True Tales From Old Houses

By Stacy Grinsfelder

True Tales From Old Houses is a light-hearted, entertaining, and educational show for lovers of old houses and buildings, DIYers, history buffs, and restoration and preservation junkies.

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4.8

196196 ratings

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How many episodes does True Tales From Old Houses have?

The podcast currently has 193 episodes available.

Best of True Tales From Old Houses

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: 187: Beyond Old Houses: Cemetery Preservation
In this episode, Preservation Month continues with another State of Restoration check-in and a look at one of the most overlooked forms of historic preservation: historic cemetery and headstone care. First, Stacy checks back in with the State of Restoration project, where one theme starting to emerge is that preservation often follows money. Then, she is joined by Justin Frost from Past Preservation to talk about historic cemetery preservation, headstone cleaning, and headstone repair. They discuss proper gravestone cleaning methods, common preservation mistakes, and the difference between helping and accidentally causing damage. Justin also shares what inspired him to begin this work and what continues to motivate him today. With Memorial Day approaching, this episode is especially helpful for anyone planning to visit family gravesites, volunteer in a historic cemetery, or learn more about proper cemetery preservation and respectful headstone care. Mentioned in this Episode: Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House Join Stacy on Substack Enter to win A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester Follow Justin/Past Preservation LLC on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too! Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26. Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity. Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free. The Old House Shop – The store for people who accidentally turn every conversation into a discussion about windows, plaster, or old-growth lumber. Find preservation-minded t-shirts, cozy sweatshirts, mugs, and gifts that celebrate process over perfection. Use code OLDHOUSELIFE for 10% off your order (excluding books). Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX
May 18, 202651min
Number 2: 184: A Grand Hotel in the Middle of Nowhere (Sun Valley Lodge)
This week's field trip episode started with a question Stacy couldn't shake: Why is there a beautiful historic hotel in the middle of nowhere, Idaho? The Sun Valley Lodge isn't just any hotel. It's a grand, carefully designed resort surrounded by mountains and ranchland. When Stacy realized Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the architect behind many of the lodges in the National Parks, was involved, it explained the design—but not the decision to build it there. So Stacy sat down in person with historian John Lundin to learn how Sun Valley came to be. He shares how Union Pacific Railroad, led by Averell Harriman, built an ambitious destination from scratch during the Great Depression. It was a bold, "if you build it, they will come" kind of idea. From opulent hotspot to wartime reinvention to decline, and back again, the history makes one thing clear: building Sun Valley was only the beginning. Mentioned in this Episode Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House Join Stacy on Substack Visit Sun Valley Lodge Enter to win John Lundin's book (Rafflecopter has shut down! I'll put instructions for how to enter to win on Substack.) WE LOVE OUR SPONSORS Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too! Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26. Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. (Featured on ep. 164) Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity. Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free. Repaint Studios - The Repaint Tray from Repaint Studios is the first reusable silicone paint tray liner and lid. The Repaint Tray's airtight lid keeps your paint fresh for weeks. Use the coupon code TRUETALES10 to save 10% off your order. Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX
April 20, 202657min
Number 3: 180: Lead Laws and the Ripple Effect
In this episode, Stacy looks at why some of the most iconic Gilded Age mansions in Newport were nearly lost, and how that story connects to what's happening right now with lead safety laws and historic windows in Rhode Island. If you think that is just a local issue, think again. Stacy takes listeners to Newport, Rhode Island, where some of the most over-the-top Gilded Age mansions in the country were almost lost when the world around them changed. For a time, there was no clear path forward, and the way people responded made a different outcome possible. That story sets the stage for what's happening today. Stacy welcomes Rob Cagnetta of Heritage Restoration and Sutherland Welles. They dig into what's happening right now with lead safety laws in Rhode Island, including what's changed, why there was so much confusion, and what it actually means for anyone who owns or manages a building with historic windows. From there, they get into the real challenges these regulations created and what it took to move forward. Rob shares how he got involved with the City of Newport and the Newport Restoration Foundation to solve the problem of getting historic windows to pass lead-safety inspections, despite little to no support from state inspectors or the health department. In the process, what started as a window issue revealed lesser-known sources of lead contamination throughout the home and challenged the assumption that the problem starts and ends inside the house. If this sounds like a Rhode Island issue, it's not. What's happening there could become a model for how other states create and enforce lead safety laws. Lead-safe Historic Window Resources (download) Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House Join Stacy on Substack WE LOVE OUR SPONSORS Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too! Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26. Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. (Featured on ep. 164) Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity. Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free. Repaint Studios - The Repaint Tray from Repaint Studios is the first reusable silicone paint tray liner and lid. The Repaint Tray's airtight lid keeps your paint fresh for weeks. Use the coupon code TRUETALES10 to save 10% off your order. Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX
March 23, 202651min
Number 4: 179: Tool Talk: Infrared Paint Removers
In this episode, Stacy brings in Scott Sidler as a guest co-host for some old house shop talk. They discuss the realities of preservation funding and infrared paint removers. Stacy begins with updates from the new State of Restoration project, sharing observations from Toledo and New Orleans, while Scott reports on what he's seeing in Florida. The outlook for preservation funding is bleak, with zero state funding currently allocated for historic preservation projects. From there, the conversation turns to tools. Stacy and Scott break down how infrared paint removers work and walk through the pros and cons of different options to help homeowners choose the right one for their projects. Finally, they wrap up by brainstorming new names for the minisodes, and Scott comes up with a couple that might actually stick. Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House Join Stacy on Substack Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too! Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26. Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity. Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free. The Old House Shop – The store for people who accidentally turn every conversation into a discussion about windows, plaster, or old-growth lumber. Find preservation-minded t-shirts, cozy sweatshirts, mugs, and gifts that celebrate process over perfection. Use code OLDHOUSELIFE for 10% off your order (excluding books).
March 16, 202647min
Number 5: 178: Wait. That's Historic?
Wait...that's historic? Stacy digs into the 50-year rule, talks mid-century restoration with Sarah from 1957 House Down South, and visits the Kohler museum to see those famous vintage bathroom colors in person. Wait. That's historic? At some point, the math catches up with us. In this episode, Stacy takes a look at the preservation benchmark often called the 50-year rule and what happens when houses and buildings many of us still think of as "modern" cross the threshold used to evaluate historic significance. Then, Sarah joins the show to talk about her mid-century modern home, which she calls 1957 House Down South. She shares how she found the house, its architectural history, and her meticulous process of restoring all the original features. Mid-century modern homes can be a tough sell. Some people think they're too modern to be historic, while others see them as hopelessly dated, but Sarah's love for MCM may shift that perspective. Finally, Stacy talks about her visit to the Kohler campus to explore the company's design museum and see some of Kohler's vintage bathroom fixtures in person, including the bold colors that once defined American bathrooms. If old house lovers have anything to say about it, those colors aren't going anywhere. Join Stacy on Substack. WE LOVE OUR SPONSORS Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too! Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26. Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. (Featured on ep. 164) Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity. Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free. Repaint Studios - The Repaint Tray from Repaint Studios is the first reusable silicone paint tray liner and lid. The Repaint Tray's airtight lid keeps your paint fresh for weeks. Use the coupon code TRUETALES10 to save 10% off your order.
March 09, 202652min