Repairs & How To

Repairs & How To

The Restoration and Repair of Historic Stained and Leaded Glass

Learn basic preservation and documentation issues facing owners of buildings with leaded glass while also learning about common causes of deterioration and presents repair, restoration, and protection options.

Repairs & How To

How to Repair Your Stairs

Whether your stairs are loose, squeaky, or moving away from the wall, we’ve got the cure.

Repairs & How To

Roofing for Historic Buildings

A weather-tight roof is basic in the preservation of a structure, regardless of its age, size, or design. In the system that allows a building to work as a shelter, the roof sheds the rain, shades from the sun, and buffers the weather.

Repairs & How To

Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings

Plaster in a historic building is like a family album. The handwriting of the artisans, the taste of the original occupants, and the evolving styles of decoration are embodied in the fabric of the building. From modest farmhouses to great buildings, regardless of the ethnic origins of the occupants, plaster has traditionally been used to finish interior walls.

Repairs & How To

Expert Advice: Financing a Restoration

Find out if there are any grants, tax breaks or other money sources that can help you finance your home restoration project.

Repairs & How To

Save, Repair, or Replace?

Knowing what to save, what to repair, and what to replace (or replicate) is the key to increasing the longevity and comfort of your treasured home.

Repairs & How To

Budget Kitchen & Bath Renovations

Before you start demolishing the room, have a master plan—and decide where you will save or splurge.

Repairs & How To

Guide to Period Paints

From historic color palettes to old-fashioned paint formulas, find the right fit for your house’s walls with this source list for period paints.

Repairs & How To

Hot Water, Cool Savings

Almost every type of water heater now offers improved efficiency—even that dinosaur, the storage-tank heater.

Repairs & How To

Tin Ceiling Panels For a Unique Backsplash

Sturdy but thin, and fireproof, tin ceiling panels take to different finish options—and patterns reflect many styles and eras.

Repairs & How To

Thermal Window Inserts Reduce Noise and Drafts

There was no need to replace the old windows in our 1756 New Hampshire house.

Repairs & How To

Iron Firebacks

A fireback is a cast-iron plate that sits at the back of a fireplace to protect the masonry from intense heat.

Repairs & How To

Stuff Ectoplasm Screwed Up

“Our farmhouse was built around 1850. We love the old interior doors, which still have their original hardware. But sometimes they quietly swing open, with no one nearby. During the day, I find the idea of a ghost romantic. But not so much when I’m home alone at night.” —Kathy Stein

Repairs & How To

Waterproofing a Basement or Cellar

Whether your house has a basement, a crawl space, or a root cellar, any space below grade is subject to water infiltration and its damaging effects. Let’s look at how to keep the water (and damp) out.

Repairs & How To

Timber Frame in History

Post & beam joinery.

Repairs & How To

Radiator Enhancements

Paint them, enclose them, ditch them? You have options.