Ask This Old House Season 21, Episode 11: Baby Proofing, Septic Systems

1

Water Heater Autopsy, Composting

The Ask This Old House team talks about why they enjoy working together; Richard cuts open a failed water heater, and Jenn shares her love of educating kids about the outdoors. Then, she and Nathan build a compost bin.

2

EV Chargers, China Cabinet Repair

Heath explains the three levels of EV chargers and which scenarios they work best for; Mark breaks down different brick patterns, where they originate from, and their pros and cons; Nathan helps a homeowner repair a cracked built-in china cabinet using MDF panels; Mauro then repaints the china cabinet and shows how to paint on MDF.

3

Doorbell Retrofit, Driveway Edging

In this episode, Heath installs a doorbell with new wiring, Richard explains bottle traps, and Mark replaces a homeowner’s brick driveway edging with cobblestones.

4

Woodland Garden, Chimney Repairs

Jenn plants a native woodland garden; Mauro shows how to patch cracked or chipped porcelain; Mark explains common chimney problems and then shows how to repair a chimney step by step.

5

Wallpaper Restore, Gutter Repairs

Kevin O'Connor visits the Franklin Pierce Homestead in New Hampshire to learn about the restoration of a historic, French wallpaper from the 19th century; Heath Eastman explains the basics of GFCI receptacles; Tom Silva helps a homeowner repair and repitch the gutters above their back patio.

6

Sandstone Repair, Awning Installation

Mark travels to Dallas, Texas to repair sandstone steps; Ross explains how to pick a solar plan how to avoid being scammed by a solar company; Nathan helps a homeowner install an awning.

7

Paint Bathroom Tile, Hot Water Tank Replacement

Richard helps remove an old 40-gallon hot water tank; Heath shares safety tips for holiday light decoration; Tom explains how to identify, repair, and prevent woodpecker damage; Mauro shows how to paint over bathroom tile using epoxy acrylic paint.

8

Little Free Library

Tom and Kevin team up to build a Little Free Library for an elementary school; Tom and his daughter, Kate, paint and decorate it to look like a school bus. Tom and Kevin meet up with students to help them install it and add their favorite books.

9

Install Cabinet Hardware, Breaker Trips

The team shares the professions they might have pursued; Mauro discusses types of wallpaper and tools to remove it; Heath explains how different amped receptacles can cause breaker trips; Nathan helps install kitchen cabinet hardware.

10

Antique Pocket Door, Shaker End Table

Nathan and his dad, Bill, help install an 1800s pocket door with reclaimed hardware; Ross explains the technological advancements of induction cooktops; Kevin meets maker Char Miller-King and build a Shaker-style-inspired end table together.

11

Baby Proofing, Septic Systems

Nathan, Heath, and Mauro help a homeowner baby proof her house by replacing old receptacles and installing cabinet locks, and baby gates; Jenn breaks down the basics of caring for houseplants; Richard explains how septic systems works and maintain them.

12

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

In a special episode, the team partner with Rebuilding Together Boston. With the help of the Ask This Old House extended family and volunteers, the crew repair a deck, construct a patio, and install landscape lighting and new plantings.

13

Fire Pit Plan, Window Restoration

Tom repairs a homeowner's antique window; Mauro talks through interior paint finishes; Jenn and Mark travel to Georgia to help a homeowner develop a landscape design plan for her small backyard. Then, they help her install a stone fire pit.

14

Dimmer Switch Troubleshooting, Clothes Rack

Jenn shares why she loves bringing her dog to work; Heath helps a homeowner troubleshoot a strobing dimmer switch; Ross explains the benefits of smart bath ventilation; Tom builds a DIY clothes rack.

15

Shed Organization, Pea Stone Walkway

Nathan heads to Texas to help a mom of six organize her family shed; Richard emphasizes the importance of a yearly service call for furnaces; Mark installs a pea stone walkway to match an existing walkway in front of the homeowner's house.

16

Wetlands; Foundation Painting

Jenn works with a wetlands specialist; Ask This Old House profiles general contractor Zach Dettmore in a new segment; Ross discusses Indoor Air Quality testing; Mauro teaches a homeowner how to repaint an exterior, concrete foundation.

17

Fireplace Painting; Bathtub Tray

Mauro helps a homeowner upgrade a fireplace; Jenn introduces landscape contractor Lee Gilliam, and together they discuss different landscape tools and how to maintain them for Spring; Tom and Kevin Build a bathtub tray out of zebrawood.

18

Oven Ventilation; Wireless EV Charger

Richard helps a homeowner replace a leaking gas oven; Jenn and Kevin discuss how to create a pollinator garden at home; in Future House, Ross learns how wireless electricity technology can be applied to electric vehicle chargers in future homes.

19

Attic Insulation, Asphalt Parking Spot

Ross helps a homeowner dealing with ice dams decide whether to insulate from his attic roof rafters or the attic floor; Richard shares tips on irrigation repairs; Mark expands a driveway by adding an asphalt parking spot.

20

Transition Garden, Granite Post Sign

Jenn helps a homeowner transform a small sun and shade backyard with a new garden; Tom explains the importance of gutter downspouts; Mark adds street visibility to a farm by remounting an original farm sign and engraving an 1800s granite post.

21

Full Sun Garden, Radiator Floor Patch

Jenn creates a thoughtful backyard entrance; Mark shares how to safely clean hardscaping on different types of common hardscape materials; Tom shows how to patch holes in wood floors caused by previously removed radiators.

22

Cold Water Bathtub, Cornhole

Richard helps a homeowner dealing with cold bath water by installing a reserve tank to fill the bathtub fully with hot water; Mauro shares his favorite tips for cleaning up after painting projects; Tom and Kevin work together to build a set of cornhole boards and after, the Ask This Old House cast come together for a head-to-head cornhole tournament.

23

Flagstone Repairs, Tub Diverter

Richard troubleshoots why a homeowner's shower leaks when the tub is running and makes the necessary repairs, then in studio, Richard explains why it was a unique repair; Heath deep dives into different wire gauge sizes and the electrical load capabilities of each size; Mark helps a homeowner repair some loose flagstone steps in his entryway and in his basement.

24

Hand-Turned Spindle, Replication

Tom Silva is rarely stumped. But when a homeowner reached out about a missing hand-turned spindle in the staircase of her 1900s Queen Anne Rowhouse, Tom attempts to replicate the spiral-detailed spindles on his lathe. There, he turns straight grain fir balusters and troubleshoots a string technique to replicate the spiral detailing.

25

Circuit, Table Saw, Fireplace Insert

Heath helps a homeowner whose kitchen breaker trips when the basement humidifier is running by installing a new basement circuit; Tom showcases the importance of table saw safety by demonstrating safety techniques for the most common sources of table saw injuries; Richard helps a homeowner supplement their homes heating by installing a wood burning insert into their drafty fireplace.

26

Sawmill, Bar Top

Nathan mills a large piece of an old red oak tree. The team come together to see if they can guess each other's cards in a special Ask This Old House headband game; Tom and Nathan team up to build a bar top out of the milled piece of red oak.