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August 2013

August 2013

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ALL ABOUT Quartz Countertops

By AMY R. HUGHES10 min

Ask THIS OLD HOUSE

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VINTAGE COTTAGE, TIMELESS APPEAL

By JILL CONNORS8 min

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ALL ABOUT Quartz Countertops

With the look of natural stone, minus the maintenance, these surfaces give granite a run for its money. This Old House explains why you should consider easy-care quartz

By AMY R. HUGHES10 min

9293

Ask THIS OLD HOUSE

When I have to work on prickly shrubs, I wear leather gloves because they're pretty thorn resistant and I like the way they feel. You can get rose gloves with gauntlets to protect your forearms, but I just wear long-sleeve denim shirts. And to minimize the chance of being pricked, I grab stalks at their ends, where there are fewer thorns, and use 4to 6-foot long-reach pruners to make the cuts from a distance.
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VINTAGE COTTAGE, TIMELESS APPEAL

A classic redo brings a simple 1910 house up-to-date with an attic hangout for kids and an expansive kitchen ready to welcome family and friends

By JILL CONNORS8 min

5859
weekend remodel

Build a cedar ice chest

Make a handsome cooler enclosure to update a backyard essential

By JOHN CASEY7 min

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THE ULTIMATE BONUS ROOM

...just might be a shed you add outside. Here’s how one couple built a sheltered workspace with a traditional look that enhances their home’s vintage charm

By Jeanne Huber7 min

3839
before + after: bath

Opening up for better function

Knocking out a walk-through closet and rethinking fixture placement bring more space, and good flow, to a master bath

By SARAH ENGLER6 min

5051
landscaping

Meet late summer’s drama queens

In a showstopping array of colors, sizes, and shapes, dahlias can play a leading role in your garden’s finale

By DEBRA PRINZING5 min

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ON THE COVER

FLAIR UNERFOOT

FIVE WAYS TO ENLIVEN APORCH FLOOR WITH PATTERN

By DEBORAH BALDWIN4 min

9899
Ask THIS OLD HOUSE

TOH TESTED

This overachiever cut through soggy pressure-treated lumber without flinching, and the fence clamps solidly in place, inspiring confidence on rip cuts. The stand unfolds with the twist of a handle, raising the saw to a comfortable working height of 38 inches.

By DOUG MAHONEY4 min

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before + after: backyard

A guest room—and more—outdoors

An overgrown lot gets a generous deck and an open-air structure to become a three-season entertaining space

By SARAH ENGLER3 min

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