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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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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