Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada takes us on a road trip to a Rhode Island sod farm to talk about sustainable turf alternatives. She gets a tour of the farm to see some of the new experimental grass blends, including those meant to benefit pollinators.
Next, we head back to the shop with host Kevin O’Connor as he talks nails with general contractor Tom Silva. Tom explains the different types of nail heads and shanks and what types of projects they’re commonly used for.
Finally, master electrician Heath Eastman takes us on a house call to help a homeowner brighten up her dark driveway and backstairs. Heath replaces her garage floodlights, upgrades her door sconces, and installs house mounted landscape lights to create a footpath along the driveway. He then connects them into one smart system, allowing all the fixtures to be controlled remotely on a phone.
Eco-Friendly Grass Alternatives
Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada heads to a Rhode Island sod farm to look at some alternatives to traditional sod products to achieve the perfect lawn.
Where to find it?
Plants and additional expert assistance provided by: SODCO
Wildflower mixed turf – SODCO currently sells trays of wildflower mix. They hope to develop rolls of wildflower sod in the future.
Sheep Fescue Grass – Jenn saw SODCO’s manicured fine fescue blend sod field.
Types of Nail Heads and Shanks
All nails are made up of the same three major parts: the head, the shank, and the point. However, not all nail heads and shanks are the same. Some are shaped differently to serve specific purposes. General contractor Tom Silva explains how these vary to our host, Kevin O’Connor.
How to Upgrade to Smart Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting can be tricky. Often, outdoor lights are controlled by inconvenient light switches. Other times, neighbors might complain that your outdoor lighting could be disrupting their peace. When a homeowner faced similar issues, she called the team at Ask This Old House for help, and master electrician Heath Eastman showed up with some perfect options for solving her lighting challenges.
Where to find it?
- 122 Lumen 10.6 in. Low Voltage LED Deck/Step Light
- 12/2 Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting Wire
- ACE Connectors (AWG 12) -Heath prefers using these burial wire connectors instead of the easy clip connectors that came with the lights to connect with the landscape wire. This ensures a better weatherproofing and lasting connection.
- Heat Gun
- Coaxial Staples – to secure landscape wire along the house
- 75-Watt Low Voltage Outdoor Landscape Light Transformer—The lights Heath installed along the driveway were low voltage, so a landscape transformer needed to be installed for them to be wired into. The lights couldn’t be plugged into an outdoor outlet.
Sconce Light Fixtures
Garage Lights
Add-ons for the Smart Light System
- Lutron Diva Dimmer Switch ELV+ for Caseta Systems, 250-Watt LED—Heath installed these switches to control the sconces. Making them controllable from the homeowner’s smart phone.
- Lutron Caseta Weatherproof Outdoor Smart Plug for Landscape and String Lighting—Heath plugged the landscape transformer into this smart plug to connect the driveway landscape lights to the light system.
Original Air Date: Oct 30, 2025, Season 24; Ep. 6 24:42
Products and Services from this Episode
Expert assistance: SODCO
Other tools and materials from this episode can be found at Home Depot.
