It seems like every time I read the financial news there is another article about looming foreclosures. The last several years the big issue was the subprime mortgages, and the damage they were causing. Much of this crisis appeared to be caused by greedy lenders making loans that they should not have been, to buyers who were purchasing houses that were beyond their means, and in some cases to buyers ...

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If you have an old house, you know this refers to the wiring that's probably coursing current to your lights and plugs. The knobs are ceramic clips (ceramic--imagine the expense installing those today!) that secure and protect the fabric-jacketed wire parallel to the joist and/or serve as a pivot point to change the wire's direction. The tubes are ceramic sleeves that protect the wire as they ...

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We face difficult questions repairing our vintage homes. Should we repair what's there or replace with new materials and techniques? This question arises in various forms throughout any old house remodel (from molding to appliances to fenestration), I find it often first pops up when it comes to plaster. Generally, plaster performs better than drywall because it is more massive: Three coats of hand-applied material (brown ...

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