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Top 5 Reverse Osmosis Systems Best American-Made System: APEC Water Systems Reverse Osmosis System Best Water Taste: iSpring Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis System Best Leak Detection: Express Water Reverse Osmosis System Best Tankless System: Waterdrop Reverse Osmosis Filtration System Best Countertop System: AquaTru Countertop Water Filtration Four-Stage System Best American-Made System: APEC Water Systems Reverse Osmosis System Pros and Cons ✔ Comes with everything you to need to install it, including a drain saddle and food-grade tubing✔ Can purify mineral-rich well water✔ The fittings have stainless steel teeth for gripping...

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sponsor: The This Old House Summer DIY Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) is sponsored by This Old House Ventures, LLC, 262 Harbor Drive, Stamford, CT 06902 (“Sponsor”). Sweepstakes Entry Period: The Sweepstakes starts at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Time (ET) July 27, 2020 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET each Sunday (“Sweepstakes Period”). A Week starts at 12:00:01 AM ET each Monday and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET each Sunday during the Sweepstakes Entry Period....

This article appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Some folks like to joke that an old country house is held together with spit and baling wire. But Chris Colomello, a general contractor in Amenia, New York, doesn’t kid around. “We do it all the time,” he says, referring to the steel ties his crew tightened overhead in this once-quaking 19th-century house....

The first thing to do is to consider the simplest explanations: Did the fridge accidentally get unplugged, or was the power shut off? Did the thermostat inadvertently get turned all the way down? Is there a big bag of frozen vegetables blocking the freezer vents? Fridge Still Not Cooling? Follow These Steps to Diagnose & Fix it If none of these issues exist, then it’s time to troubleshoot for some more complicated, but still fixable, problems....

When Maddy Krauss and her husband, Paul Friedberg, first laid eyes on their 1897 Shingle-style home, they fell in love with its handcrafted turn-of-the-century construction, wide front porch, and massive entry-hall staircase. They were also delighted to find that many of the original architectural details were still intact, including wood paneling, exquisite carvings, stained-glass windows, and an ornate cast-bronze fireplace. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time The windows were another story....

What is a smart home, anyway? It’s a home that’s filled with smart devices. A smart device is one you can control remotely, either by voice command or through your smart phone, tablet, or computer. For example, you might use a phone app to turn the lights on at home as you leave work. A second kind of smart device is one you don’t have to control, other than setting it up and letting it do its thing, such as a smart lawn mower....

The air inside your home can be two to 100 times more polluted than what’s outside, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And chemical air fresheners only add to the haze. Eliminating Household Odors For healthier ways to get rid of common odors, try these tips from green-cleaning expert Leslie Reichert. She explains how to get rid of bad smells in your house without using harsh cleaners. Lingering Fishy Aroma If your kitchen smells like the grilled salmon you cooked hours before, try this fix: Boil 2 of cups water, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and toss in a lemon peel....

Steps for growing prairie grasses Identify areas that have grasses that are invasive or non-native that are harmful to the area. Some non-natives, like alfalfa, are not harmful. Grasses like cheat grass, which is short and flat with red tips, are harmful to the environment and can cause massive wildfires. To eliminate invasive or non-native grasses, spray a selective herbicide. Wait a few weeks for the invasives to die off, and then introduce native grasses....

Tip Encourage a plant’s natural habit with the right cuts. Shape it using heading cuts: Hold pruners at a slight angle about inch above a bud that faces the direction in which you want to encourage the new growth. To reduce overall size, use thinning cuts—removing a branch at its origin—in moderation. Fan-Like Needles Arborvitae, juniper, and other trees and shrubs with fan-like needles should be cut back by no more than about 20 percent, says TOH landscape designer Jenn Nawada....

Previous episode: S42 E25 | Next episode: S42 E27 In this episode: Kevin O’Connor, Tom Silva, Jenn Nawada, and Richard Trethewey drive to the Dorchester Triple Decker, which burned over a year before. Finding Charlie Silva at the home, they discuss the hurdles of the project including Covid delays, code upgrades, and the insurance process. Kevin tours Willie’s first floor apartment. In the basement, Richard shows off the sprinkler and heating systems....

March is notoriously unpredictable. Shrubs can be crusty with snow on the first of the month, and then, a couple of weeks later, temperatures can warm up enough for flower and leaf buds to show signs of life. It’s Clean-Up Season Still, some early spring cleanup tasks are sure things this time of year. So go ahead and remove the burlap from trees and shrubs as the weather warms. Prune away winter-killed branches to make room for new growth....

Top 5 Throw Blankets Best Large Blanket: Bedsure Fleece Blanket Best For Winter: LOMAO Flannel Blanket Best Faux Fur Blanket: Chanasya Faux Fur Throw Blanket Most Customizable: Exclusivo Mezcla Flannel Fleece Throw Blanket Best Knit Blanket: BOURINA Throw Blanket Best Large Blanket: Bedsure Fleece Blanket This versatile blanket is perfect for sleeping in a camping tent, watching TV on your couch, and more with its large size of 60 by 80 inches....

CONCORD, Mass., MAY 22, 2020 — The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees for the 47th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards, and This Old House and Ask This Old House scored a total of six nominations – including second year in a row both shows were nominated for “Outstanding Lifestyle Program.” Last year, Ask This Old House took home its first Emmy. This Old House and Ask This Old House have received 90 and 12 Emmy nominations respectively to date, and together the two shows have won 19 Emmys overall....

West Virginia Italianate with Porticos South Carolinia Georgian with Acreage Kentucky Italianate for $9,990 Ohio Queen Anne with Original Built-Ins Status: Under Contract This Civil War-era house, located on a street corner in Martinsburg West Virginia, will be soon given a new owner. A buyer expressed interest in the house shortly after we posted it on thisoldhouse.com, but Stephanie Schupe, Marketing Manager for the Danbridge Reality Group, said that it has taken a while to finalize the sale....

Exposed ceiling beams are an architectural feature that allows rooms to have higher ceilings or a decorative element that adds charm. We’ve noticed that aged-wood beams are one of the features most sought after by homeowners right now. However, old, salvaged-wood beams are usually very heavy, cost-prohibitive, and are often compromised by warping or insect damage. If you are just trying to get the look of exposed beams and don’t need the support, a good option is to install faux wood beams....

Steps: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Tools & Materials Track saw Hammer chisel Bench grinder palm sander router Drill/driver Before doing any work, determine the orientation of the table. Decide whether the live edge should face up or face down, see which face of the slab will look nicest on top, etc. For decorative tables, Tom likes having the live edge face up so it can be really celebrated. For more functional tables, like a dining room table, Tom likes the live edge down so there’s no gap between the flat surface of the table and the person sitting at the table....

Most hardwood floors are made of oak, but despite the durable nature of this wood, it only looks as good as the surface finish. How Do You Make Old Hardwood Floors Look New? Water stains, scratches, dullness and whole areas worn bare by household traffic are signs that it’s time to refinish the floor. In the past that meant sanding down to bare wood—a dust-producing, time-consuming process that’s risky if you don’t have experience or expensive if you hire a pro....

Though there’s no shortage of pre-made mantels on the market, we’re builders at heart, so we set out build a DIY fireplace mantel from off-the-shelf lumber. We opted for a traditional-looking design that goes with many types of decor. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time What Is the Best Wood to Make a Fireplace Mantel? Made of ¾-inch veneer plywood, our mantel is layered with elegant pilasters that are wrapped with stock moldings and baseboard, and topped with a trimmed-out shelf....

As a contractor working on old houses, Tom often has to remove old beams and floorboards to make way for new materials. But he’s careful to save some of those wood remnants—which may have been milled hundreds of years ago—and keep them out of the d dumpster. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time “I look for old wood with stable knots and tight grain that takes a stain really nice,” Tom says....

Properly cleaned floors are not hard to obtain, especially if you stay ahead of the game. Put down tough-bristled mats, park gritty boots and shoes at the door, sweep, dry-mop, or vacuum often, and when the floor looks dull, get into all the nooks and corners with a damp mop and a neutral solution. Hardwood Floor Cleaning and Maintenance Steps In most households, wood floors should be cleaned at least four to six times a year....