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In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook learns how to select houseplants for different situations from expert Carrie Kelly. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Selecting houseplants Many houseplants, such as lemon trees, add fragrance to a room. Place a lemon tree near a window in direct sunlight. Gardenias have beautiful flowers and lovely fragrance. To thrive, gardenias need high humidity. Mist the plant frequently and set it on tray of pebbles, then fill tray with water....

In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey reveals a quick, easy way to replace a damaged baseboard heater—with a slip-on cover. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for Installing a Slip-On Baseboard Heater Cover Slide off the end caps from the ends of the baseboard heater. Unclip and remove the front cover from the heater. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean all dust, dirt, and pet hair from underneath, above, and between the aluminum heat-transfer fins....

Spinning her wheels Filming ground to a halt as then production coordinator Sara Ferguson’s car was blocking the sand-and-gravel driveway at Billerica. Try as she might, she couldn’t budge it, so host Steve Thomas offered to help. Sara hopped out, he got in and hit the gas…that’s when she noticed her wheels were just spinning. The crew had dug a hole, jacked up the car frame just above grade, and set it on blocks, shoveling sand around the tires....

As landscape contractor for more than 35 years for the Emmy® Award-winning television series This Old House and Ask This Old House, Roger Cook provided expert advice learned over the course of a lifetime in landscaping. He stepped away from the role in January 2020. Roger’s journey with This Old House began in 1982, when he first appeared on the series. At the time, he was working as the landscape foreman for the Frost and Higgins Company, but that didn’t stop him from contributing ideas and expertise to several This Old House projects, including the Bigelow Project and the Woburn House....

In this video, damage-prevention specialist Michael Milligan shows how to avoid a soggy disaster. How to Keep Your Basement from Flooding Standard sump pumps do a good job of removing water from a flooded basement, but they don’t operate during a power outage. Sump pumps equipped with a battery-backup system will continue to run even if the electricity goes out. The rechargeable battery will operate for about seven to 10 hours before recharging is necessary....

FLOWERING Repeat-blooming shrubs provide maximum color while minimizing downtime. “Reblooming hydrangea can give you flowers from early summer through fall,” says Ryan McEnaney of Bailey Nurseries. These can be fast growers, though: Repot every year or two to ensure the root ball doesn’t outgrow its home. PRO PICK: Endless Summer BloomStruck Hydrangea (shown), $25 for 2-quart pot EDIBLE “Plants instinctively try to keep their canopy about the same size as their root ball,” says Kate Karam of Monrovia....

Q: “I’d like to build a fieldstone wall. What’s the best way to do it?” Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time —Norma Laren, Blackstone, Mass. Roger Cook replies: Freestanding stone walls are a handsome way to define and improve your property. Building them is backbreaking work, but if done correctly, the wall will last a lifetime, if not a lot longer. I like to set stones in mortar because you can’t beat a mortared wall for strength, which is important if a wall serves as seating or holds back earth....

A cardboard box buried in the garage is no home for your grandfather’s hand tools or your own hard-won collectibles. Why not showcase them properly, in a coffee table with a sunken inset and a removable top that you build yourself? With little more than a few lengths of lumber, some stock legs, and a sheet of acrylic, you’ll have a DIY display coffee table that’s fittingly handsome for the history on display....

In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares tips and techniques for protecting plants and shrubs. Learn how to make DIY plant covers and see step-by-step instructions below. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Make DIY Plant Covers: Use a small-diameter rope to truss-up the plant and reduce its overall size. Cut the plywood panels and 2x4 legs to size. Connect the 2x4s legs at the top with carriage bolts....

Q: I have cedar front-porch railings that I built years ago. The paint is gone in many areas or is peeling away. What is the best way to prep weathered cedar and repaint it white? —BRAD STUBBS, LEE’S SUMMIT, MO Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time This Old House painter Mauro Henrique says: Cedar resists rot and insect damage, so it will be worth your while to get your railing back into shape....

Tom Silva lends some support to a homeowner suffering under a rotted porch post. Tom and the homeowner dig into the rotten post base to find the issue and then get to work removing the affected wood. Next, Tom shows the homeowner how to mill new components from a recycled, water-resistant material before putting everything back together for caulk and paint. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How To Repair Rotted Porch Post Base Place the 4x4 post and bottle jack underneath a header on the porch and lift the porch roof slightly until the post is free from the ground....

What are the benefits and plumbing requirements of installing a bidet? This Old House host Kevin O’Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey review the plumbing requirements for installing a bidet, as well as the multiple benefits of installing one. History of Bidets Invented by the French in the 1600s, bidets are widely accepted in Europe, Latin America, and Japan. But, they have become more popular everywhere else recently....

I’m told that the old vinyl floor tiles in the basement of our 1950 house contain asbestos and that I should not try to remove the tiles but cover them with wall-to-wall carpeting. Is this the best approach, and if so, should the flooring be sealed somehow before the carpet is installed?— Lori, Newtown, CT Tom Silva replies: The advice you received is correct: The best way to deal with old asbestos floor tiles is to cover them up....

Spring arrives with relief for some, but there is work around the house and yard to get everything ready for the warmer months ahead. Check off your to-do list quickly with these tools, gadgets, and products to help make the job easier. 9 Products to Get Your Home Ready for Spring Power pruner 18V ONE+ Lopper This 5.6-pound, battery-powered bypass pruner slices through branches up to 1 inches thick and extends nearly 35 inches, so there’s less need for a ladder....

This article appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe. I’d like to install solid white oak flooring in our living and dining rooms. The flooring will come from trees harvested on our property and then kiln-dried. Can I mix flatsawn and quartersawn pieces? —Charles Rudduck, Deckerville, MI
You can, but I’d be a little hesitant to mix quartersawn and flatsawn pieces—their different grain patterns might look odd when placed next to each other....

If you wanted to set up a folding table and chairs for your barbecue guests, party planners say you’d need to allot 10 square feet per person to create enough access. Do that on the average deck or patio and your Fourth of July celebration will get so chaotic that it may end with the wrong kind of fireworks. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time A classic picnic table with attached benches is the perfect solution....

In this video, Scott Caron, master electrician for Ask This Old House, explains how two tools are all it takes to do many electrical projects. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for electrical projects using two tools Scott advises cutting wires using the linesman pliers. Just snip them. Scott says you can cut off the insulation using the linesman pliers by placing the wire deep into the teeth and squeezing gently....

In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to harness the sun’s energy to power a backyard water feature. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for Installing a Solar-Powered Water Fountain Dig a 6- to 8-inch-deep rectangular hole at the location of the fountain. Spread 2 to 3 inches of crushed stone into the hole. Rake the stone smooth, then compact it with a hand tamper....

Steps: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Tools & Materials oscillating multi-tool Pliers Drill/driver Before doing any electrical work, always shut off power to the house at the main breaker. Trace the mounting box on the ceiling where the light fixture will be mounted. Cut out the traced hole with an oscillating saw. Determine a location for the light switch. It should be 48” from the floor. Trace the electrical box for the switch and cut it out the same way as the mounting box....

Most evenings, when the weather is warm, George Kinsella arrives home from work and heads straight to his backyard pond to unwind. “I love the sound of the waterfall and feeding the fish,” he says, referring to the three giant koi that swim up to greet him. “It’s really relaxing.” Kinsella waited seven years to revel in this little daily pleasure. It took five years for him and his wife, Susan, to remodel their 1940s Chicago-area home....