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 7 hours ago.

Hidden storage and hiding places in your Victorian home 2 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 WIDOW 17 hours ago.

Cleaning Age Stain from Stucco

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 22 hours ago.

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. on Thursday.

hidden treasure 1 Reply

so what hidden treasure have you found ? i have found a few things 1. being an 1889 newspaper the 2nd an envelope from the mid 20s with former owners name on it.  3. an owner from the 40s wrote her name on a wall , 4. a chopstick .  5 a mason jar with an 1888 Budweiser bottle.  i'm kinda of hoping some where some one left a letter or diary or even better a photograph , so what have you foundContinue

Started by Quintin - Walt Cassetori Tiffany in The Old-House Attic. Last reply by Ken Hartke on Wednesday.

Painting a picket fence when Tom Sawyer's gang is not available 10 Replies

   So I have 102 linear feet of picket fencing to paint (three coats) and am looking for advice.  Has anyone painted one of these before?  Do I do it by hand, buy or rent a sprayer or possibly talk to the local prison authorites about a work release program? Timed it a few weeks back and it took me three hours by hand to prime one section front and back. Thanks,Amanda (WV)Continue

Started by Amanda Stroud in Old Houses: 1900-1945. Last reply by Amanda Stroud May 13.

Looking for advice on finishing woodwork 4 Replies

We are restoring an 1841 Greek Revival farmhouse in SW Pennsylvania. I am only beginning to strip some of the woodwork mostly in areas that need the most attention. It appears that all of the wood in the house is American Chestnut and I am looking for advice on stain and finishing techniques. Uncovered, the wood itself is very light and when sanded the dust is a really bright, golden yellow that I have never seen before. We are anxious to preserve the look of the chestnut, but I prefer warm…Continue

Started by Patty Rogers in Old Houses: Pre-1900. Last reply by Colleen May 11.

Interior woodwork refinishing 5 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 caseypratt May 10.

Tung Oiling floors - need pointers 25 Replies

Well it's almost time to finish the kitchen. We screened the original wood floors from our 1850 farmhouse. They look nice and have a great patina. In order to expedite cabinet installation, I did the perimeter of the room that would be covered with the oil. I'm planning on finishing the rest of the floor once the install is done, less chance of ground in dirt that way.The oil makes the wood look wonderful but I'm guessing I didn't buff it enough or something. I used pure tung oil cut 50/50 with…Continue

Tags: restoration, floor, wood, oil, tung

Started by Jessica Lemmon in Old House How-To. Last reply by Colleen May 8.