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This article appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Get ready for the cooler season with some of our favorite tools and home products you can use all around your home. Sanibel Decorative Screen Panels Shown above: Think of these low-maintenance polypropylene screens as an alternative to wood lattice. Use them at the ends of a porch, to add privacy to an open seating area, or to serve as a skirt under a deck....

Color trends may come and go, but some paint palettes just seem to have staying power—perhaps because they’re rooted in the past. Interior paint schemes grounded in period architecture can look as fresh now as they did in their heyday, especially when given a bit of a twist. Consider the 10 historical color combinations showcased here. Historic Interior Paint Colors Victorian: Layered Brights Amp up the color without veering into kitsch by sticking to one part of the spectrum....

Steps for building hand-carved wooden utensils: Trace out an outline of the utensils on a piece of paper and cut it out to use as a template on the wood. Place the paper template on the scrap wood being used for the utensils. Trace the outline over a decent section of the wood with straight grain and no knots. Cut the scrap wood into a workable piece using the cross-cutting side of a Japanese pull saw....

This article appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. For a growing number of Americans, home is where mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the kids (and sometimes their kids) are. A 2021 survey by Generations United, a national advocacy organization, found that 26 percent of us live in households that include three or more generations. The same survey in 2011 found that only 7 percent were residing in multigenerational housing....

In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shares some tricks for removing—and avoiding—stubborn disposer jams. Steps for choosing and maintaining a garbage disposer Garbage disposers are available in a wide range of prices, starting at about $60. However, costlier units have more powerful motors, sound-deadening insulation and anti-jam mechanisms. If your home has a septic system, consider a disposer that features an enzyme reservoir, which helps break down food scraps....

Garages can be a place of refuge for some folks and for others, a place of business. Staying relaxed and productive in a hot workshop can be impossible, especially when the summer’s scorching heat starts to peak. Ways to Keep Your Garage Cool Without Air Conditioning The following tips on how to cool a garage should help keep things light and breezy; surprisingly, they don’t involve AC. Keep reading to learn more about how to cool a garage....

Carpenter Nathan Gilbert takes us on a house call to help a homeowner with a pocket door. After salvaging a pocket door that will work perfectly in one of her doorways, she asks Nathan and his father to help source missing hardware, prepare the door, and hang it. The trio works together to give this classic home a fittingly classic touch. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Older homes have a charm that can’t be beaten....

This article appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. Whether attached to the house or freestanding, covered in vines or clean and modern, a pergola is an architectural feature that provides a welcome sense of enclosure outdoors, carving out an inviting retreat that allows in fresh air, gentle breezes, and dappled sunlight. “A pergola creates a sense of place and sets the stage for relaxing and entertaining,” says TOH landscape contractor Jenn Nawada....

A few minutes spent pruning is one of the best things you can do for the plants in your yard, but it’s one of the most neglected tasks around the home. Why? Because for most of us, it’s a black art. The risks of butchery seem high, and the rewards low. “But pruning isn’t difficult,” says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. “And what you get in return is thicker foliage, more flowers, and healthier plants....

Come heating season, hydronic baseboards love to complain. But what do the ticks, squeaks, and thunks you hear when you turn up your heat really mean? How can you silence them? To a plumber every sound means something. Here’s what we hear when pipes start talking: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Tick, tick, tick sound Translation: Your copper pipe is scraping against metal. Hot water entering cold pipes causes them to expand along their length—as much as ¾ of an inch over 50 feet—and that can cause a clicking sound as they slide against metal hangers or shift the fins that dissipate heat inside baseboard convectors....

Roots Rack Industrial Kitchen Cart in Natural by Crosley Measures 42 in. W x 38.75 in. H x 18.25 in. D. About $307/ each. Click button below to buy. Buy now at homedepot.comPatriot Black Kitchen Cart by Home Styles Measures 17 in. L x 53.5 in. W x 36 in. H x 17 in. D. About $241/ each. Click button below to buy. Buy now at homedepot.comNatural Kitchen Cart With Storage...

When the first episode of This Old House premiered on February 20, 1979, the show launched a new television genre like nothing ever seen before. Four decades later, the show is still going strong entertaining and empowering homeowners with trusted home improvement content. Founded by Russell Morash, This Old House is now in its 44th season and remains one of the highest-rated home improvement show on television. It continues to resonate with audiences as recently detailed by The New York Times, Salon, and The Atlantic....

Picking paint for your bathroom presents a special set of considerations. Bathrooms are constantly exposed to water and humidity, so selecting a moisture-resistant formula is crucial. In addition, bathrooms tend to be smaller-sized spaces, so if you want the space to feel larger, the right paint color can help you achieve your goal. Gloss vs. Matte Finish Bathrooms tend to be damp, with every surface exposed to moisture after each shower or bath....

How to install an under-sink water filter Start by shutting off the cold water line underneath the kitchen sink. The cold should always be to the right. Open the faucet to release any cold water that’s in the line upstream of the shutoff valve. Place a small bucket or tray underneath the cold water line underneath the sink to catch any extra water that might fall out. Then, break the water connection using a wrench....

Carpenter Nathan Gilbert gives us an in-depth lesson on track saws. First, Nathan explains how track saws are changing the way carpenters and woodworkers are breaking down sheet goods. Then, he walks us through all of the different parts and adjustments that these handy saws and the tracks they ride in have to offer. Not long ago, a table saw or a conventional circular saw was the only option for ripping large sheet goods, making a long bevel cut on a thick piece of oak, or cutting a straight edge on the rough-sawn stock....

This article appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. About This House This 3,000-square-foot house was built in 1894 by William Whaples, a prominent banker, and his wife, Ida, whose father, a local cabinetmaker, crafted the interior finish work. The couple raised four children there, while William ran the Whaples and Farmers State Bank, which bore the family name until 2004....

Best Reach: Dyson Ball Upright Vacuum This vacuum’s head automatically adjusts to maintain suction on various floors. The main head uses short, stiff bristles to deeply penetrate carpet. For additional surfaces, such as stairs and upholstery, you can use the included combination and stair tools. Key Features Upright design 17.37 pounds 0.52-gallon dustbin 35-foot power cord Five-year warranty What Customers Are Saying Those who gave this vacuum positive reviews liked that it was powerful and versatile enough to clean a number of surfaces....

When it comes to choosing flooring for a bathroom, most homeowners focus on finding an attractive, durable material that suits their style. But there’s one major difference between bathroom flooring and the flooring of other rooms—bathroom surfaces need to be waterproof. And picking a floor that meets that need should be priority number one. Water can splash from the sink. The toilet can overflow. Steam from the shower typically mists the entire bathroom at least once a day....

Forget the drones and the Pelotons and the latest Bluetooth tech. Turns out, one of the best gifts you can give someone this holiday season is a way to leave sleep deprivation in 2023. Luckily, in this comprehensive gift guide, we’re walking you through the ten best gifts for those who struggle to sleep, ranging from luxurious mattress pads fit for a queen (…See what we did there?) to sound machines to meditation apps....

Is an Arborvitae a Tree or a Shrub? Thuja occidentalis—also known as arborvitaes—are fast growing evergreens with thick, textured needles that are drought resistant and low maintenance. TOH Landscape Contractor Jenn Nawada enjoys using them in her designs and she shows her two favorite species of the tree: the green giant and the emerald green. For smaller spaces she explains that the emerald arborvitae is a good choice as it grows tall but not wide....