OHW

If you have too many people by the same name, here's a backup source to telephone directories: City directories list everyone (or all adults), not just one person per telephone account, plus each person's address and usually at least one other tidbit such as occupation or "widow of Bill" (and occasi...

Hmmm. A real puzzle ! High ceilings, I would guess, predate the 1930s, as bungalow chic changed the majestic old Victorian proportions. The enclosed side porch was fashionable for a time, somewhere between 1910 and 1940, but I forget exactly when. Gutters on the main gable seem to have been taken fr...

Dfiler---Not just anything will grow under maple trees, so I recommend consulting your university's cooperative extension service. There also are books available on low-care plants (ie no maintenance required on a steep sloped yard) and even on plants available in your house's historic era . . . for...

Re heating: I've not compared directly in a single dwelling, but I have lived in different places with forced-air heat and with hot-water radiators. I LOVE radiator heat. Lay your bath towel or pajamas and slippers on the radiator in the winter...ahhhhh, cozy warmth. Oddly enough, with a programmabl...

My husband and I are renting an 1890 duplex split into 4 units. Here's our set-up: clawfoot tub; shower curtain ring made of copper pipe and hung from the ceiling on chains; plastic handheld shower head connected to a plastic hose and fastened to the copper ring with plastic zip ties (the kind the p...

Oh, no. Shoot. I didn't mean to do THAT. (I did report it to TOH if I recall correctly.) It's an article from This Old House website about linoleum. At the end of it, people have used the comment feature to leave tawdry invites. There's an ad for Lowe's across the top and everything. At least that's...

Hi Nan. I know it's been two months since you posted your question, but we can all always use another vote of confidence. I happened to see an article elsewhere on the Internet which mentioned "____ _____, an architect who has used linoleum on countertops and backsplashes." So lino countertops have ...