The Historic District

I have an aluminum alloy 24 footer with a stand off that can straddle a window opening. It's rock solid and feels like you're climbing stairs. Problem is it's near the end of it's useful life and I don't mess around with junky ladders. For most of my really high work I find it's faster and safer to ...

Doing a three layer roof will make a lumpy mess. Don't expect the shingles to lay right. Also consider the extra weight, unseen problems with the roof deck, and the inevitable beat down you'll get from a home inspector if you should decide to sell. When I was in the rental business with my family we...

Metal on a shed like that is a half day job. Right over the existing shingles unless there's some gaping hole in the roof deck.

There's no substitute to stripping off the old roof, repairing the decking as needed, and then putting on a good roof. Shortcuts always bite you in the end, so to speak. New drip edge, new flashing, the whole shebang. Most leaks happen at the flashing. Don't take shortcuts there. Roofing isn't hard,...

Not really old house related, but if you're looking for odds and ends of the antique variety I can put some of you guys on the motherlode. Every year I work at a swap meet that is simply enormous. They have everything from architectural salvage, car parts, livestock, custom furniture, almost everyth...

I've bought lots of interesting items at that store. The building was in OK shape but you could tell they were in no mood to restore anything. That's the Columbus way. Or I should say the Ohio way because it happens all over the place. We don't put much stock in restoring anything but then go out of...

When I have to do work like what you're facing I'll usually use railroad jacks and a piece of I beam to pick up the load of the house while I pour a proper concrete footing for a new post. Be prepared for plaster cracks and all sorts of fun because you'll have to take it past level in the other dire...

I'd be tempted to top it with some metal "J-Trim" from a roofing supplier. If you flipped the trim over and used it as a cap you could probably extend the life of those doors by quite a few years. It could be painted, or left plain and galvanized. http://www.homehardware.ca/products/300/27...

Oh, and since I'm hijacking this thread, here's another little nugget. On the Ohio River and absolutely fantastic. It's fairly remote since it was built as a summer retreat for one of the captains of industry back when we had industry in Ohio. https://www.trulia.com/p/oh/stout/4866-us-highway-52-d-s...

Our land bank doesn't do standing structures. If they get it, it gets torn down. Normally I'd be up in arms over something like this but I have yet to see them take anything that wasn't in absolutely deplorable condition. They're usually partially burned, overrun by weeds, in a state of collapse, or...