In this episode: It’s the holiday season on Ask This Old House, and the team is together to tackle projects homeowners might stumble across during their celebrations. First, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada explains how to identify and care for holly plants and incorporate them into a landscape. She notes that many holly plants keep their distinctive dense, glossy leaves all year, making them an excellent foundation plant for your garden design....
In this episode: It’s down to the last few weeks at the Saratoga Springs project. Flooring is down, cabinets are on-site, and on the third floor, doors are being hung, including a pocket door for the new bar room. General Contractor Matt Whitbeck shows Kevin O’Connor different framing options for pocket doors and his preferred method. Homeowner Evan is making headway with the exterior painting, thanks to friends and family chipping in....
In this episode: Kevin O’Connor walks into the new modern addition of the 1880’s Cape Style house in Concord, MA, where the walls are starting to go up. He joins Tom Silva who is helping to build an exterior wall with many window openings. They frame it on a level flat surface before standing it up in place. Tom gives Kevin a personal history of framing tools over the years and explains how the new pneumatic and battery-powered nail guns have dramatically increased productivity on the job site....
With a vintage Beatles LP playing in the background and dinner simmering on the stove, Megan and Lincoln Pasquina relax with their two young sons in their new great room, its floor-to-ceiling windows inviting in views of the rolling meadow, woods, and pond on their three-acre property in Concord, Massachusetts. The family moved in just a couple of weeks before, and “the tree-house room,” as Megan has dubbed it, is already their favorite hangout space....
Top 5 Bean Bag Chairs Best For Sharing: Sofa Sack Plush Ultrasoft Bean Bag Best Multipurpose: CordaRoy’s Chenille Bean Bag Chair Best Lumbar Support: Big Joe Smartmax Milano Bean Bag Chair Best For Children: Sofa Sack Plush Ultrasoft Bean Bag Most Customizable: Chill Sack Bean Bag Chair Best For Sharing: Sofa Sack Plush Ultrasoft Bean Bag This large bean bag is great for families, as it can fit two children or one child and one adult at once....
Top 5 Blenders Best Container: Ninja Professional Countertop Blender Best Accessories: NutriBullet Blender Combo Best Speed Control: Vitamix Explorian Blender Most Customizable: KitchenAid Blender Best Personal Blender: Hamilton Beach Personal Blender Best Container: Ninja Professional Countertop Blender Pros and Cons ✔ Includes two single-serve containers and one 72-ounce pitcher✔ Has nutrient-extracting blades that break down fruits and leafy greens easily✔ Crushes ice in seconds ✘ Only available in one color and one style✘ Doesn’t have automatic programs...
Below you’ll find our top foosball table recommendations, a comprehensive buyer’s guide, and answers to some common questions. Top 5 Foosball Tables Best Tabletop: Sport Squad FX40 TableTop Foosball Best Protection: KICK Foosball Table Best Design: Barrington Billiards Foosball Table Best Value: ESPN Foosball Table Best Lighted: Atomic Azure Light-Up Foosball Table Pros and Cons ✔ Can accommodate two to four players✔ Features premium chrome-plated steel rods✔ Has comfortable rubber handles ✘ Not ideal for serious players✘ Limited space for teams...
Top 5 Garden Rakes Best Small Bow: Fiskars 397940-1001 PRO Rake Best Large Bow: Midwest 10036 Aluminum Landscape Rake Best Handle: ORIENTOOLS Garden Rake Best for Large Trees: Bully Tools 92630 Poly Leaf Rake Best Adjustability: Jardineer 63-Inch Adjustable Garden Rake Best Small Bow: Fiskars 397940-1001 PRO Rake This bow rake has short metal tines attached to its wide head. The head isn’t as wide as other bow rakes, making it best for smaller tasks around your yard like leveling a small patch of sand or dirt....
Learn more about our top recommendations below. Top 5 Reclining Sofas Most Versatile: Vonanda Sofa Bed Best Console: Signature Design by Ashley Reclining Sofa Best Set: Betsy Furniture Recliner Sofa Set Best Short Loveseat: Christopher Knight Loveseat Recliner Softest Material: Acme Furniture Zubaida Glider Sofa Most Versatile: Vonanda Sofa Bed Pros and Cons ✔ Features a high-density sponge filling✔ Includes a head pillow ✔ Fabric cover is highly breathable ✘ Lacks adequate support for prolonged use as a bed✘ Fits only one person...
Here are our top recommendations. Top 5 Upright Freezers Best Capacity: Frigidaire Upright Freezer Most Customizable: Kismile Compact Upright Freezer Quietest Freezer: Northair Adaptable Mini Upright Freezer Best Retro Styling: R.W.FLAME Upright Compact Freezer Best Interior Lighting: RCA Upright Freezer Best Capacity: Frigidaire Upright Freezer Pros and Cons ✔ Features a temperature alarm that goes off if the door is left open✔ Has an EvenTemp cooling system✔ Can adjust the height of the shelves ✘ The door seal sometimes allows cold air to escape✘ Arrived dented for some customers...
Doctors recommend sleeping on the left side to reduce pressure on a major vein that runs through the back on the right side, but this isn’t always a natural position. Between learning to sleep on the left side, finding ample cradling for their growing baby bumps, alleviating some of the pressure in the hips, and giving the lower back some much-needed relief, getting restful sleep can feel like a tall order for pregnant women....
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Some folks like to joke that an old country house is held together with spit and baling wire. But Chris Colomello, a general contractor in Amenia, New York, doesn’t kid around. “We do it all the time,” he says, referring to the steel ties his crew tightened overhead in this once-quaking 19th-century house. “It keeps the exterior walls from pushing apart.” By all outward appearances the post-and-beam, timber-framed antique was fine....
How Heat Pumps Work Heat pumps work by finding and moving heat in and out of a building. A heat pump will take heat from within the home during the summer and let it dissipate outside, allowing the air conditioning system to work more efficiently. In the winter, a heat pump can scavenge heat from the outdoors (even in temperatures as low as zero degrees) and pump it into the home for comfort....
“Giving doors a bold color extends a warm welcome, and adds visual impact in a room that does not allow for a lot of furniture and soft elements,” says Richardson, who also likes painted surfaces, such as the white shiplap here, for their wipeability. The overall effect: playful and soothing all at once. What’s the Best Way to Paint a Door? Want to paint your door? Read professional tips below from This Old House Painter Mauro Henrique....
DIY Backyard Project to Try Arbor bench Sure, you could plop a couple of deck chairs in your backyard for an impromptu sitting area. But a hand-built cedar bench, framed by an arbor, gives you a more permanent place to kick back as the weather warms up, and adds an elegant architectural feature. 50 Nifty Tricks for Big DIY Savings Our design incorporates classic touches such as profiled rafter tails, alternating wide and narrow boards for the seat and backrest, and trellis sides to let your favorite climbers ascend to the overhead structure....
Warm and Inviting: Colorful Cupboard Turn a built-in storage unit into a focal point by painting it a different color from your kitchen cabinetry. To mimic the finish on this two-piece cupboard, try Behr’s Premium Plus Ultra Interior Semi-Gloss Enamel paint and primer in one in Beachwalk. About $34 per gallon; The Home Depot Warm and Inviting: Targeted Task Lighting Install mini pendants over an island or a peninsula to bring light down from ceiling height to the work surface....
