Yes, there are times when you need to cut a hole in a plaster wall. And before you do it wrong and knock big chunks of plaster from your walls or ceilings, I thought I’d give you some tips on how to cut plaster walls the right way. I see tragically destroyed original plaster walls […]
Working on steel windows is a completely different experience than restoring wood windows. Their construction is different and the techniques and tools used are different. One of the most common repairs you need to know is how to replace glass on steel windows. So, I’ll walk you through how to get it done safely and […]
Asbestos is that persnickety little thing that can be hiding anywhere in an old house. From siding to plaster, vinyl floor tiles to insulation, it can be almost anywhere. What makes matters worse is there is no simple way for the average homeowner to determine if they have asbestos in their house. You can’t tell […]
Last week I showed you how we started transforming an old garage into a tiny guest house. This week I’ll tell you about some more of the details of getting this tiny house ready for visitors. This week’s post is a bit more building science as I share about sheathing, insulation and floors. Next week, […]
Clients have been asking me lately why they should restore their old windows. So, I’m half writing this for you, my readers, and half so I can have a handy printout to give to clients who are looking at their window options. So, here is my list of reasons to keep your old windows. I’m […]
Everyone who owns an old house needs to know how to restore old windows. There are lots of them and they usually need a lot of work, but with the tutorials, tools, and supplies on this page, you can learn how to restore old windows like a pro, from a pro. Your home’s old wood […]
Learning to reglaze your old windows is something that scares the pants off of many homeowners. But fear not! It does require practice and a bit of an artist’s touch to get it just right, but like anything, practice makes perfect. You can learn to reglaze your old windows yourself with just a little practice […]
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 […]
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. 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 […]
After a century of paint jobs and humidity, a lot of your home’s hardware can loose its original luster. It’s a small detail in a historic house, but properly restored hardware on windows, doors, and elsewhere gives a house that extra oomph that adds to the overall vintage feel of the home (whether people consciously […]
There has been a lot of talk lately about VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and how they are used in particular in our paints and finishes. And having just found my soap-box, I’d like to say a few words from the perspective of both a professional in the home improvement field and as a homeowner myself. […]
Back in 1879, while your great-great-grandparents were building houses with honest-to-goodness clay bricks, a smooth-talking hustler named Reed C. Waddell was perfecting the art of selling fake gold bricks to gullible marks. The scam was beautifully simple: coat a lead brick with gold, let the sucker test the corners (which were actually gold), then skip […]
