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Whether it’s the lack of traffic jams or salesman runarounds, the convenience of shopping for a mattress online has become a gift for many consumers. Although some of us still imagine jumping from bed to bed at a shop, hoping to land on the perfect mattress, directly purchasing a bed from its manufacturer can lead to exceptional deals not found at your local shop. Furthermore, online mattresses come with generous trials and warranties that can ease the stress of potentially making the wrong choice....

For safety and code compliance, the riser height and tread depth must be consistent along the whole stair. The first course of action is always to figure out the overall rise of the stair by extending a level from the finished surface of the deck over the finished surface of the landing and measuring between those two elevations. Steps for Cutting Stair Stringers Doing the math Say the overall rise is 25 inches....

Salt Lake City experiences a variety of pest problems. Many are simple like an ant infestation. But some can get tricky, such as having a skunk on your property. Having a routine pest control treatment plan can not only get rid of pests, it can also help you avoid getting them in the first place. The This Old House Reviews team has done the research for you. We have rated some of the best pest control companies in the country on metrics such as plan options, trustworthiness, and customer service....

Moisture can cause paint to peel, metal to rust, wood to warp, and, worst-case scenario, it can cause mildew and mold to flourish. When powered on before you shower or bathe and kept on for 20 to 30 minutes afterward, the bathroom exhaust fan can be a powerhouse of an appliance, venting moisture outside the house and preventing damage inside. But to function optimally, a bathroom fan must be free of dust and dirt....

Q: What’s the best finish to use to refinish a dining room table? I want something durable and food-safe. Use Oil-Based Polyurethane Varnish is not easy to apply, and shellac is not durable. Tung oil dries slowly and needs many coats. That’s why, for the non-pro, I’d recommend an oil-based wipe-on polyurethane. I’ve used it on a number of projects—including tables—that I built for The New Yankee Workshop and for my own use....

Time to Party! Another This Old House project can go on the record books! Though the episodes showcasing its renovation have only just started to air, the crew officially finished the Brookline Mid-century Modern House this week—and TOH Insiders and guests were there to partake in the revelry that followed the final cut. Keep reading to see how much fun was had by all! P.S.: If you want the chance to be the first to know about events like this in the future, why not become an Insider?...

Top 5 Vacuum Mop Combos Best Water Tanks: Tineco iFLOOR3 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner Best Pack: Shark VACMOP Pro Cordless Hard Floor Vacuum Mop Best Corded Cleaner: Bissell Crosswave All-in-One Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner and Mop Best Runtime: Roborock Robot Vacuum and Mop Best Reusable Pad: eufy Robot Vacuum Two-in-One Vacuum and Mop Best Water Tanks: Tineco iFLOOR3 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner This vacuum and mop combo has a 0....

STAMFORD, CT., FEB. 11, 2021 – This Old House, the most trusted brand in home improvement, announced today the premiere issue of its new upgraded This Old House Magazine with additional content pages, a new, contemporary look, and more pro knowledge from its experts. The new, quarterly print edition is in homes starting February 16th, the tablet version is live now. “Having reached the magazine’s milestone 25th year in 2020, we looked to see how we could serve our readers even better,” said Kathryn Keller, Editor-in-Chief, This Old House Magazine....

Rick Roger’s two-story Georgian has stood for more than 80 years in the prosperous suburb of Evanston, Illinois, north of Chicago. With its columned portico, brick walls and ivy-covered facade, his house is the image of prewar solidity. Up close, the walls tell another story. Old House, Old Walls Between the brick, slapdash patches of gray mortar clash with the original white. In some places, the brick face has begun to flake off—a sign that water is getting in, freezing and slowly turning the hard red clay into dust....

How Do You Find Out the History of an Old House? Tracing the history of an old house is like making your way through an overgrown garden maze. In most cases, unless you are a descendant of the original owners and have an attic full of memorabilia, finding out when your house was built, who lived within its walls, and what changes various homeowners wrought can be a challenging—but fascinating—journey. Anyone who undertakes it will need to be equal parts architectural historian, oral historian, research librarian and genealogist....

It’s easy to take stairs for granted. But the truth is that our safe, sure transit from one level to another depends on centuries of carpentry craftsmanship and building code regulations that govern all kinds of details—from the width of treads and the height of each step, to the distance between balusters and the installation of handrails. Wood-Framed Stairways There are many different types of stairs. But here we’ll be focusing on the details that pertain to wood-framed stairways–the interior stairways that connect levels, and the exterior stairways used on decks or installed against the outside of a house wall....

A snow shovel is a useful tool that can clear snow from driveways, sidewalks, patios, decks, and other areas of your yard. To help you find a snow shovel that’s right for you, the This Old House Reviews team researched the best snow shovels on the market. Here are our top picks. Top 6 Snow Shovels Best Dual-Handle: Snow Joe Strain-Reducing Snow Shovel Most Compact: LIFELINE Sport Utility Shovel Best Manual Snow Pusher: THE SNOWPLOW Original Snow Pusher Best Wheeled Snow Pusher: The Snowcaster Wheeled Snow Pusher Best Electric Shovel: Earthwise Electric Corded Snow Shovel Best for Kids: Superio Kids Snow Shovel Best Dual-Handle: Snow Joe Strain-Reducing Snow Shovel Pros and Cons ✔ Has a sharp edge along the bottom of the blade to help with scraping off packed-on snow or ice✔ The ergonomic two-handle design promotes good posture while removing snow✔ Is lightweight at just over three pounds...

Previous episode: S18 E8 | Next episode: S18 E10 In this episode: Tom travels to Utah to help a homeowner replace his traditional stair railing with more modern cable railing; Richard explains why standard PVC should not be used to vent gas appliances and what should be used instead; Nathan upgrades a standard, flat panel hollow core door to look more modern; Mauro helps a homeowner properly clean and paint her vinyl shutters....

Cornhole is everywhere! The backyard beanbag-toss game that caught fire in the Midwest now boasts its own association, Wikipedia entry, and myriad online purveyors. It’s easy to see why it’s become such a barbeque favorite: You can hold a beverage in one hand and loft your beanbag with the other. But why pay hundreds of dollars for game boards adorned with your feeble alma mater when you can proudly go DIY by making high quality ones with birch plywood and 2x4s?...

Stepping Up Norm Abram is not exaggerating when he says that there could come a time when a homeowner will need to call a carpenter, plumber, or electrician for a repair, and there won’t be anyone with the skills to do the job. “There’s a critical need for people in home construction,” says the This Old House master carpenter. “The deficit of skilled workers is unlike anything I’ve seen in all my years in the business....

Kitchen cabinets take a lot of abuse, suffering accidental spills, cooking splatters, and a continuous barrage of fingerprints. Yet those hardworking uppers and lowers tend to get short shrift during regular weekly cleaning, so by the time you realize they’ve been neglected, grease, grime, dirt, and smears may have built up considerably. This is not merely unsightly: Oft-handled cabinet hardware can harbor germs, and food crumbs hiding in back corners can invite bugs and vermin....

Installing an electric heat pump water heater Shut the power off to the electric water heater and shut off the main water supply to the house. Connect a hose to the bottom of the tank and run the hose to outside. Drain the old water heater. Use the pipe cutters to cut the pipes to the water heater and remove it. Put the new heat pump water heater into place. Connect the new water heater to the main water supply using the appropriate size and type of pipes to match the existing water line....

Dreary… “We fell in love with its potential,” says Danelle Tarrant of the limestone cottage in Carlisle, PA, that she shares with her husband, Nic, and 3-year-old daughter, Quinn. So we asked architect Josh Dourte of Roost Architecture for ways to bring out the best in the 1953 house. …To Cheery “The main challenge is the closed-off, recessed front door, so I wanted to announce the entry with a timber-frame porch,” Dourte says....

Previous episode: S43 E2 | Next episode: S43 E4 In this episode: This project has seen many renovations in the last 130 years. As the demolition team peels back layers, Charlie Silva uncovers some shortcuts used by previous builders, like no footing found under the existing foundation. Kevin O’Connor finds Charlie working with the excavator to correct foundation issues which entails adding new footings to support the existing foundation. A new basement will be added underneath the family room, which the homeowners’ request to be 14” lower than the existing basement....

Top 4 Gift Baskets Best Non-Food Gift Basket: Burt’s Bees Classics Gift Set Best Chocolate Gift Basket: Bonnie and Pop Chocolate Gift Basket Best Fruit and Nut Gift Basket: Oh! Nuts Holiday Nut and Dried Fruit Gift Basket Best Cheese Gift Basket: Wisconsin Cheese Company Deluxe Cheese and Crackers Gift Basket Best Non-Food Gift Basket: Burt’s Bees Classics Gift Set This gift basket is a solid choice if you’re buying for someone who would prefer beauty products over food....