Q. We just bought our first house, an American Foursquare, dated 1917. It has been vacant for several years and the interior is not in the best condition. We'd like to gut it to get rid of the sagging ...

Q. We're buying a house that is probably close to 100 years old. It has been vacant for the past several years and needs a good amount of cleaning up and fixing up. One thing we're concerned about is ...

There are two kinds of cracks in old lath and plaster walls. Both can be repaired, but one is a much more serious problem. By Ronda Kaysen Q: Our Gramercy co-op was built in 1929. The thick plaster ...

I am skim coating (lightweight joint compound over plaster) for the first time. I’m using a 6†taping knife and things are working out OK. However, this is a pre-war building and there is a curved ...

Dear James: I have an old house with plaster walls and many cracks that need to be repaired. How can I fix these so they stay fixed and are invisible? — Julianne T. Dear Julianne: Many older houses ...

Q. The plaster in the middle of my living room wall started bulging a little where it backs up against my shower. What could be causing it? How concerned should I be? Who is responsible for fixing ...

Read Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 of this story. When it comes to real estate in a city like ours, with housing that spans the space of a few hundred years, there are two types of people in the world: ...