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This article appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. A Farmhouse Refresh When starting with a blank slate, it helps to have a strong aesthetic endgame in mind, as Maison de Pax blogger Rachel Paxton did for the attic bath in her family’s 1984 ranch outside Austin, TX. “I knew I wanted a mix of black and white, with wood for the rustic charm that just feels right in this little farmhouse,” says Rachel....

Steps for Cleaning Grout with Homemade Cleaner Fill a cup with warm water. Add the baking soda to the cup to give the mixture grit. Add a few drops of dish soap to the cup. Mix everything together. Pour vinegar along the edges of the grout. Don’t do too much at once or the floor will be really wet and more difficult to work on. Pour the mixture on top of the vinegar along the grout lines....

Steps for matching mortar: If the mortar is not gray, then a dye was used. Take a small sample of the mortar, bring it to the nearest brickyard, and ask them to match the color for you. If the mortar is gray, you might be able to get a close match with the premixed bags of mortar. The following steps are how to attempt an exact color match. Take a couple of small buckets and add proportions of lime and Portland cement....

In this video, General Contractor Tom Silva teaches three apprentices from our Generation NEXT program his method for roofing a section of the house that will receive significant snow loads. Given that scenario, Silva has developed a number of practices that take into consideration the potential for ice damming while also managing water run-off. He installs an ice barrier (aka ice-and-water membrane), then drip edge, then the roofing—weaving in step-flashing between each course....

Top 5 Artificial Christmas Trees Best Flocked Design: Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Snow-Flocked Christmas Pine Tree Most Height Options: National Tree Company Carolina Pine Tree With Clear Lights Best Small Tree: National Tree Company Hickory Cedar Tree Best Basic Tree: Prextex Artificial Spruce Hinged Christmas Tree Best Light Customization: Mr. Christmas Vermont Spruce Christmas Tree Best Flocked Design: Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Snow-Flocked Christmas Pine Tree Pros and Cons ✔ Made with durable metal hinges and flame-retardant branches✔ Can be put together in three steps✔ Created with strong branches to hold garlands and ornaments...

The potential of a house fire is an ever-present danger for any homeowner. While a trusty fire extinguisher can help ease your mind, a fire escape ladder may also be necessary if you live in a home with two or more stories. From pet rescue crates to multi-story ladders, learn more about our top recommendations, compare key features, and get answers to some common questions below. Compare Top Fire Escape Ladders Lightest Ladder: Kidde Fire Escape Two-Story Ladder Best Storage Bag: Hausse Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder Best for Pets: ISOP Pet Emergency Escape Bag Best Three-Story Ladder: Kidde Fire Escape Three-Story Ladder Highest Load Capacity: ISOP Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder Lightest Ladder: Kidde Fire Escape Two-Story Ladder Pros and Cons ✔ Has a high-visibility red color✔ Comes with a long five-year warranty ✔ Doesn’t require any assembly...

CONCORD, MA—May 3, 2021 – This Old House is pleased to partner with GAF, North America’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, to present “Protecting the Protectors” - an inspirational contest celebrating essential workers across the country who went above and beyond to protect others during this unprecedented time. Starting May 3rd, This Old House and GAF are inviting viewers and fans to help shine a spotlight on the essential workers who protect all of us – and one deserving winner will receive a brand-new roof!...

STAMFORD, Conn. and SAN JOSE, Calif., MAY 19, 2022 — After over four decades, This Old House’s Master Carpenter and pioneer of the home improvement television genre, Norm Abram is officially leaving the show and hanging up his toolbelt. Norm will be sent off in style with a one-hour tribute special The House That Norm Built premiering Monday, October 3rd at 9pm ET on PBS and streamed on The Roku Channel....

A sledgehammer is an important part of any professional or DIYer’s tool arsenal. Although most sledgehammers consist of a steel head attached to a handle, many characteristics distinguish a quality sledgehammer from a run-of-the-mill product. Handle material, length, and arrangement all play an important role in a sledgehammer’s quality and designed use. Top 5 Sledgehammers Best for Heavy-Duty Projects: Wilton B.A.S.H. 20-Pound Sledge Hammer (22036) Best Multi-Purpose: Fiskars IsoCore 10-Pound Sledge Hammer Best Fiberglass Handle: Jackson 16-Pound Sledgehammer Best Handheld: Estwing Sure Strike Three-Pound Sledge Best for Household Use: Craftsman Eight-Pound Sledge Hammer Best for Heavy-Duty Projects: Wilton B....

Tom starts with some general information about the architectural history of white cedar shingles: Eastern white cedar is a prevalent species in the Northeast, which is why it is common to see it in the Northeast. It is naturally insect and rot resistant, so Native American tribes were using it to build canoes for hundreds of years. When the early colonists arrived and saw how well the cedar performed for canoes, they started using it as a building material to make shingles as well....

This article appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Recently, my husband and I realized our dream of putting in a swimming pool, which we surrounded with a composite deck. And since we ended up with lengths of leftover decking, I saw an opportunity to put them to use by building a pair of lounge chairs. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time The design I came up with has backrests that fold down flat, angled legs for a modern look, and a long, slatted seat so we can put up our feet while watching the kids....

Steps Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Lightly hand-sand the wood, always working in the direction of the grain. Start sanding with 120-grit sandpaper and continue with progressively finer sandpaper up to 180 grit. Brush a coat of wood conditioner onto the wood, which will allow the stain to soak in evenly without blotching. After applying the conditioner, wait at least 15 minutes, but no more than 2 hours, before staining....

You don’t need a locksmith to replace a faulty lockset on an interior door. It’s a simple job anyone can tackle in less than 15 minutes. For many novice do-it-yourselfers, however, the most difficult part is the first step: removing the doorknob. Steps for Removing a Doorknob On most locksets, the mounting screws are concealed, so at first glance there doesn’t seem to be a way to disassemble the knob. Here’s the secret: Look closely at the shank of the interior doorknob and you’ll see a tiny slot or hole....

In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva saves a crumbling mortared-rock foundation wall. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for repointing a stone foundation Fill a plant mister with water and spray the mortar to keep down the dust. Use a mason’s hammer and pointed trowel to chip and scratch out the old, loose mortar from between the stones. Remove at least 2 inches of the old mortar....

Boxy “We’re at a loss as to how to update our house’s boxy exterior,” says Emily Provost, who shares this 1950 brick home in La Grange Park, IL, with her husband, Eric, and their two daughters. “Plus, it only has one bathroom—a recipe for disaster!” With future plans for an addition, they’re looking to smarten up the facade right now. Classic Character “This style of house is very flat,” says Chicago architect Cinda K....

Top 4 Outdoor Solar Lights Best Decorative Lights: Aityvert Solar Flickering Flame Torch Lights Best String Lights: Brightech Ambience Pro Solar-Powered String Lights Best Motion-Activated Lights: BAXIA TECHNOLOGY LED Solar Motion Sensor Lights Best Post Lights: Davinci Lighting Flexfit Solar Post Cap Lights Best Decorative Lights: Aityvert Solar Flickering Flame Torch Lights These solar-powered torch lights emit realistic flames to decorate your backyard or outdoor area with dancing light for up to 12 hours at a time....

STAMFORD, Conn. and SAN JOSE, Calif., July 25, 2022—Roku announced today that Roku Original unscripted weekly series “Idea House: Mountain Modern” will premiere exclusively on The Roku Channel this Thursday, July 28. Featuring 11 episodes, a new episode of the series will drop every week through October 13. Created by the same team that brought viewers “This Old House,” “Idea House: Mountain Modern” features a husband-and-wife-led design-build firm in the Denver, Colorado area that specializes in a style called “Mountain Modern....

Dining Room You could have called it the house that Disney built—except that little about this Mill Valley, California, home was magical when Cathy and Charlie Wilmoth bought it back in 2006. Believed to be a kit house built in 1955 by a Disney artist, the 2,265-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath home had devolved into something more worthy of Hitchcock. “There were army stickers everywhere, seafoam-green carpet in the bathrooms,” says Cathy, and a “fish tank” toilet seat with faux tropical fish suspended in acrylic....

This story originally appeared in the Spring 2022 Issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. New Faces and Famous Guests (2003 – 2012) Milestones and More (2014 – 2021) Favorite Moments from the Cast After 20 television seasons and more than 1,000 house calls, what are some of the episodes that really hit home for the Ask This Old House team? We asked, they answered....

Oklahoma City is full of contemporary art, diverse restaurants, and professional sports teams. Unfortunately, burglaries are more common in Oklahoma City than in other areas of the US, making a security system a wise investment for homeowners. To help our readers in Oklahoma City find the right security system for their needs, we analyzed and ranked dozens of security systems on factors such as cost, customizability, and professional monitoring plans. Continue reading for more information on our top security systems....