Skip To Content
{title}

Clever New Uses for Common Household Products

Did you know that you could use wood ash to repel slugs and snails in the garden? Or that you could use baking soda to zap roaches or remove tape residue? Well, it turns out you can. And there are all kinds of problem-solvers just laying around the house masquerading as one-trick ponies, or even trash. Here are some of our best tips from the popular 10 Uses column of This Old House magazine! Got some clever uses for common household products of your own? Share them in the comments section below. -Tabitha Sukhai

This Old House This Old House

Road Sign Quiz for the Renovation-Minded

Every time you drive a car, walk through an airport, or take a seat in a public space, your actions are guided by any number of signs telling you what to do. Or prohibiting you from doing...whatever you're thinking about doing. We got to thinking that anyone who's been through a home renovation might look a little more closely at those signs—and see slightly different meanings in their so-called universal symbols and abbreviations. Just what do these 5 familiar messages mean to you? See ALL of the funny road sign quiz on THISOLDHOUSE.COM. MORE: IS YOUR PRO A CON?

This Old House This Old House

5 Old-House Parts You Didn't Know Had a Name

House Parts Defined: Do you find yourself describing an architectural detail like, "You know, that thingamajig"? This is especially embarrassing when talking to the contractor you want to hire! Don't worry, it's happened to all us. So to help you out the next time you need to identify a part of a structure or a design element, here's 5 definitions that even some of our TOH editors weren’t familiar with. SEE OUR ENTIRE INDEX OF THESE WHATCHAMACALLITS AT THISOLDHOUSE.COM

This Old House This Old House

5 Ways Your Backyard Barbecue Can Kill You

Bet you're getting your grill ready for Memorial Day weekend, right? Cookouts are fun, sure, but like so many other things in life, your grill could be out to get you. From exploding propane tanks to cancer-laden briskets, we've researched the many ways that unassuming Hibachi in your backyard can lead to your untimely demise. Know the risks before you go and you'll be on your way to a safe BBQ party--if not a little paranoid. SEE ALL OF OUR COMMON BBQ DANGERS AND SAFETY TIPS AT THISOLDHOUSE.COM

This Old House This Old House

5 Ways to Kill Your Family Pet

Pets are more than just animals. Our furry, feathered, and finned friends require time, attention, and as safe and comfortable a home as we do. "Most people don't think about pets when buying or building houses—not even the pet owners themselves. Over half of all homes have pets living in them, but animals are still an afterthought when it comes to home improvements," says David Beart of professorshouse.com

This Old House This Old House

3 Awful Nail Gun Accident X-Rays...and Some Safety Tips

Don't get nailed! Despite the jokes that so often seem to accompany media reports of nail-gun accidents, the rising frequency of such injuries is nothing to laugh at: There are some 14,800 incidents a year among nonprofessionals, according to reports. Most injuries are simple, treatable puncture wounds. But gun-driven nails can also cause more serious problems. They're powerful enough to fracture bones, including the ones that surround your very delicate gray matter. For all of This Old House general contractor Tom Silva's safety tips go to thisoldhouse.com

This Old House This Old House

How to Protect Your Home From a Zombie Invasion

If the slew of recent TV shows, movies, and books are any indication, zombies are everywhere these days. So whether they're fast, slow, or riddled with rigor mortis, here's a few ways to keep the undead out of your house. But three tips won't be nearly enough to stop the undead masses, so check out the rest of our zombie-proof strategies at thisoldhouse.com

This Old House This Old House

House at the Edge of a Cliff in Greece

No Photoshop trickery here! These are real, inhabited buildings built right up to the edge of a nearly 1,000 foot cliff drop. The strange Greek mountain formations of the Meteora (Greek for "in midair") have been home to monks since at least the 11th century. See this and eve more wild houses all over the world at thisoldhouse.com

This Old House This Old House

3 Stately Celebrity Homes For Sale

Not very many of us can afford to live like Hollywood stars. But, for those of you with an extra few million dollars hanging around, it just so happens that Ozzy Osbourne's beautiful European-style villa and Ben Stiller's sprawling 1929 Spanish-style estate are up for grabs. Here, 3 mind-blowing celebrity properties currently listed with real estate search engine extraordinaire trulia.com. Check out all 8 celebrity homes on the market at thisoldhouse.com

This Old House This Old House

5 U.S. Cities That Could Disappear Tomorrow

Recently, news about devastating earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tsunamis around the world had us wondering: What's the worst that can happen in the United States? Turns out it's pretty bad. We're not talking about a couple of feet of water in your basement or a tree down in the yard. We're talking about your home obliterated. And not just your home, but whole metropolitan areas. As This Old House found out, no matter where you live, you can't escape from the forces of nature. Read on to see how, in just the blink of an eye, entire American cities could be wiped off the face of the Earth. See all 10 cities at thisoldhouse.com

This Old House This Old House

3 Ways Your Home Can Kill You

We love our homes because they keep us warm, safe and sound. But the same forces keeping us happy can turn on us and cause us harm--whether it's creating a hospitable environment for dangerous predators, or leaky gas lines that turn lethal. Here are five dangers to look out for. See all 10 Ways Your Home Can Kill You at thisoldhouse.com

This Old House This Old House

5 Ways Your Home Can Make You Infertile

Toxins in your couch, vinyl floor, and other spots where you may have made attempts to expand your family could be throwing a wrench in your reproductive works. As much as we like to see home as a benevolent vessel of our dreams, the materials and chemicals they're made of and furnished with—from flame-retardant cushions to Teflon pans—can quash those dreams. Here's 5 culprits to look for, and what you can do about them. For all 15 ways your home can make you infertile, check out thisoldhouse.com

This Old House This Old House

5 Ways Yard Work Can Kill, Maim Or Blind You

We're guessing you're going to spend a lot of time this season mowing, raking, trimming and gardening in your yards. Nothing wrong with that. It's a great way to bond with the family, improve your curb appeal, and get some much-needed exercise. That is, unless it kills you first. Each year, thousands of us are rushed off to emergency rooms—and morgues—with yard work-related injuries, from missing digits, to freshly mowed feet. Read on to learn how that glorious green yard of yours can turn on you in an instant. Take notes and keep them on hand for when you need an answer to the question: "Why isn't the yard work done yet?!" SEE ALL 11 WAYS YARD WORK CAN KILL, MAIM OR BLIND YOU AT THISOLDHOUSE.COM

This Old House This Old House
Like On Facebook Follow On Twitter Visit Website