Steps for Cutting Stair Stringers Doing the math Say the overall rise is 25 inches. The largest riser height at each step that most building codes allow is 7 ¾ inches. Dividing 25 by 7 ¾ and rounding up will determine the number of risers in the stair: 25 ÷ 7.75 = 3.23 = 4 risers To find the individual riser height, divide the overall rise of 25 by the number of risers: 25 ÷ 4 = 6....
1. Start seedlings Cut off the lid, fill each cup with potting soil, and plant some seeds. Once the seedlings sprout, cut each cup from the tray and plant it—cup and all. 2. Muffle the band This Old House technical editor (and former rock-star wannabe) Mark Powers once nailed egg cartons to his apartment walls and ceiling to dampen sound while he was recording. 3. Feed birds Trim off the lid, thread string through holes in each corner of the tray, fill the cups halfway with birdseed, and hang in a tree....
To help you get it done, we’ve gathered a few clever storage solutions and some pro organizational tips from Lea Schneider, author of Growing Up Organized and a member of The National Association of Professional Organizers. “If you take the time to stow decorations properly after the busy holiday season passes, next year will be easier,” Schneider says. Here’s how to store fragile holiday items, and save yourself a few headaches (untangling!...
In this Episode: Jared and Amber are total pros at managing homeowner stress levels. With the windows arriving, the basement floor being poured, and framing nearly complete, they know it’s the right time to invite the homeowners for a walk-through to ease their anxieties and show them their Mountain Modern home is nearly a reality. Amber has a few projects that need some design decisions, so she takes Kyle and James shopping for reclaimed wood materials....
Jenn explains that protecting all the hard work performed in the spring, summer, and fall should be the concern before the cold weather arrives. By focusing on water, clean-up, and protection, Jenn dishes on the best ways to protect your plants. When is the Best Time to Prep Plants for Winter? November is the perfect time to put some protections in place to help ensure a healthy growing season next spring....
What is Induction Cooking and How Does it Work? Induction cooking works differently than gas. Rather than using a fuel source and creating heat, induction cooktops have copper coils underneath their glass tops. When electricity flows through the coil, it creates a magnetic field. That magnetic field stimulates the iron molecules in the cookware, causing them to vibrate and rub against each other. The friction from the rubbing causes heat, even though the cooktop stays cool....
Carpentry Landscaping Plumbing Electrical Memorabilia “The Ask workshop is our clubhouse, our family room, our garage. Sure, we film a lot of TV there, but it’s also a home base where we can let our hair down and be ourselves.” Insiders Visit the Ask This Old House Workshop —Kevin O’Connor, This Old House host The crew area is decked out with memorabilia from the show—like the autographed photo of NASA astronaut Captain Mike Foreman, who visited the loft during Season 15—as well as some personal photos of the guys....
Before Skylights allow in abundant natural light, but trim tile with a sculpted surface and elaborate cabinetry felt dated. Vanities that wrapped two walls and trapped the tub in a corner didn’t make the best use of the space. Before and After: Black and White Tile Ideas For Every Bathroom After To start, Humphrey separated the vanities—a homeowner request—along one wall with the tub jutting out between them. “It seems counterintuitive,” he says, “like it would split the space, but it was a magic trick that actually made the room look bigger....
Pegboard adds organization Pegboard makes an excellent solution for organizing tools. Attach a sheet to some 1x2-inch furring strips to the back of the pegboard using CA glue and an activator spray. Once attached, screw through the face of the pegboard, through the 1x2 frame, and into the wall studs. Fill the shop with tools A kids’ workshop doesn’t need to be fully stocked overnight. They can collect tools as they need them (and as their allowance adds up)....
Add in the scratches that occur when you drag chairs across the surface, splattered grease from barbecues, mold growth in shady spots, and ground-in dirt from foot traffic, and most decks start to look old within a few years. Reversing the damage is simple enough. Apply a specially formulated cleaner and then treat the surface with a water-repellent finish. It’s a systems approach where all the elements work together. Dirty decks won’t accept a finish well; dirt can also react with the finish and turn the lumber black....
There are a wide range of home security systems available in Greenville, but they differ in terms of their available packages and equipment, the amount they cost, and more. To help you select the home security provider that’s right for your home, the This Old House Reviews Team ranked the best home security companies based on key factors like cost and reputation. Continue reading to learn about the companies that offer the best home security in Greenville, South Carolina....
There are so many options for pest control companies in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia area that it might get difficult trying to figure out which is best for you and your home. That is why our Reviews Team has researched and ranked the best pest control companies in the country. To help with your own research, read this review that will cover each company’s plans and services....
Finding the perfect bed for your home can feel overwhelming; there are many factors to consider and thousands of beds to choose from. Before committing to a new queen mattress, you want to think about who the primary users of the bed will be and figure out from there what sort of material, firmness, and support features will be best. This Old House Reviews Team and the testing experts at Mattress Advisor compiled a list of the best queen mattresses for various needs....
PVC Porch Materials Thanks to a proprietary manufacturing process and formulation, this solid extruded PVC tongue-and-groove porch plank floor is guaranteed not to expand and contract, so it will never buckle, warp, or cup. Porch floor, ceiling, and bench by Aeratis; Assorted lumber and building products supplied by Mid-Cape Home Center Wiser Wood Trim Sourced from renowned Radiata pine, this exterior wood trim features an EPA-approved non-metallic preservative that protects against rot, fungal attack and insects (including termites)....
And because we want the quality of the built-ins to match the integrity of our home, we’re teaming up with Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods [https://www.bairdbrothers.com/] to use the finest materials for the job. I’m lucky to have Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods here in my backyard in Ohio, but their family-owned facility offers shipment of fine hardwood products nationwide. For this project, I’m using a high-quality cabinet-grade birch plywood and hard maple boards....
The material Tom chose for this project—clear, vertical-grain Douglas fir boards—is lightweight and easily worked but also quite strong. Dabs of wood glue keep the slats in place, but it’s pocket screws, driven at a low angle across each joint, that do most of the work in holding this piece together. A specialized jig and drill bit guarantee that the process of making holes for the screws is fast and consistent....
