Building a simple side table Cut the fir table parts to length with a miter saw. Use a table saw to rip off the edges of the 5/4-by-6-inch fir decking, creating four square-edge boards. Apply carpenter’s glue to the edges of the boards, then evenly spread the glue with a narrow stick. Use two bar clamps to clamp together the four boards to form the tabletop. Wipe off the excess glue with a damp cloth....
TOH TV worked on not one, but two houses during the Charleston 2018 season. The second home in Elliotborough required quite a bit of extra work, so we couldn’t share the completed reveal until after the TV-show season was over. Kevin and Tommy gave TOH fans a first look at the finished home on Facebook LIVE. (You can watch that at the bottom of this page.) Once the Facebook LIVE aired, a commen question started to pour in:...
That roof over your head, the one that keeps you dry and protects you from the elements? It will weather storms, wind, sleet, and snow for decades, but it won’t last forever. There are a handful of potential issues—old or torn shingles, worn-out flashing, clogged gutters, and more—that will degrade the roof. It’s a gradual process—first a loose shingle or worn piece of flashing lets in a little water, then decay develops, and soon you have water ruining your house....
Luditek Lighted Fall Garland This versatile piece of home decor fits nicely around furniture, on tabletops, railings, doorways, porches, or anywhere else around the home. The 20 bright LED lights spread throughout the 8.2-foot garland strand add a cozy touch to any indoor living area. The lighted garland is also flexible and easy to bend and shape to wrap around furniture, banisters, and more. 4TH Emotion Pillow Covers These 18x18-inch pillow covers instantly transform your throw pillows into a functional fall decoration....
Unless your home is equipped with hurricane shutters, an approaching storm means you’d better get busy putting plywood over your windows. Plywood is inexpensive, readily available (as long as you don’t wait until the last moment to shop), and has 30 percent greater impact strength than oriented strand board (OSB). Insurance industry groups recommend 5/8-inch-thick, exterior-grade (CDX) plywood, at a minimum. Hurricane plywood installation is a two-person job, particularly with large panels....
Mold is infamous for producing spores that, when inhaled, can cause anything from rashes to headaches to respiratory problems. At-risk groups such as the very young or old and people with compromised immune systems, mold sensitivities and allergies, or asthma can have serious reactions to mold. How Dangerous Is Black Mold in Your House? Many kinds—and colors—of mold exist. Stachybotrys, a black mold, has a reputation for being particularly toxic, but it doesn’t matter what type of mold you’re dealing with—all molds found within the house bring with them the possibility of health risks and should be removed immediately....
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner solve a driveway drainage dilemma. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Installing a channel drain Mark a straight cutline across the corner of the driveway to indicate the position of the channel drain. Cut through the asphalt with a water-cooled circular saw fitted with a diamond-impregnated blade. Pry up and remove the severed piece of asphalt with a shovel....
“We had new hardwood floors installed, and now there’s a big gap between the bottom of the front door and the threshold. How do we eliminate that gap and leave enough room for the door to clear the rug?” —ANDREW RIEDL, MELROSE, MA Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Normally, the finished floor beneath an exterior door is slightly below the top of the threshold. Your door was trimmed after the new flooring was installed so that it could open, creating the gap you mentioned....
Steps: 1. Start by calculating the angle for the bevel cut on the miter saw. To do this, take the number of degrees in a circle (360) and divide it by the number of sides of the planter. Then, divide that number in half. For a hexagon, it will be 30 degrees. 2. Set the bevel on the miter saw to 30 degrees. 3. Set up a stop block on the miter saw to ensure all the boards are the same size....
Steps: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Tools & Materials Hammer Utility knife When vinyl siding is first installed, it is nailed through a nailing strip. The bottom of the next course is locked into the nailing strip of the course below. When replacing siding, try to purchase a piece from the same manufacturer in the same color. Work your hand into a seam between pieces, then release the siding from the nailing strip....
However, if the door isn’t symmetrical from side to side, or if you’d rather have the door’s inside face stay on the inside, this job becomes more difficult; ask a trim carpenter to tackle it. But if your door is symmetrical from side to side and inside and out, this is a doable DIY project. Here’s how to go about it. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time What You Need for This Project Gather some basic tools, including a sharp 3⁄4 -inch chisel, a screwdriver, a drill/driver, a hammer, and a pry bar....
Modern Entry For many period-house lovers, the term “mid-century modern” evokes sharp angles, bare windows, and no place to sit except a stiff chrome chair. But you won’t have trouble finding privacy or comfy seating in the spacious 1959 home of George Marrone and Michael Nocera, dedicated restorers with a distinct preference for the floor plans and furnishings of the Mad Men era. Shown: Zingy orange-painted doors greet visitors as they enter the brick-and-wood-clad house, built in 1959....
Best All-Purpose Duster: OXO Hand Duster This hand duster cleans most surfaces around your home and in your vehicle, such as windowsills, dressers, tables, and dashboards. Its red head is highly visible, so it’s easy to remember where you left it. For convenient storage, the handle has a built-in hole to hang it. Key Features Reusable head 18 inches long Rubber grip Hanging hole What Customers Are Saying Customers appreciated that this hand duster was easy to clean by throwing the microfiber head in the washing machine....
Top 5 Water Test Kits Best For Pools: AquaChek Salt Water Swimming Pool Test Strips Best Digital Tester: HoneForest Water Quality Tester Best For Hard Water: JNW Direct Total Water Hardness Test Strips Most Versatile: VARIFY Premium Drinking Water Test Kit Best For Well Water: Health Metric Well Water Test Kit Best For Pools: AquaChek Salt Water Swimming Pool Test Strips Designed with saltwater swimming pools in mind, this testing kit measures sodium chloride to ensure your pool has the proper salinity level....
These battery-powered devices shoot precise beams of light that stay level and plumb over long distances—perfect for installing cabinets, doors, tile, trim, and more. Here are our picks for the four basic types of self-leveling lasers, with pointers on how to use each one. Laser Level Reviews 1. 3-Plane Laser Level: Bosch GLL3-80 Meet the only laser level that simultaneously projects three 360-degree perpendicular beams on the walls, ceiling, and floor....
There’s a lot of work to be done at this site, and with the help of Kubota’s machinery, builder Jerry Effren’s team at Greyrock Homes will be able to get the job done quickly and easily. Sub-compact Tractor Kubota’s BX series brings maintenance capabilities in an all-in-one machine at an affordable price point. This sub-compact tractor is ideal for smaller lots and helps create less work to clean up the job site....
“A storm can mess with a power line, knocking out power for hours, but our Internet, furnace, and refrigerator stay on,” says Phil Robertston of Woodstock, VT. Two years ago, Robertson signed up for a pilot program to install a Tesla home battery system called the Powerwall that’s based on the same lithium-ion technology the company uses in its electric cars. In blackouts, the battery provides backup power. The current cost, including installation work, is $15 a month for 10 years....
A garbage disposal is like a miracle appliance, saving you time from dealing with food scraps and saving the environment from more leftovers in the landfill. Hidden away under your sink, garbage disposals are perfectly concealed, so it’s easy to forget they’re there. But like any appliance, they need a good cleaning every once in a while, or you could end up with a breeding ground for harmful bacteria or mold....
In this video This Old House general contractor Tom Silva demonstrates how to install radiant heating under solid wood floors. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for Installing Radiant Heat Under Solid Wood Flooring Fasten the heat transfer plates to the underside of the old floor with ½-inch screws. Install two parallel rows of plates between each pair of floor joists. Snap the flexible PEX tubing into the grooves of the heat transfer plates....
A common decorative flourish for traditional homes, crown molding enriches a space by forming an eye-catching transition between the walls and ceiling. But if your ceilings are high or your room has generous moldings around windows and doorways, a single strip of crown molding might get lost overhead. To get the right effect, you could opt to use a large-profile molding, says This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers. “But you’ll pay a hefty price for large profiles,” he says....
