Home Improvement and Remodeling: This Old House

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Give & Get Advice

Special

man on computer communicating with contractor

How to Use Contractor Referral Websites

Tips for using online resources to get the best contractors for your project. PLUS, see more on Home and Real Estate, including:
•How to Hire a Contractor
•Are Your Pros Insured?
•Renovations That Pay Off
•Home Volunteer Repair Programs
Don't know where to turn for a contractor? Try these sites … more

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DIY Upgrades

an entryway transformed with affordable improvements

Front Entry Fix-Up

Transform your entry with budget-conscious improvements that'll boost your home's wow factor—and its value. PLUS, see more on enhance your Exterior, including:
•How to Have the Best-Looking House
•Paint Your Exterior
•7 Rules of Curb Appeal
•Replace Your Entry Lights
Get lots of curb appeal for a little bit of money … more

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Special

Home Inspection Nightmares XIII

What lurks in the rafters and under the sinks? Find out with these 16 bizarre discoveries uncovered by the inspectors of the ASHI Reporter. PLUS, see more on Home and Real Estate, including:
•More Home Inspection Nightmares
•50 Best Places to Buy an Old House
•How to Successfully Sell a House
•14 Household Myths Debunked
See the worst of the worst … more

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Green Home

Eco-Friendly Lawn Mowers

The machines here not only spew fewer (or zero) emissions, they're cheaper to run and quieter too—something your neighbors will like if they sleep late on Saturday mornings. PLUS, see more on Yard and Garden Tools, including:
•Wackiest Yard and Garden Gear
•Water-Saving Yard and Garden Gear
•Garden Hand Tools
•Robot Mowers
Cut your costs while cutting the grass … more

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Outdoor Living

Mosquito and Wasp Solutions

Seeking an alternative to electric zappers (and their creepy, constant buzzing noises)? These models won't leave you itching for more protection. PLUS, see more on dealing with pests, including:
•More Mosquito Traps
•Control Garden Pests
•Dealing with Termites
•Dealing with Bed Bugs
Keep the biters at bay with these 9 innovative products … more

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How-to Video

How to Repair a Garbage Disposer

You don't need a costly new disposer; you can repair the one you have in 20 minutes. PLUS, see more on Kitchen Sinks, including:
•Install a Garbage Disposer
•What's New in Garbage Disposers
•Install a Kitchen Sink
•Install a Pull-Out Faucet
This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows how to fix your disposer … more

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Featured Remodel

Second Life for a Farmhouse

The 1830s farmhouse with 1950s additions was a shoo-in for a teardown. Then a pair of old-house buffs decided to revive its antique core and build a gracious, vintage-look home around it. PLUS, see more Remodels, including:
•How to Make New Look Old
•Cozy Farmhouse Redo
•Georgian-Style Farm Rehab
•A Renovation to Remember
See how a house that seemed beyond saving was restored and enhanced … more

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Home Improvement Topics

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Planning & Ideas

How-to & Repair

Tools & Products

50 Best Places to Buy an Old House

Watch Online

Live Webcams

Weston House Project premieres in October on PBS. Watch the crew at work

How-To Videos

In this how-to video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook saves an old lawn

Spotlight

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

A makeover doesn't necessarily mean replacing those gloomy cabinets. You can clean them up and brush on some new paint—and within a weekend take that kitchen from dreary to sunny.

Your Old House

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Calculators

Calculate exactly how much material you need

Photo Galleries

1,000s of inspirational images

Your Daily Fix

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Open Question

Q: Removing stamp ink

Any advice on removing stamped-on ink lettering from bare wood so it can be stained and varnished? I've tried Murphy's Oil Soap, Oops, Goof Off, and sanding with coarse (60 grit) sand paper, but it's still there. Thoughts?

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