Ask This Old House

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.

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.

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 barn board.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mark replaces a chipped brick in a fireplace surround and then Mauro updates it with a whitewashed look; Richard shares some advice on maintaining water heaters; Tom demonstrates the importance of a properly installed drip edge

Tom travels to Colorado to help a couple build a DIY swing set for their young son; Nathan demonstrates how to build saw horses using leftover materials from the jobsite; in Future House, Ross learns about automated home construction.

Mark replaces a concrete walkway with brick pavers; Richard explains how gas piping is installed in a home; Kevin returns to Upstate New York to build a farmhouse table with maker Jimmy DiResta.

Nathan upgrades a kitchen to have soft close cabinets; the team shares some home inspection nightmares; Richard and Kevin discuss how gas regulators work and how their malfunction caused gas explosions in Lawrence, MA; Jenn cleans up an overgrown garden and redesigns it as a secret garden.

Tom travels to Pittsburgh to replace a bi-fold closet door with one that is more appropriate for the house; Jenn discusses alternatives to flower bouquets that make great gifts; Mauro paints a bathroom using a mold resistant paint.

Jenn installs a vertical garden to maximize space for a homeowner; Tom explains the uses for different drill bits; Richard travels to a plumbing facility in New Jersey to learn about advances in toilet engineering that help save water.

Mark travels to San Diego to repair a crack in a concrete retaining wall with a stucco finish; Tom explains how air compressors work; Richard helps an expecting couple select and install a gas dryer.

Mauro helps a homeowner clean up and repaint a rusty, metal railing; Richard discusses some innovations that can make clearing a clogged sink easier; Tom and Kevin build a wine rack out of a reclaimed beam

Jenn partners with an ecologist in Cheyenne, Wyoming to learn about different types of prairie grasses and how to care for them; Kevin learns about ways to make a home more resistant against wildfires; in Future House, Ross sees a robotic, ground mounted solar array that mimics a sunflower.

Jenn travels to Orlando to upgrade an irrigation system; the team looks at more Home Inspection Nightmares; Tom discusses kitchen renovations; Kevin returns to upstate New York to build an Adirondack-style outdoor chair with maker Jimmy DiResta.

Richard travels to Los Angeles to update a water filter on a retro faucet; Mark explains the uses for different types of masonry jointers; Nathan explains when and how to use a Japanese pull saw; Tom demonstrates the correct materials and techniques required for re-caulking a bathtub.

Mark repoints a crumbling fieldstone foundation and shares an important lesson about water management on the outside of the house; Tom discusses the proper disposal techniques for oily rags to prevent spontaneous combustion; instead of scraping, Mauro smooths over a textured ceiling using joint compound.

Tom teaches a homeowner how to replace split-level stair treads in his mid-century modern home; Jenn shares some tips about pruners; Richard shortens a gas pipe for a homeowner whose new stove does not fit against the wall because it is getting stuck on the pipe.

Roger and Jenn share some tips for killing weeds without hurting the lawn; Mark delicately restores a damaged, historic fireplace that is built with custom, nearly irreplaceable bricks; Richard and Ross discuss improvements to thermostats and how they contribute to comfort in a home; Tom adds structure to a porch in order to safely hang a swing.

Ross tests out a new, smart stud finder; Nathan travels to Portland, Oregon to repair an original wood floor that was burned from a face down hot iron; Tom gives a general overview of a table saw and the best techniques to use it safely and effectively; Jenn helps a homeowner replace and improve foundation plantings that have been crushed from snow piles.

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.

Tom demonstrates how to sharpen a knife; Mauro teaches a homeowner how to re-stain her deck; Mark demonstrates the best way to build a fire in order to prevent smoke from filling up the room; in Future House, Ross travels to Los Angeles to learn about innovations being made to automatic water shutoff valves.

Jenn helps a homeowner add some curb appeal to his house using Victorian plants to match the design of his house; the team shares more home inspection nightmares; Mauro demonstrates how to accurately match a paint color; Tom and Kevin hand carve wooden serving utensils using leftover pine from a previous Build It project.