a TV on a wall. After explaining the different types of wall mounts available, Nathan shows Kevin some helpful tips for locating studs. Then, the two discuss the hardware necessary for hanging a TV, highlighting the importance of matching the mount’s capacity to the TV’s size. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Types of TV Mounts There are essentially three types of TV mounts: fixed, tilting, and full motion....

Steps for fitting an antique door Attach the plumb bob to the top of the door and pull the weight to the bottom of the door. Use a measuring tape to determine if there’s a difference between the distance of the plumb bob string at the top of the door and the distance from the string to the bottom of the door. If there is, the door is out of plumb....

In colder climates, heating accounts for about one-third of a homeowner’s annual utility bill, which is why many are seeking thriftier ways to stay toasty. Freestanding pellet stoves and inserts that fit inside an existing fireplace are an increasingly popular solution. They look like traditional wood stoves but operate more like a modern furnace. Pellet Stoves: Are They Worth It? You need only fill the stove’s hopper with pellets made from compacted sawdust, set its thermostat, sit back, and get cozy....

This article appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. If your location is zone 7, I’d recommend planting ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae trees to create your privacy hedge. Sometimes referred to as ‘Smaragd’ because of its Danish lineage, this arborvitae will take wintry weather in stride and has excellent resistance to disease and insects. How Tall Does Emerald Green Arborvitae Grow?...

STAMFORD, CT— April 23, 2021 – This Old House, in partnership with Yellow House Creative™ Consulting LLC, has been named a 2021 Webby Award honoree for Best Overall Social Presence - Brand, Social. The 25th Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet. Central to the social media strategy of This Old House has been to empower its talented experts and staff to share authentic content directly with fans....

1. Jack-o’-Lantern House Numbers Sure, you want to welcome trick-or-treaters this Halloween, but why set out the same old sawtooth pumpkins they’ll see on every porch? Make yours stand out from the crowd by inscribing them with your house numbers. Use a template to draw an outline on each pumpkin, then grab a woodworking chisel or a carving tool (like Dremel’s battery-operated one, about $21; Dremel) to form the numbers without slicing all the way through the flesh....

Richard Trethewey visits a 1950s ranch house to help a homeowner replace his tub drain. The drain is rusted, and the stop can’t be used to fill the tub. The homeowners have done some repairs and upgrades themselves but were nervous to touch the tub drain because they don’t want to mess with water. Richard assures that replacing a drain is a straightforward project, as long as you have reasonable access underneath the drain and everything is correctly sealed....