Are you eager to light the fire and get cozy on a cold winter’s night? Not so fast. Using your fireplace could put you in grave danger if your chimney is dirty or otherwise compromised. So, to remain safe, here are some ways to get your chimney ready for use this winter. Start With the Fireplace The chimney is where the smoke exits your house from the fire burning in your fireplace....
Hardwood floors are beautiful, last a lifetime, and are easy to install. With no special tools, you can go from subfloor to breathtaking in as little as a day. Before we get started with how to install hardwood floors, let’s cover a few basics. Hardwood vs. Laminate Wood Flooring Hardwood flooring is solid wood, cut from the tree. The three most popular wood choices include oak, walnut, and hickory, although maple and cherry are sought after as well....
Steps for Setting Up a Beehive Consider hiring a professional beekeeper if you feel you need help. Place cinderblocks on the ground to keep the hive dry and out of any rainwater. Place the baseboard on top of the blocks. Place the Langstroth bee box on the bottom board. Hang the new ‘frames’ by the rabbit ears. Hang the older, pre-started frames from another hive. Spray your 3-lb bee package with sugar water, coating the bees....
Top 5 Best Hand Sanitizers Best For Offices: PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel Best Spray Sanitizer: Everyone Hand Sanitizer Spray Largest Pack: Germ-X Hand Sanitizer Best Sanitizing Wipes: The Honest Company Sanitizing Alcohol Wipes Best Moisturizing Sanitizer: Hempz Triple-Moisture Herbal Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer Best For Offices: PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Gel With 36 one-ounce bottles, this hand sanitizer is ideal for office spaces, reception areas, or meeting rooms, as it allows each person to grab and use their own bottles....
Most Customizable: KitchenAid Albany Kitchen Towel Set No matter if you prefer vibrant or neutral kitchen towels, this set comes in an option for you. Two of the towels have a white background with the occasional stripe with the color of your choice. The other two towels are made entirely from your preferred color. Key Features Four towels 12 by 26 inches each Made from cotton and polyester Machine-washable What Customers Are Saying Customers liked these kitchen towels because they didn’t wrinkle easily, were durable, and dried quickly....
Your home in Fort Worth is susceptible to pests, such as termites, bed bugs, and rodents. Whether you have a current pest infestation that desperately needs treating, or you just want a maintenance plan to keep them out of your house, hiring an exterminator will keep your home pest-free. If you’re sold on purchasing a pest control plan, let this article be a valuable resource for your decision on the best pest control companies in Fort Worth....
What is Sulfur, and Why is it Important for Plant Growth? Sulfur is a naturally occurring element commonly found near volcanos and hot springs, and also in decaying organic matter such as compost and manure. Sulfur is an essential mineral for all living things; plants need it to make enzymes, proteins, and amino acids—fundamental building blocks for their healthy development and growth. Sulfur and Soil pH Sulfur can raise soil’s acidity—a benefit to gardeners, especially if the soil is too alkaline....
Made from one of the hardest minerals on earth, quartz countertops are arguably the most durable option for kitchens. They’re also some of the most eye-catching. They come in a wide variety of colors, including fire-engine red and apple green, as well as earthy browns, blacks, and creams, with sparkles and veining for the look of granite or marble. But unlike natural-stone slabs, which are mined, these slabs are engineered in a factory....
Do you have an old door that’s in great shape and want to reuse it for another door opening rather than throw it away? Not only can retrofitting and transforming an old door save you lots of money, but it’s also a relatively easy DIY project that doesn’t require a lot of skill—although it does take patience. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time According to international code standards, interior doors (the ones that allow passage from one room to another) are required to be at least 80” in height and 32” wide....
Steps for building a self-watering garden: Start by cutting the cedar boards to the desired dimension. Jenn recommends starting off with a smaller garden until you can get comfortable caring for that amount of plants. Insert the boards into the corner brackets. Secure them with outdoor rated screws. Put the frame of the bed in place and check it for level. Fill in any low spots with soil until the bed is level....
Rain gutters and downspouts provide an efficient first step in controlling roof runoff. But if the rain or melted snow channeled off the roof isn’t carried far enough away from the house, it will collect against the foundation wall or footing and seep into your basement or crawl space. One surefire way to avoid such water-related problems is to connect the downspouts to a series of buried drainpipes that lead far from the house....
When the homeowners added a second story and a new garage to their historic home, they needed to fabricate new wood brackets that matched the existing exterior ornamental brackets. Builder Charlie Silva worked with This Old House host Kevin O’Connor to fashion 56 brackets by hand—matching the home’s original details perfectly. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Rather than use a CNC machine—a milling machine that automates the milling process and would cost almost three times as much—Silva opts for a budget-friendly alternative using carpentry tools in his workshop....
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares tips for clearing a concrete walkway after a snowstorm. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps: The best strategy is to always shovel snow off of walkway before it gets trampled and packed down. Throw the snow far enough away from the walk, so that when it melts, it doesn’t drain back onto the walkway and freeze into ice sheets....
Previous episode: S21 E1 | Next episode: S21 E3 In this episode: Master electrician Heath Eastman teaches host Kevin O’Connor about the different types of electric vehicle chargers. Heath explains Level 1, 2, and 3 chargers, how they work, and who they’re suited for. He even goes over the installation requirements for each type of charger and how many miles of charging the owner can expect. He even puts to rest some safety concerns on the topic....
One way to literally live large is to increase your outdoor space in a way that lets you enjoy it more—and a screened-in porch can be just the ticket. Unlike an open-to-the-elements deck or patio, or a sunroom, which typically has solid glass exterior walls, a screened porch has a ceiling and, as the name implies, encloses much of the area with mesh. Such a structure protects you from pesky insects and sudden showers while welcoming light and breezes....
Top 5 Garden Rakes Best Small Bow: Fiskars 397940-1001 PRO Rake Best Large Bow: Midwest 10036 Aluminum Landscape Rake Best Handle: ORIENTOOLS Garden Rake Best for Large Trees: Bully Tools 92630 Poly Leaf Rake Best Adjustability: Jardineer 63-Inch Adjustable Garden Rake Best Small Bow: Fiskars 397940-1001 PRO Rake This bow rake has short metal tines attached to its wide head. The head isn’t as wide as other bow rakes, making it best for smaller tasks around your yard like leveling a small patch of sand or dirt....
There are many homeowners insurance companies that service San Francisco, but it can be difficult to find the best one for your needs. The This Old House Reviews Team has created this in-depth round-up of the best home insurance companies in San Francisco based on metrics like coverage, cost, and customer service quality to help you make the right choice. San Francisco’s Top 4 Homeowners Insurance Companies The highest-rated homeowners insurance companies in San Francisco include:...
This article appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Owning a second home for extended vacations, weekend escapes, or family reunions has never felt more appealing. Even before the pandemic, the market for second homes was heating up thanks to historically low mortgage rates and a prolonged stock market rally. Then 2020 ushered in an era of remote work, making vacation homes that could double as full-time retreats that much more attractive....
Age Range: 8 and up Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time One of the best ways to encourage your children’s budding creativity is to give them a place to practice their talents. This sturdy, portable artist’s easel is compact but holds colorful paints, brushes, pencils, markers, and more. And since it has two sides, your kids can enjoy drawing and painting with friends and siblings. The frame is inexpensive to build, but the dry-erase boards can make the costs add up....
Farmhouse Living Price: $9,900 (must be moved) Location: Prospect, KY Contact: Eric Whisman, Kentucky Trust for Historic Preservation; 502-320-9735 The History: Long before the city of Prospect was incorporated, its industry thrived thanks to the area’s fertile land, wooded acreage, and nearby Harrods Creek. The Wolf Pen Branch Mill anchored the town, serving as a gristmill and a sawmill over its more than 100-year history. Today, the 400-plus acres surrounding the mill are protected from further development; not so the handful of historical houses that remain nearby, including this Italianate....
