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What's the worst "repair" you've seen?
2 Replies

Started this discussion. Last reply by Red Queen Feb 20.

Clare's Journal

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Red Queen replied to Clare Martin's discussion 'What's the worst "repair" you've seen?'

Someone had vented the gas powered, forced-air furnace in the attic into an unused, unlined chimney flue. And bricks had caved into the flue at the top of the chimney. The flue also went clear down to an old coal-burning fireplace in the parlor and…

February 20

Sean Maher replied to Clare Martin's discussion 'What's the worst "repair" you've seen?'

I had several broken window panes and a previous owner used roofing tar and plaster to seal up the gaps. What a mess to remove. sean

February 19

Clare Martin left a comment for Todd LaCasse

February 18

A blog post by Clare Martin was featured

New Contest: Best Storage Ideas!

February 18

Clare Martin added a blog post

New Contest: Best Storage Ideas!

February 16

Clare Martin added a discussion

What's the worst "repair" you've seen?

Unless your old house was in pristine condition when you bought it (in which case you probably wouldn't be seeking advice on this site!), you've probably had to deal with your fair share of well-intentioned but poorly executed "repairs" inflicted on…

February 16

Christina Burkey replied to Clare Martin's discussion 'Ghost Stories'

Hi, there. I recently met a woman who bought a house in South Carolina, an old plantation home. When putting in a recepticle into the wall, after cutting a hole, they reached inside the wall and found an old book of ration stamps from the war with t…

August 21, 2009

KenK replied to Clare Martin's discussion 'Ghost Stories'

I've had the pleasure, or pressure of living in a few homes with presences in them. It's naturally hard to quantify these presences other than a "weird" feeling from time to time, or when the dog and cat act up mysteriously at some deserted corner o…

August 14, 2009

Profile Information

Tell us about yourself:

I'm the managing editor of Old-House Journal.

Tell us about your old-house experiences and dreams:

While I haven't been lucky enough to own an old house (being a magazine editor isn't quite the glamorous, high-paying job that TV and movies would have you believe), I have lived in a series of old apartment buildings, dating from the 1920s to the 1950s. I'm dreaming of the day when I have a charming little bungalow to call my own.

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Clare Martin's Blog

New Contest: Best Storage Ideas!

Calling all handy homeowners! In conjunction with our storage-themed April/May issue, the editors of Old-House Journal are looking for your best old-house storage ideas. We realize that a lack of storage space is often a huge disadvantage of older homes, but we also know it's true that necessity is the mother of invention—so we're betting you've found plenty of creative ways to get around the storage conundrum. Send us a photo, and… Continue

Posted on February 16, 2010 at 7:01pm —

And the winner is...

Congratulations to Lair Tienter, Contestant #18, who swept MyOHJ's Perfect Porch Contest with a commanding victory!

Lair's porch will be featured in the September/October issue of Old-House Journal, so be sure to pick… Continue

Posted on July 27, 2009 at 9:16am —

MyOHJ's Perfect Porch Contest: Is your porch a winner?

Confession time: When I was proofing our July/August issue and read Jim McMaster's story about how he completely rebuilt the intricate balustrade on his Victorian lake house, I was in awe. Using nothing more than the tools he had on hand and a healthy dose of ingenuity, he was able to craft a spot-on replica of the original railing that will stay with his house for another century or more.… Continue

Posted on June 26, 2009 at 5:00pm — 6 Comments

Best of the Blogs

When OHJ was founded back in 1973, it was one of the only resources old-house owners had to connect with and learn from one another. Fast-forward 36 years to a very different world—the Internet and all the communication forms it's spawned have made it ridiculously easy for all of us old-house lovers to find one another. Blogging, in particular, is now one of the best mediums in which old-house owners can share their successes and failures in the hopes… Continue

Posted on March 3, 2009 at 1:38pm —

Is the bad economy good for historic preservation?

Yesterday on my way home from work, I happened to catch a segment on NPR's "All Things Considered," in which they asked listeners to call in and report on signs of the recession witnessed in their daily lives. One of the comments was from a member of the historical commission in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who said that they were skipping their monthly meeting because there were no cases to review.

It brought to mind an interview that Dem… Continue

Posted on February 3, 2009 at 1:32pm — 4 Comments

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At 12:57pm on September 19, 2008, Lisa Curry Mair said…: Would OHJ like to feature an interesting little business in southern Vermont? I own Canvasworks Floorcloths and have been designing, fabricating, and painting canvas floorcloths for museums, interior designers and individual's homes for 15 years. The studio is part of our rambling 18th, 19th and 20th century farmhouse, which is nestled at the base of the majestic Ascutney Mountain. You can learn all about my business and floorcloths at http://www.canvasworksfloorcloths.com
Here's a photo of one of my floorcloths, posing in our kitchen:

Please call (802)263-5410 or email me if you'd like to talk about this.
-Lisa Curry Mair