Aerate The Lawn
This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook gets started on his fall yard chores. If rainfall pools on the grass, it's time to aerate compressed soil so water and nutrients can reach the roots. A garden fork can do the job on a small yard, but ... [... more]
This Old House |
The Three-Season Porch
Until the porch was built, poolside umbrellas provided the only sanctuary from the midday sun. The kitchen's French doors once led straight to the sun-filled backyard. The three-season addition creates a more gradual transition from house to ... [... more]
This Old House |
Electrical
Use this detailed checklist as a guide as you look around for leaks, cracks, breaks, wear, and every other conceivable problem that can develop over the year. Then make a repair list to keep up on maintenance in the coming months. Check trees ... [... more]
This Old House |
Fall Yard Chores
Roger recommends getting your yard cleaned up and your equipment tuned up before winter sets in. Fall yard clean-up starts with the gutters, which requires setting up a ladder to reach them. Remember to always have someone holding the bottom of ... [... more]
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Reaping Harvest Gold
Agricultural waste, such as straw and rice stalks, that would otherwise be plowed under or burned in the fields is finding a second life as pollution-free, particleboardlike sheet material used in furniture, shelving and countertops. Isobord and ... [... more]
This Old House |
Getting Professional Help
A good way to examine a roof from down below, Tom says, is to use binoculars—or better yet, a camera with a telephoto lens, which you can use to create a lasting record. Every basement has things that can leak, such as a furnace or water heater. ... [... more]
This Old House |
How to Choose and Use a Leaf Blower
Small to medium yards where you need the power of a gas engine. Air speeds higher than 150 mph and noise levels less than 70 decibels. (Check local ordinances: Some areas limit noise to less than 65 decibels.) Antivibration system and ... [... more]
This Old House |
Get Ready for Fall
A rented gas-powered aerator, which removes plugs of earth, can improve the drainage of a soggy lawn. Leave the extruded plugs alone; they'll soon decompose on their own. Before planting a shrub, make sure the hole is at least twice the diameter ... [... more]
This Old House |
Fall Furnace Maintenance
As part of an annual once-over, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey checks the efficiency of an oil-burning furnace. Before performing any maintenance, Richard makes sure to switch off the electrical power and the fuel ... [... more]
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Fall Fertilizing
Roger Cook says a last dose of fertilizer before the winter can make all the difference next spring. Fall is here and it's time to fertilize. Why now? Taking the time to fertilize in the fall will strengthen your plants' and lawn's roots, giving ... [... more]
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Norm's Notebook: Rakes
To break up clods, pull out small stones, and move lots of material, hold the handle at a 45-degree angle. For finish grading, smoothing the soil, raking out bark mulch, or spreading out an inch or two of gravel, go with a steeper handle angle, ... [... more]
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Good Wood Fires
Before you succumb to your primal urges and set even a single log ablaze, be certain you've taken the steps required to make the fires you start this season as successful—and safe—as possible. Mark Schaub, of Chimney Savers in Hillsborough, New ... [... more]
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