We begin at the shop with host Kevin O’Connor and general contractor Tom Silva as they tackle a very common household problem: water rings on furniture. Using everyday items, they test out a few tricks to see which methods really work- and the results may surprise you.

Next, Kevin visits a local nursery where landscape contractor Jenn Nawada breaks down the basics of houseplant soil. She explains why regular potting soil isn’t always the best choice and shows how matching soil types to a plant’s natural environment makes all the difference. Jenn highlights three common categories of houseplants and demonstrates which mixes help each one thrive.

Finally, Mason Mark McCullough heads out to a house call to repair crumbling mortar in a homeowner’s breezeway brick floor. Since only certain sections are damaged, Mark chooses to spot tuckpoint the problem areas rather than repointing the entire floor- saving the homeowner time and money. To protect both the new and existing mortar, he finishes by applying a protective sealer to prevent further deterioration.

How to Remove Ring Stains from Wood

You don’t have to let a water ring ruin your furniture any longer. While a coaster is always better, you can grab a few items out of the cabinet to quickly remove rings left from spills or sweating glasses. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor just how furniture ring removal works.

Where to find it?

• Tom used vinegar to break down the stains on the wooden coffee table.
• Then, used olive oil to bring back the table’s shine after dulling it with the vinegar.
• Tom used baking soda to create a paste with water.
• Tom used an iron to lift the water stains on the coffee table.
• Then he used a cloth under the iron to prevent melting the finish.

Finding the Right Soil for Indoor Plants

Choosing the right soil mix is one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of keeping indoor plants healthy. The right blend regulates moisture, stores nutrients, and creates the environment needed for optimal growth. Learning what soil your plants prefer could make the difference in whether your plant fails or thrives.

Where to find it?

• Plants and products provided by Weston Nurseries
• Epiphytes (orchid, staghorn fern, Christmas cactus)
• Complete Soil Mix: Sol Soils – Orchid Chunky Mix
• Fertilizer: ready-to-use Orchid Plant Food
• Other soil option: Leca balls
• Aroids (peace lily, monstera, pothos, ZZ plant)
• Complete Soil Mix: Sol Soils – Houseplant Mix

Aroids like a chunky, airy soil. There are various ways to create an aroid soil mix but here is one:

• 40% Coco Coir
• 35% Bark
• 20% Perlite
• 5% Charcoal
• 5% Worm castings
  
• Smart-release fertilizer: Osmocote Outdoor & Indoor

• Liquid fertilizer: Schultz Plant Food Plus
• Cacti (prickly pear, agave, blue barrel cactus) and succulents (jade, aloe, hens & chicks)

While they require similar soil mixes, cactus soil should have less organic matter and be faster-draining than succulent soil.

• Complete Cactus Soil Mix: Sol Soils – Cactus gritty mix
• Complete Succulent Soil Mix:Sol Soil – Succulent mix
• Fertilizer: Schultz – Cactus liquid plant food

For succulents, the soil should feel sandy to the touch. As Jenn demonstrated on Ask This Old House, succulent soil will “capture the water, but it’ll also run right through so it’s not in standing water.” The mix also includes perlite and coconut coir, which add different textures for roots to grab onto. Because succulents store water in their leaves, they don’t need to be watered as often as aroids or epiphytes.

How to Spot Point a Brick Floor

When masons point brick, they need to wet the brick to make sure it doesn’t pull too much of the moisture out of the mortar. When that doesn’t happen, the mortar becomes crumbly and dry. When a homeowner’s breezeway brick floor mortar started to crumble, he called the team at Ask This Old House for help. Mason Mark McCullough knew just how to solve it.

Where to find it?

Remove Mortar:

• Masonry chisels – chisel size based on the width of the joint
• Brick hammer
• Safety glasses
• N95 masks
• Kneeling pad

• Angle grinder with diamond blade – OPTIONAL. This mortar was soft, so Mark decided to use hand tools. An angle grinder would be helpful with stronger mortar and/or to remove long sections of mortar.

Prep & Clean:

• Shop vacuum

• Push broom and/or masonry brushes – to push water into the joints

• Bucket of water – important to wet the joints before adding new mortar.
• Apply New Mortar:
• Type N mortar mix
• Bonding agent – This will help the new mortar adhere with the existing. Use as an admixture in the mortar mix. Reduce the amount of water added to the mortar mix to compensate for the bonding agent liquid being added.
• Mixing tub
• Gauging brick trowel – for mixing mortar
• Tuck pointer trowels – various sizes

Joint Profile:

• Grouting sponge – to mimic the joint profile on the existing mortar. Mark brushed a wet sponge over the mortar to expose the aggregate (the sand), making a flushed, textured joint.
• Brick concave jointer – OPTIONAL. Use to get a slick, concaved joint profile instead of using a sponge.

Sealer:

• Grouting sponge – To clean away any excess mortar on the brick before adding sealer.
• Waterproofing brick and masonry sealer – Added to prevent further deterioration and to make the mortar waterproof. Add with pump sprayer, rollers, and/or brushes. Read the manufacturer’s instructions to see how long the mortar should cure before applying.
• Paint brush
• Rollers

Pro Tip: Mason Mark McCullough explains the root cause of crumbling mortar: “If you skip that step, the moisture gets sucked out of the mortar as it dries and you’re left with what we call dusty mortar.” He reassured homeowner Joe that despite the damage, the fix was straightforward: “I do see all the problems, and the good news is, Joe, that we can fix them all. We’re going to use a method that we call spot pointing.”

Depth Matters: When removing old mortar, Mark McCullough advises going at least three-quarters of an inch deep — the standard for repointing. “If you can get down an inch, I like it more because the mortar just becomes stronger that we put in,” he says. He also cautions to keep your chisel away from the edge of the brick: “You sneak it in, hammer.” If a damaged joint is too large for a simple spot point, Mark recommends extending the repair at least the width of the brick to ensure a solid bond.

Original Air Date: Oct 9, 2025, Season 24; Ep. 3 23:42

Products and services for this episode

Special assistance: Weston Nurseries

Most tools and materials can be found at Home Depot or at Amazon.