Archives

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Kitchen Lighting Schemes

The right kitchen fixtures not only provide task lighting and ambiance but also distinguish zones and accentuate design details.
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The Women of This Old House

This just in: Women fix things! The media is all over it; websites are sprouting up—but here at This Old House, it's never been news that women are involved in home improvement. Just ask our staff.
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Medicine-Cabinet MacGyver

Lipstick for home improvement? Yup. Your toiletries bag is essentially a tool kit
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S4 E6: Raised Garden Bed, Snaking a Drain

Roger builds a raised garden bed using composite landscape timbers. Roger shows host Kevin several other types of landscape timbers. Richard clears a slow-draining bathtub using a plumbing snake.
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S5 E6: Building a Small Deck

Tom helps a homeowner rebuild a small exterior deck. They start by removing the existing deck, which has rotted and become unstable. Together, they build a new deck, including stairs and handrails.
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S28 E6: Salvage, Chimney, Attic, and the ICA

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S4 E5: Roses, Toilet, Basement Leak

Roger helps a homeowner care for an ailing rose bush. The guys ask, "What is it?" Richard shows Kevin a number of ways to steady a wobbly toilet. Tom prevents water from leaking through a hole in the foundation into a basement.
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Creating a Safe, Healthy Playroom

Playrooms made with healthy, fun, durable, eco-friendly materials
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S5 E5: Bulbs, Ripping Plywood, Water Hammer

Roger and Kevin plant flower bulbs outside the barn. Tom shows Kevin how to makes straight rip cuts with a circular saw. The guys ask, "What is it?" Richard helps a homeowner eliminate the water hammer noise from his pipes.
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S28 E5: Refrigerator, Hot Plate, and Bad Larry

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Everything You Need to Know about Setting Glass Tile

Learn how to set glass tiles in your home, including selecting materials, preparing the wall surface, and achieving a long-lasting finish.
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Fitting Flooring Against Walls

For fast, accurate cuts, leave the tape measure in the toolbox
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9 Steps to Getting the Kitchen You Want

The key: Learn how to work with your designer (start by downloading our comprehensive Kitchen Planning Questionnaire)
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How To Clean and Maintain Screwdrivers in a Few Steps

Your tools can rust and corrode over time, but that doesn't mean they're unusable. Read how to clean and maintain your screwdriver in our step-by-step guide.
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S4 E4: Wheelbarrow Tire, Gutters, Water Tank

Roger shows Kevin how to repair a flat wheelbarrow tire. Tom repairs an aluminum rain gutter. Kevin and Tom demonstrate a tip sent in from a viewer on how to drill a hole in ceramic tile. Richard Trethewey installs a thermal expansion tank.
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History of Grotesques and Gargoyles

Find out what makes them so significant, and spooky
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S5 E4: Garage Cabinets, Ceiling Fan

Tom installs new cabinets designed especially for garages. In the "What is it?" segment, Kevin and Roger test a new type of vacuum-assisted post hole digger. Electrician John Barros installs a new ceiling fan. John shows Kevin a few other ways of installing fan-rated electrical boxes.
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S28 E4: Urban Garden, Asbestos, City Sewer

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How To Install a Cork Floor

Cork flooring is an eco-friendly material that's also easy on the feet. Learn how to install it.
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How To Safely Rid Your Home of Asbestos, Lead, and Mold

Learn how to responsibly rid your house of three major health and environmental hazards, either on your own or with the pros.
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Bedbug Battler's Checklist

Tips for dealing with bedbugs before, during, and after an infestation. From someone who learned the hard way.
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S4 E3: Water Filter, Drought-Resistant Tree

Richard helps a homeowner improve the quality of her drinking water by installing an under-sink filter. Richard and Kevin are joined in the loft by water-filtration expert Bill McTighe. Roger Cook helps a homeowner plant a drought-resistant tree in her sloped front yard.
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All About Bedbugs: Understanding and Eliminating These Pests

Bedbugs are blood-sucking insects that can make you incredibly uncomfortable. Read about what causes infestations and how you can address one in our guide.
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Why It’s Worth Investing in a Radiant Floor Heating System

In this guide, our experts compare hydronic and electric floor heating costs, installation considerations, and energy efficiency.
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S5 E3: Shower Pan, Tile Backerboard, Rain Barrel

Richard installs a new acrylic shower base. Tom demonstrates the proper way to install backerboard and tile around a new shower base. Roger helps a homeowner save water by installing a rain barrel.