Five Questions to Ask Your Flood-Control Specialist
A flood-control contractor salvages your stuff and protects your house's structure and framing. "We dry out the entire structure, not just the basement," says DiPrima. "Usually, people extract all the water, and a week later they find mold [... more]
This Old House |
Spring Flood Watch
In houses without gutters, a drip line collection system will solve foundation leakage problems. French drains can carry water away from wet parts of your yard. In the spring, melting snow and April showers conspire against your yard, unleashing ... [... more]
This Old House |
Water, Water Everywhere
If you think a flooded basement is trouble, just wait till the water's gone-getting rid of the mucked-up ruins and preventing mold growth are no simple tasks. One man learned this the hard way when a river near his home breached its banks. ... [... more]
This Old House |
Foundation on a Flatbed
The preliminary plan of the foundation shows wall heights, exterior measurements, and ground elevations. An isometric view of the foundation walls is a preview of the new construction to come. The precast wall system is delivered with pre-drilled ... [... more]
This Old House |
From the Ground Up: Foundations
A proper foundation does more than just hold a house above ground. It also keeps out moisture, insulates against the cold, and resists movement of the earth around it. Oh, and one more thing: It should last forever. No wonder builders like This ... [... more]
This Old House |
Building It Right: Slab Foundations
When a slab foundation is done right, says Tom Silva, it will last forever. This illustration shows what it takes to earn Tom's approval. A foundation is forever, so it makes sense to pay attention to the details that ensure it will remain dry ... [... more]
This Old House |
Your Basement: Why Add on When You Can Add Under?
An unfinished basement became a comfortable gathering place in this Massachusetts home. Sherri Martinelli, here with daughter Cambria, set out to create a haven for teens. Exercise is the theme of this partial basement renovation in a Boston-area ... [... more]
This Old House |
The Building Blocks of Renovating a TV Project House
A crew from Superior Walls installs the foundation — panels of insulated concrete that are set on a bed of crushed stone, adhered to each other with a urethane adhesive, and then bolted together. The entire foundation was built in a day, no ... [... more]
This Old House |
Halloween Scare Tactics
A good haunted house must be an complete sensory experience. Much like clowns, dolls have a scary quality to them, especially when piled up like this. Eerie scenes like this can be set up as vignettes for your guests to view while walking ... [... more]
This Old House |
Drying Out a Wet Basement
EXTEND DOWNSPOUTS at least 4 ft. away from the house and install a splash block to help disperse the water. A dry well fed by a 4-in. PVC pipe running from downspouts can disperse the water gathered from the roof. It should sit on a gravel bed ... [... more]
This Old House |
Razing Ell
A latticework of steel beams under the barn floor will bear the weight of the structure for weeks while TOH general contractor Tom Silva and his crew replace the rotting floor and sill. Tom, TOH host Kevin O'Connor, and master carpenter Norm ... [... more]
This Old House |
A Cellar in the Basement
The finished cellar. The archway, with wall framed in, waiting for its door. Cedar racks help wine age properly. Smack in the middle of the basement of the Milton house, the This Old House crew found an unused room filled with cobwebs and empty ... [... more]
This Old House |
