How to save 80% on home repairs may sound like a marketing hype gone wild. But anyone who has been a reader of this blog for more than a week will know that that is not my style. I am very serious about that title. What I’m going to share with you today is SO [...] Read on →
Sometimes it’s nail holes and sometimes it’s rotten wood, but your projects will often require you to patch wood. In this post I’ll help you determine the best materials (and there are tons available!) to use when the time comes to patch wood projects. The type of material you should use will depend on what [...] Read on →
Guest Post by Wade Myer - Wade grew up under the watchful eye his father, a contractor, who taught him the tools of the trade. Even though he can swing a hammer with the best of them, he’s always been drawn to the written word where he can frame sentences rather than walls. Currently he writes [...] Read on →
In 2001 I had just returned to New York City from a year in Tokyo performing for Walt Disney. It was a fantastic experience living in a such a different culture and country, but I was happy to be back home in America. The lease had run out on my old apartment and I was [...] Read on →
Sometimes the amount of work that needs to be done on an old house is overwhelming. Every little project seems to fall victim to The Mushroom Effect and your budget fades into a distant memory. The project gets so big that many homeowners get paralyzed and don’t know what to do next. But you can [...] Read on →
Every old house is hiding some pieces of its past, and it’s up to you to figure them out. Many folks want to restore old details that have been removed or covered up over the years. And while some remodels may have completely wiped out any signs of the past there may still be ways [...] Read on →
So many folks go a little crazy with the seemingly endless list of repairs they inherit with their first old house. It can be overwhelming. There is too much to do and too little money and time that they freeze up and don’t do anything! Well, don’t become one of those people. There is a [...] Read on →
The Mushroom Effect is an interesting phenomenon in home improvement that is particularly prominent in old houses. This is not an actual problem with fungus growing in the walls of an old home. No! It is much more serious than that. It happens when a small, and rather innocuous home improvement project, quickly mushrooms into [...] Read on →
Your home wasn’t built all by its lonesome. It has friends all around the neighborhood, built at the same time by the same people using some of the same techniques and materials. Just like you can learn a lot about someone by asking their friends, your house is no different. Maybe your historic house has [...] Read on →
Personality types are a fantastic way to learn a bit about yourself. There are countless tests like the DISC or Myers/Briggs. And there is one test you’ve probably not heard of. The reason you may have missed it is because . . . well . . . I just invented it. The “SPA” test is [...] Read on →
Your historic home’s proportions were carefully thought out. They were planned by a designer or architect to work together and complement the overall style of the house. An out of scale addition like an oversized dormer or an undersized porch will only serve to confuse the look of your house. If you’re planning a renovation [...] Read on →
I admit, it’s a pretty sensational title, but there are indeed five things lurking within most any old house that could potentially spell disaster for you and your family. And knowing how to properly handle them is the key to staying safe. We’ll talk about those five things and how to best avoid them. So [...] Read on →
Before starting any renovation (especially on a historic property) there are 7 questions you should always ask. And knowing the answers to these questions will make for the best project possible. So, I thought I’d share these “secrets” of our company to help your next project run as smooth as the pros.
Wainscoting is one of the best ways to dress up a boring room. And for a historic home’s bathroom nothing fits better than breadboard wainscoting. We’ll walk you through the best way to install a true beaded-plank wainscoting by highlighting one of our latest projects. Materials Needed: Beaded-plank boards in 3/4″ or 1/4″ thickness. 1×4 [...] Read on →