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Previous episode: S20 E10 | Next episode: S20 E12 In this episode: It’s the holiday season on Ask This Old House, and the team is together to tackle projects homeowners might stumble across during their celebrations. First, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada explains how to identify and care for holly plants and incorporate them into a landscape. She notes that many holly plants keep their distinctive dense, glossy leaves all year, making them an excellent foundation plant for your garden design....

These file folders can store various papers on their own, but they also fit within a file cabinet or box with sliding rails. To keep your documents organized, they come in multiple colors for color coding and include tabs for labeling. Key Features Includes 25 folders, tabs, and inserts Fits letter-sized paper Made of plastic Measures ‎11.75 by 9.25 by .01 inches each What Customers Are Saying Although customers had to purchase a file cabinet or box to use with these hanging folders, they liked that they kept their documents organized and secure....

When you’re starting out as a homeowner, making a small investment in a home tool kit can help you handle basic needs, such as putting together furniture. You can continue to grow your collection over time as new projects arise and your skill level improves. Keep reading to learn more about the best tools for your home tool kit that start with basic options and end with advanced ones. 11 Tools To Have in a Basic Tool Kit You can fix almost anything with these 11 basic hand tools....

Of course, you don’t need a raised bed to grow great-tasting produce—most any plot of flat ground that gets full sun will suffice for that. But gardening in a raised bed offers a number of advantages. For one thing, there’s less bending over, so it’s easier on your back. Build the sides high enough and you can even garden while sitting. Raised-Bed Gardens Raised beds also allow you to start fresh with enriched, uncontaminated soil-; on sloped property, they offer level, easy-to-tend planting areas....

Steps: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time There are a variety of different masonry jointers to slick the joints to ensure they are sealed properly based on the climate they’re located in. The jointers also add an aesthetic look to the joints. The convex jointer is common in New England. The convex curve describes the shape of the tool itself, not the slick it leaves in the mortar. The grapevine jointer is common in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region....

Age Range: 7 and up Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Bats are underrated. Besides being the only mammal that flies, most North American bats are nocturnal insectivores, which means they feed on night-flying insects—especially mosquitoes. In fact, a small bat can devour more than 600 mosquitoes in a single hour. They also eat beetles, wasps, and moths. So encouraging bats to nest near your house is a natural way to keep your yard bug-free....

What Leak? A disposal turned shower head. -Jim Foss of Best Inspection Inc. in Anchorage, Alaska Points for Symmetry Which way does the water run? We’d hate to open this clean-out. -Brian Snowberg of Heartland Inspections in Mahtomedi, Minn. Pipe Down “Sink was draining very slowly. No wonder! Couldn’t see where the two 3/4-inch copper lines terminated.” (We’d say that tubing probably isn’t a good substitute for a drain pipe.)...

Although it may seem that the trend in bathrooms is toward bigger, many folks face the challenge of remodeling small, even tiny, spaces. If this is your situation and you don’t have the option of removing a closet or breaking down a wall to add space, finding a toilet, sink, or tub that is slightly smaller than the average could mean the difference between success or failure. Remodeling Small Bathrooms Here’s the lowdown on what’s out there and what rules to follow to get the most out of small bath fixtures....

Q: About 10 years ago, we had an irrigation system installed. Now, some sprinkler heads barely pop up above the lawn surface. How can I raise them?—Don Baker, Memphis, TN Raising the Level of a Sprinkler Raising the level of a sprinkler head isn’t difficult, if you’re up for a little digging. But before you do that, measure how much the top of each sprinkler head needs to be raised to bring it up flush with the ground....

Jeff Sweenor began working with This Old House as the builder for the 2017 Idea House in East Matunuck, Rhode Island. The project won a platinum Best in American Living™ award from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and This Old House teamed up with Sweenor for a second time to build the 2018 Idea House in the historic pier of Narragansett, Rhode Island. His first on-air series project with the show was the 2018 Net-Zero Bungalow in Jamestown, where Jeff led the extensive renovation that transformed the 1920s Rhode Island shingled cottage in a net-zero home for the 21st century....

Previous episode: S19 E9 | Next episode: S19 E11 In this episode: Heath Eastman demonstrates how to install landscape lighting along a garden path. Adding landscape lighting to a walkway or path can improve the look and experience of the area. Once Heath figures out what kind of landscape lighting he wants, the location, and where the power source is located, he can then make the connections. Heath uses a low voltage wire and decides to replace the plastic connectors with brass connectors to make the connections last longer....

Previous episode: S43 E24 | Next episode: S43 E26 In this episode: The West Roxbury Victorian is down to the last couple of weeks. Appliances and lighting are in, most doors are hung, and millwork is being installed. In the kitchen, the team will install stone countertops and backsplash to create the look of one continuous piece. Countertop installer James Hanna invites Kevin O’Connor to the shop for a behind-the-scenes of how they accomplish this, but first, Kevin assists Tom Silva with installing a pre-hung double door....

Your dishwasher is likely a heavily used appliance in your home—especially during the holidays or times of gathering. Are you doing everything you can to make sure it keeps running efficiently? How to Prevent Damage to Your Dishwasher If you use your dishwasher regularly, consider checking and replacing the following parts. Dishwasher hose This piece operates similar to a washing machine hose, and it poses the same dangers of bursting and flooding the house if it isn’t inspected regularly....

I am extremely proud to have been part of This Old House for more than 35 years. I have enjoyed the opportunity to share my knowledge and passion for landscaping. And my life has been greatly enriched by the professional relationships and friendships I’ve formed over the years. Some viewers may have noticed that I haven’t been myself over the last season. In fact, I have been dealing with several health issues that have made performing on television more difficult....

As you start to get older, you may start to feel that the home you once had doesn’t accommodate your changing needs. Although lots of people elect to move house during this time, you might not want to leave behind the memories and the life you have built up in your home; there is nothing to say that you must. In fact, in recent years there have been many innovations designed to help people create a stylish and comfortable home, which is perfect for people of all ages living and visiting the space....

Turning on a heater after a long time can yield an unwelcome surprise. Imagine it’s the season’s first wintry day. It’s chilly enough in your house that you turn on the heat. After about thirty minutes, you realize that you’re still cold. You check your thermostat, only to find that the heat is on, but there doesn’t seem to be anything happening. The day’s forecast calls for even colder weather to come, and the thought of being without heat has you in a frenzy....

Master electrician Heath Eastman takes us to a house call. A homeowner explains that despite her relatively recent kitchen renovation, she has no outlets on her kitchen island. After discovering that the previous electrician did run wires to the island, Heath tracks them down and gets to work. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Install an Electrical Receptacle on a Kitchen Island Note: In this case, the original electrician ran a wire from an electrical box to the island and terminated both ends in electrical boxes....

In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook and certified arborist Matt Foti show how to trim back a wildly overgrown willow. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for pruning a large tree Cut all the dead branches within reach using a pruning saw. Execute an offset cut to trim larger branches: Make an undercut first into underside of branch about 18 inches from the tree trunk. Then make a top cut about ½ inch beyond the undercut....

Elevated Kitchen Nearly every evening after dinner, for almost eight months, the Powers family took a walk together. Shutting the door on the house they shared with extended family during the summer months, the foursome strolled down the street, then rounded the corner to the 1920s bungalow they bought nearly a year earlier—and whose renovation was being documented by This Old House for its 40th television season. But while just two-tenths of a mile separates the two houses, the distance traveled was much more than the 400-plus steps....

Chloride-based ice-melt granules have a nasty way of corroding metal, spalling concrete, and fouling waterways and soil, not to mention burning pets’ paws or making them sick. To avoid these issues, use an acetate or formate anti-icer instead. Most are liquids applied with pump sprayers (shown above); some are pellets sprinkled from scoops. Apply them before the flakes start to fly, and when snow does fall, the bottom ½-inch layer will turn into slush that’s easy to shovel, sweep, or blow away....