Stained glass has been around for thousands of years in one form or another. It has been used in religious institutions, residences, commercial buildings and anything in between. Understanding what stained glass is and what it isn’t as well as how to repair it and maintain it can be invaluable since the time and cost […]
Alright, this week I had the painful experience of reading an article on The Atlantic that can only be found in America as the fruits of common core math begin sprouting in the minds of today’s journalists and city planners. On the journalistic scale of 1-10 this one came in at a solid -126. That […]
Is there such a thing as an affordable HEPA vacuum? Working with lead paint in the historic restoration business for over a decade having a HEPA vacuum I can trust has been a battle to either find or afford. Paying over $600 for a vacuum is insane to me, but it’s what I have done […]
On this site we talk about old houses and the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are plenty of joys and certainly some dangers of homeownership. We talked about dangers like lead paint, knob and tube wiring, and asbestos, but today I wanted to teach you about an electrical concern that may be lurking […]
If your dream is a vintage kitchen, you can easily achieve it with a few key finds and a smattering of playfulness. You don’t need to adhere to a specific design formula; instead, using your own imagination and the tips provided here will create the timeless look you long to have. 1. White Walls Make […]
If you’ve got old wood windows they are often stuck shut from years of paint or caulk. That doesn’t mean the window needs replacing. It just means you need to hire better painters in the future. In this post, I’ll show you an easy way to get almost any stuck window moving again. There are […]
Old houses get a bad wrap. There are dozens of myths about old houses and I think it’s time we set the record straight. In a technology driven world, our culture is in love with the newest gadget. This makes sense because a 10-year old computer is largely useless by todays standards and something 20 […]
With this epic post I’ve compiled nearly 10 years of posts and tutorials on window restoration to give you the ultimate free guide to window restoration on the web. You’ll find tons of videos, tools, and discussion to walk you through the whole process from start to finish.
Dear friend, No, I don’t want a new house. It’s not that I can’t afford new construction, it’s because I don’t like new houses. Those cold and lifeless stucco boxes, or vinyl wrapped tombs make me claustrophobic. Before we get into a shouting match, I’m not angry that you want a new house. I don’t […]
Whether you’re a DIYer or a professional renovator you need to protect your lungs from the assorted stuff floating around the air as you work and picking the right dust mask is extremely important. Some of these airborne meanies are nothing more than an annoyance and some of them can kill you or shorten your […]
Asbestos siding was all the rage in the early part of the 20th-century. What Beanie Babies were to the 1990s, asbestos siding was to the the 1930s. Well maybe, it wasn’t quite the same, but you get the idea. It was immensely popular! If you are one of the folks whose house got dressed up […]
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 walls, the works! All the historical goodies that excite some people and scare the pants […]
