The WORST episodes of Ask This Old House
Every episode of Ask This Old House ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Ask This Old House!
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 - Crown Molding for Corner Angles, The Future of Solar
Season 20 - Episode 35 - Aired 7/7/2022
Heath shares why he became an electrician and what he loves about his trade; Mauro shows a trick for applying caulk in gaps; Tom shows how to install crown molding around corner angles; Ross explains the future of solar at MIT.
#2 - Winter Prep, Miter Saw Station
Season 22 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/16/2023
Lee Gilliam shares the key tools and products to include in a winter weather kit to prepare for winter; Mark McCullough shares his favorite homeowner-friendly masonry tools and how to use them for entry level projects; Tom Silva and Kevin O'Connor upgrade the workspace by building a new mobile miter saw station, featuring two work benches and cabinets for extra storage.
#3 - Rain Garden, Wrought Iron Railing
Season 22 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/9/2023
Jenn Nawada teams up with a water conservation expert in Portland, Oregon to help two homeowners install a rain garden; Ross Trethewey shares how moisture meters can detect unseen water damage; Mark McCullough helps a homeowner increase the safety of their concrete steps by installing a wrought iron railing and showcases how railings are made at an iron fabrication facility.
#4 - Wetlands, Foundation Painting
Season 21 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/30/2023
Jenn works with a wetlands specialist; Ask This Old House profiles general contractor Zach Dettmore in a new segment; Ross discusses Indoor Air Quality testing; Mauro teaches a homeowner how to repaint an exterior, concrete foundation.
#5 - Shed Organization, Pea Stone Walkway
Season 21 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/23/2023
Nathan heads to Texas to help a mom of six organize her family shed; Richard emphasizes the importance of a yearly service call for furnaces; Mark installs a pea stone walkway to match an existing walkway in front of the homeowner's house.
#6 - Antique Pocket Door, Shaker End Table
Season 21 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/12/2023
Nathan and his dad, Bill, help install an 1800s pocket door with reclaimed hardware; Ross explains the technological advancements of induction cooktops; Kevin meets maker Char Miller-King and build a Shaker-style-inspired end table together.
#7 - Install Cabinet Hardware, Breaker Trips
Season 21 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/5/2023
The team shares the professions they might have pursued; Mauro discusses types of wallpaper and tools to remove it; Heath explains how different amped receptacles can cause breaker trips; Nathan helps install kitchen cabinet hardware.
#8 - Wallpaper Restore, Gutter Repairs
Season 21 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/27/2022
Kevin O'Connor visits the Franklin Pierce Homestead in New Hampshire to learn about the restoration of a historic, French wallpaper from the 19th century; Heath Eastman explains the basics of GFCI receptacles; Tom Silva helps a homeowner repair and repitch the gutters above their back patio.
#9 - EV Chargers, China Cabinet Repair
Season 21 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/6/2022
Heath explains the three levels of EV chargers and which scenarios they work best for; Mark breaks down different brick patterns, where they originate from, and their pros and cons; Nathan helps a homeowner repair a cracked built-in china cabinet using MDF panels; Mauro then repaints the china cabinet and shows how to paint on MDF.
#10 - Houseplant Soil, Spot Point Brick
Season 24 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2025
Tom Silva shares a few methods to remove ring stains from a wood table using vinegar, baking soda, and a clothing iron; Jenn Nawada breaks down the types of soil and fertilizer needed for common indoor plants; Mark McCullough repairs a brick floor's crumbling mortar using spot pointing rather than a full repoint job. Demonstrating how a homeowner can save time and money with the technique.
#11 - Moving a Ceiling Light Fixture, Tool Lab- Finish Nailers
Season 20 - Episode 34 - Aired 6/30/2022
Kevin shares how he became the host of This Old House; Tom shows a simple trick for drawing a perfect ellipse; Heath moves a light fixture and Mauro patches the ceiling; Nathan explains the basics of finish nailers.
#12 - Front Hall Closet, Block Retaining Wall
Season 20 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/17/2022
Jenn Nawada explains how you can compost at home; Jenn Largesse and her landscape contractor install a concrete block retaining wall in Jenn's backyard; Tom constructs custom built-in drawers, cubbies and shelves for a front hall closet.
#13 - Concrete Driveway, Spray Paint
Season 20 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/24/2022
Nathan gives a tour of his highly organized truck; Richard shows different kinds of bidets and their functions; Mauro explains how to use spray paint for small home projects; Mark replaces an old, patched driveway with a new concrete one.
#14 - Porch Base Column Repair, Smart Thermostats
Season 20 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/10/2022
Richard shares how he became a plumber and what he loves about his trade; Ross talks about smart thermostats and their features; Heath explains how to understand switch legs; Tom replaces an old, rotted porch column base.
#15 - Celebrating 300 Episodes
Season 12 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/5/2014
Celebrating 300 episodes of "Ask This Old House" with a review of favorite moments.
#16 - Planting a Low-Cost Privacy Screen; Sealing Ductwork
Season 12 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/22/2014
Planting a low-cost privacy screen; and sealing ductwork without removing the walls.
#17 - Transplanting a Rose Bush; Replacing Old Outdoor Lighting
Season 11 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/27/2012
Landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner temporarily transplant a mature rose bush while exterior work takes place. Then, Roger, along with host Kevin O'Connor, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and general contractor Tom Silva ask "What Is It?" Afterward, Richard shows Kevin some rookie plumbing mistakes. And Tom and Kevin replace old outdoor lighting with new fixtures.
#18 - Hot Water, DiResta Leather Tote
Season 22 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/25/2024
Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner troubleshoot why her upstairs shower runs out of hot water so quickly and helps her install a heat pump water heater; Kevin O'Connor returns to maker Jimmy DiResta's workshop in Upstate New York to get a lesson in leatherworking as they hand stitch a leather tote bag.
#19 - Seashell Driveway, Radon System
Season 24 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2025
Lee Gilliam upgrades a coastal house's gravel driveway to a seashell driveway. The gang plays "What Is It?" with a broom-shaped tool with spinning spiral wires. After losing his dog to lung cancer, a homeowner finds high radon levels in his home, raising health concerns. Ross Trethewey teams up with a radon technician to install a mitigation system to reduce the levels.
#20 - NOLA Lantern, Rusty Patio Set
Season 24 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/2025
Heath Eastman visits New Orleans to see how a lighting manufacturer handcrafts copper gas and electric lanterns, he then helps install one of their electric fixtures at a traditional NOLA shotgun house; Richard Trethewey breaks down why toilets overflow when they clog; Mauro Henrique helps a homeowner restore her rusted metal patio furniture set with a little sanding, primer, and paint.
#21 - Cracked Drywall, Radiator Baseboard Cover
Season 23 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/3/2024
Mauro Henrique demonstrates how to repair cracked drywall; the team tries to guess the correct use of Tom Silva's black inflatable square; Mark McCullough walks through the evolution of bricks; Richard Trethewey shows a homeowner two different types of covers to upgrade his radiator baseboards.
#22 - Firebox Restoration, Tool Storage Organization
Season 22 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/23/2024
Ross Trethewey emphasizes the importance of managing Indoor Air Quality; Mark McCullough restores an 1888 Victorian fireplace by replacing its crumbling firebox; Jenn Nawada and Lee Gilliam discuss transitioning landscapes from Spring to Summer; Tom Silva and Kevin O'Connor recruit general contractor Zack Dettmore to organize tools in the miter saw station they built earlier in the year.
#23 - Smart Thermostat Wires, Bluestone Cleaning
Season 22 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/16/2024
Ross Trethewey helps a homeowner install a smart thermostat after discovering he's missing a common wire; Mauro Henrique shares deck staining tips, what stain options are available, and the level of maintenance required for each type of stain; Mark McCullough helps a homeowner revive his bluestone patio by showing how to use the appropriate tools and materials to clean it.
#24 - Garden Restoration, Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Season 22 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/9/2024
Lee Gilliam helps a homeowner improve the soil conditions of her garden bed before installing new plantings; a New Hampshire painter and business owner shares her journey in the trade; Heath Eastman helps a homeowner mitigate bathroom moisture by installing a remote bath vent and timer switch but runs into some trouble when he finds old wiring in the wall.
#25 - Paint Dark Basement, Bat House
Season 22 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/2/2024
Mauro Henrique shows a homeowner how to brighten up her basement apartment by painting with various paint concentrations; Richard Trethewey and Mark McCullough explain a variety of culprits and solutions for basements that are struggling with water issues; In Build It, Kevin O'Connor and Tom Silva show how to construct a bat house.