Radiant Floor Heating
Warmth can begin from the ground up
Features
Special Finances Report
To get the most house for your money, avoid serial ownership. Instead: Buy once, stay put and renovate. But do so with prudence; renovation addicts often find themselves in mansions among ranches. And choose a contractor with the same care you would a spouse. Here's how. By Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine
And the Walls Came Tumbling Down
This Old House rips open a Victorian labyrinth in Watertown, Massachusetts, starting with 72 plaster walls. By Cynthia Sanz
Hot House
A husband and wife tackle a mail-order greenhouse kit. Their most indispensable tool: a sense of humor. By Jack McClintock
An American Craftsman
Window-maker Patricia Vloeberghs imbues every perfect pane with her own blood, sweat and tears. By Brad Lemley
Take a Walk on the Warm Side
Radiant floor heat, installed correctly, keeps toes toasty with hot-water tubes embedded in concrete underfoot. By Curtis Rist
When There's a Mouse in the House
Getting rid of mice takes more than setting out traps and cheese. For starters, skip the cheese. By Joseph D'Agnese
Dream House: Upon This Rock
This Old House Magazine pours the foundation for 200 tons of Dream House in Wilton, Connecticut By Joe Carter
Montpelier
James Madison's Virginia plantation embodies the highest ideals and lowest realities of the man and his age By Walt Harrington
The Poster: The Big Switch
The anatomy of light switches has changed little in 100 years, but the variety of designs has mushroomed. By Kate Brauman
Around the house
Off The Wall
The Great Booty Grab
Home Shows overwhelm the senses and blister the feet, but they're heaven for grown-ups who still love trick-or-treating. By Jeanne Marie Laskas
Power Tool
Rotary Club
For tough, tiny jobs: tough, tiny tools that carve, cut and grind. By Curtis Rist
Hand Tool
The Rasp Waltz
Sharp, pointy teeth on a metal shaft deftly shape wood, plaster and plastic like a cat's tongue sculpting a pat of butter. By Jeff Taylor
Materials We Love
Miracle Blocks
Autoclaved aerated concrete-AAC-may be a mouthful, but it's lighter than masonry concrete, insulates acoustically, conserves energy, cuts and stacks effortlessly and resists fire, decay and termites. So why aren't all houses built of this stuff? By Jack McClintock
Technique
Bust the Dust—and Germs
Perfect drywall means nobody noticing how good your work is. By Hope Reeves
Weekend Project
Replacing snaggletoothed spindles restores a staircase's dignity. By Hope Reeves
The Money Pit
Gutter Swipes
No matter whose advice you take regarding those fiendish sluiceways hanging on your house, the leaks keep on coming. By Brock Yates
