I recently posted about whether to repair or replace plaster walls in older homes when they start to crack and show their age. I argued that while repairing cracks is possible, if arduous, it's often easier over the long run to replace the plaster with drywall. Reader Andy Fisk rightly pointed out that "easier" isn't something that old house owners embrace, or even comprehend. (If you doubt me on this, check out this post ...

(1) Comment »

In my parents' old house, they had in incredible master suite consisting of a large bedroom with two closets, one an enormous walk-in that we concluded must have once served as a nursery, as it had a second door that opened on the hallway, an even larger sitting room/office that featured a big bay window, built-in bookshelves, and a wood burning stove, and bathroom. The sitting room was particularly popular in winter: the ...

(4) Comments »

A couple of projects I was working on this week got me thinking about old houses, drainage, and spending money wisely when making home improvements. One project involves putting in a retaining wall and doing a fair amout of regrading to turn a client's long, sloping back yard into a two-tiered, relatively flat back yard. While the project involves a fair amount of work, it's pretty straightforward, but if I screw up ...

(1) Comment »