Repairs & How To

Problems with plaster, woodwork, pocket doors–find advice here for old-house inspection, repair, and maintenance.

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Product of the Week

Products of the Week

DRYLOK®

Indow Window Inserts

Products of the Week

Indow Window Inserts

Pewabic Pottery

Products of the Week

Pewabic Pottery

Refinishing Cabinets

Repairs & How To

Refinishing Cabinets

You may not have to replace kitchen cabinets, or even reface them. Refinishing may be enough.

DIY Potting Shed

Repairs & How To

DIY Potting Shed

A rustic potting shed is made of weathered boards from a cedar fence, along with salvaged windows.

Toolbox for Non-Destructive Testing

Repairs & How To

Toolbox for Non-Destructive Testing

Innovations in non-destructive testing can put a toolbox of prying eyes to work identifying the elusive conditions of old houses.

Mini-Split Technology

Repairs & How To

Mini-Split Technology

Mini-split technology is changing the way we heat and cool our homes.

Ask OHJ

Repairs & How To

Ask OHJ

Missing a pantry; sources for a country table and chairs.

Carpentry Tools

Repairs & How To

Carpentry Tools

Five handy, high-quality tools make carpentry jobs go smoothly.

Matching Interior Millwork

Repairs & How To

Matching Interior Millwork

Learn about the role of trimwork, building up profiles, turning corners with mitered and coped joints, and what tools to use where for matching interior millwork.

On Weather Stripping

Repairs & How To

On Weather Stripping

This simple upgrade for windows and exterior doors increases comfort and saves on fuel costs.

A Fix for an Unusual Basement Hazard

Repairs & How To

A Fix for an Unusual Basement Hazard

What to do when your mother-in-law hangs old clothes on Romex in the ceiling.

Heating Solutions for a Colonial Revival Addition

Repairs & How To

Heating Solutions for a Colonial Revival Addition

When adding on to their 1912 house, Don and Lana LeVine chose a mix of heating systems for ease and efficiency.

A Feather Vase

Repairs & How To

A Feather Vase

This odd, abused feather vase had sat for years in the seller’s garage.

How to Diagnose (and Fix) a Door

Repairs & How To

How to Diagnose (and Fix) a Door

It’s a rare door in an old house that swings effortlessly and closes shut crisply.

For First-time Home Buyers

Repairs & How To

For First-time Home Buyers

What do you need to know if you’re a first-time home buyer?

Sew Up a Fabric Lampshade

Repairs & How To

Sew Up a Fabric Lampshade

A fancy shade will dress up a thrift-store lamp.

Smart Upgrades for Old Houses

Repairs & How To

Smart Upgrades for Old Houses

New products for keeping the house cleaner and tighter.

Life in a Victorian-era Brownstone

Repairs & How To

Life in a Victorian-era Brownstone

Lessons for living lightly in a historic Victorian-era brownstone restored.

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