In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to successfully move a large rhododendron shrub to a new location. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to transplant a rhododendron Excavate a 12-inch-deep hole at the new planting site. Dig a 5-foot-diameter circle around the rhododendron. Dig down past the roots, at least 6 inches deep. Use a transplanting shovel to slice through any roots around and beneath the root ball....
Richard Trethewey has been an integral part of the This Old House team since the home improvement show’s debut in 1979. Today, he also appears on the Emmy Award-winning show’s sister series, Ask This Old House, and on the podcast Clearstory. Russell Morash, creator of This Old House, first called Richard’s father Ron, proprietor of Trethewey Bros. Inc., the family plumbing and heating business, with an idea for a home improvement show in 1978....
Previous episode: S43 E29 | Next episode: S43 E31 In this episode: Saratoga Springs is a town known for its natural springs, horse racing, and gardens. Master gardener Kim Purdy takes Jenn Nawada on a special tour of some of these gardens that are a part of an annual tour whose proceeds support women worldwide, called the Secret Garden tour. At the house, builder Matt Whitbeck is making progress. He is building a new foundation using a material called ICFs (insulated concrete forms)....
As an outdoor entrance into the basement, bulkhead doors are one of your home’s exterior defenses that should be regularly serviced and maintained. This type of door comes in many materials and should be replaced as they begin to show wear to ensure your basement stays dry. They are typically made from treated wood or steel. Plastic and fiberglass are alternatives but aren’t recommended because plastic doors are prone to breakage from fallen debris, and fiberglass often cracks or warps after extended exposure to sunlight....
Stuck in the Eighties Lake houses are made for hosting friends and family, which makes a welcoming guest bath key. When Chicagoans Ashley and Kyle Harding purchased their 1899 house in Fontana-on-Geneva-Lake, Wisconsin, they knew the dated hall bath upstairs would need an upgrade to accommodate a full house on weekends. To create the spa-like experience she wanted for their guests, Ashley redesigned the room from scratch, allocating one entire wall to a large shower....
VIP at the 2018 Idea House in Rhode Island Phil W. of Rego Park, NY, brought his son Greg with him to this Insider-only event. The pharmacist, who also works as a wedding photographer, also snagged this photo op with TOH host Kevin O’Connor, Roger, Richard, and Tommy. See more from this event here. Getting Inspired at the Idea House Insider Carl G. and his sister Mary, who made the trip from Detroit, Michigan, were thrilled to meet master carpenter Norm Abram....
Inside a Pocket Neighborhood Our 2021 Idea House is actually two houses—attached at their single-car garages—and part of a ten-home pocket neighborhood being developed in Norwalk, CT. Shown in the upper right-hand corner of the site plan, the structure looks out on the scenic Five Mile River and is the first of five duplexes to be constructed on a 2 1/2-acre suburban site just blocks from major shopping centers. Return Engagement With Covid 19 continuing to cause so many surprising challenges for the building industry, TOH chose proven partners for its second Idea House of 2021....
“I was looking for antique dressers on Pinterest when I stumbled across people using them as vanities,” says reader Caleb Kettler, who decided to make one himself. “The trickiest part is fitting in the plumbing.” Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Indeed, to make way for the trap, you’ll have to modify the drawers. Who better to demonstrate how to do that than This Old House master carpenter Norm Abram? Now, his version of the project is pretty involved; the dresser here is all curved openings, and it got a new top of marble with a drop-in sink, requiring more modifications....
The leak from a pipe fitting that costs less than a dollar can easily cause thousands of dollars in water damage, disrupt your household for weeks, and throw your remodel way off schedule. So hiring an insured master and licensed plumber (or a well-trained apprentice working under his license) is a no-brainer. But not all plumbers handle all types of work. Here’s what you need to know before hiring a plumber....
Steps for Converting Radiators to Multi-Zone Heating Apply pipe dope to threads of the riser pipe and thread it into the radiator pipe. Tighten the connection with pipe wrenches. Trim the end of PEX tubing with a cutter, then use a calibration tool to ensure cut end is clean and perfectly round. Slide the compression sleeve onto the end of the tubing, then push the tubing onto the fitting at bottom of the supply riser....
Steps for patching small holes in walls For small cracks and holes, Tom recommends a patching spackle that can be applied easily using a small putty knife. Spackles are generally applied in one coat and then lightly sanded before repainting. For a larger hole, Tom uses an adhesive metal patch that can be cut to size for reinforcement. He uses a putty knife to spread a thin layer of joint compound over the metal patch....
Previous episode: S18 E17 | Next episode: S18 E19 In this episode: Ross Trethewey tests out some new smart lighting configurations, and Tom Silva helps a homeowner build a custom screen door to fit her unique front entryway. Richard Trethewey gives some general advice on maintaining a washing machine, and Mauro Henrique teaches a homeowner some techniques to paint old 1960s wood trim with a varnish on it. How to Control Smart Lighting Ross Trethewey tests out some new smart lighting configurations....
Top 5 Couches Best Protection: Stone & Beam Bradbury Chesterfield Tufted Sofa Most Modern: Modway Engage Mid-Century Modern Upholstered Fabric Sofa Most Traditional: Zinus Benton Sofa Best Sectional: HONBAY Reversible Sectional Sofa Best Sleeper Sofa: Flamaker Futon Sofa Best Protection: Stone & Beam Bradbury Chesterfield Tufted Sofa While the other couches in this review have a one-year warranty or no warranty at all, this couch from Stone & Beam comes with a three-year warranty to ensure that it doesn’t wear out too soon....
Best Body Paint: Neon Nights UV Body Paint Set Key Features Body paint Eight colors 20 milliliters of each paint color Screw-top container What Customers Are Saying Positively, customers liked the bright, long-lasting glow that this UV body paint provided when it was applied correctly. However, some users were confused by the directions, as they didn’t understand that they needed a UV light to charge and activate the glowing effect of the paint....
Top 5 Smart Locks Most Customizable: Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt Best Value: Wyze Lock Easiest Installation: August Home Smart Lock Pro Best Fingerprint Access: ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro Smart Lock Best Code Access: Yale Assure Lock SL Most Customizable: Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt This smart lock from Schlage comes in two styles, each of which has four color options, allowing you to match the design of the lock to the design of your home....
Under-cabinet lighting serves two primary purposes—creating a unique ambiance and illuminating your countertop. Here are our top recommendations. Compare Top Under-Cabinet Lights Most Coverage: Litever Under-Cabinet Lighting Kit Best Strip Lights: WOBANE Under-Cabinet Lighting Kit Best Battery-Powered: Brilliant Evolution Under-Cabinet Lights Best Motion Sensor: RXWLKJ Portable Under-Cabinet Light Best Remote Control: Cadrim Under-Cabinet Puck Lights Most Coverage: Litever Under-Cabinet Lighting Kit Pros and Cons ✔ Includes a dimmer to adjust the brightness between 0% and 100%✔ Offers two installation options: plug-in or hardwired ✔ Comes with extension cords to reach far-away outlets...
This DIY shoe dresser makes compact storage with tilt-out bins, and a handy top drawer for additional storage. While the outer box is made from 1x12 boards, the drawer, bins and faces area all made from plywood that can be easily cut into strips with a circular saw (or by an associate at the homecenter!). For the inside, we used a half sheet of ¾-inch birch plywood, while I upgraded to walnut-veneer plywood for the faces to create a midcentury-style mix contrasting with the white paint....
In this video, This Old House host Kevin O’Connor helps a homeowner refinish his kitchen cabinets. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for refinishing kitchen cabinets Make a sketch of the kitchen cabinets, then identify each door and drawer with a number. Place a small strip of masking tape onto each door and drawer, then mark the strips with the corresponding number shown on the sketch. Use a cordless drill to unscrew all the doors from the cabinets....
Ask This Old House Workshop Day On June 6, a group of lucky This Old House Insiders truly got to go inside. They visited the real Ask This Old House workshop, watched footage from not-yet-aired episodes, got to be part of TOH’s first-ever live in-studio audience (for the first-ever Tommy Awards, no less!), and hung out with host Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, and mason Mark McCullough. Want to be the first to know about events like this?...
Previous episode: S44 E6 | Next episode: S44 E8 In this episode: With the finish line in sight, Kevin O’Connor walks through the progress. Floors are down, the trim is mostly in, and interior walls have come down for a light-filled open floor plan. The “new” historic front door the homeowners chose needs work before it can be hung. Paint removal specialist Tyler Rickman uses an alternative to chemical dipping to remove all the old paint....
