Archives

7 Things You Didn't Know You Could Paint and What Paint to Use

From faux stone finishes to fabric upholstery, these creative painting projects will inspire you to see your home in a whole new light.

S16 E15: Spitting Faucet, Painting 101

Richard diagnoses and repairs a water system with air in it; in Open House, Tom analyzes a staircase that is not to code; Mauro makes a house call to teach a homeowner the basics of painting a room.

S39 E15: Final Touches

Kevin finds Tommy and Charlie installing a fireback. Roger returns the flowers he saved. The island countertop goes on. Kevin watches a crew install a garage door. The wood stove arrives.

Norm crafts two distinctive wooden trays, a more primitive fruit tray out of recycled pine, and Norm introduces metalsmithing for the first time on The New Yankee Workshop when he fashions the cherry tray's hardware out of brass

Well Balanced Remodel

The 1905 house was water damaged, structurally unsound, and weary throughout—until dogged new owners got it back on its feet

Paint a Room Like a Pro

Ask This Old House painter Mauro Henrique teaches a homeowner the basics of painting a room perfectly.

How To Prepare, Prime, and Paint a Room Like a Pro

Painting a room is one of the most cost-effective ways to completely transform your living space. Read about how to prepare, prime, and paint a room in our step-by-step guide.

A man using a measuring tape to measure the vertical distance between two steps.

How To Identify and Address Dangerous Staircases in a Home

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva analyzes a potentially dangerous staircase that is not to code for prospective homebuyers.

5 Creative Design Ideas for Outdoor Lighting

Achieve a magical look in your yard with these nightscaping suggestions

S39 E14: Homeowner Going the Distance

Norm lays composite decking. Charlie makes exterior decorative brackets. Kevin watches a quartz countertop get installed. Roger paves the front walk. Liz fits her stained-glass window.

S16 E14: Lawn Care, Futuristic Workshop

Roger tends to a lawn that was seeded in the summer and is not doing well; Richard goes over low-budget kitchen upgrades; Tom travels to San Francisco to build a stool using computer-based tools.

How To Build a Shadow Box

Use an old door or recycled wood to cheaply create your own DIY shadow box. This step-by-step guide shows you how.

Build It | CNC Built Stool

Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva travels to a workshop in San Francisco to build a stool using computer-based tools.

How to Update a Kitchen on a Budget

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey goes over low-budget kitchen upgrades in this edition of DIY Smarts.

How To Revitalize a Lawn

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares some DIY Smarts as he tends to a lawn that was seeded in the summer and is not doing well.

Newton GenNEXT | 360-degree Interactive Tour

See the Newton Project like you’ve never seen it before! Explore every room and learn about the materials, fixtures, and even paint colors

Before and After Kitchen Remodel: Going for Flow

Three cramped, poorly configured rooms become one seamless space for prepping and enjoying meals, as well as tackling the laundry

Keep Gutters Uncluttered

Scaling a ladder to dislodge clumps of dirty, decaying leaves isn’t anyone’s favorite chore. Cross this nasty task off your autumn to-do list for good with gutter guards that keep out leafy debris—while you stay safely on the ground

Casting Call: We're Looking for Apprentices!

Interested in working with the This Old House crew on our next project houses? We’d love to have you! You can submit your application here. Apply now! The deadline for our spring apprenticeship is February 23, 2018. To apprentice this summer, apply by May 4, 2018.