Silver Lake is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Los Angeles. It’s known to be a diverse area, full of young creatives. You can find great homes in Silver Lake with price points averaging around $1.3M. And, across many real estate listing sites, homes are appreciating in value each year. The neighborhood of Silver Lake has a balanced real estate market, with a pretty even supply and demand for homes in the area....
In their role as gateways to a home, mudrooms and entryways are transitional spaces. While entryways define virtually any door that leads into a house, including the main front entrance, side door, and back door, mudrooms are typically located only at side and back doors, and most are reserved for the comings and goings of family members. Mudrooms serve as spaces where the home’s residents can shrug off their backpacks and remove their messy footwear before entering other parts of the home, and depending on individual house design, they may also function as catchalls for hats, coats, pet leashes, and sports equipment....
Chicago, like most major cities, has its fair share of pest problems. As a tourism hub, the Windy City finds bedbugs to be an all-too-common nuisance, but roaches, mice, and termites also make their presence known. One way to keep your home pest-free and protect your family’s well-being is to invest in a pest control service. Fortunately, the Chicagoland area is home to a variety of pest control companies to pick from....
Looking to put a finishing touch on your garage floor? A colorful, shiny epoxy floor coating will have you—and your car—feeling like you’re driving into a showroom every time you come home. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Is It Worth It to Epoxy Garage Floor? It’s worth it to epoxy your garage floor because epoxy not only tops off the pro look but also resists oil stains, beads water, and wipes clean like a kitchen counter....
Installing a gate on your deck is a great way to make your outdoor spaces feel more safe and secure. And the good news is that building one can be an enjoyable weekend project for anyone who has basic carpentry skills. There are many different ways to build a good-looking and durable gate for a deck, but the design presented here is one of the simplest methods we’ve found. We’ll walk you through the whole project, from preliminary planning to construction and final installation....
With just some basic carpentry skills, you can transform a pair of vintage chairs into an outdoor bench that you’ll enjoy for years to come. Select seats with contoured backs and rear legs that are fully intact and free from cracks, like these harp-back chairs that we found at a secondhand store. And you needn’t fuss over the finish or upholstery, as you’ll be removing the seats and painting the entire bench once it’s built....
Though the term “curb appeal” entered real estate parlance during the housing boom of the 2000s, the concept has been with us since we moved out of caves. It refers to the positive impression residential property makes when seen from the street, and generally applies to a home’s façade, front yard, and driveway. Curb appeal matters to three sets of people. Primarily, you and your family—bringing a smile and sense of pride on a daily basis....
General contractor Tom Silva heads out on another house call. A homeowner’s gutters have been leaking on their patio, and Tom immediately sees the issues: poor sealing, the wrong installation height, and an improper pitch. With help from the homeowner, Tom removes the existing gutters and gets to work. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Assess the Issue Before repairing the gutters, it’s important to determine where and why they are failing....
Mark Ferrante started laying tile in his teens, working alongside his father. “It was so rewarding to turn a shell of a space into a thing of beauty,” he says. “I still love creating that transformation.” Mark’s father, Carmine, founded the family business, Ferrante Tile, in 1954, handing down the old-world techniques he was taught, such as laying thick beds of hand-mixed mortar to lock tile in place. He also stressed the importance of starting with a well-prepared, perfectly level surface....
Go Outside! The weather’s warmer, the days are longer; ’tis the season to enjoy dinner alfresco (oh, and to mow the lawn). Fortunately, we’ve turned up everything from power tools to a supersize grill to help make less pleasant backyard tasks faster and easier—and the pleasurable ones even better. From gardening to grilling, cutting the grass to taking down tree limbs, irrigating your lawn to sipping lemonade, we’ve got you covered....
A lush wood planter brimming with vines and flowers offers a restful, welcome sight in outdoor spaces. Here’s one you can make yourself out of durable, rot-resistant western red cedar that will last a lifetime. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time This Old House general contractor Tom Silva designed it to look like a piece of furniture, with four tapered legs that allow the underside to dry out and the deck or patio underneath to be cleaned....
More than any other technology, air-conditioning has transformed how we live and work—and where we live and work. Yet as recently as 1993, only 68 percent of houses in the United States had some cooling equipment, either window air conditioners or central AC systems. Now, more than 87 percent of houses are so equipped. While the number with window AC units has shrunk overall, these appliances are still cooling significant numbers of homes, particularly in the Northeast, despite being noisy and obtrusive, and having limited efficiency and cooling capacity....
Come on in! Amy enjoys hosting out-of-town family and friends, but says “even my local friends will come on a Friday and end up staying for the whole weekend.” Two sets of double glass doors under the covered entry draw visitors in with a sight line that extends all the way through to the backyard. Siding: Real Cedar; Exterior stain: Cabot Stain; Glass entry doors: Sierra Pacific Windows; Pavers, steps: Polycor...
Gas Lantern Installation Steps: Start by determining the location for the lantern. A few things to consider for placement include how to get access to the space behind the wall, the proximity of the gas line/gas meter, and how close it can be to the entry door. Shut the gas off. Drill a hole in the wall to accept the gas line. Fish the copper gas line down through the hole and into the location where it can be tied into the gas line....
In this video, Ask This Old House master plumber Richard Trethewey installs a utility sink in Mark McCullough’s chicken barn. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Install a Utility Sink in a Barn Determine the location for the utility sink in the barn. Ideally, it’ll be on the wall closest to the house to avoid running more pipe than necessary. On the outside of the wall behind the sink’s location, dig a hole and install a dry well catch basin....
In this video, electrician Steve Krasner repairs a broken doorbell with This Old House host Kevin O’Connor. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to repair a broken doorbell Unscrew and remove the old, broken doorbell from the house. Locate the doorbell’s low-voltage transformer in basement, crawlspace or utility closet. Test the transformer with an electrical tester to ensure it’s working properly. Use electrical toner to trace the wires from transformer to doorbell location....
Mason Mark McCullough helps a homeowner solve a burning problem: replacing a fireplace cover. With the homeowners’ enjoying a wood-burning fire every now and then, they’re concerned about their old fireplace doors and stubborn flue, and Mark knows just what to do. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Replace a Fireplace Cover Note: It’s important that the fireplace be absolutely cool, with no embers or coals, so it’s best to wait several days after the last fire before attempting this job....
Left outdoors in rain and shine, metal deck and patio furniture take a beating. Frames accumulate unsightly nicks, scratches, and rust. Vinyl straps discolor and loosen. Mesh slings rip, and fasteners pop out. But that doesn’t mean you have to toss the old set and buy new. For a fraction of the cost of replacement, you can tackle basic repairs yourself. “This is something homeowners can definitely do,” says Steven Gentino, owner of The Chair Care Co....
Top 4 Space Heaters Best Oscillation: Lasko 755320 Ceramic Space Heater Best Value: Lasko 754201 Ceramic Portable Space Heater Best For Small Spaces: GiveBest Portable Electric Space Heater Best Energy Efficiency: De’Longhi EW7707CM Oil-Filled Radiator Space Heater Best Oscillation: Lasko 755320 Ceramic Space Heater This Lasko space heater has a tall and skinny design that tips up, down, left, and right to distribute heat further. For your convenience, the heater and its oscillation function can be controlled from a remote....
If you spot an unwanted pest in or around your home, chances are it’s not alone. Small insects and spiders can be difficult to spot. By the time you begin noticing pests around your home, you may already have an infestation on your hands. A quality professional pest control service can quickly identify your critter problem and take action before the pests continue to damage your home or spread disease. Our team has surveyed the pest control market in Edison, N....
