Previous episode: S42 E16 | Next episode: S42 E18 In this episode: Since the 1970’s the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester has been a special place to This Old House—it’s the home of our first project. For 41 years we have only come back to visit the old house but today we start a new project in Dorchester. It’s a three-story 1905 apartment building that was heavily damaged in a fire. Carol Wideman and her family had to move out over a year ago....
Best Premium Office Chair: Steelcase Office Chair Key Features 78 pounds 44.2 inches tall by 34.7 inches wide by 23.6 inches deep 3D LiveBack technology adjusts to your spine as you change postures What Customers Are Saying Satisfied customers cited the Gesture’s adjustability and durability as major selling points. Customers who had chronic back pain recommended the Gesture for its lumbar support that lower-quality chairs don’t have. Dissatisfied customers said that the angle of the seat was uncomfortable and that it wasn’t quite worth the high price tag....
Few things define an upscale kitchen like one of these brawny beauties. With heavy cast-iron grates, beefy knobs and handles, and high-Btu burners, the pro-style range has become the modern-day hearth: a dramatic focal point in the home’s main gathering place. Of course, one of these serious stoves can boost your cooking prowess, too—not to mention your home’s resale value. Why Buy a Professional Kitchen Stove? Industrial-style appliances started gaining ground in the 1980s, when homeowners began hankering for restaurant ranges to get more burners, more power, and more pro features, like built-in griddles and grills....
This article appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Often the evocative exterior of an old house hooks us, but the interior doesn’t prove to be as much of a catch. That’s what Katherine and John Breese discovered over time, having reeled in their dream home, a 1930s Tudor Revival in White Plains, New York, where they both grew up....
In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to replace glass in a door. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Door Glass Replacement in 9 Steps Measure the broken door pane for a new piece of glass. Use a stiff-blade putty knife to pry the wooden stops from around the broken pane. Carefully remove the broken pane from the door. Scrape away the old glazing compound from the windowpane opening....
Gingerbread Scene Decorating Kit This open display is a simple build, perfect for crafting with small kids. Gingerbread Cabin Decorating Kit Recreate one of the Wilton designs on the box or just design your own cabin curb appeal. Gingerbread Giant A-Frame House A charming (and unique!) design to try. Gingerbread Village Decorating Kit Why stop at a house when you can build an entire gingerbread village? This adorable mini village makes for a creative holiday party centerpiece!...
In this video, Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook uses grass pavers to transform a patch of grass into a lawn a homeowner can drive on. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for building a grass paver driveway Call utility locating service to make sure it’s safe to dig where you are installing pavers. Using shovels, dig down about 6 inches from street grade level. Compact soil using a tamper....
Steps: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Tools & Materials Drill/driver Bellhanger bit Pipe cutter Bucket Adjustable wrench Shut the water off to the house. Locate the nearest cold water line and determine its location compared to the location of the fridge. With that in mind, pull out the fridge and drill down with a feeler bit as close to the cold water line as possible. Use the feeler bit to determine the best location to drill for the water line....
In this video, Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner patch a hardwood floor to make it look seamless. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for patching hardwood floors Purchase hardwood flooring about a week before and leave it in the room where it will be installed to let it acclimate.2. Begin laying boards in the corners and work across the room.3. Cut the underside of the trim using an oscillating saw....
Get a Head Start For the Next Growing Season With summer’s heat and dryness at an end, September is the best month to lay the groundwork for next year’s lush lawn. Pre-winter lawn care consists of aerating the turf—to reduce compaction and make it easier for fertilizer and water to reach the roots—and reinvigorating thin areas with compost and seed. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for Prepping Your Lawn for Winter Before you start, get a soil test so that you know the type and amount of amendments to add....
Steps: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Turn off water and remove the garbage disposer, if necessary. Cut old copper water supply lines using a close-quarter hacksaw; catch any water dripping out in a bucket. Use a basin wrench to loosen the nuts holding the old faucet in place; remove old faucet. Apply a bead of plumber’s putty under the mounting flange of the new faucet. Set faucet’s mounting flange on the sink deck, then tighten the two nuts from below with a basin wrench or wrench that comes with the faucet....
Mini duct HVAC systems are a gift to remodelers. Snaking small flex ducts through existing walls, floors, and the ceiling is 100 percent less invasive than using standard ductwork. If you haven’t heard of these systems, this short video will give you an idea of what they are all about. You can also send a link to the video to your customers. They can see the advantages of these systems immediately....
Previous episode: S43 E7 | Next episode: S43 E9 In this episode: Kevin O’Connor enters the house where the framing crew has taken over. In the old living room, which is now the new kitchen, he and Tom Silva meet Charlie Silva, who is about to remove the old bay window and frame for a new one that will be a different size. In Dracut, Massachusetts, This Old House has a keen interest in a four-room school that will turn into nine affordable apartments for veterans....
Homeowners insurance policies can give you peace of mind. If you own a home in Houston, you have likely thought about the worst-case scenario—fire, storm damage, flooding, and more. Your home insurance policy can help protect your wallet when these incidents occur, covering some of your repairing, rebuilding, and replacement costs. Once you’ve decided you want a homeowners insurance policy, you have to do some research. There are many home insurance companies that serve Houston, but they can differ in terms of factors like coverage, cost, and customer service quality....
In as little as 30 seconds a small flame can become a major fire that ravages a home and threatens the lives of the people inside. According to Glenn Gaines, the Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator, fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters in the United States combined. And even if individuals are spared, fire can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage—up to $50,000 to rebuild a kitchen engulfed in flames....
In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to replace a threshold. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for installing a new threshold Remove old threshold from doorway using hammer and reciprocating saw. Use reciprocating saw to cut the nails securing toekick; remove toekick. Test-fit new threshold in doorway. Build up toekick and subfloor with pressure-treated lumber; re-install toekick. Apply bead of tri-polymer caulk to joint between finished floor and new threshold....
Expert painter Mauro Henrique teaches Kevin all about painting wood paneling. When Kevin asks if folks are right to be nervous about painting wood paneling, Mauro explains that it’s possible, and although it might not be the traditional take on paneling, it’s up to the homeowner. Then, the two set out to roughen the surface of a panel wall with a bit of sandpaper. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Popular Types of Wood Paneling Mauro has brought samples of two different types of paneling that are common in old houses:...
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook resurrects a sunken brick path. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for Repairing a Brick Walkway: Pull up all the bricks from the existing walkway and neatly stack them off to the side. Excavate all the sand from the walkway using a pointed shovel. Dump sand into wheelbarrow and carry it away. Stretch a taut mason’s line between metal stakes to represent the edges of the new walkway....
In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shares tips for fixing a drafty door. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Where to Start Block drafts as the weather cools by making sure that weatherstripping around doors and windows is intact. Tour the house looking for worn, damaged, or missing strips, or areas where light is infiltrating along door jambs and under window sashes. On windy days, feel for drafts....
Top 5 Grills Best Propane Grill: Weber Spirit II Three-Burner Liquid Propane Grill Best Charcoal Grill: Kamado Joe Classic I Charcoal Grill Best Electric Grill: Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill Best Natural Gas Grill: Weber Genesis II Three-Burner Natural Gas Grill Best Pellet Grill: Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Best Propane Grill: Weber Spirit II Three-Burner Liquid Propane Grill This porcelain-enameled grill has a GS4 grilling system that includes several improvements in the burners, infinity ignition, and grease-management system....
