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August 2014

August 2014

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Ask THIS OLD HOUSE

Q+A

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LOOKS SMALL, LIVES LARGE

This Old House presents

the great TOH giveaway

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More Features
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Ask THIS OLD HOUSE

Q+A

Q We have a pile of dirt and wood chips from grinding out an oak stump. Is there a way to turn it into good compost? —KEN HOLLY, HOUSTON A Yes, you can, with a little patience and the right mix of ingredients in your compost pile. Get a wheelbarrow and move all the chips to an out-of-the-way location on the ground.
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LOOKS SMALL, LIVES LARGE

How to expand a 1950s seaside cottage without sacrificing its charm? Raise the ceilings, add on in back, and crate more rooms outdorrs
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This Old House presents

the great TOH giveaway

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Purchasing does not improve your chances of winning. The Great TOH Giveaway is open to residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 18 or older. Void outside the United States, in Puerto Rico, and wherever else prohibited by law.
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weekend remodel

Build a garage pergola

Use milled brackets and pressure-treated lumber to create an elegant canopy over your garage door

By PAUL HOPE5 min

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TIMELESS TREASURE

Salvaged materials, lavish plantings, vintage collectibles— and some sleight of hand—create a new garden with old-world character

By DEBRA PRINZING5 min

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9 SECRETS OF COTTAGE STYLE

Known for her lively, low-key designs, Jane Coslick shares her trademark tips for adding oomph to plain interiors with salvaged finds and buckets of paint

By DEBORAH BALDWIN4 min

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ASK THIS OLD HOUSE

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

RICHARD TRETHEWEY REPLIES: Sounds like you need a mini-split heat pump, which provides cooling and heating fairly unobtrusively without using ducts. It pushes refrigerant from an outdoor condenser directly to a wallmounted air handler that blows hot or cold air into the room.
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before + after: bath

Designed to pamper

A master retreat gains comfort and function with sleek finishes and a streamlin ed layout

By DEBORAH BALDWIN3 min

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home solutions

The mosquito, in close-up

Why can’t these evil buzzing buggers just leave us alone? Blame humans encroaching on mosquito turf-wetlands and salt marshes paved for second homes and suburban sprawl—and arrivistes like the Asian tiger mosquito, a “container breeder” that thrives in damp tires and yard toys. Mosquitoes are short on predators, not offering much of a meal, even for bats.

By DEBORAH BALDWIN3 min

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before + after: front yard

Private and inviting

A revamped facade and lush border plantings deliver street-side charm

By ANNE STRATTON3 min

July2014 September2014