Ask This Old House Season 17, Episode 17: Prairie Grasses; Wildfires; Solar Flower

1

Plunge Pool, Heat Pump

Jenn installs a plunge pool for a homeowner with a small backyard; Tom gives some basic tips about insulating an attic; Richard travels to Celebration, Florida to help a homeowner select and install the right electric water heater.

30 min

2

Window Repair, Space House Tour

Mark explains how to make concrete; Tom replaces a broken pane in a basement window; in Future House, Ross travels to NASA Johnson Space Center to learn about the technology they use on the International Space Station to keep the astronauts alive.

30 min

3

Stone Walkway, Rustic Headboard

Mark installs a front walkway for a homeowner using natural stone; Mauro explains the uses and techniques for different types of painter’s tape; Tom and Kevin build a headboard using rustic barnboard.

30 min

4

Garage Heat, DIY Security System

Richard travels to Akron, Ohio to install a garage heater; Tom teaches the basics of sanding; Ross installs a DIY security system; Mark investigates a strange issue happening to foundations in the Northeast.

30 min

5

Crown Molding, Strip Wallpaper

Tom installs crown molding on cabinets with full overlay doors; Richard discusses toilet seats; Mauro teaches apprentice Mary how to strip wallpaper without using any chemicals.

30 min

6

Storage Bench, Old Shower Valve

In Build It, Tom and Kevin build a modern storage bench out of a single sheet of MDF and then Mauro paints it; Richard travels to Seattle to help a homeowner whose shower runs cold whenever there’s a demand for hot water elsewhere in the house.

30 min

7

Swap Door Swing, Tropical Yard

The team discusses tools that make good gifts; Jenn returns to her home state of Florida to help a homeowner design a tropical landscape for his backyard; former apprentice Nathan returns to help Tom change the swing of an entry door.

30 min

8

Fireplace Makeover, Drip Edges

Repairing and updating a fireplace surround; drip edges.

30 min

9

Swing Set, Robotic Construction

Building a swing set; building saw horses with materials left over from the job site; automated home construction.

30 min

10

Concrete Walkway, Jimmy DiResta

Replacing a concrete walkway with brick pavers; installing gas piping in a home; building a farmhouse table; guest Jimmy DiResta

30 min

11

Seismic Retrofit, Dryer Vent

Protecting homes from earthquakes; staining concrete; why and how to change lo locks in a new home; rerouting a lengthy dryer vent.

30 min

12

Soft Close Cabinets; Secret Garden

Soft close kitchen cabinets; how gas regulators work; cleaning up an overgrown garden and redesigning it as a secret garden.

30 min

13

Closet Door; Bathroom Paint

Replacing a bifold closet door; alternatives to flower bouquets; painting a bathroom using a mold resistant paint.

30 min

14

Vertical Garden; Toilet Factory

Installing a vertical garden; uses for different drill bits; advances in toilet engineering that help save water.

30 min

15

Stucco Repair; Gas Dryer

Repairing a crack in a concrete retaining wall with a stucco finish; air compressors; installing a gas dryer.

30 min

16

Paint Metal Railing; Wine Rack

Repainting a rusty metal railing; innovations that make cleaning a clogged sink easier; building a wire rack out of a reclaimed beam.

30 min

17

Prairie Grasses; Wildfires; Solar Flower

Caring for prairie grasses; making a home more resistant to wildfires; a robotic solar array mimics a sunflower.

30 min

18

Smart Irrigation; Jimmy DiResta

Upgrading an irrigation system; home inspection nightmares; kitchen renovations; building an Adirondack-style outdoor chair with Jimmy DiResta.

30 min

19

Water Filter; Bathroom Caulking

Updating a water filter on a retro faucet; the uses for different types of masonry jointers; when and how to use a Japanese pull saw; re-caulking a bathtub.

30 min

20

Foundation Repointing; Textured Ceiling

Re-pointing a fieldstone foundation; water management on the outside of a house; the disposal of oily rags; smoothing over a textured ceiling.

30 min

21

Stair Treads; Gas Stove Pipe

Replacing split-level stair treads; pruners; shortening a gas pipe for a new stove.

30 min

22

Fireplace Restoration; Porch Swing

Killing weeds without hurting the lawn; restoring a historic fireplace built with custom bricks; thermostats; hanging a swing.

30 min

23

Scorched Floor; Hardy Plantings

Testing a smart stud finder; repairing a wood floor that had been burned; using a table saw safely; replacing and improving foundation plantings that had been crushed by snow.

30 min

24

Humidity Mystery, Brick Patch

Tom discusses the conversations a homeowner and a contractor should have before starting a renovation project; Richard travels to Orlando to diagnose and repair an HVAC system that is creating way too much humidity; Mauro demonstrates the technique for using a paint sprayer; Mark travels to Denver to patch a hole in a brick wall.

30 min

25

Deck Staining; Water Monitoring

Sharpening a knife; re-staining a deck; building a fire; automatic water shutoff valves.

30 min

26

Historic Paintings; Wood Utensils

Adding curb appeal to a house using Victorian flowers; matching paint colors; home inspection issues; hand carving wooden serving utensils.

30 min