In this special October episode of True Tales From Old Houses, Stacy and Daniel return with Part II of their spooky stories compilation. Following the eerie encounters shared in Part I, this episode brings even more spine-tingling yet light-hearted ghost stories from old house owners across the U.S. and Canada. In Part II, Caitlin Barrett recounts the strange disturbances in her 1890 home in Kerhonksin, New York, blending humor with suspense. Next, Laurel, an architectural historian from...

It's spooky season! In this special October episode of True Tales From Old Houses, hosts Stacy Grinsfelder and Daniel Kanter take a break from their usual discussions of old house restoration and DIY to share spine-tingling, light-hearted ghost stories! Every year, listeners send in their eerie experiences, and this episode is packed with haunted tales from homes across the U.S. From Rebekah's unsettling bungalow in Tampa to Jake's unexpected encounters in a small Appalachian house during...

In today's minisode, the final episode of Season 11, Stacy and Daniel wrap things up with a lively discussion about their renovation adventures, funny experiences, and plans for the upcoming ghost story episodes, arriving in October!  First, Stacy and Daniel kick off the episode by announcing that this is the last episode of the season, but there will be bonus ghost stories and a merch run in October. Listeners can submit their ghost stories via the contact form on the website.  Next,...

In this episode of True Tales From Old Houses, Stacy and Daniel discuss practical solutions for damaged wood floors in a folk Victorian farmhouse and chat with preservation architect Christopher Brandt. First, Stacy and Daniel offer some personal project updates, including the mad scramble to complete outdoor tasks before the cold weather arrives. Then, During listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel explore the practicalities and aesthetics of refinishing and living with gappy wood floors. They...

In today's minisode, Stacy offers an update on her house search in Utah. She and Daniel discuss their current real estate situations and future plans. First, They begin by declaring their love for track shelving. They also recommend the podcast 'Beyond Reproach.'  Then, Stacy reflects on the shock value of Utah's high real estate prices and acknowledges her privileged position. She shares her desire to downsize and the challenges of finding a smaller house within her budget. Next, Daniel...

In this episode of True Tales From Old Houses, Stacy is wrapping things up at Silver Lake and getting ready for a new sleeping porch project. Meanwhile, Daniel is busy turning a dining room closet into a masterpiece—because even closets deserve a little love. Then, during listener Q&A, Stacy offers a happy follow-up from a previous question about exterior painting before weighing in on a kitchen remodel quandary—When it comes to cabinets and floors, is it better to level everything...

In this conversation, Stacy and Daniel discuss their ongoing renovation projects. First, Daniel talks about his plans to use beadboard in the guest room and the challenges of storing salvage materials. Then, Stacy shares her experience renovating her sleeping porch and the serious structural issues she encountered during deconstruction.  Finally, they discuss their mutual love for Michigan and the unique houses Daniel visited there recently. The conversation ends with a reflection on...

This week's episode begins with the big announcement that Daniel is no longer the owner of Bluestone Cottage. The sale has been finalized.  Then, Stacy and Daniel answer a listener question about career paths in historic preservation that don't require a master's degree. With the help of Caitlin Meives, Director of Preservation with the Preservation League of New York State, they discuss the importance of networking and volunteering and the availability of webinars and certificate programs....

In this episode, Stacy and Daniel discuss Daniel's recent visit to Lilydale, a spiritualist community in Western New York, and they go over some new project plans. First, Stacy offers a follow-up on the ivy discussion from episode #140. A landscape architect from Los Angeles reached out to provide another convincing argument in favor of removing ivy from homes and buildings.  Then, Daniel discusses his recent trip to Lilydale, where he received a free reading by a medium. Some of her...

This week's episode begins with a quick cottage update from Daniel, including his plans to sell the leftover staging furniture and decor. Then, Stacy and Daniel answer a listener question about the best materials for repiping a house. They discuss the pros and cons of PVC, copper, and PEX pipes and provide tips for choosing the right material.  Later, they chat with Christina Salway, an interior designer and home renovator. She describes how she and her husband have renovated multiple...

In this episode, Stacy and Daniel revisit some previous conversations and swap stories about unexpected basement floods and a wild weather emergency.  First, Daniel offers an update about a special Kingston City Land Bank house and shares a podcast episode about the Halifax explosion. Next, Stacy talks about a basement flood caused by a clogged sewer line, while Daniel describes his experience with water in the basement due to a cistern.  Then, Stacy details her experience with a (very...

This week's episode begins with a book giveaway reminder and quick project updates from Stacy and Daniel. Then, during Listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel address the impact of ivy on old houses. They discuss the different types of ivy and their potential impact on the house, including trapping moisture, damaging mortar, and providing a pathway for pests. Later, they chat with Pat Evans, the registrar for the art collection at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Pat discusses the process of...

In this episode, Stacy explains how she is lightening her DIY load, and Daniel describes a frustrating week. The conversation highlights the low-key crazy of hyper-local Facebook groups, navigating real estate contracts, dealing with contractor bids, and the emotional impact of online relationships. First, Stacy shares how she hired someone to help with the lingering home projects around her house. Despite receiving some very unwelcome comments about the ad she posted in her small-town...

This week's episode begins with several book giveaway announcements and quick project updates from Stacy and Daniel.  Then, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel discuss traditional and modern linoleum flooring options. They touch on the history, manufacturing process, and benefits of linoleum and share their experiences using Marmoleum by Forbo.   Finally, Stacy and Daniel chat with Bo Shepherd and Kyle Dubay, the creative duo behind Woodward Throwbacks, a furniture and interior design...

In this week's episode, Stacy tangles with TSA, and Daniel inches closer to selling the cottage.  First, Stacy and Daniel discuss Stacy's recent trip to Florida and her airport mishaps. Then, they move on to Daniel's cottage update, including the process of accepting an offer and the potential for the buyer to back out before signing the contract. They also compare their experiences with buying houses and the differences in the process. The conversation ends with their thoughts about the...

This week's episode begins with some quick updates about Daniel's cottage and an announcement from Stacy. Stacy and Scott Sidler are co-authoring a book about energy efficiency and old windows. With the first draft nearly finished, the book is moving right along. Stacy and Scott hope it will become a handy and trusted resource for anyone with a stake in preserving and restoring old buildings. Next, during listener Q&A, Daniel and Stacy offer input on a kitchen window issue. The homeowner...

This week's minisode is an emotional roller coaster. First, Stacy and Daniel celebrate that the cottage is now for sale. Despite this exciting news, Daniel feels stressed about what comes next. He laments that while the cottage is now spotless, his own home is a mess in the aftermath. Daniel believes that the volume of his stuff is reaching an uncomfortable level, and something must be done. Stacy suggests the Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, but Daniel wants to sell everything...

This week, a listener who owns a duplex wonders how to improve unsightly exterior paint issues while saving money to hire the pros. Stacy and Daniel offer DIY exterior painting tips and their thoughts on getting the job done safely and efficiently. Later, Stacy and Daniel chat with KariAnne Wood from the long-running Thistlewood Farms blog. KariAnne's special connection to her old house and the town of McKinney, Texas, proves that when the stars align, you actually can go home again. ...

In this week's minisode, Stacy offers a few stories from her trip to Japan, and Daniel reaches a huge milestone with the cottage. First, Stacy opens up about her connection to Japan and how seeing Mount Fuji nearly brought her to tears.  After a funny interlude about Japanese snacks, Stacy brings it back to old houses by describing a visit to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. The Edo-Tokyo was established in 1993 to relocate, reconstruct, preserve, and exhibit historical...

This week, Stacy and Daniel answer a listener's question about the history of canvas ceilings and the feasibility of repairing them.  Later, Brooke Young Russell from Evergreene Architectural Arts joins Stacy for a fascinating conversation about the technical aspects and limitations of architectural conservation and how her research relates to historic preservation.  Mentioned in this Episode: Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop Weekend Retreat at Silver Lake: July 19-21 or July 26-28,...

This week's minisode is off to a wild start, with Stacy and Daniel discussing their unconventional "words of the year." Then, Stacy talks about her upcoming trip to Japan and shares a story about Google Translate and bidets.  That segues unnaturally into a discussion about a common old house problem: animals that die in the walls. Daniel's house has largely escaped this issue. So, he has chosen an unusual way to honor the critters he finds during demolition.     Finally, Daniel chats about...

True Tales From Old Houses is back! Season Eleven is off to a good start with a fresh, new logo and an episode packed with old-house fun.  This week, Stacy and Daniel answer a listener's question about public art and painted brick. Are public murals a good idea? How are neighborhoods affected? Is painting a giant orange wizard on a building ever a good idea? Daniel has big feelings about all of it.  Then, Stacy and Daniel welcome Barry + Jordan, better known as The Brownstone Boys. This...

It's a bonus mini! In this minisode, Stacy and Daniel catch up after a three-month hiatus.  First, Stacy offers an update about moving to Salt Lake City. Is that ever going to happen?  Then, Daniel chats about his timeline for listing the cottage for sale. He follows up with updates about his vacation to Barbados (sun poisoning!), lake cottage ceiling repairs (light drama!), and antiquing. Finally, Stacy and Daniel discuss the difference between hand-knotted and machine-knotted rugs and a...

In today's episode, the finale of Season 10, Stacy and Daniel discuss best practices for a clean, healthy, and mostly dry basement. Then, Stacy and Daniel welcome Tara Mangini and Percy Bright, the legendary design team behind Jersey Ice Cream Co. Tara and Percy have traded their nomadic lifestyle for an 1880s farmhouse in upstate NY and most recently starred in their own TV show, The Story of Home on Magnolia Network, now streaming on Max and Discovery+. Mentioned in this Episode: Travel...