Ask This Old House

Installing a deadbolt; trimming hedges; fixing a heating system.

Securing a shaky newel post at the top of a stairway; replacing a 50-year-old water heater.

Restoring a slate walkway; repairing a leak in a fiberglass shower stall.

Repairing holes in drywall; replacing a large 1920s wall-mounted toilet.

Installing a backyard drywell; installing a bathtub safety grab bar.

Installing interior window trim; hiding utility boxes in front of a house; fixing a broken spray hose on a kitchen faucet.

Replacing ailing grass with ivy and pachysandra; opening double-hung windows that are painted shut.

Replacing wall-to-wall carpeting with pre-finished hardwood flooring; pros and cons of floors; replacing a rusty bathroom sink stopper.

Removing poison ivy from the yard without using herbicides; weaving cedar shingles on an outside corner of a house.

Chimney flue repairs; installing an anti-sweat valve to prevent condensation on a toilet tank.

Installing a staircase handrail; transplanting a rhododendron.

Repairing an irrigation system; fixing a bathtub leak.

Silencing squeaky hardwood floors; building a set of timber stairs.

Brick-walk installation; cutting a miter in wood trim.

Fixing sliding closet doors; electric radiant floor heat; selecting exterior paint colors.

Examining water quality; installing a water softener and filter; replacing a rotten board in hardwood flooring.

Snaking wire through exterior walls; planting a magnolia tree.

Protecting shrubs from deer; pipe connections; fixing a shower door that will not close properly.

Cutting a pane of glass; planting climbing vines; installing a portable air conditioner.

Programmable thermostat installation; repairing a cracked plaster and lath wall.

Air vent replacement; repairing a steam radiator's shut-off valve; preparing garden beds for winter.

Installing a curved basecap molding in a stairwell; purchasing electrical wire by the foot; collecting sap and making maple syrup.

Installing a curved basecap molding in a stairwell; purchasing electrical wire by the foot; collecting sap and making maple syrup.

Installing track lighting in the kitchen; how to quiet noisy baseboard heaters.

Corroded copper pipes; how to replace worn-out weather stripping around a kitchen door.

Repairing a damaged door jamb and installing a new storm door; choosing the right garden tools for spring cleanup.