American colonial style in architecture refers to the era before the United States was born, when emigrants from Europe began settling on the North American continent. Since the period was a long one — spanning 100 years — “colonial style” actually includes a few different styles and designs. And there are different regional touches, reflecting the local climate and the influences of the settlers’ native countries.

Overall, though, the American colonial style is characterized by a simple elegance and symmetrical, two-story layout. Found throughout the country today, they are many people’s idea of ​​a quintessential traditional home.

History of colonial style

The original American colonial-style homes were built throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Style-wise, they are “based on British homes with an emphasis on functionally serving the needs of a family and with standing harsh climates,” says Tony Mariotti, CEO and founder of RubyHome, a luxury real estate brokerage

EAST END – Rebuilding Together Houston is revitalizing homes in Houston’s East End District.

Christine Holland, the organization’s CEO, said they’re currently completing homes 99, 100 and 101 in the East End neighborhood, a project that began post-Harvey.

In total, Rebuilding Together Houston has helped more than 15,000 families since 1982. They serve military families anywhere in Harris County, as well as, underserved families in neighborhoods like the East End and Third Ward.

“This program is offered to homeowners who are under 80% area median income, and there’s no cost to the homeowner. We want to serve people who intend to continue to live in their home and we’d like them to be able to pass the home on to the next generation of their family,” Hollands said.

Working on aging houses like the home the Rodriguez family has lived in for 49 years, not only preserves the character of

This story is part of Home TipsCNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

With cold weather on the way for large parts of the country, now is an excellent opportunity to evaluate your home’s energy efficiency, make some upgrades — and potentially save on utilities in the process. If you’ve already tried the typical tricks like adjusting your thermostat, Replacing your furnace filter, showering instead of bathing or take short showersit may be time to try weatherstripping.

If you aren’t familiar with weatherstripping, you can find a detailed description below. But in short, weatherstripping involves sealing up the doors and windows in your home to prevent air leaks. This improves the energy efficiency of your house and lowers heating and cooling costs.

In this guide, we’ll explain why weatherstripping is an effective way to reduce utility bills

Washington, D.C. — The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that it settled an administrative lawsuit against thyssenkrupp Access Corp. (TKA), now known as TK Access Solutions Corp., of Grandview, Missouri. The lawsuit, filed in July 2021, involves home or residential elevators under a variety of TKA-owned model names, including Chaparral, Destiny, LEV, LEV II, LEV II Builder, Rise, Volant, Windsor, Independence, and Flexi-Lift that TKA manufactured and sold to dealers for installation in homes between approximately 1996 and 2012.

There have been three incidents involving these elevators, including a 2-year old child who died in 2017 and a 2010 incident that left a 3-year old child permanently disabled.

As part of the settlement, TKA is recalling to inspect the elevators, providing free inspections, and, if necessary, free installation of safety devices, known as space guards, at no charge to consumers.

The consent agreement, which was approved by