Ask This Old House TV

Showing results for "Season 4"
Scan the episodes below and select "more" to get information on products or services you saw on that episode.

Episode #426

Installing a mini-split air conditioning system, what is it?, de-thatching a lawn… more

Episode #425

Cutting ceramic and stone tile, installing a sump pump … more

Episode #424

Replacing an old dishwasher, what is it?, sharpening a wood chisel, using lawn spreaders… more

Episode #423

Replacing an interior "hollow-core" door with a new "solid-core" door, repairing a leaky kitchen faucet… more

Episode #422

Repairing stripped threads on a cast-iron radiator, fixing a grading problem, what is it?, stabilizing a wobbly newel post, refinishing an old cast-iron bathtub… more

Episode #421

Installing an instantaneous water heater, planting trees to save energy, installing cellulose insulation … more

Episode #420

Installing a granite driveway marker, what is it, repairing a hot water radiator system … more

Episode #419

Building a custom radiator cover, installing a steam humidifier in a forced-air heating system … more

Episode #418

Transplanting a white spruce tree, what is it?, extending a staircase handrail … more

Episode #417

Repairing a residential well, repairing a hole in vinyl siding … more

Episode #416

Choosing and using hammers, repairing a pressure-assisted toilet, repairing a plastered wall … more

Episode #415

Installing a low cost in-ground sprinkler system, what is it?, pouring a concrete footing for a deck … more

Episode #414

Installing a radon mitigation system, pruning an apple tree for fruit production… more

Episode #413

Installing a new vinyl floor, what is it?, preventing frozen pipes… more

Episode #412

Washing windows like a pro, what is it?, flushing an electric water heater… more

Episode #411

Snowthrowers, what is it?, where to find it… more

Episode #410

Pruning an overgrown privet hedge, installing a new basement laundry sink … more

Episode #409

Viewer tips, re-shingling a garage roof using asphalt-fiberglass shingles… more

Episode #408

Circular saw 101, what is it?, installing a new outdoor faucet using PEX, cabling an oak tree to prevent splitting… more

Episode #407

Removing and preventing moss, algae and lichen from a roof, what is it?, repairing a leaky water valve, planting shade-tolerant ground cover under a European Beech tree … more

Episode #406

Building a raised garden bed with landscape timbers, clearing a bathtub drain. … more

Episode #405

Caring for a rose bush, how to steady a wobbly toilet, plugging a basement water leak using hydraulic cement.… more

Episode #404

Repairing a flat wheelbarrow tire, repairing an aluminum rain gutter, viewer tips, installing a thermal expansion tank … more

Episode #403

Original Air Date: Week of October 20, 2005

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner improve the quality of her drinking water by installing an under-sink filter. After that, Richard and host Kevin O'Connor are joined in the loft by water-filtration expert Bill McTighe who explains several other types of residential water filters. Then, landscaping contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner select a drought-resistant tree and plant it properly in her sloped front yard.



Installing an under-sink water filter
Richard replaces a homeowner's faucet-mounted water filter with one that mounts underneath her kitchen sink. He first breaks the connection between the cold supply pipe and the sink's faucet and connects the new filter using plastic tubing and a "T" fitting. Richard then removes a soap dispenser from the top of the sink and installs a separate faucet for the filtered water. Back in the loft, filtration-systems expert Bill McTighe shows some other options for filtering water at home.

Where To Find It
Richard installed a granulated activated carbon filter that mounts underneath a kitchen sink. It is an Ametek/US Filter BFS-201 system with CC-10 and CBR2-10 filters.

In the loft, Richard, Kevin, and Bill discussed several different types of filtration systems, including:
Brita Water Filtration Pitchers
800-242-7482

Hydrotech 123 Series Reverse Osmosis System
763-571-9001

Genesis Model 3000 Table Top Distiller
800-598-6667

Sterilight Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer by R-Can Environmental.com
519-763-1032

Technical assistance and many of the filtration systems were provided by:
Bill McTighe
Home Environmental

Planting a Drought-Resistant Tree
Landscaping contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner select and plant a new tree for her front yard. They start by visiting a local nursery where they look at a Japanese Lilac, a Hornbeam, and a Honey Locust. They select the Honey Locust, take it back to the homeowner's house and dig a hole four times larger than the diameter of the pot. The homeowner's existing soil was not ideal, so Roger replaced the backfill with a mixture of loam and compost. After planting the tree, Roger installed stakes and hose-covered steel wire to guide the tree so that it will grow straight during the first year in its new environment. Finally, Roger covers the base of the tree with bark mulch and uses an irrigation bag that will water the tree for several days without a garden hose.

Where To Find It

Roger planted a Sunburst Honey Locust (Gleditsia triancanthos 'Suncole') provided by:
Mahoney's Garden Center

He then used an irrigation bag to keep the tree watered properly:
Treegator® Junior (14 gallon)
Spectrum Products Inc.

Episode #402

Quieting creaky stairs, static cling solution, and installing an electric shut-off valve for a washing machine … more

Episode #401

Repairing a mortared stone walkway, patching an oak floor… more