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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Thanksgiving is next week, and for me the Thanksgiving Parade in New York has always meant the start of the Holiday Season. I will soon see holiday lighting up in the small town I live in, the town's decorations on the main road which passes through, and the individual homes decorated for the season. I confess I really enjoy it, and always have. There is something special about the season, ...

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I recently wrote about the two old houses in Berkeley, California that belonged to the University of California. Most of my blog entries have been about families purchasing old houses to make them their homes, but another good method for saving old houses is for organizations to purchase them. The University of California appeared to have used at least one of the old houses for offices, unfortunately the need for ...

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