I might cancel my subscription to \"This Old House\" (Steamhead)

Pat K

Yes imagine the arrogance of this guy. Just because he owns the house he thinks he should be able to do what he want's with it!

People like this must be stopped.

We should have re-education, so these people learn to do things the right way.

Steamhead

On page 57 of the current (July/August) issue

there is an article which on the surface looks like it deals with floor repair. But the "repair" is actually the result of a cardinal sin- the owner ripped out a steam system.

Why does an old-house magazine champion people like this? If the guy wants a new house he should go out and build one, not desecrate an old one. Is the magazine that much dominated by the scorched-air pushers?

My subscription doesn't expire until January, but I just might cancel it now. I bet they'd take notice if a bunch of us did the same thing!

Michal

i AGREE

i AGREE WITH YOU 100%. SOME THINGS THEY DO, I TOTALLY DO NOT AGREE WITH. ITS LIKE THE FORMULA ONE RACE THIS WEEKEND WHERE LIKE 16 CARS PITTED RIGHT AFTER THE GREEN LAP TO PROTEST. WHO GETS SCREWED, THE FANS, IN THIS CASE THE HOME OWNER. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDAS. ANYWAY, NASCAR IS BETTER.

Steamhead

Just e-mailed the editor

and I'll bet they don't have the guts to print it.

The address is: TOH_Letters@thisoldhouse.com

Let's flood their in-box!

DanHolohan

My guess.

They don't know how to tweak 'em.

Jeff Lawrence_24

Frank,

In these days and times, convenience is the issue. Who wants to deal with huge pieces of iron the almost every room? Everyone needs the even-ness of forced air combined with comfortable air conditioning! That magazine sells what people want to see.

BUT

It's not what every one wants! We know that a properly cared for steam system is quiet and gives off a lot of heat in 2 ways (convection and radiant). Magazines like TOH simply respond to things that are asked by homeowners calling and emailing in.

If you want to do something, offer to write an article on the proper care of steam heating. You, of all people, have the knowledge to tell Home-Owners exactly what needs to be done to get these wonderful systems back up and running correctly (and silently).

Lord knows, there aren’t too many people around here that can take care of residential steam systems.

Jeff



To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

don_141

Come

on Frank..I've never seen you so upset.Forceair pusher do
a great job at marketing.

Its all about the dollar..We just happen to have the right price this time.LOL.

Steve Garson

Jeff:

You make a very good point. Until I discovered this site, I never knew my steam system needed anything other than a boiler cleaning and nozzle change each year.

Every single person in my neighborhood has steam and I've learned that no one has any idea what a main vent is. I've been visiting basements and seeing that they are all un-maintained like mine was.

bigugh_4

indeed!

Scorched air has filters air. in em. How many have I replaced that were completely clogged? No scorhed air and the place was cold. Home owners are for the most part un educated about their living abode and the systems in them. Steam or air. TOH is just that, a mag that is trying to sell itself, nothing more. Common sense and really trying to help the uninformed is secondary to their existance. JMHO bigugh. ( the bigger the subscriptions the more they can charge for the ads that are in there)

Steamhead

And

they've never asked you to write for them, Dan- unless I missed it, and I doubt I'd miss one of your articles!

Steamhead

\"the bigger the subscriptions the more they can charge for

the ads that are in there" is exactly why we should cancel. You hit it, Bigugh. It will hurt their revenue stream in several ways.

Steve, why do you think they don't print anything good about steam? Old-House Journal does- Dan's written for them many times. But the only time TOH mentions radiators is when they tear them out. When was the last time they restored an old system?

And another thing- this is yet another reason we have such a low market share. Articles like this are killing our business.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Cancelled Mine Long Ago

But for different reasons. "This Old House" the TV show used to be about the "care and feeding" of old houses. Even if much of the work being done was via contractors because of time constraints, it was mainly about helping the DIYer understand what they could (and shouldn't) do.

By the time the magazine appeared it had morphed into a product and services showcase with the homeowners frequently portrayed as idiots at best capable of demolition.

Even "Old House Journal" which started as a simple newsletter without advertisement almost solely dedicated to the DIYer was similarly affected. Dan's articles excepted, much of it changed from "understanding" to "fluff".

DanHolohan

Nope.

Richard's their heating guy.

Steamhead

\"homeowners frequently portrayed as idiots\"

There you go, Mike. "Oh, you can't have central air with a radiator system"! "The only efficient heating unit is a 95% furnace"!

Who's paying the bills here? Let's page thru the ads:

Page 34: York

Page 161: Unico

Page 165- Hydro-Sil (those portable or built-in heaters that look like fin-tube baseboard)

Page 169: Radiantec, the DIY radiant company

So that's three-to-one against hydronics, and four to nothing against us. Maybe that's why we don't see any of Dan's articles here. I repeat, stuff like this is killing our business.

To boiler manufacturers: Have any of you tried to advertise in TOH? Were you turned down? If so, did they give a reason?

Kevin__Flynn

TOH

Steamhead,

Forgive my ignorance for either not yet receiving the latest issue, or not yet completely reading the last one I did get. (although I believe if it is July/August that I haven't received it yet)

Did the article specifically state that the steam system was removed in lieu of a new forced air system?

And in Unico's defense, the only way that they heat a house is either with hot water coil or a heat pump. Heat pumps, by the way aren't very typical in areas where there is steam.


Kevin Flynn

Steamhead

They left that out

and I made note of that in the letter I wrote to them.

It was the one where they built doghouses in the style of old houses. These will be auctioned and the proceeds given to charity- were this not the case I would also have blasted them for such a pointless article.

Kevin__Flynn

So for the sake of.....

argument, Steamhead, is it safe to assume that it may have been removed in lieu of a new comfortable underfloor "hydronic" heating system, or at least a hydro-air system.

In some of these real old homes, with the advent of steam, steam was probably added as a more comfortable and convenient way to heat the home than the current fireplaces that the homeowners were originally using. Having said that, wouldn't a radiant heat system bring the house back to the way it looked originally.

Also, if another homeowner were to decide to update his old home with a new bathroom on the first floor, or add some nice insulation in the walls, should he also have looked into building a new house.

I don't want to make lite of your conclusions, I make my living (like most here) by competing against the theory of warm-air systems too, however, did the magazine realy mean to slander steam systems.

Kevin Flynn

don_142

I can

understand Steamhead anger..because he's passionate about steam.

But even us forceair guys are not high on toh mag.I mean they also tell the homeowner that they can clean there on coils and even tell them that a system for a 1500 to 2000 sq ft home should cost.

I think the point we are missing here is it a mag that cater to DIY,Nothing more.

But as I once herd somone say,you should not have any fear
what someone prints..if you're a great contractor.

Steamhead

Another thing occurred to me:

If memory serves TOH only does hydronics in the real high-end jobs. The message they are sending here is that hydronics are too expensive unless you can afford the very high end. We all know that's not true, but people see this and think they can't afford us. So we go in with one strike against us already. I'd say that's a problem.

Bottom Line, guys- if I see something I don't like in a publication I subscribe to, they hear about it. Yes, I think there was a subtle bias in that article. It will be interesting to hear their reply, if they bother.

Steamhead

C'mon Don

you know I wasn't referring to you. I should know you really like steam if anyone here does!

Sweet_3

TOH imho

I'm not sure they have the Trades at heart,in fact I don't think they do, I think they are catering to the Big Box boys, just trying to sell stuff. Making what the craftsmen does look easy. imho opinion it does all who try and make a real difference a disservice. TOH was bred on the back's of countless Tradespeople who worked their entire lives breaking their back's to do things right, I have a hard time finding respect in that.

Jimmy Gillies

F1 drivers

Michal,
I think some of the F1 drivers had an issue with tyres. Please see the attached: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5923-1661513,00.html

F1 is very popular here in the UK, my son is a big fan.

I hope that is some help??
Regards.
Jimmy Gillies (Scotland)

Weezbo

Whats Killin it is.....I got tools that I dont even know What

They do anymore *~/:)

Weezbo

did he have any cool gauges he was throwing out with the

bath water? I have a really nice looking old coal steamer buh i aint sellin *~/:) im taking it with me

John Boyer

Steamed Steamhead

Page 169: Come on Frank, its inovative breakthrough technology isn't it? (NOT!). I agree that TOH is just looking after the bottom line.

Robert O'Connor/NJ

John Boyer

weez

Taking it where? I've never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse before. Didn't anyone ever teach you to share your toys.

Robert O'Connor/NJ

Weezbo

) Well ..shucks...:) maybe i can talk the powers that be to

bury me standing up with my 4 ' aluminum pipe wrench in hand

loose cannon

Pie In The Sky

As a long time subscriber to the aformentioned magazine, I am bothered more and more by the unrealistic budgets they work with. It has gotten to the point that TOH has bought their own house to fix up, and that when finished with it they sold it for $1,700,000. I'm not bad at what I do, and I make a good living, but I can't afford $2,000,000 houses. It's so far out of the average persons' budget that it's entirely unrealistic.

Reading an article about how to remodel you kitchen for only $150,000 may be mildly entertaining, but how many people can really afford a project like that? Let alone integrate even a few design elements into their own projects.

Perhaps we are just not the demographic TOH is targeting. You need to have seven digits in your checking account to play ball with them! Most of us don't have that even when you count the decimal points!
Subscribe top The Family Handyman. It has a corny name, but it's a great mag. The timing on the features is amazing too.

P.S. do you remember when TOH was a documantary in it's early days? When the emphasis was on the craftsmanship of the restoration, preserving the homes' historical features? Before all the product placement and testimonials? It was great TV, but it probably didn't make enough people rich.

Sweet_3

Yup, craftsmanship bring the key word.

Steamhead

So Far

no response from TOH. LC, you might be right- we don't matter to them as subscribers. It's been obvious for a while they have no use for us as hydronics contractors.....

Dean_7

TOH

Maybe they should change the name to This Old Archetectural Digest House.

clammy

quit completly!

I have quit watching any type of home improvement shows or reading home improvement mags most show unrealistic budgets on nonsense and makes what we all take pride and years to iron and hon our skills at look like something any body with a 1/2 a brain could do and all in a 1/2 hour only if i was dreaming and wishing on a star .Plus most of us realize that some if not alot of the equiptment and labor is donated for the free adverting.Ialso feel that in alot of ways what people see on the boob tube really effects there ideas on everything from spending 75000 to 125000 on a kitchen but spending only a tiny fraction of that on there heating and or cooling system but just remenber the new leased suv sit on the new paver drive way with the beligum block aprin .It's totally awesome that peoples priorities are still keeping up with the status quo and the jones and gates will the race to materalist possesion ever end and people come to realize that 2 people don't need 10000 sq ft home to live .PS it is most likly just me being wrong about everything as always . PEACE clammy thumbs up to steamhead stick to your guns