Home Improvement and Remodeling: This Old House

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Give & Get Advice

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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Photo Gallery

Post-Mount Mailboxes

Whether you're looking to replace your timeworn post-mount mailbox or starting out from scratch, there's a wealth of choices worth writing home about. PLUS, see more on Outdoor Structures, including:
•How to Replace a Mailbox Post
•Mailbox Planning
•Install a Picket Fence
•Build a Gazebo
Bump up your curb appeal with a new mailbox… more

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Special

'Save This Old House' Update

Learn what happened to those ravaged beauties we feature in the back of the magazine. PLUS, see more Save This Old House updates, including:
•Save This Old House 2003
•Save This Old House 2004
•Save This Old House 2006
•Save This Old House 2007-2008
See before-and-after photos of houses that were saved, and see houses that are still available for your taking … more

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DIY Upgrade

bathroom after getting an easy-upgrade bath and vanity

Bath-Vanity Revamp

Transform your bath with budget-conscious improvements that'll boost your home's wow factor—and its value. PLUS, see more on Bathroom upgrades, including:
•Installing a Medicine Cabinet
•Replacing a Bathroom Faucet
•Anchoring a Towel Bar
•Installing a Shower Door
Upgrade your bathroom today … more

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Keep Cool for Less

How to Install a Solar Attic Fan

Keep your attic cool and your electricity bills down. PLUS, see more on Cooling, including:
•10 Ways to Beat the Heat
•9 Things to Know about Air-Conditioning
•How to Install a Ceiling Fan
•Hiring a Cooling Contractor
Install it in just a couple of hours … more

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Yard & Garden Tools

Hose Nozzles

A good nozzle on the end of your hose will save you both time and water. PLUS, see more Yard and Garden Tools, including:
•Water-Saving Garden Gear
•Installing Drip Irrigation
•Repairing a Hose
•Unkinking a Garden Hose
Water well with these essential attachments … more

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Hot-Weather Gardening

Succulents: Ideal Plants for Summer

Succulents thrive where most plants would shrivel; their ability to go days without water makes them ideal garden staples for summer. PLUS, see more on low-maintenance Gardening, including:
Succulent Plant Gallery
Drought-Resistant Annuals
Drought-Resistant Ornamental Grasses
Lawn-Less Yard Solutions
Learn about hardy succulent plants … more

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Home Improvement Topics

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Watch Online

Live Webcams

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

How-To Videos

Lawn mowing tips from This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook

Spotlight

Best Places to Buy an Old House

Presenting 50 great neighborhoods—one in each state—where the historic homes (and life-affirming DIY challenges they bring) are rivaled only by the community spirit that surrounds them

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: To seal or not to seal?

I'm having my white-oak hardwood floors refinished. How would you recommend they be finished? Every floor guy has a different answer, and it's very confusing! Should we seal first? And how many coats of poly?

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