A budget- and maintenance-minded overhaul renewed the luster and livability of an 1892 Minneapolis Shingle Victorian. Old-House Journal November/December 2008
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Editor’s Note
How can I get more storage space into my old house? It’s a question I’ve heard over and over again in my time at OHJ, and one that often doesn’t have an easy answer because most old houses weren’t designed with room to spare. Sure, you can buy era-appropriate furniture like chiffarobes and armoires, but they often crowd old-house bedrooms and offer limited storage. In this issue, we offer up a practical solution for any homeowner with an unfinished attic. Follow along with contributor Mark Clement as he explains how to build attic knee walls that hide an expanse of storage space, a project he undertook in his own century-old house. It’s an innovative fix for an age-old problem, and the type of idea we pride ourselves on bringing you.
Since winter’s chill is descending upon most of the country, we thought now was a good time for a refresher course on a couple of common weather-related old-house problem areas—namely, weatherstripping and radiators. Weatherstripping—that fundamental old-house fix for sealing leaky windows and doors—can be a low-cost, effective way to trim dollars from your heating bills. Contributing editor Ray Tschoepe takes us on a comprehensive tour of today’s options and techniques, and after reading his article you’ll be an expert on the subject, too. And what’s an old house without radiator heat? Whether steam or hot water, radiators have been a source of both warmth and consternation for decades. To learn how to troubleshoot common radiator complaints, check out our comprehensive story written by the man who knows the subject better than anybody else, Dan Holohan.
Demetra Aposporos, Editor-in-Chief of Old-House Journal
