Ask This Old House

Caring for a rose bush
Landscaping contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner in Grandview, Missouri rescue her ailing rose bush. He identifies the variety of rose bush as "Dr. Huey"and begins by cutting away a metal tomato cage and a vertical, wooden trellis. He then prunes the bush by removing old, dead, or weak branches with a pruning saw. He then removes the old, dead flowers with bypass pruners, a process called "dead-heading." Then, Roger installs a new horizontal section of cedar fencing so the plant will grow horizontally, allowing it to produce more flowers in the spring. He then ties the canes to the fence with jute twine and applies mulch around the base of the bush to prevent weeds and retain moisture.

Where to Find It
Technical assistance for this project was provided by:
American Rose Society
318-938-5402

American Horticultural Society
800-777-7931

Materials for this project were provided by:
Bannister Garden Center
10001 E Bannister Rd
Kansas City, MO 64134
816-763-4664

Master Halco, Inc.
714-385-0091

What is it?
Roger showed a plastic cylinder that allows a user to pick up pinecones without having to bend over.

Where to Find It
It is manufactured by: CONE-I-VORE
888-CONEWIZ

How to steady a wobbly toilet
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor several different ways to prevent leaks at the base of a toilet. Richard first shows how to prevent a toilet from rocking back-and-forth by using plastic shims, coins, or washers made of brass or stainless steel. A wobbly toilet can cause the toilet's closet flange to break, causing a leak. Richard then shows different products available for repairing or replacing a broken closet flange. Finally, he shows wax rings and spacers used for getting a tight seal between the toilet and closet flange.

Where to Find It
Shims, wax rings, closet flanges and repair kits are available at your local home center or plumbing supply house.

Plugging a basement water leak using hydraulic cement
General contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner plug a hole in his foundation that is allowing water to leak into his basement when it rains. The leak was occurring around a drainpipe exiting the house through a foundation wall. The homeowner had attempted to repair the leak by pushing hydraulic cement into the opening around the pipe, but that repair failed. Tom begins a new repair by removing the hydraulic cement using small sledgehammers and cold chisels. He then removes material from an even older patching job and removes some rotting wood that once served as a form around the pipe. Tom fills the bulk of the opening with pieces of rubble and then stuffs new hydraulic cement into the opening around the pipe. The cement expands between the drain pipe and the wall opening and hardens in just a few minutes, making a watertight seal around the pipe.

Where to Find It
Expanding or "hydraulic"cement is available at your local home center.

More information about hydraulic cement and instructions for a similar project can be found at: www.quickrete.com