Two daughters renovate an unused room into a senior-friendly, handicap accessible bathroom for their elderly parent

Before: An empty room becomes a handicap accessible bathroom

The family has lived in their colonial home in Saint Albans, Queens since 1975. The space was working for most of them, but the daughters’ aging mother needed a one-floor living situation so she wouldn’t have to go up and down the stairs to use the bathroom or kitchen.

That meant converting an extra room on the first floor into a senior-friendly bathroom adjacent to her bedroom. They posted their project on Sweeten and were matched with this general contractor.

Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free.

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After: A walk-in shower and ADA-compliant toilet

After the room was demolished, reframed, and equipped for plumbing, the family worked together to choose materials and products for the bathroom. The biggest consideration was the glass-encased shower. In order to build the frame for the shower, it was initially discussed that one of the back windows would have to be blocked off. Their contractor found another solution, adding a tiled extension off the existing half wall to support the glass. The radiator had to move down closer to the toilet to make room, too. The contractor also ensured the shower entry was large enough to fit a shower chair and made the entry curbless.

Decorating The Garden Arbor

When we built this garden and arbor earlier this year, I did not consider all of the possibilities there would be for decorating it. I was just thinking that my garden needed an entrance! Now I know that this entrance is perfect for these 5ft pre-lit artificial Christmas trees . I placed one on each side and then brought in Mr. Bear to accompany them. My kids were so excited about this bear from the moment I pulled it out of the box and assembled it. I mean, the bear even got hugs from them! Needless to say, this bear has made quite the impression and seems quite at home in his spot by the garden arbor. We also added this large, pre-lit wreath and bow to top it all off!

Light Up The Greenhouse

My greenhouse is probably my most prized backyard possession. She even has a name, Josephine. We recently added a porch to her which made decorating her for Christmas even more of a possibility! We strung bulb lights around her roofline and hung a simple battery-operated, pre-lit wreath on the door. I also placed the stacked up gift box set by the door. Josephine was already looking super cute! Then we decided to up the ante a little by creating a DIY “faux” marquee letters sign.

DIY Faux Marquee Letters Sign

The process to create these letters was fairly simple and straightforward. This type of sign can be used for a variety of events and celebrations. Check out this how-to guide on The Home Depot’s website  to see how I did it!

This may have been my first time decorating outside, specifically the garden/greenhouse area but it certainly will not be the last! This was so fun and the kids love to see the space all lit up at night! We were able to find everything we needed for this project from The Home Depot which made it super convenient. The Home Depot was literally a one stop shop for everything that we needed, and I am so grateful for the app, ship to home options, and store pickup! I am already coming up with ideas for the next holiday!

I love everything about the holiday season. The traditions. The food. And, of course, the festive decor! For those who know me well, this should come as no surprise. (After all, I’ve had Christmas tunes on repeat for a few months now.) So this year I’m thrilled to team up  with The Home Depot as a partner for their Holiday Style Challenge to share some ideas for creating a festive holiday brunch.

Creating a Festive Holiday Brunch

One of my favorite holiday traditions is gathering around the table with family and friends for a meal. So for my style challenge, I decked out our dining room with pieces from The Home Depot’s home decor and holiday collections. Complete with a DIY hot cocoa bar, it’s perfect for a festive Christmas brunch, don’t you think?

Home for the Holidays

This year, more than ever, I wanted to make our home feel welcoming for the holidays. To capture those warm cozy feelings and create a timeless Christmas look, I used a mix of greenery paired with red, gold, and traditional plaid throughout our home.

The Home Depot had everything I needed to decorate for the season. From home decor to garlands, trees, ornaments, and more! The Home Depot is a one-stop-shop for decking the halls. Don’t have a Home Depot store nearby? No problem! You can shop online or use The Home Depot mobile app and have everything shipped right to your door.

Setting the Table

Creating a festive holiday brunch starts with styling the table. To begin, I used a basic white table cloth as a base. Then, I transformed this plaid throw blanket into a table runner.

Hello! Katie Dunn here. Decorating for the holiday season is a tradition I look forward to every year. There is something so nostalgic and cheerful about the holidays, don’t you think? As soon as the leaves start changing, I am dreaming of twinkling lights and evergreens. This year, our son is at an age where the holiday season is pure magic. So, when it came to decorating, I knew I wanted to stick to simple, yet classic Christmas decor in the living room – using plenty of evergreens and subtle pops of red, all while staying true to the overall neutral palette I love. The Home Depot had everything I needed to make my vision come to life this year!

Festive Living Room

Let’s start with the fireplace. The Home Depot was kind enough to send us this beautiful, pre-lit garland that came adorned with red and gold ornaments. The garland is such a statement piece on its own, that I didn’t feel I needed to add any additional decor to the mantle. I’m definitely a less is more kind of gal.

Next, we ordered this beautiful, pre-lit artificial tree. When it arrived, I was a little nervous it would be too big for our home, but the size is perfect. I am beyond impressed with how realistic it is too! I know this will light up our home for many Christmases to come.

When it came to decorating the tree, I wanted to keep it simple. I used classic, modern ornaments in muted gold and champagne tones as well as a few shades of red and green. These ornaments were just what I needed to complement the garland on the fireplace. We hung them using green ornament hooks that blend nicely with the tree. For a more modern look, I swapped out a traditional tree skirt for this rattan tree collar.

From here, we hung a wreath in each of the two windows. It is a simple way to add festive greenery and it can be enjoyed from inside and out! Now our neighbors will be able to enjoy the beautiful warm glow from the twinkle lights in these pre-lit wreaths as they pass by.

Whimsical Pink Christmas Tree

I have always dreamed of a pink Christmas tree. Pink, I know, is not a traditional Christmas color, but it makes my heart happy to see bright and fun colors during the holidays. I believe decorating should be fun, and you should not limit yourself to traditional red and green colors. This year I decided a pink tree would be all the whimsy I needed to blend traditional colors.

I ordered my tree online at Home Depot and picked up in-store. I enjoyed this process, and it makes life so much easier. While I was there, I was able to grab two containers of Fantasleigh Shatter- Resistant Ornaments in two sizes, an 11 in. Mercury Gold tree topper, and a roll of 15 ft Royal Easton Red Velvet Gold Ribbon for my gift boxes.

The Christmas tree was super easy to assemble, and I spent about an hour fluffing branches and ensuring I achieved the perfect shape. Quick tip: Always look at the picture online. If your Christmas tree seems flat, keep fluffing and opening branches.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

As summer comes to a close every year, I always look forward to the change in the season. In my area, cooler temperatures and falling leaves invite thoughts of hot chocolate and possible snowflakes. I’m excited to see that time arrive again!

For my Home Depot Style Challenge, I want to show how my wife and I embellished our dining room with a mix of the newest product offerings from The Home Depot and a few of my own DIY projects.

For the past several months, traveling and shopping in-store hasn’t been an option for our family, but that hasn’t slowed my DIY projects down one bit! Nor did it affect me receiving the products I needed for this style challenge. As always, The Home Depot has both everything you need to decorate your home with the latest in seasonal decor, and super convenient ways to purchase it.

The Home Depot makes it so easy to order home accents and DIY project materials. Their website is easy to navigate and ordering is a breeze. You can have your items shipped to your house, arrange for free pick-up at your local store, or even have the items brought to your vehicle. Visit HomeDepot.com to learn all about their pick-up and delivery options.

Oh, have you downloaded the mobile Home Depot app? It truly is a hi-tech personal shopping assistant located right on your device.

Watch these three easy ways to conceal plywood edges for more professional-looking results.

There are times we all need to work with plywood, but the exposed rough edge is typically less than desirable. Watch as This Old House DIY Expert and House One Editor Jenn Largesse shares three easy ways to conceal plywood edges.

1. Apply Wood Filler

The first and most obvious way to cover a plywood edge is with wood filler. The key is to create a solid surface that can be sanded to hide the roughness of a typical plywood edge. The upside to this method is that it’s inexpensive and easy.

The downside is that it only works for paint-grade builds and you’ll have quite a bit of sanding to do to get it looking just right.

2. Attach a Face Board

Another way to conceal the edge of the plywood is to cover it with a solid board. For example, I can use pocket holes to attach a 1x2 to the front edge of this piece of plywood. Once I fill and sand the joint smooth, this becomes a decent option for concealing the edge of the plywood.

Jenn Largesse

Watch House One editor Jenn Largesse demonstrate three easy ways to make multiple cuts using a miter saw.

Repeating a cut on a miter saw seems easy enough, but measuring and marking rarely yields pieces that are evenly sized. To get better results, This Old House DIY Expert and House One editor Jenn Largesse shares three easy ways to cut multiples.

How to Make Multiple Cuts with a Miter Saw

Jenn Largesse

1. Use the First Cut as a Template

The first and most obvious way is to use the first cut board to size the next cut. Do this by placing the cut board on top of the uncut board with the ends flush.

Lower the blade slightly, and then slide the two boards until the cut boards hit the side of the blade, remove the board and then make the cut.

The key is to keep using the same board, not the most recently cut board so that the measurement doesn’t slightly “grow” over time. The downside of this method is that the blade can shave a bit more off of the subsequent cut, so there can still be a bit of variance.

Craftsman-style features include the gabled entry porch and stucco-and-wood facade; the 20- and nine-over-one windows reflect its stylistic mash-up. | Aerospective Imagery

See this unique 1890s house in a vibrant Southern town in need of second chance.

Likely built in the 1890s as a Folk Victorian, the house sits on what was once known as Silk Stocking Row, where Water Valley’s prominent families lived in gracious, architecturally distinctive homes.

About This House

At the time, the town was a bustling hub for the Illinois Central Railroad. Historians surmise that the house may have undergone some Craftsman-style updates in the years that followed, the better to fit in with the popular aesthetic.

Aerospective Imagery

A porte cochere and brick archway lend storybook charm. The driveway’s gravel paving is still in evidence.

Why Save It?

Aerospective Imagery The unfinished attic, which runs the entire length of the house and is lit by new as well as old windows, can be reached from back stairs in the kitchen. It accounts for nearly half of the listed 2,360 square feet of living space.

Filled with vintage details, the house retains original fireplace mantels, heart-pine and oak floors, divided-light windows, French doors, and transoms.

Light-gray metal roofing keeps this cozy cottage cool in summer. Similar to shown: 5V-Crimp Galvalume Plus panels, $1.30 per square foot; McElroy Metal | Nancy J. McGregor

It’s hard to top the versatile looks, longevity, and peace of mind that come with a roof made of metal. Read this guide to learn what you need to know before putting one on your own home.

The advantages of metal roofs are tough to ignore. They’re strong, able to survive hurricanes, hail, and wildfires. They’re durable, enjoying a life span of up to 50 years or more. They can save energy, thanks to their ability to reflect the sun’s heat. And properly installed, they need virtually no upkeep.

In America, copper and lead roofs appeared on important public buildings beginning in the 18th century, including New York’s City Hall in 1764. By the mid-1800s, metal roofing became more common as mass-produced steel began covering ordinary homes and barns. By the 1920s, lightweight, no-rust aluminum entered the market, as did paint coatings that added color and longevity to both aluminum and steel roofs.

Today, metal roofing is on the rise again: Its popularity has nearly quadrupled in the last 20 years. And while it commands a premium—the components are expensive, as is the skilled labor for installation—a metal roof can boost a home’s resale value by up to 6 percent in some areas. Up ahead: a look at materials and styles to consider, plus how to get the job done right, so your house will stay cool and dry for decades to come.

Favored by a Founding Father


In 1824, Thomas Jefferson replaced the original wood shingles on Monticello’s roof with ones made of terne, a tin-coated iron; they lasted until 1855. After a succession of inferior, leak-prone substitutes, the roof regained its 1824 look in 1992 with the installation of terne shingles made of tin-coated stainless steel.

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When summer days start to fade away, it’s time to start prepping your pool for the cooler months. Read this guide to learn the steps for winterizing in-ground and above-ground pools.

After a fun summer in the pool, you’ll want to make sure you “winterize” it properly before closing it up for the season. Taking these steps is a part of proper pool maintenance and will help ensure that your pool is in tip-top condition when you open it back up again.

When to Start Prepping Your Pool for Winter

Start the winterizing process after the season is over, when the temperature consistently dips down to 65 degrees F or lower.

If you start too early, you may encounter problems with algae, which thrives in warmer temps. Give yourself a week to complete this process, as several steps need to be performed over the course of a few days.

Steps for Winterizing an In-Ground Pool

Follow the steps below to prep your pool for the winter months.

Adobe

A home warranty plan, or home service contract, protects homeowners from paying expensive repair and replacement bills for their systems and appliances. This article compares Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield on their coverage plans, reviews, and more to help you decide which is best for protecting your home.

Looking for a comparison of Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield? Choice Home Warranty (CHW) and American Home Shield (AHS) are top-rated home warranty companies that offer comprehensive plans that protect a variety of home appliances and systems. Continue reading for the This Old House Review team’s analysis of Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield and determine which offers the best home warranty.

Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield Coverage

American Home Shield offers four plans, including a Build-Your-Own Plan, and optional add-ons, while Choice Home Warranty offers two plans and optional add-ons. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these providers’ coverage options:

Choice Home Warranty Coverage

Choice Home Warranty offers two coverage plans: a Basic Plan and Total Plan. The Basic Plan covers 14 appliances and systems but excludes coverage for an air conditioning system, refrigerator, washer, and dryer. The Total Plan covers everything in the Basic plan, plus these four items.

Choice Home Warranty also offers these nine optional add-ons:

The This Old House Reviews team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparency and having the data to back up our ratings and recommendations.

Our Methodology

The This Old House Reviews team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparency and having the data to back up our ratings and recommendations.

With that in mind, we created an objective rating system to score each home insurance company. Here’s what that review process looked like:

We analyze the information on each company’s website. This allows us to determine what products and services are offered by each home insurance provider.We get a sample quote from the companies by either talking to a sales representative or by using the online quote tool. This tells us what a policy looks like and costs.We test customer service by talking to a company representative, finding out their hours of operation, and determining what technological features are available for customers.We update all of this information on a continuous basis, storing it in a proprietary database that allows us to compare dozens of home insurance companies against each other.

With this data, we created a rating methodology to score each home insurance company. Our rating system is a weighted, 100-point scale based on the following factors:

Coverage (30): We rated home insurance companies higher if they offered the six main types of homeowner protection—dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, liability, and medical payments to others coverage.State availability (7.5): Companies scored higher if they covered more states than their competitors.Customer service (15): This factor is based on our communications with the company representatives, as well as the companies’ claims and quotes processes, availability throughout the week, and customer service information found on their websites.Technology (12.5): Technology can increase the efficiency of filing and tracking home insurance claims. Companies scored higher if they had technology options like mobile apps and online chat functions. Reputation (20): We gauged trustworthiness based on years of experience and Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings.Additional benefits (15): Companies that offered optional features, like discounts and endorsements, scored higher than competitors that didn’t.

Our Reviews team has a full-time researcher who collects and regularly updates data points from every company to help us compare them on key factors such as coverage, service, and dependability.

William Geddes

Semper Solaris offers a variety of roof and solar services like solar panel installation and cleaning. In this review, the This Old House Reviews team dives into Semper Solaris services, pricing, and customer service.

Semper Solaris offers solar installation to help customers save money on energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint through sustainable energy solutions. As a veteran-owned company committed to hiring professionals with a shared sense of integrity and responsibility, Semper Solaris offers comprehensive customer service that supports customers through the life of their system. Read our review of Semper Solaris services, discounts, warranties, and products to decide if they’re the best solar provider for you and your home.

To see solar pricing and available incentives in your area, fill out this simple form.

Is Semper Solaris Worth It?

Semper Solaris offers California residents comprehensive solar solutions with a variety of discounts for new customers. Their online ticketing system and daily phone support help streamline the customer experience, making them a smart solar provider for those looking for responsive customer service.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Semper Solaris below.

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Wondering about those moth-like flies hanging around your drains? Drain flies may be common, but they’re also easy to get rid of if you get ahead of the game.

Home drains are a prime spot for stagnant water or bacteria to accumulate, especially if the sink or drain sits unused. If you’ve suddenly noticed an abundance of very small, moth-like creatures hanging around your sinks, showers, or bathtub, you may have drain flies. These very common pests can reproduce in just 48 hours, making it easy to find yourself with an infestation in little time.

Unlike some other pest infestations, understanding how to get rid of drain flies can be quick and simple. With a little diligence, you can stop them in their tracks with basic products or pantry items around the house and create a plan to stop them in the future. In this guide, we’ll answer all your questions about how to get rid of drain flies and who to call if you need the guidance of a professional pest control company.

Our top recommendation for your pest control needs is Terminix, a company with PhD-level entomologists and over 90 years of experience in the industry. But, to make sure you get the best plan for your home, you should also check out top pest control company Orkin.

Get a quote from both top-rated companies: