Home Improvement and Remodeling: This Old House

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How-to & Repair
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Give & Get Advice

Workshop Safety

Safety Glasses

Protect your eyes when you're on your next project with this inexpensive but essential gear. PLUS, see more on Workshop Accessories, including:
•Work Gloves
•Women's Work Boots
•Work Lights
•Workshop First-Aid
Get the right glasses for the job; see eight super-functional pairs… more

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How-to Video

How to Clean Up Mold

TOH plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and host Kevin O'Connor discover ways to rid a home of mold. PLUS, see more on Safety and Prevention, including:
•More Essential Info on Mold
•Keep Mold from Taking Hold
•Removing Mildew from Patios
•Install a Bathroom Vent Fan
It's the wet season; learn how to keep mold at bay … more

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Special

timeline displaying lifespan of common household products and maintenance tasks

How Long Things Last

Want to know when your old furnace or fridge is going to give out? Here's a guesttimate of the life cycle of all sorts of house parts. PLUS, see How to Repair the stuff you have, including:
•Repair Rotted Trim
•Refinish an Exterior Door
•Repair a Kitchen Faucet
•Maintain a Washer and Dryer
Get prepped to replace old materials; find out how long they last … more

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Special

cartoon of police issuing ticket for painting house on Sunday

Laws You Didn't Know You Were Breaking

You'd be amazed at some of the wacky house-related ordinances still on the books around the country. PLUS, see more on Home and Real Estate, including:
•14 Household Myths Debunked
•Home Inspection Nightmares XIII
•Win a Million-Dollar House!
•47 Homeowner Survival Skills
Don't putty holes in Schenectady on a Sunday, and 30 other arcane laws against homeowners … more

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Green House & Home

Chicago couple uses soy-based spray foam insulation in their home

Soybean: Innovative Insulation

Spray-foam insulation made from soybeans to keeps this couple's kitchen cool in summer and warm in winter. PLUS, see more on Green innovations, including:
•More Soy-Based Building Products
•Install a Solar Attic Fan
•Geothermal Heat Pump
•Insulation Made from Mushrooms
Learn about this spray insulation from a renewable source … more

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Product Gallery

Wacky Hybrid Appliances

These products offer two completely separate functions in one package. Decide which are perfect pairs and which should part ways. PLUS, see more outlandish products, including: •Appliance Science
•Wacky Kitchen Products
•Wackiest Bath Products
•High-Tech Kitchen and Bath
Check out these hard-working hybrids… more

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Special

man on computer communicating with contractor

How to Use Contractor Referral Websites

Tips for using online resources to get the best contractors for your project. PLUS, see more on Home and Real Estate, including:
•How to Hire a Contractor
•Are Your Pros Insured?
•Renovations That Pay Off
•Home Volunteer Repair Programs
Don't know where to turn for a contractor? Try these sites … more

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Home Improvement Topics

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Planning & Ideas

How-to & Repair

Tools & Products

50 Best Places to Buy an Old House

Watch Online

Live Webcams

Weston House Project premieres in October on PBS. Watch the crew at work

How-To Videos

In this how-to video, free a stuck window with This Old House general contractor Tom Silva

Spotlight

Best Places to Buy an Old House

Presenting 50 great neighborhoods—one in each state—where the historic homes (and life-affirming DIY challenges they bring) are rivaled only by the community spirit that surrounds them

Your Old House

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Calculators

Calculate exactly how much material you need

Photo Galleries

1,000s of inspirational images

Your Daily Fix

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Open Question

Q: How do I find out what a mystery switch does?

I have a 3-way switch at my back door, and one switch seems to be defunct. One does the exterior flood lights, one does the stairway lights, and the other is a mystery. Is there a way to find out what this switch actually goes to?

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