The BEST episodes of Ask This Old House season 2
Every episode of Ask This Old House season 2, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Ask This Old House season 2!
The crew at This Old House take on some pretty big projects, which means they can only work on one or two houses a year. But homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions on smaller projects, and the TOH crew is ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by viewers - and the crew even makes house calls!
#1 - Chimney Liner; What Is It? Toilet Tank Condensation
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/11/2003
Chimney expert Mark Schaub helps homeowner Terry Peterson repair the water heater flue in his chimney, preventing fireplace smoke from entering his basement. Back in the loft, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Richard and homeowner Ajay Chebbi install an "anti-sweat" valve to prevent condensation on a toilet tank.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#2 - Drywell Installation; What Is It? Getting a Grip
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/8/2003
Landscape contractor Roger Cook helps homeowner Rob Faris install a backyard drywell to handle the torrent of the rainfall from his roof gutters. Back in the loft, Roger, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Tom makes a House call and shows homeowners Sal and Joanne Scarpato how to install a safety grab bar in their bathtub.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#3 - Door Jamb and Storm Door; What Is It? Garden Tools
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/1/2004
When a gust of wind blew the storm door off this family's home, they wrote to "Ask This Old House" for help. General contractor Tom Silva answered the call, showing them how to repair the damaged jamb and install a new storm door. Back in the loft, Tom, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to identify unfamiliar objects in the "What is it?" segment. Then Roger helps Kevin choose the right garden tools for his spring cleanup.
#4 - Copper Pipe Corrosion; What Is It? Stripping a Drafty Door
Season 2 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/25/2004
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey examines a viewer's corroded copper pipes and identifies the source of the corrosion: a rusty hot water heater. Back in the loft, Richard, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook and host Kevin O'Connor try to identify unfamiliar objects in the "What is it?" segment. Then Tom helps a homeowner replace the worn-out weather stripping around his drafty kitchen door.
#5 - Track Light; Drywall Repair Clips; Noisy Baseboard Heaters
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/18/2004
Master electrician Allen Gallant helps a viewer install track lighting in the kitchen of her condominium. Back in the loft, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to identify unfamiliar objects in the "What is it?" segment. Then Richard makes a house call to help homeowners quiet their noisy baseboard heaters.
#6 - Radiant Heat; What Is It? Prep Aluminum Siding for Paint
Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/11/2004
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner remove a baseboard heater to prepare for a complete remodeling of his bathroom. After the bathroom is transformed, Richard returns to help the homeowner install radiant heat. Back in the loft, Richard, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to identify unfamiliar objects in the "What is it?" segment. Then painting expert Jim Clark helps a homeowner prepare his aluminum siding for a brand-new paint job.
#7 - Curved Molding; Buying Wire Foot; What Is It? Maple Syrup
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/4/2004
General contractor Tom Silva helps install basecap molding on top of a curved skirtboard that winds along a staircase. Then master electrician Allen Gallant shows host Kevin O'Connor how to purchase electrical wire by the foot. Back in the loft, Tom, Kevin, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook try to identify unfamiliar objects in the "What is it?" segment. Then Roger visits a family and shows them how to collect sap from a maple tree and turn it into maple syrup.
#8 - Steam Radiator; What Is It? Preparing Raised Garden Beds
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/26/2004
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey makes a House call to repair an old steam radiator that squeals and leaks. With the help of the homeowners (and their Great Dane), he replaces the air vent and repairs the shutoff valve. Back in the loft, Richard, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Roger helps a homeowner prepare his raised garden beds for a long, cold winter.
#9 - Programmable Thermostat; What Is It? Plaster and Lath Wall
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/19/2004
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows a homeowner how to install a programmable thermostat to reduce his heating bills. Back in the loft, Richard, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Tom helps a homeowner repair a cracked plaster and lath wall in her daughter's bedroom.
#10 - Cutting Glass; Climbing Vines; What Is It? Portable Aircon
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/12/2004
General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how to cut a pane of glass safely and accurately. Then landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner beautify a fieldstone wall behind her home with two varieties of flowering vines. Back in the loft, Tom, Roger, Kevin, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey try to guess "What is it?" Then Richard helps two viewers install a portable air conditioning unit in their overheated attic apartment.
#11 - Deterring Deer; PVC Pipe; What Is It? Sagging Shower Door
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/5/2004
Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows a homeowner how to protect his ornamental shrubs from the ravages of hungry deer. Back in the loft, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey answers a viewer's question about PVC pipe connections. Then Roger, Richard, general contractor Tom Silva, and host Kevin O'Connor try to identify unfamiliar objects in the "What is it?" segment. Afterwards, Tom heads out to help the Ryan family fix a shower door that won't close properly.
#12 - Snaking Speaker Wire; What Is It? Planting a Tree
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/29/2004
General contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner snake wire for a pair of outdoor speakers. Together they run the wires behind a wooden baseboard, under a baseboard radiator, up a stud bay, and through the exterior wall of her house. Back at the loft, Tom, landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and host Kevin O'Connor try to identify an unfamiliar object in the "What is it?" segment. Then, Roger and Kevin head outside to plant a magnolia tree in front of the barn.
#13 - Water Quality Testing; What Is It? Damaged Floorboard
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/22/2004
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and a water specialist examine a homeowner's water quality and discuss the installation of a water softener and sediment filter. Back at the loft, Richard, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Tom makes a House call to help a homeowner replace a rotten board in her oak hardwood flooring.
#14 - Sliding Closet Doors; What Is It? Electric Heat; Paint Colors
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/15/2004
General contractor Tom Silva travels to Venice, California, to help two homeowners fix their stubborn sliding closet doors. Back at the loft, Tom, landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Richard shows Kevin the basics of electric radiant floor heat. Then Kevin and preservation specialist Sally Zimmerman use a new software package to help homeowners select historically appropriate exterior paint colors for their Queen Anne Victorian.
#15 - Walkway Installation; What Is It? Cutting Accurate Miters
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/8/2004
Landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner install a brick walkway at the front entrance to his house. Back in the loft, Roger, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Tom shows Kevin different ways to cut a perfect miter in wood trim.
#16 - Squeaky Hardwood Floors; What Is It? Building Timber Stairs
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/1/2004
General contractor Tom Silva travels to Chicago, Illinois, to help a viewer quiet the squeaky hardwood floors in his fifth-floor apartment. Back in the loft, Tom, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Roger helps a homeowner build a set of timber steps on a short slope outside her home.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#17 - Drip Irrigation Repair; What Is It? Leaky Tile Tub
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/25/2003
Landscape contractor Roger Cook travels to the California desert to repair the drip irrigation system of homeowner Sherry Steele. With the help of specialist Bob Galbreath, they fix the system and restore water to the plants surrounding her home just outside Los Angeles. Back in the loft, Roger, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, general contractor Tom Silva, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Richard and tile expert Joe Ferrante help Melrose, Massachusetts, homeowner Bobby DiFraia repair his leaky bathtub once and for all.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#18 - Stairway Handrail; What Is It? Transplanting a Rhododendron
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/18/2003
General contractor Tom Silva helps homeowner Leverett Flint install a handrail in his spilt-level stairway. Back in the loft, Tom, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Roger shows homeowners Mario and Jennifer Finocchiaro how to transplant a large rhododendron to another area of their yard.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#19 - Prefinished Engineered Floor; Replacing a Sink Stopper
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/27/2003
General contractor Tom Silva helps homeowners John and Mary Kiley install a pre-finished wood floor in their sons' bedroom. Then Richard takes off for Minneapolis to help homeowner Anne McCandless replace a bathroom sink stopper that's being held together with an old Popsicle stick.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#20 - Groundcover Planting; Opening Stuck Windows
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/20/2003
Landscape contractor Roger Cook helps homeowner Roseann Ferrini plant ivy and pachysandra on the slope in her front yard. Then general contractor Tom Silva heads off to Florida to help Miami homeowner Marc Jacobson unstick the sash on his double-hung windows.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#21 - Window Trimming; Utility Boxes; What Is It? Kitchen Faucet
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/15/2003
General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how to install interior window trim. Landscape contractor Roger Cook enlists the help of landscape architect Tom Wirth to help hide a group of unsightly utility boxes in front of a saltbox style house. Back in the loft, Roger, Kevin, Tom, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey try to guess "What is it?" On a House call, Richard shows homeowner Rick Thompson a simple fix for the broken kitchen spray hose that his mother, Jean, has had in her house for years.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#22 - Poison Ivy Removal; What Is It? Installing a Shingles Corner
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/4/2003
Landscape contractor Roger Cook helps homeowner Brian Grace remove poison ivy from his backyard without the use of herbicides. Back in the loft, Roger, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Tom shows homeowner Dan Nutton how to install cedar shingles and weave an outside corner on his house in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#23 - Deadbolt Installation; Hedge Trimming; Hot Water Heater
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/9/2003
New host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the barn (a little late) and meets landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and general contractor Tom Silva. Roger, Richard, and Tom welcome Kevin to the team and put him right to work. First, Tom and Kevin discuss different types of deadbolts and demonstrate how to install one on a solid wood door. Then Roger makes a House call to help homeowner Paul Garside trim his hedges. And Richard and Kevin visit homeowner Jinny Troiano to fix a heating system that can't provide enough hot water to fill a bathtub.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#24 - Newel Renewal; What Is It? Replacing a Water Heater
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/16/2003
General contractor Tom Silva visits homeowner Christian Dierkes to help him secure a shaky newel post at the top of his stairway. Back in the loft, Tom, landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and host Kevin O'Connor try to guess "What is it?" Then Richard makes a House call and finds a 50-year-old water heater that's dangerously close to the end of its life. Just in time, he replaces it with a new model designed to meet strict new national safety regulations.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#25 - Fixing a Hole; What Is It? 14-Inch Rough-in Toilet
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/30/2003
General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how to repair different size holes in drywall. Tom and Kevin are then joined by plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and landscape contractor Roger Cook as they try to guess "What is it?" Then Richard helps homeowner Kent Portney replace a large 1920s wall-mounted toilet with a new model designed to fit his existing flange.
Watch Now:Apple TV