A quality pressure washer removes stuck-on dirt and mold from your home’s siding, driveway, and walkway to restore their natural appearance. While all pressure washers are designed to clean your home’s exterior, not all models come with the same features. The This Old House Reviews Team has conducted research on the best pressure washers to help you find models with a variety of features to choose from. Here are our top four selections....
CONCORD, Mass., APRIL 26, 2022— This Old House will be recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 49th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards on June 18th. More than four decades since premiering as the seminal home improvement show, This Old House, along with its sister show, Ask This Old House, has received 117 Emmy nominations and won 20 Emmys overall. This Old House joins only two other series awarded with this honor – 60 Minutes and Sesame Street....
Putting a safe roof over your head isn’t necessarily a one-time deal. Shingles stain, condensation collects, and high winds carry roofs wherever they please. That’s where the TOH crew’s knowledge and your sweat equity enter the picture. Here, we cover roof-related scenarios to help prevent future mishaps, like a missing roof. Roof Repair Questions Answered Roofing Fails: How to Spot the Problem Q: How do you know when an asphalt shingle roof needs replacement?...
A lot perched up high has its charms—ample opportunities for lofty views and even a bit of seclusion from the rest of the world—but it can also come with more than the usual challenges. Privacy and quiet aren’t so easy to achieve when it’s a corner property and two sides are exposed to the neighborhood. Add to that the sloping terrain—how and what do you plant to keep it stable, yet pleasing?...
Consider the humble lightbulb. Since the late 1800s, it’s been regarded (along with sliced bread and indoor plumbing) as one of the paramount conveniences of the modern age. Electric lights are so common in industrialized nations that we rarely think about them. That might be changing. It turns out that the sheer ubiquity of artificial light is causing as many problems as it’s solving. Since the Industrial Revolution, our sleep habits have changed significantly and, according to some experts, the shift is wreaking havoc on our minds and bodies—often without us realizing it....
BEFORE | Divided Bath Sometimes it takes a minor disaster to finally kick-start a major renovation. For Helen and Rich Rosselli of Trumbull, CT, it was a failing shower pan in their master bath, which resulted in a leak in the kitchen ceiling of their 1980s Colonial-style home. “The room definitely needed updating, and we put it off way too long,” says Helen. Shown: The two-part bath held two sinks separated by an outer vestibule wall....
LG Electronics OLED55B8PUA 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV Samsung QN55Q6F Flat 55” QLED 4K UHD 6 Series Smart TV This model is a top-seller in the “Most Wished For” category. It measures 48.3 x 9.8 x 30.7 inches and features a thoughtful design with a clean cable solution that allows you to focus on a TV without the peripheral clutter. Toshiba 43LF621U19 43-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV Sony XBR49X900F 49-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV This is the best mid-range model, as determined by RTINGS....
Steps: 1. Start by measuring and cutting the steel to the correct dimensions. For the legs of the coat rack, line each cut leg up with the steel to ensure they’re all the same length. 2. Weld the frame of the coat rack together. Jimmy shares with Tom a few tips on how to ensure a good weld: a. ALWAYS wear protective gear. The welding process creates UV light, which can burn your skin, hands, and even blind your eyes....
Are you in need of a gift for someone special this Father’s Day? The This Old House Reviews Team has you covered. We’ve rounded up our top picks for gifts this year, including a This Old House Insider membership—perfect for the ultimate This Old House fan! Shop now, and check shipping preferences at checkout to ensure your gift arrives by Father’s Day. Gift a This Old House Insider Membership Hide & Drink Leather Small Tool Roll-Up Bag Shop Now...
A simple rug has the power to tie an entire room together. They’re offered in a variety of textures, materials, and sizes and come in circular and geometric shapes. Keep in mind that you can play with shape to add dimension to a space. Rectangular rugs in a rectangular room under rectangular- and square-shaped furniture may look a little boxy. Instead, choose a circular rug to shake things up. All this being said, it can be challenging to find the perfect rug for your home....
Whatever you hope to accomplish at home (and with so many still in WFH mode, that’s probably a lot!), the neater the surroundings, the better you’ll likely do. Indeed, an overstuffed environment can undermine productivity and negatively affect the satisfaction people might otherwise derive from their work, according to recent research at DePaul University’s College of Science and Health. If this inspires you to declutter your domicile top to bottom, the following three basic rules can help:...
Ask This Old House’s Mauro Henrique, who has been the painting contractor on about a dozen This Old House TV projects, decided to help newlywed Rebecca Brown paint the walls of her house, coaching her through the steps of refreshing her dining room. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How do you professionally paint a room? Henrique and Rebecca went over everything that needs to happen before painting starts, including how to pick the right sheen, and the best way to mask window glass....
Steps for replacing window sash balancers First, remove the stop beads from the side of the window frame with a pry bar. Pull the window out of the jamb and remove the tension hooks of the old sash balancers with a pair of pliers. Remove the old sash balancers with a screwdriver or drill/driver. Use a sander to smooth out the jamb and the edges of the sash. To reduce friction, spray a lubricant on the jamb and sash....
Steps: 1. Start by removing any and all weeds that have grown in through the cracks in the sidewalk. 2. Add planters in key locations to add visual impact to the stoop. a. Pour crushed stone at the bottom of the planters for drainage. b. For soil, add a mixture of 2 bags of potting soil per 1 bag of compost. c. For plants, Jenn planted two kousa dogwoods, which she underplanted with coleus....
Painting expert Mauro Henrique shows host Kevin O’Connor a better way to caulk. After first showing Kevin how most people caulk and why he dislikes the technique, he details the finer points (literally) of caulking. 5 Simple Tips for Using Caulk 1. Cracks and Gaps Happen There are many reasons why cracks and gaps happen: materials drying out and shrinking may cause it, as can the foundation settling, just to name a few....
Though the terms “yard” and “garden” are sometimes used interchangeably, the former technically refers to the land immediately surrounding your house (regardless of what’s on it), while the latter connotes cultivation—a plot where you plant whatever assortment of flora suits your fancy. Yet an attractive garden does have practical purposes—in front it contributes hugely to curb appeal while in back it’s a private haven, an outdoors outpost for “me time.”....
Previous episode: S20 E21 | Next episode: S20 E23 In this episode: Master electrician Heath Eastman brings us to the Tool Lab to explain everything we’ve ever wondered about power tool batteries. With a brief history of the evolution of power tool batteries, Heath shows us what they look like inside and explains how manufacturers calculate battery voltage. And voltage isn’t everything. Heath teaches us what amp-hours mean and how they affect how power tools run....
Previous episode: S43 E32 | Next episode: S43 E34 In this episode: The house has seen a lot of progress in the last week. Floor joists are in, and the decking is down in what will soon be an open floor plan family room with a kitchen and dining room. The open floor plan requires new joists to support the dead and live loads above. Builder Matt Whitbeck, Tom Silva, and Kevin O’Connor replace the old joists with new I-joists....
The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed by the Mattress Advisor and This Old House team. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader. The deceptively-named Labor Day holiday is a time to relax from work and shop some sales. And where better to relax than atop a new mattress? That’s especially true for those whose fluffy new mattress is the feather in their cap of a successful bedroom renovation....
STAMFORD, Conn. and SAN JOSE, Calif., SEPT. 30, 2021 — Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: Roku) today announced Emmy® Award-winning series This Old House and Ask This Old House will premiere new seasons of both top-rated shows starting Thursday, September 30th. For the first time in its 43-year history, the 2021-22 season will feature 39 episodes of each show – 13 more episodes than previous seasons. New episodes will premiere on PBS as well as an all-new dedicated This Old House premium subscription channel on The Roku Channel on Thursdays....
