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Cambria (the only family-owned, American-made producer of natural stone surfaces) has a cool way to give the gift of fine surfacing without having to remodel. Now you can gift gorgeous cheeseboards and Lazy Susans in a range of colors. Cambria surfaces are made of pure, natural quartz and feature unparalleled strength and durability—nonporous, scratch and stain resistant, maintenance free. (That is, they don’t require sealing or polishing.) These Lazy Susans made of Cambria Quartz are perfect for everything from presenting appetizers to creating centerpieces....

Attic Stairway Insulation From Jan/Feb 2018 Q The heat loss around our closed, pull-down attic stairs must be astronomical. Can the stairway opening be insulated? —Gil Shaw, Hampshire, IL A You’re right. An attic stairway can lose a great deal of heat, even when closed, as warm air escapes between the ceiling and the edge of the stairway’s panel. The fix? Fit a well-insulated, removable cap over the stairway opening....

Over-the-range, or OTR, microwaves help homeowners maximize compact kitchens, unlike countertop microwaves. However, with varying capacities, cooking modes, styles, handle designs, and other considerations, there are many considerations before choosing the right one. Top 5 Over-the-Range Microwaves Here are the best over-the-range microwaves we found: Most Compact: Sharp Over-the-Range Convection Microwave Best Entry-Level: BLACK + DECKER Over-the-Range Microwave Largest Capacity: FRIGIDAIRE Over-the-Range Microwave Best Medium-Capacity: FRIGIDAIRE SmudgeProof Over-the-Range Microwave Largest Turntable: GASLAND Over-the-Range Microwave Oven Pros and Cons ✔ Push-button door opens gently✔ Can ventilate air horizontally, vertically, or through ductless recirculation✔ Includes custom help key for easy-to-follow cooking and programming instructions...

You’ve pulled out all the stops to make your house and yard look first-rate. So why let that hard work disappear at nightfall. With a flick of a switch and some strategically placed outdoor house lights, you can roll back the darkness and put it all on display? Done right, landscape lighting makes the best of what you’ve got by highlighting your home’s architectural features and drawing attention to prized plantings and trees....

Are you tired of waiting minutes for hot water to come out of your faucet and wasting cold water in the process? This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains how to remedy this common problem found in large houses and commercial buildings with a recirculating pump. A common question is: Is a hot water recirculating pump worth it? For Trethewey, the answer is yes. In this video, he explains how a recirculation line can save energy, money, and time....

One way to up the coziness factor of your bed and make a visual statement in your room is to add an upholstered headboard. While it makes a big impact, it’s not actually as difficult to build as you might expect. All you need is ½-inch plywood cut to size, plus 1-inch foam, batting, fabric, and nailhead trim. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Make a Headboard in 8 Steps: Step 1: Cut Plywood Get your plywood cut to size or cut it yourself with a saw....

Certain utility spaces in a house generally get overworked and underdecorated. Not so in this Southern California house, where an array of playful paint colors brighten the back stairs, while chunky wood treads and neutral gray trim keep the look sophisticated. The most difficult part in pulling off this project? Putting together the palette. “One color shouldn’t look like an uninvited guest,” says architectural color consultant Amy Wax. If you stick to colors from a small collection, says Wax, they’ll probably be complementary....

Carpet It won’t be easy, but with the right tools, it’s doable. First, use a plastic putty knife to scoop up as much paint as possible. Next, mix a solution of warm water and dish soap (1 cup : ½ tsp.) in a spray bottle. Squirt the stain with the solution, then immediately run a wet/dry vac over the area; repeat until paint is gone. Use a clean, dry rag to mop up any remaining moisture....

Sure, retaining walls look like simple stacked stone, block, or timber. But in fact, they’re carefully engineered systems that wage an ongoing battle with gravity. They restrain tons of saturated soil that would otherwise slump and slide away from a foundation or damage the surrounding landscape. These handsome barriers also make inviting spots to sit, and can increase usable yard space by terracing sloped properties, something that is increasingly important as flat home sites become ever more scarce in many regions....

A pressure washer cleans large outdoor surfaces quickly and efficiently. The This Old House Reviews Team has picked the best electric pressure washers to keep your walls, decks, driveways, and cars clean. Keep reading to learn more about them. Top 4 Electric Power Washers Most Portable: Westinghouse Outdoor Electric Pressure Washer Best Detergent Tanks: Sun Joe Electric High Pressure Washer Best Safety Features: WHOLESUN Electric Pressure Washer Best Spray Wands: Karcher K5 Premium Electric-Power Pressure Washer Most Portable: Westinghouse Outdoor Electric Pressure Washer This electric pressure washer is small but powerful, generating up to 2,050 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure with a flow rate of 1....

Top 4 Outdoor Ceiling Fans Best Reach: Harbor Breeze Outdoor Downrod Ceiling Fan Most Versatile: Prominence Home Outdoor Ceiling Fan Most Rustic: Hunter Fan Company Key Biscayne Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan Most Industrial: Minka-Aire Outdoor Ceiling Fan Best Reach: Harbor Breeze Outdoor Downrod Ceiling Fan This product has two mini fans with three blades each on either side of a light with a frosted glass shade. With an airflow of 4,450 cubic feet per minute and a reach of 72 inches, the three-speed motor can cool large porches and patios....

Top 5 Fountain Pens Most Nib Options: Scriveiner Fountain Pen Best Fine Point: Asvine Fountain Pen Most Color Options: Wordsworth & Black Fountain Pen Set Best Design: Waterman Fountain Pen Best Pack: Dryden Designs Fountain Pen Most Nib Options: Scriveiner Fountain Pen No matter if you prefer to write with a broad, extra-fine, fine, or medium nib, this pen has you covered. It’s crafted with a lacquered brass body and chrome accents....

Top 5 Garage Door Openers Best Kit: Chamberlain B970 Smartphone-Controlled Garage Door Opener Best For Light Doors: Chamberlain B550 Smartphone-Controlled Garage Door Opener Best Voice Assistance: Genie 7155-TKV StealthDrive Connect Smartphone-Controlled Garage Door Opener Easiest Installation: beamUP The Workhorse BU100 Sectional Garage Door Opener Best Sensors: Skylink Atoms ATR-1611C Garage Door Opener Best Kit: Chamberlain B970 Smartphone-Controlled Garage Door Opener Pros and Cons ✔ Comes with a battery backup to keep opener working during a power outage✔ Has a remote range of up to 1,500 feet✔ Works in heat, humidity, and other extreme weather conditions...

When you live in an apartment, the balcony is a critical extension of your living space. Akin to the back deck on a home in the suburbs, the balcony gets you outside for grilling, entertaining, people watching, and fresh air. Or, maybe your home in the country has a balcony off the master suite. Either way, these design ideas will help you make more of your balcony—and do it with flair....

Want to save these ideas for later? Create your own holiday gift list to share gift ideas with family and friends. Wildflower Art Studio Store Calligraphy Starter Kit Shop Now If your loved one is artistic, this calligraphy kit has everything they need to start a new hobby. It includes a nib, pen, ink, paper, and a beginner’s instructions booklet and traceable letters. The pen works for both right- and left-handed writers....

Walk-In Closet Great for sharing, these roomy closets have enough space to hold everything at once—so you can avoid the hassle of switching out clothing seasonally—but they need to be organized or you risk winding up with a new clutter zone. • MAKING SPACE To add a walk-in closet, homeowners often annex an extra bedroom, or part of it. To create the one at left, DIYers Michelle and Erik Dagenhart of Charlotte, North Carolina, converted an existing bedroom in their 1922 Craftsman into a master bath and walk-in closet, with a small hallway between the two....

Holiday shopping can be expensive, time-consuming, and stressful, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite early Black Friday deals. By taking advantage of early sales, shoppers who want to take care of their loved ones can knock out their holiday shopping early. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched some of the best early Black Friday deals for homeowners, including popular kitchen appliances, heaters for the holidays, tech-friendly gifts, and even Christmas decor....

Steps for creating a Dutch door With the door still hung in the jamb, mark where the cut for Dutch door will be. Use that as a guide to mark for two additional hinges above and below the cut mark. Mortise the door where the new hinges will go with a chisel. Scoring around the mark with a utility knife can help prevent the door from chipping or cracking. Once the hinges can fit flush against the door, attach the hinges to the door using a drill and screws....

Precious objects from our past have an unfortunate habit of ending up squirreled away in the attic or basement, neglected and forgotten. With a glass-fronted shadow box, however, those collectibles can have a worthy display space, safe from dust and dirty, clumsy fingers. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time In the video above, you’ll see a simple box that Tom and Kevin fashioned, fittingly, from pieces of an old salvaged fir door....

Extension ladders can help you reach extreme heights for projects like cleaning the gutters or trimming trees, or they can be used at their base height for lower projects like hanging a picture or putting up Christmas lights. Before purchasing an extension ladder, decide what types of projects you’ll be using it for, how high it needs to reach, and whether or not you need accessories. Top 5 Extension Ladders Best Multi-Purpose: Little Giant Ladders M22 Multi-Position Ladder Most Portable: WolfWise Aluminum Telescopic Ladder Most Customizable: Xtend & Climb Telescoping Ladder Simplest Design: Ohuhu Aluminum Telescopic Ladder Best Heavy-Duty: Louisville Ladder FE3228 Extension Ladder Best Multi-Purpose: Little Giant Ladders M22 Multi-Position Ladder This product from Little Giant Ladders isn’t just an extension ladder—you can also use it in A-frame, trestle-and-plank, 90-degree, and staircase positions, making it useful for all of your household projects....