I answered a question from a gentleman this week who had purchased an old house built in 1910. He was planning on restoring it, and wanted some tips on how he could make the house look like it did when it was first built. My answer was to go into the local records, and try [......Read More
The Bathroom Remodeling Checklist blog generated some cool replies from both contractors and homeowners. One struck a cord:
A reader mentioned that she didn’t notice a remodeling checklist in the post. I could be mis-interpreting this (as Colin pointed out) and if so, I apologize. If I am interpreting it right, however, Meri raises an excelle...Read More
I think that most of us involved in the restoration of our old houses are environmentally responsible. If I go to my local lumberyard to place an order, and the salesperson tells me that he can give me the entire order in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified lumber for the same price as regular lumber, [......Read More
February, and the first part of this month, was a busy time for groups working to save old houses, and also for a preservation group fighting for permission to demolish a 180 year old house. First the stories that make sense to me, then about the so called preservation group.
Fighting to Save an Old House
A [......Read More
Bathroom Remodeling Checklist
Remodeling a bathroom is one of the most challenging home improvement projects there is. You basically have to build a little house inside a tiny, incredibly private and personal room. There’s a lot going on in a very small space—and almost always on a tight deadline.
However, in most bathroom renos- there’s almost not...Read More
There are all types of old house enthusiasts, I personally prefer old colonials, but I don’t think any group loves their old houses more than those who have been seduced by homes of the Victorian Era. I have been on many blogs and websites devoted to Victorian homes and their restorations. I found there to [......Read More
Bernard Goldstein, M.D., is a professor and former dean of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Before he moved to Pittsburgh (my fair city), he founded and directed the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute in Piscataway, NJ, the largest academic environmental and occupational health prog...Read More
I wish that I had more energy. This has been a tough winter for my old farmhouse. I have complained about the lack of snow the last five winters, it seemed like winters were getting milder and milder in my area, and we never had decent snows anymore. Well, evidently someone was listening, and this [......Read More
I enjoy old houses because of their architecture and character, but I also enjoy them because of their stories. When I walk through an old house, I often wish the walls could talk, and tell the stories of the families that lived there over the years. I find that I am fascinated by this, perhaps [......Read More
I worked in Northern Virginia from 2004 to 2008, just outside of Washington, D.C., and I watched subdivision after subdivision being built. I had a close-up view because I was involved in building some of them. Every evening, I drove 80 miles back to my old house in the country, and then got up in [......Read More
