The walls of any pre-war house are most likely wood lath like in this picture covered with 3 coats of plaster. The work took a long time and was very labor intensive. Not to mention, it required a skilled plasterer to make sure the plaster was properly applied and the wall was smooth and level. […]
One of the easiest mistakes to make when renovating a historic home is to tear down the old plaster walls and replace them with modern drywall and joint compound. This not only destroys the historic architecture and features that make a historic home great, but it also adds to the overall costs of the project […]
If you’re renovating an older house with outdated electrical systems like knob and tube or aluminum wiring, you might discover that it needs to be completely rewired for safety purposes. Outdated wiring can be a fire hazard, and the last thing you want to happen is be subject to the tragedy of a house fire. […]
If there was ever an all around favorite building materials used in old houses it would have to be good old fashioned beadboard. Even though my spellcheck always has a problem with the word, old home builders never did. Beadboard was used everywhere in old houses from beadboard wainscoating in bathrooms to beadboard ceilings on […]
Learning how to use a wood moisture meter is more important than you may think. A lot depends on making sure the wood is below a certain moisture content before any paint or finish can be applied. Using a moisture meter to proactively make sure wood stays below certain levels can also help prevent rot […]
There’s nothing quite like relaxing on the top floor of your three-story Victorian. During summer, there’s also no better recipe for heatstroke. Of course, I get it, you don’t want to chop up your historic plaster ceilings and ruin the historical essence of your home by installing a central air conditioning system, even if it […]
There are a lot of things to think about when adding a home office. Whether you plan to covert the garage or an existing bedroom, or maybe even finishing an attic there are somethings you may not have thought of while you were picking out your new desk and computer. As a general contractor and […]
Spalling brick is what happens when the face of a brick begins to crumble and fall away from the body of the brick. This eventually results in the softer portions of the brick being exposed to the elements and the eventual total destruction of the brick if not resolved. In this post, I’ll teach you […]
As far back as most anyone can remember painters have always been known to wear white, but why do painters wear white? Where did it come from? Did a trendy painter one day start the pattern and the rest followed suit? Just like anything is history the answer is a bit of tradition and necessity. […]
The answer to that question is not as clear as it used to be with new technologies in paint. The other question this brings up is when should you use an enamel paint versus an acrylic or elastomeric paint? The whole thing gets confusing so let’s unravel it and start with understanding what exactly enamel […]
The Best DIY Content Specifically for Old House Lovers You can restore every part of your old house and The Craftsman Blog is the place to get the know how, tools, and supplies you need to do it right the first time! If you’re a DIYer looking for help restoring an old house or you’re […]
Are we all having fun yet with the Coronavirus quarantine and social distancing? Not so much for me, but like anyone I’m trying to make the best of it and look for the silver lining in this dark cloud. I was feeling terribly uninspired to write a post this week, then enter my wife to […]
