A clear guide to renovating a home.
Eight categories. Articles written by people who do the work, organized so you can return to them.
Eight categories.
Every article lives under one of these eight headings.
Kitchen Remodeling
Layouts, cabinetry, stone surfaces, lighting, and the ergonomic choices that make a kitchen feel inevitable.
Bathroom Renovation
Waterproofing, tile setting, ventilation, and fixture selection — the unseen work that keeps a bathroom standing for decades.
Roofing & Attic
Asphalt, metal, tile, and membrane systems. When to repair, when to replace, and how to read a roof report.
Facade & Exterior
Siding, render, paint, and trim — the envelope that protects everything inside from weather and time.
Flooring
Hardwood, engineered planks, tile, vinyl, polished concrete. Underlayments and refinishing schedules.
Painting & Walls
Surface prep, primer selection, sheen, and color strategy. The difference between a paint job and a finish.
Outdoor & Landscaping
Decking, fencing, drainage, planting. How the ground around a house quietly determines its lifespan.
Basements & Garages
Damp-proofing, conversions, structural openings, and load paths. Where renovation meets the bones of the building.
How a renovation moves.
Survey
Document what is there — materials, wear, and the assumptions previous owners built around.
Diagnosis
Separate the cosmetic from the structural. Most symptoms point to a different cause than they appear to.
Planning
Drawings, scopes of work, and the sequencing that quietly decides the cost.
Building back
Framing, waterproofing, insulation, services. The layers that disappear decide the lifespan.
Finishes
Plaster, paint, tile, joinery, stone. The part most readers ask about first.
Handover
Documentation, maintenance schedules, and the list of things to watch in the first year.
An independent journal about renovating a home.
Hearth & Hammer is a slowly growing reference for homeowners and the curious. Nothing to buy. Nothing to schedule.
Articles draw on construction documents, manufacturer specifications, and interviews with architects, surveyors, and tradespeople.
No sponsored placements. No affiliate links. No quote forms. Articles are revised when underlying standards change.
New articles are published three times a week. Each category receives a deep-dive piece roughly once per month.