Cleaning Age Stain from Stucco 2 Replies

Hi all;I now own a storybook cottage (yeah, a 3500 sq. ft. "cottage") in Detroit. It is clay tile and brick with a a rough stucco exterior (no wood frame!). Fortunately, the stucco was never painted, and is in overall good condition. However, the areas not exposed to the weather - under eaves, porches, etc., have stained almost black, versus the tan-grey finish of areas exposed to weather.My first attempt at cleaning with detergents and a power washer were disappointing. All I got was a mild…Continue

Started by Mark Reynolds in Old House How-To. Last reply by Phil yesterday.

Removing extreme cat odor from heart pine floors 7 Replies

I just purchased my Great Great Grandparents 1875 Italianate home. The floors throughout the entire house are heart pine. The previous owner lived in it with about 50 cats! How do you remove cat urine odors from wood floors? This situation is extreme!

Started by PennyAnne Taylor in Old House How-To. Last reply by Mal & Greg yesterday.

Porch Decking Ideas 29 Replies

In the next week or so we are starting the process for renovating our porch. The deck was cut about 18" from the end, the whole length. I am thinking this was done because of settling. Hard to see it, but at the bottom you can see it well enough.…Continue

Started by Bill Hendrickson in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by Bill Hendrickson on Monday.

Walkway ideas - is concrete cheesy??? 11 Replies

We are in the process of returning our porch to it's original design which includes moving the stairs and creating a new walkway. I'm curious what sort of walkway this should be. It is short, and goes directly to the sidewalk. Is concrete too cheesy for an old home? We can not afford something like slate. Are pavers lame?? Really I have no idea. Ideally I'd like something that is easy to shovel and for that reason concrete has an appeal. Any ideas?This picture is from 1980, when the stairs used…Continue

Started by Casey Towne in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by Casey Towne on Monday.

Hidden storage and hiding places in your Victorian home 3 Replies

Hello allI am new to this forum and I am glad I have found such a great resource. I bought my 1895 Masonic Queen Anne Victorian home about 3 years ago. My home is about 98% original. It was built by a 33 degree Mason and has a pyramid topped tower with the all seeing eye cut out on the weathervane. (Neat Stuff). All these features made me want to own it more. Quite a mystery about the original owner.As I have lived here I have been doing cosmetic restoration (Paint, wood staining etc). While…Continue

Started by WIDOW in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by dawn mohrbacher on Monday.

Why did you buy your house? 43 Replies

Was it the grand foyer, the stained glass, all of the originals hiding under years of paint and veneer, or maybe the vision of what you knew your house would be? What was it that made you buy your home and love it, when so many others probably ran away screaming?Continue

Started by Liz in The Old-House Attic. Last reply by PennyAnne Taylor on Monday.

Interior woodwork refinishing 6 Replies

Hello:I stripped and refinished my 1910 Victorian interior woodwork with several coats of Ben Moore oil based sanding sealer.  That is all I used and it looked great!  Now 15 years later the stain in the wood seems to be fading.  I guess I should have applied a coat of varnish to protect it. I really want to use an oil based finish but I live in NJ and the only oil based product that is non-poly is Man-O-War Spar varnish. I was all set to use this but now having second thoughts thinking about…Continue

Started by Ken the Old House Guy in Old House How-To. Last reply by Mark Reynolds on Monday.

Is your house haunted? Do you believe in ghosts? 10 Replies

I took this photo on a clear night in early February. Several Ghost hunters and others interested in the paranormal have been very excited over it - I was, actually, on a "Ghost tour" that is part of our annual WInterfest. I enjoy it for the stories, humor and history Martin Sweeney, our historian and tour guide, brings to the walk. I had climbed up the steps in front of the town hall to take a photo of the group and when I looked at the screen after snapping the picture, this is what I saw. I…Continue

Tags: ghost, photos, spectral, images, events

Started by Charles J in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by WIDOW on Sunday.

Porch Suggestions 15 Replies

Looking for suggestions for my porch reno.  House built 1901 Queen Anne.  Want to keep everything as period as possible.  WOuld like suggestions for railing options and decorative options for uppoer part of porch.  If I have issues with code due to porch not being appropriate due to the height (I know the rail should not be higher than the window sill) I will not be doing the porch.  Images are attached.  Thanks.

Started by N. Bey in Old Houses: 1900-1945. Last reply by Lair Tienter on Friday.

Adding a third color to house - is this idea crazy? 2 Replies

My house is currently bright blue with antique white trim (POs did this, not me.)  I don't like it - to me, the formula doesn't work at all or highlight the house's architectural features. However, the house doesn't really need to be repainted yet, so I have decided to wait to redo the scheme and instead just add a third color to some of the trim instead to liven it up.  Not too much - just the dentil around the lower windows, the upper storm windows, and maybe one or two small porch elements…Continue

Started by Dublin1982 in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by Garrett F. May 15.