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Why You Might Want to Pay More For Designer Paint

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:47:26 +0000

When you go with one of the smaller designer paint lines, you get something akin to the experience of visiting an independent bookstore (remember those?).

Indie bookstores don't have a lot of room, so they need to make their room count. They give consumers the benefit of their extensive reading experience by narrowing down book choices to a few that really rock.

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Who Needs a Video Doorbell?

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:52:51 +0000

I thought not.

Then, only hours after looking at the Vtech Video Doorbell (proper name: 2 Handset Answering System with Audio/Video Doorbell), but not installing it, I heard my real doorbell ring. I hauled myself out of my chair, opened the front door, and there--in all his glory--was an Andersen Renewal Replacement Window salesman. Two of them, actually. Cold-calling me. What fun.

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Therma-Tru Pulse Entry Door: Retro Mid-Century Design Wrought in Fiberglass

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:21:24 +0000

Has the Mid-Century Modern bandwagon passed yet? Not yet. At least not as long as people appreciate clean lines and sharp geometric shapes.

That's what Therma-Tru has tried to do. Therma-Tru, based in Ohio, makes fiberglass doors. Mid-Century doors were not made of fiberglass. They were made of wood.

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Tile That Looks Like Wood Flooring

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:28:50 +0000

It's a fast-growing niche of ceramic and porcelain tile flooring. It looks like wood, but it's not wood. For lack of a better term, it's tile that looks like wood flooring.

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Gallery of Historic House Paint Colors...

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:42:33 +0000

...in which we stretch the definition of what's "historic."

Colors in this gallery range from those in the Valspar / National Trust for Historic Preservation alliance to other manufacturers' collections that just look "historic," such as the Colonial house in the upper right of this photo.

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Kwikset SmartCode Electronic Deadbolt Review

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:39:58 +0000

Electronic keypad deadbolts still are in the infancy stage. Go to a Lowe's or Home Depot and you'll find only a smattering of ungainly keyless entry systems.

Thankfully, the electronics are shrinking, reducing the bulk of these electronic deadbolts.

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Tile Rookie Lays Tile. Tile Turns Out Not Half-Bad.

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:04:38 +0000

Anyone laying tile who is not a tile professional and who goes on to write an article about laying tile must demonstrate a sufficient degree of humility. That's the theme of many of my own articles, and of this one called "Tiling 102: The Bathroom Floor," from Bob Tedeschi of the New York Times.

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With a Bang, Not a Whimper: How Long Will a Refinished Bathtub Last?

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:07:57 +0000

I expected my refinished bathtub to slowly fade away into the sunset, dying with a whimper, not a bang. That was because I had begun subjecting the tub to its worst enemy: abrasive cleaners.

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Removing Asbestos Shingles on Wood House

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:42:19 +0000

A reader in Western Connecticut has a house that has a layer of bad shake shingles with another layer of bad asbestos-cement shingles over it.

She wants to remove all of that junk and start fresh.

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Should I Remodel My House or Fix It and Move?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:21:45 +0000

It's the age-old question. The homeowner is teetering on a razor's edge, with a precipice on either side:

Precipice #1 - Fix and Stay: Remodel the house at least to the point where you can imagine yourself living in it another 5, 10, 15 years; or
Precipice #2 - Fix and Move: Remodel the house to the point where it is not a gorgeous showstopper but is attractive enough to potential buyers.

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