This Old House

As a second part to our post titled, "Home buying and home repair TV shows," we must add our recommendation of This Old House. I remember watching this show many, many years ago with my parents, but the show has new meaning to me now that I am fixing my own house.

For a do-it-yourselfer with no experience, it was initially a little hard to me to watch teams of workers with every tool imaginable take on a project in a fraction of the time it takes me to stumble through something similar. I annoy Yulia several times each episode with comments like, "Wow! There's literally a special tool for every kind of job out there! I would have never imagined!"

I also envy the professionalism that building contractors have in the United States. We hired a team of three workers to change our roof last summer and were not totally pleased with the result. Several weeks ago I had to climb up to our chimney to examine our internet cable and antenna and saw that they lied to us about caulking around the chimney. I'll have to do it myself and replace the flashing that is already beginning to detach.

But Yulia and I have warmed up to the show considerably after getting over the shock of how much money, resources, and skill are available in America. We are fixing our house for a fraction of what it takes in the States, and we are paying close attention to the experts on This Old House for when the time comes for us to take on similar projects here. I'm already thinking how to better waterproof our house when we replace our siding in the summer.

In general, the show is not only about the construction site, but about different themes. Usually, the homeowner has some sort of style or preference, and the hosts of the show explore those themes in greater detail by traveling to different places to learn more about history, style, and building types. So far we have watched projects that explore the "Scandinavian Modern" style (which can be found in the video above), "Universal Design" (that is, designing for elderly and disabled homeowners), and the history of the "Dutch Colonial" home.

The show has turned out to be a hit for Yulia and me. Whenever we find some spare time, Yuila suggests we watch This Old House. It's not only educational, but interesting and entertaining.


Thanks to our reader, "Saint Coemgen," for recommending this show to us! You were right on in your recommendation!