The BEST episodes of Ask This Old House

#1 - Garden Pruners; Shutters; What Is It? A Tankless Job

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/19/2002

In the Ask This Old House loft, Roger and garden tool expert Paul Schneider discuss different types of hand pruners. Tom helps two homeowners repair and reinstall their broken shutters. Back in the loft, Steve, Tom, Roger and Richard examine two unfamiliar objects and try to guess how they're used. Richard shows Steve several models of instantaneous water heaters, then visit a local homeowner to examine his tankless hot water system.

#2 - Garden with Native Species; Replacing a Door with a Window

Season 10 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/23/2012

Roger shows a homeowner how to plant a garden using native species, and Tom replaces a door with a window.

#3 - Bathroom Floor Tiling; Weatherstripping a Front Door

Season 10 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/1/2012

A contractor shares tips for tiling a bathroom floor while Tom helps a homeowner weatherstrip her front door.

#4 - Financing Solar Panels; Framing Walls for Basement-Remodeling

Season 10 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/8/2012

Instalilng solar photovoltaic panels; framing walls for a basement-remodeling project.

#5 - Old Window Restoration; Installing a Kitchen Sink Water Filter

Season 10 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/15/2012

Tom shows how to restore old windows while Rich helps a homeowner install a kitchen sink water filter.

#6 - Manual Transfer Switch; Fixing a Clogged Sewer Line

Season 10 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/22/2012

The This Old House crew brings in an electrician to install a manual transfer switch, and Rich helps a homeowner fix a clogged sewer line.

#7 - Custom Fireplace Mantle; Repairing a Leaking Kitchen Faucet

Season 11 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/18/2012

General contractor Tom Silva builds a custom fireplace mantel for a homeowner. Then, Roger shares some tips about garden edging. Afterward, Richard helps a homeowner repair a leaking kitchen faucet.

#8 - Restoring Terrazzo Floors; Repairing a Cracked Floor Joist

Season 11 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/3/2013

Host Kevin O'Connor heads to Del Ray Beach, Florida to restore Terrazzo floors. Then, Kevin, along with landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and general contractor Tom Silva ask "What Is It?" Afterward, Tom helps a homeowner repair a cracked floor joist.

#9 - Solving a Melted Mystery; Whole-House Energy Audit

Season 11 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/28/2013

General contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner solve the mystery of her melted vinyl siding. Then, Tom, along with host Kevin O'Connor, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey ask "What Is It?" Afterward, Kevin and a specialist perform a whole-house energy audit

#10 - Irrigation System; Installing a Heat-Pump Water Heater

Season 12 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/11/2014

Installing an irrigation system designed for a desert climate; new style of heat-pump water heater; reusing an old garden hose reel.

#11 - Baseboard Hole-Patching; Maintaining a Lawn Mower

Season 12 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/29/2014

Replacing a shower valve; repairing damage to a baseboard; keeping a lawn mower in excellent shape.

#12 - Building a Simple Table; Getting Rid of Tree Stumps

Season 12 - Episode 23 - Aired 4/12/2014

Building a simple table from solid fir; removing tree stumps; solar energy.

#13 - Vinyl Floor; In-Ground Sprinkler

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/8/2007

Tom travels to Sacramento to help homeowners repair a damaged section in the vinyl flooring in their kitchen. In the Ask This Old House loft, Tom, Richard, Roger and Kevin examine an unfamiliar object and try to guess how it is used. Then Roger goes to Las Vegas to help a homeowner repair his leaking in-ground sprinkler system.

#14 - Hydroponic Garden; Hot- and Cold-Water Outdoor Faucet

Season 13 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/1/2015

A hydroponic garden is built; and a hot- and cold-water outdoor faucet is installed.

#15 - Kitchen Makeover, Attic Stair

Season 14 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/30/2016

Installing a new attic staircase; updating a kitchen; blowtorches

#16 - Conserving Rainwater; Removing an Interior Wall

Season 8 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/23/2010

Landscaping contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner conserve water by installing an innovative rainwater collection system. Then Roger, along with host Kevin O'Connor, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and general contractor Tom Silva ask, "What is it?" Then Tom helps a pair of homeowners connect two rooms in their home by removing an interior load-bearing wall.

#17 - Mailbox Replacement; Ask Kevin: Window Anatomy

Season 13 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/30/2015

Replacing a mailbox damaged by a snowplow; window anatomy; reusing an old door in a new opening.

#18 - Laying Sod in the Backyard; Installing a Wireless Thermostat

Season 11 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/2012

Landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner lay sod in his backyard. Then, Roger, along with host Kevin O'Connor, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and general contractor Tom Silva ask "What Is It?" Afterward, Tom shares a tip about finding measurements without doing math. Plus, Richard installs a wireless thermostat to control a heating system.

#19 - Hanging a Flat Panel TV; Controlling Insects Without Pesticides

Season 11 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/17/2013

Master electrician Scott Caron helps a homeowner hang a flat-panel television on the wall and conceal all the wiring. Back in the workshop, Scott shows Kevin examples of many different types of electrical outlets. Roger heads to Miami to help a homeowner control the insect pests in her yard without the use of pesticides.

#20 - Leaky Skylight; Repairing a Noisy Toilet

Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/9/2013

Tommy replaces a leaky skylight. Richard quiets a noisy toilet.

#21 - Broken Sash Cords; Plant Bulbs

Season 13 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/26/2015

How to repair broken sash cords; and plant bulbs. Also: historian Doris Kearns Goodwin guests in the "What Is It?" segment.

#22 - Noisy Baseboard Heating Fix; Recessed Kitchen Lighting

Season 13 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/7/2015

#23 - Electrical Vehicle Charger Install; Kitchen Sink Install

Season 13 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/21/2015

#24 - Weird Shower Valve; Mossy Roof

Season 18 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/8/2020

Richard travels to Salt Lake City to replace a shower valve he has never seen before in his career with a conventional pressure balanced one; Nathan demonstrates how to refinish stair treads; Tom helps a homeowner remove moss from his roof and prevent it from growing back.

#25 - Clearing a Toilet; What Is It? Attic Access; Tomatoes

Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/3/2003

In the loft, Richard shows Steve several different ways to clear a toilet stoppage. Then Richard, Steve, Tom and Roger examine an unfamiliar object and try to guess how it's used. Tom and homeowner Tom Flannery install a new set of folding attic stairs and Roger shows Steve how to start tomato plants from seeds.