Funny you mention that—my place is nearly a hundred years old, and I’ve pulled out enough crumbly plaster to last a lifetime. I’ve stuck with cement b...

That hits close to home. I’ve had folks who could patch 120-year-old plaster like it was nothing, but their paperwork was a mess. I’ve learned to ask ...

I’ve actually seen the HOA follow through, though not always in the way you’d expect. A few years back, they threatened to fine my neighbor over a non...

That bit about sand sneaking into the coffee maker made me laugh—been there, and I still don’t know how it happens. I’ve found that with older homes n...

That’s the million-dollar question. I’ve worked with reclaimed materials plenty, and sometimes it’s worth the trouble—old-growth pine just has a look ...

I hear you on the “patina”—after a decade in a 1920s bungalow, I’ve learned to embrace it too. There’s a certain charm in a floor that shows its age, ...

Need ideas for draining my pool without flooding the yard Drained mine a couple summers back and, yeah, I thought I was being clever with a long hose...

Natural light really is hard to beat, especially in older homes where the windows were designed to maximize it. I’ve found that bulbs labeled “dayligh...