Question: My house is about 90 years old. It needs work. As I remodel I try to keep things as close to original as I can, i.e I try to match moldings, use the same flooring, and so on. My current project is the porch. The floor boards are coming loose and I know I have to re-frame portions of it because I can feel bounce when I walk in certain spots. OK, so on to the question: The original framing materials looks like it’s Douglas Fir. It has certainly stood the test of time. But sourcing it (I swear I’m going to ask the question soon) will be both time consuming and expensive as I have to special order it. Should I just use regular ‘Hem-Fir’ framing material so I’m close? What’s your take?
Related Posts
2011 Remodeling Show and Deck Expo in Chicago. October 14. Mark & Theresa are traveling to Chicago for LIVE MyFixitUpLife shows at 11:30amCT and 2pmCT…
One of the trickiest projects in old houses weaving modern kitchens into old spaces. Even as little as a half century-ago people had cast iron…

In this video Mark Clement, the practical contractor for OldHouseWeb.com, takes a look at the shingles on an old house’s roof and shares some insight…
Question: I don’t get it. I’m from New England and we’re surrounded at every turn with old homes that have stood winter and summer for…
We’ve done everything we can to maximize the storage in a house that, well, wasn’t built with much. We’ve used kitchen cabinets to design custom…
A good table saw is essential equipment for getting well-crafted results, keyed in details, and for cutting critical elements required for dialed-in, looks-like-it-grew-there kind of…
Mark and Theresa take you inside Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s 200th episode where they build 7 houses in 7 days for Joplin residents. In this…
This is part one of a three part video series on upgrading your roof to energy efficient composite slate shingles. The shingles used in the…



Mark Clement, practical contractor for The Old House Web and host of MyFixitUpLife radio show, shows you what he’s up against while trying to remodel…
I love seeing things in my daily life that make MyFixitUpLife better. Such was the case when I spotted this cool real wood retaining wall…
Question: An 1890s era home (OK, mansion) in my town has a unique window cut into the roof. It’s slender all of 8 inches wide…
Remodeling, retro-fit, renovation, restoration. From products to process, tools to techniques, they are all branches of the home improvement tree. We’re bringing you the best…
Home improvement expert Brad Staggs talks with Mark & Theresa about everything from satellites to decks to banana hands. Brad also shares the details about…
I’ve been remodeling homes, using tools–and reviewing tools–for a long time. During that time I’ve cycled through generations of tables saws and impact drivers, nailers…



Mark Clement, practical contractor for The Old House Web and host of MyFixItUpLife radio show, warns consumers that under even the best conditions, a roofing…