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With a little know-how and some planning, a fall vegetable garden can yield an abundance of produce that will delight any farm-to-table grower. Depending on your zone and frost date, you can look forward to a bountiful late-season harvest, with some plants yielding vegetables in as little as 21 days. Planting a Fall Vegetable Garden There are many benefits to growing cold-season crops. Not only is it a great way to extend the life of your garden, but the cooler temperatures can bring out the best in these vegetables, making them exceptionally sweet and flavorful....

This article appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. To say that a drill/driver is an indispensable home-improvement tool is no exaggeration. It accomplishes basic tasks like drilling holes in wood, metal, and masonry, and when fitted with the right bit, lets us drive screws and other fasteners into those holes, and back them out. Today’s models have come a long way since the first portable drills for homeowners were introduced in the early 1920s....

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to the steady of water, and you discover that the water is coming from a spot on the ceiling and not from any faucet? Chances are you have a leak in your roof. Find a bucket, place it under the drip, and try to go back to sleep. Tomorrow you can investigate. How to Find a Roof Leak If you have an accessible attic, that’s the place to start to look for the leak....

BEFORE | Hemmed In A kitchen is not a recipe, so a remodel needn’t start from scratch. That was the guiding principle Steve and Gay Clyburn of Monroe, NC, followed in maintaining a pair of existing glass-front cabinets joined by a scallop-trimmed soffit in the 1928 Cape Cod–style home that Gay inherited from her parents three years ago. “We wanted the kitchen to be beautiful and practical for two working cooks,” says Gay, “yet look as if it had always been that way....

Say hello to Nick Slavik, proprietor at Nick Slavik Painting & Restoration Co. in New Prague, Minnesota. Nick has been a craftsman for more than 18 years and the editors of TOH became fast fans of Nick’s weekly Facebook LIVE show, Ask a Painter Live. Now, Nick is also featured in a Behr-sponsored Web series right here at ThisOldHouse.com! #askapainter Live 71: The Cabinet Extravaganza: a mini Master’s Class in enameling cabinets, doors and millwork....

The holiday season is a bustling time of year in most kitchens. The host is preparing the bird in the oven and maybe frying something on the range. Guests file in, children play, and the stove goes unattended for minutes as the cook takes a call. Unfortunately, this familiar scenario is the perfect recipe for a dangerous kitchen fire. Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for kitchen fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)....

When Michael Campopiano took his son to see the house he’d just bought, 9-year-old Giulian took one look at the ramshackle building and turned to his dad. “You can’t show this to Mommy,” he advised. “She will never live here.” Shown: The new garage-and-master-suite addition mirrors the gabled form of the original Victorian-era house. When finished, the addition will display identical exterior details.Weather-resistant barrier: VaproShield; Sheathing: Huber Engineered Woods; Exterior trim: Claymark Tru-Pine...

Take a look at how your current living room functions—is it a formal sitting room that rarely gets used or is it an all-purpose room where your family spends most of their time? Make a list of reasons why the room might need a reboot, then ask yourself what you hope to accomplish: perhaps it’s better traffic flow or more built-in storage. Are you considering minor updates (a mantel refresh, adding crown molding), or a bigger project, such as installing new floors, adding French doors, or removing a wall to create a more open floor plan?...

Fall is here and it’s time to fertilize. Why fertilize your lawn in the fall? Taking the time to fertilize in the fall will strengthen your plants’ and lawn’s roots, giving them a strong base on which to thrive next spring. The first thing to understand about fertilizer is the formula, which is represented by three numbers, such as the common 5-10-5. The first number represents nitrogen, which promotes lawn blade and foliage growth; the second number stands for phosphorus, which helps root growth; and the third for potassium, which promotes cell function and absorption of trace elements....

Homeowners in Dallas can enjoy sunny spring days, but when the heat of summer sets in, it can be brutal. Even warm-weather grasses need special attention over the hot summer months. But knowing when and how often to fertilize, apply weed control, and more, can be daunting. Hiring a professional lawn care company can alleviate the stress and take care of the work. TruGreen is The This Old House Reviews’ Team top choice for Dallas lawn care, offering a variety of top quality programs and a la carte services performed by highly trained specialists....

Each year, hundreds of people in the U.S. are electrocuted in their own homes.* In older homes, outdated electrical work may not be up to code, and today’s greater electrical needs can result in overloaded circuits. Improperly used extension cords, faulty or damaged wiring, and poorly insulated wires can lead to electrical fires. The good news is, there are devices that are designed to help. More than half of the 28,000 electrical home fires and nearly 70% of the 400 electrocutions that occur in the U....

We recently purchased an old two-family that is in desperate need of repair. On the list are a lot of exterior projects that include residing (to replace the work shown here which was done by a former owner) and a complete top-to-bottom paint job. It’s all too much for us to handle on our own so we are in the process of bidding out contractors to help. In the meantime, I’m chipping away at projects where my experience as a carpenter can be put to good use on the weekends....

Steps: Start by protecting the edges around the hearth with a little bit of painter’s tape. To remove the old tile, place the cold chisel straight down on one of the tiles. Hit the back end of the chisel with a small sledgehammer. This will cause the tile to break. Continue doing this until the full tile has been removed. Once that first tile has been removed, it should be possible to slide the cold chisel underneath the rest of the tiles and pry them up....

If you come across an old attic stair, check that the hinge nuts and bolts are tight, the springs are anchored securely, the pivot arms are straight, and the treads and stringers are intact. How Do You Measure Pull Down Attic Stairs? You’ll need at least three critical measurements: the width and length of the rough opening, and the ceiling height. Measure the rough opening’s width and length in three different spots, at the top and bottom of the framing....

Previous episode: S20 E12 | Next episode: S20 E14 In this episode: Mason Mark McCullough tells us all about how he became a cast member of This Old House and Ask This Old House, as well as how he became a mason in the first place. Mark tells us that Tom Silva recommended him to the show, and after a few small parts, Mark was featured in an episode of Ask This Old House....

Inevitably, the popularity of subway tile has expanded its working definition. Manufacturers often use the term now to describe any rectangular tile with a length twice its height, from 4x8-inch planks to 1x2 mosaics, and even some tiles (such as contemporary 2x8 strips) that don’t share the original’s proportions at all. Here, we’ll stick with the old-school 3x6 format as we explore this material’s charms and versatility. Shown: Warm-white subway tile adds timeless appeal to a traditional kitchen....

Top 5 Alarm Clocks Best For Memory Loss: American Lifetime Day Clock Best Faux Wood Clock: JALL Digital Alarm Clock Best Sunlight Simulation: Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light Best Charging Function: DreamSky Compact Digital Alarm Clock Best Analog Clock: Peakeep Twin-Bell Alarm Clock Best For Memory Loss: American Lifetime Day Clock This alarm clock lets you set up to five daily alarms, which is useful for reminding you to take medications, eat meals, empty the dishwasher, and perform other daily tasks in addition to waking you up....

Best Cordless Mower: Greenworks Cordless Lawn Mower Cordless mowers are convenient, as they offer all of the benefits of corded models—quiet operation, no emissions, and lightweight build—without the limited reach. This particular model offers a 60-minute runtime, seven grass height adjustments, and three clipping disposal methods. Key Features Cordless design 60-minute runtime 21-inch cutting deck Seven grass heights 74.1 pounds Four-year warranty What Customers Are Saying Customers who were pleased with this mower said that it was maneuverable, quiet, and powerful....

This Prime Day is the perfect time to finally upgrade your home with smart devices that automate cleaning your floors, purifying the air, watering your lawn, and more. No matter what your home needs are, there’s a smart home product out there for you that’s ready to bring you into the future. To find the best product for you, check out the This Old House Review Team’s picks for the top smart home products to shop for this Prime Day....

It’s easy to indulge your imagination and creativity when planning to build your dream home, or when planning a renovation or addition to your home. As you evaluate and select architects, contractors, and styles of windows or decks, the possibilities seem endless and exciting. But you need your feet to stay grounded in reality to ensure the best outcome. Laws for Building a House First and foremost, before a single shovel of dirt has been dug, you need to familiarize yourself with all the construction-related laws you should know before you build....