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Propane vs. Heating Oil Most of what you need to do to stay warm is remember to pay the gas bill. Natural gas’s cousin, propane, is the king of fuels in rural areas. Delivered by truck to above- or below-ground storage tanks, propane-fueled appliances are also low-maintenance. But then, there’s the Northeast. Fuel oil, also known as home heating oil, is also a popular choice. Like diesel fuel, home heating oil is delivered by trucks and pumped into a storage tank usually located in the basement....

In this episode: Nathan travels to a Sears kit house in Richmond, Virginia to tighten an old, loose stair railing; Mauro demonstrates how to strip paint off of old door hardware; Heath explains the uses and purposes of different types of electrical boxes; Richard replaces an old thermostat with a smart thermostat without replacing the original two wires in the wall. How to Tighten a Loose Newel Post Nathan travels to a Sears kit house in Richmond, Virginia to tighten an old, loose stair railing....

In this episode: Mason Mark McCullough helps a homeowner replace his crumbling flagstone steps. The front steps seem to be original to the 1940s house and they haven’t aged well. One reason could be found in the lack of gutters on the house. After 80 years of water falling off the roof and onto the steps, it’s easy to see why the steps are eroding. The other culprit is the lack of a base, so while the ground moved over time, the steps settled into a downward slope....

In this episode: While he wishes everything in his life was as organized as his truck, This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert takes pride in having a clean truck ready to tackle any project at any job site. Nathan takes viewers on a personal tour of his work truck and shows exactly how he stores and organizes his tools and supplies to help make the workday more efficient and convenient. Inside Nathan’s truck, you’ll see his miter saw on the front left-hand side, middle rack....

In this episode: Kevin O’Connor explains how he became the host of ASK and This Old House. With a bright future in finance, Kevin and his wife followed their love for old homes and purchased a fixer-upper. During the process, the two sent in a letter to This Old House about their home at the same time Ask This Old House was starting. A few weeks after the crew performed a house call at Kevin’s home, he received the job offer from the production crew, and the rest is history....

In this episode: Since the 1970’s the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester has been a special place to This Old House—it’s the home of our first project. For 41 years we have only come back to visit the old house but today we start a new project in Dorchester. It’s a three-story 1905 apartment building that was heavily damaged in a fire. Carol Wideman and her family had to move out over a year ago....

The house subsequently changed hands eight times before falling into disrepair. The City of Danville bought it in 2017 as part of a robust revitalization program. The 2,310-square-foot house has three rooms and a bath downstairs, and four rooms and a bath upstairs. The third-floor attic offers the potential for at least 600 additional square feet of finished space. The hand-carved front doors are original, as are the windows, clapboards, and fishscale shingles....

Overlooking one side of the living room, the office space lets Amy keep tabs on what’s happening downstairs. Built by local craftsmen to Amy’s custom design, the desk has a view to the front so she can keep an eye out for arriving guests. Wall sconces light the way down the hall to the double-door owner’s suite entry. Desk: Custom designed by Amy Matthews, fabricated by Forest Products Supply, Inc....

Top 5 Inflatable Pools Best Baby Pool: Intex Sunset Glow Baby Pool Best Large Pool: AsterOutdoor Inflatable Swimming Pool Best Play Center: Intex Fun ‘n Fruity Inflatable Play Center Best Lounger: Jasonwell Inflatable Tanning Pool Lounger Float Best for Families: Intex Inflatable Family Lounge Pool Best Baby Pool: Intex Sunset Glow Baby Pool Pros and Cons ✔ Features pink, yellow, green, and blue colors✔ Includes a repair patch to quickly address holes✔ Made of a durable and long-lasting vinyl material ✘ Too small for most children over the age of 3✘ Lacks a drain valve...

Below are our top recommendations, a comprehensive buyer’s guide, and answers to common questions. Most Powerful: Rowenta Micro Steam Iron Pros and Cons ✔ Has 400 soleplate holes to evenly distribute steam ✔ Comes with an anti-drip lid✔ Operates with tap water ✘ Has a short one-year warranty✘ Prone to leaks on the high heat setting What Customers Are Saying Customers liked that this iron had built-in safety features and easy temperature control....

Take Safety Precautions Cutting metal is a dangerous job. Once the cutting tool touches the metal, hot, sharp fragments will get thrown into the air and could cut or burn you. In addition to following each tool’s safety instructions, it is imperative to wear protective gear, including safety glasses, a face shield, and ear protection (cutting metal can be loud enough to cause hearing loss if ears are unprotected). Wear the Right Gear Cover your arms with a long-sleeved shirt and wear pants made from fire-resistant materials....

Sponsor: The This Old House Season Premiere 2020 Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) is sponsored by Leviton and This Old House Ventures, LLC, 262 Harbor Drive, Stamford, CT 06902 (“Sponsor”). Sweepstakes Entry Period: The Sweepstakes starts at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Time (ET) September 30, 2020 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on October 16, 2020 (“Sweepstakes Period”). Eligibility: Sweepstakes open only to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) 18 years of age or older at time of entry....

Enter the Williamsburg® Paint Color Collection by Benjamin Moore. Together with preservationists at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Benjamin Moore’s chemists and color experts examined 18th-century wallpaper, original paint samples, and historical documents to accurately re-create colors found in early American design, to curate a collection of 144 beautifully nuanced colors—a timeless palette that is both historic and distinctly modern. In the Williamsburg® Paint Color Collection, Enright found the perfect blend of classic, organic colors that she could use in a refreshing, contemporary way....

IAQ has become more top of mind for HVAC engineers because homes are tighter and keep air inside the building for significantly longer than in years past. How to Keep Air Clean To keep clean air in an airtight home, consider installing an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) which can act like lungs for the building, bringing fresh air in without losing any of the heating or cooling attached to it....

Best Practices for Replacing Antique Light Switches A: I’d recommend that you replace the original switches with new ones. Those switches were made with materials that may have become cracked, corroded, or fatigued in the last 100 years, and their design doesn’t meet today’s strict electrical-safety standards. The newer switches do, as indicated by their “UL-Listed” mark. Fortunately, you don’t have to give up on the two-button look, or the satisfying snap that the buttons make when you push them in....

Capturing the light Even though the house is sited in a valley that is shaded for parts of the day, its tall, narrow form makes the interior bright. Expansive windows and skylights usher in the natural light: “The sun just pours in,” says Amy, who positioned the home with the sun’s path in mind, visiting the site often during the planning stages to time the sun and take photos. Snug, Minnesota-worthy building envelope Minnesota’s long, snowy winters also factored into Amy’s decisions....