November 1998

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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