The Old House Journal

Offers advice on identifying, evaluating, and restoring an old house, and describes how to repair different parts of a house, including roofs, windows, floors, staircases, and fireplaces.

This beautifully illustrated tour of America's houses begins in 1640 with the early roots of American style -- a combination of European skill and attitude combined with American know-how. This architectural journey continues on through the 18th and 19th centuries, through the Greek Revival, the Americanization of the Gothic Revival, and the early Colonial Revival. The houses of the 20th century are the main attraction as House Styles in America delves into the major movements in the Romantic Revivals of the 1920s and 1930s: English, French, and Spanish. Replete with 200 color photographs, this architectural journey is an essential and beautiful guide for realtors, tourists, and students of architecture.

The Window Sash Bible is about the repair, maintenance, restoration and improvement of old or historic windows made from about 1800 to 1940. With so much misinformation provided by replacement window contractors and vendors, this book aids homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, carpenters, architects, designers, preservation commission members, and anyone in the old-house business make sound decisions about windows. Since most homeowners are unaware of their alternatives, The Window Sash Bible provides an array of options to save money, energy, and historic windows for decades to come.The information is gleaned from my experience as a window repair contractor and old-house enthusiast, from other craftsmen, books, catalogues, journals, trade manuals, and ah-ha moments. Most of the recommendations are based on available materials and simple techniques that were once common. Whether doing the work yourself or hiring it done, the Window Sash Bible will help you understand how to evaluate any problems and how to undertake the repair process. Instructions range from simple tasks that anyone can do like replacing broken cords and cutting glass to repairs requiring intermediate wood working skills, for example, making a new sash rail.The book begins with window and glass history and nomenclature. Familiarity with the pieces and parts prepares you to discuss your windows knowledgably with vendors, contractors, or other professionals and also sheds light on how your windows are supposed to work. Basic repairs and putty work include removing sashes, installing new sash cords and other balances, glazing (puttying), replacing broken glass, and everything you need to know about finding and using old wavy glass. Almost any old window can be retrofitted with effective weatherstrips. You'll learn how to weather-seal your windows with materials that are usually superior to those found on new and replacement windows. Choose materials and techniques to last ten years or for the 50 year solution. After learning all you need to know about durable and inferior wood species, carpentry instructions range from a simple Dutchman repair to replacing a broken muntin or meeting rail. You'll also learn the ins-and-outs of long lasting epoxy repairs and patches.Thinking about putting those old wood storms and screens on the curb? Confused if your ugly aluminum storms are worth keeping? Learn how to convert your old wood storms into efficient, handy combination units or how to extend the life of your aluminum storms by renewing the weather seals. And what about painting? Did you know that your painter is often your window's worst enemy and that inappropriate painting techniques and poor choices of paint are the leading cause of sticky windows and ineffective weatherseals? You'll find instructions for painting inside and out, the best and worst choices for paint, and precautions to keep everyone safe from lead dust and debris. The Window Sash Bible promotes environmental friendly solutions for window maintenance, repair, and restoration. After reading it, you'll understand why most replacements are unnecessary and why your existing windows are superior to any you may replace them with.

The creator of Instagram’s House Plant Journal mixes love with scientific logic in this beautifully photographed guide for indoor gardeners. For indoor gardeners everywhere, Darryl Cheng offers a new way to grow healthy house plants. He teaches the art of understanding a plant’s needs and giving it a home with the right balance of light, water, and nutrients. With this book, indoor gardeners can be less a passive follower of rules for the care of each species and much more the confident, active grower, relying on observation and insight. And in the process, the plant owner becomes a plant lover, bonded to these beautiful living things by a simple love and appreciation of nature. The New Plant Parent covers all of the basics of growing house plants, from finding the right light, to everyday care like watering and fertilizing, to containers, to recommended species. Cheng’s friendly tone, personal stories, and accessible photographs fill his book with the same generous spirit that has made @houseplantjournal, his Instagram account, a popular source of advice and inspiration for over half a million indoor gardeners.

Although there are other books about renovating old houses, this is the first that prioritizes the identification and preservation of the historic, character-defining features of a house as a starting point in the process. That is the purpose of this book: to describe and illustrate a best-practices approach for updating historic homes for modern life in ways that do not attempt to turn an old house into a new one. The book also suggests many ways to save money in the process, without settling for cheap or inappropriate solutions. Scott Hanson is a historic-building preservation professional and has 40 years' experience rehabilitating historic houses. He has illustrated this authoritative book with hundreds of step-by-step photos, illustrations, charts, and decision-making guides. Interspersed throughout are photo essays of 13 restored historic houses representing a range of periods and architectural styles: Italianate, Victorian, Queen Anne, Federal, Colonial, Colonial Revival, Greek Revival, Ranch, Adobe, Craftsman, Shingle, and Rustic. With interior and exterior photography by David Clough, these multi-page features show what can be achieved when a historic home is renovated with a desire to preserve or restore as much historic character as possible.

Tells how to evaluate a property, buy an old house, and plan a restoration, and covers masonry, plumbing, electrical systems, windows, doors, drywall, floors, and woodwork.

Homeowners can learn how to identify and economically add improvements to older homes without getting bogged down in never-ending repairs. This comprehensive guide teaches readers how to fix roofs, doors, windows, structural problems, plumbing and bathrooms for the least amount of money and the greatest reward.