By Scott Sidler
Architectural salvage can be a godsend when it comes to fixing up an old house. The hard to find pieces and parts that no one makes anymore are all there in bins of old hardware, piles of old moldings, or […]
By Scott Sidler
Is Hardie trim and siding something that is compatible with the look and style of an old house? I am a relative purist when it comes to restoring old buildings. That largely comes from a desire to make things look […]
By Scott Sidler
Knob and tube wiring is one of the original forms of electrical wiring in homes, popular from the late 1880s until the 1930s when it fell out of favor. At the time, it was the standard for wiring new electrical […]
By Scott Sidler
The epitome of of the historic bathroom tub has to be the clawfoot tub. It’s ubiquitous with historic homes and is the central focus of almost any bathroom, since it is usually the biggest element. Some of us are fortunate […]
By Scott Sidler
So, you’re thinking about buying an old house. I don’t mean a 20 or 30-year old suburban tract house, I’m talking a real piece of American history. 100, 150, even 200 years old! Creaky wood floors, wavy glass windows, plaster […]
By Scott Sidler
Working on old houses I hear all kinds of complaints about how “inefficient” they are and what energy hogs people used to be. In a time of alternative facts and fake news, it shouldn’t surprise me, but it still does […]
By Scott Sidler
What if I told you that you could make your own DIY window screen in just one day? Would you believe me? Well, you should, because with this post and accompanying video, it’s very doable for just about any DIYer! […]
By Scott Sidler
If your house was built from 1965-1973, you may be one of the “lucky” folks with early aluminum wiring. Thanks to spiking copper prices in the 1960s, builders stared looking for less expensive materials to use for wiring houses and […]