Fall Upkeep

Working with a Tree Removal Pro

This Old House — CREEEAAK, CREEEAAK, CREEEAAK... The sound of trees swaying in the wind can be pretty ominous, especially if they sometimes come crashing down within inches of your painstakingly renovated home. Just ask Sandy Herbert, a lawyer who lives in a ...More…

How to Put Your Lawn Mower to Bed: Overview

This Old House — Maintenance is easy and will prolong the life of your machine, but it can be a messy job Gas-powered lawn mowers and trimmers take their share of abuse during the warm months, so some care at the end of the season is vital to keeping their parts ...More…

How to Divide Daylilies: Overview

This Old House — You're working with plants that are already a part of your landscape Use care when making divisions and working with root clusters The daylily is one of the easiest perennials to divide. "Daylilies are bulletproofthey can take a lot of abuse ...More…

How to Give It a Shellacking: Overview

This Old House — For 90 years, the Clear finish on the maple banister had survived the touch of countless hands without ill effect-until a recurrent drip from a leaky roof bleached and discolored the surface, leaving one ruined spot on the otherwise pristine ...More…

How to Build a Fire Pit: Overview

This Old House — Lots of heavy lifting and deep digging, and some stone chiseling Outdoor fires are so hot right now. Seriously. Mankind has called the hearth home for the centuries, it's true, but these days people are going ultra-retro and getting their heat ...More…

How to Make Your Doors Draft-Free: Overview

This Old House — Cutting the groove and routing the dado take patience and finesse Unfortunately, a door's weather seals, if it has any at all, can rip, compress, bend, or wear out over time, leaving chilly winter air free to enter (or expensive air-conditioned ...More…

How To Make A Doorknob Coatrack: Overview

This Old House — Between $5 and $50 per knob, depending on pattern. Trim boards cost about $35, dummy spindles about $6. Gathering the materials is probably the most challenging part of the project, though it's great fun, too. At my house, coats pile up on dining ...More…

How to Put in Landscape Lighting: Overview

This Old House — Digging shallow trenches for the low-voltage cable takes some work, but installing the light fixtures is a piece of cake. Enhance the nighttime curb appeal of your home-and add a measure of safety and security-with low-voltage landscape lighting. ...More…

How to Lay a Cork Floor: Overview

This Old House — Measuring and cutting planks to fit takes the most time, but snapping the flooring together is lightning fast It's bad enough to have to get up in the morning, let alone get up and experience the icy shock of a cold floor. What you need is some ...More…

How to Lay a Brick Path: Overview

This Old House — Requires stamina for digging and pounding, as well as an attention to detail When crossing your muddy yard to fetch the daily paper turns into an obstacle course of slips and slides, perhaps it's time to think about an alternative path-literally. ...More…

How to Lay a Gravel Path: Overview

This Old House — Digging, tamping, and hauling heavy stone products are the hardest parts. What's the point of a well-maintained yard if trying to get around it means trampling the marigolds and leaving your paw prints in the perfectly clipped lawn? The best ...More…

Hurricane Insurance Update

This Old House — The three big tropical storms in 2005-Katrina, Wilma, and Rita-collectively left behind a staggering $55.9 billion in insurance claims, according to the Insurance Information Institute, which tracks industry statistics. Now, as we begin another ...More…

Fall Upkeep

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