Archives

A set of rivets in a wall to be removed.

3 Methods to Use for Removing Rivets in Your Home

Master rivet removal with three effective methods. Learn techniques for drilling, chiseling, and using specialized tools to remove rivets.
A surface with mold growing on it.

A comprehensive guide on how to Remove Mold on Drywall

If you notice mold on drywall, it's important to act quickly and remove it to prevent long-term health effects. Here's how to do it.
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Top 8 Budget-Friendly Flooring Choices for Your Next Project

Looking for budget-friendly flooring ideas? Check out our guide to eight affordable options that provide style, comfort, and durability for any space.
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How To Caulk Baseboards

This step-by-step guide explains how to caulk baseboards in a way that creates neat edges and joints.
Person rekeying a lock on the door of a residential home

How To Rekey a Lock: A Comprehensive Guide

To improve your home’s security, you can rekey your locks. Read our guide on how to rekey a lock and when it's best to hire a professional.
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S19 E10: Landscape Lighting, Brick Walkway

In this episode, Master Electrician Heath Eastman installs landscape lights in a garden and Richard Trethewey explains how siphons work. Then, Tom Silva organizes tools with pegboard, and Mark McCullough helps a homeowner redo his walkway.
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S42 E10: Outside Details

Mark McCullough explains cobblestone aprons. The crew reinforces floor joists. Tom Silva and Jeff Sweenor install a drop finial and a swinging window. Kevin O’Connor meets with paint experts.
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How To Install Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting for Your Home

Read this guide and watch electrician Heath Eastman demonstrate how to install low-voltage landscape lighting for your yard.
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What Is a Toilet Siphon and How Does One Work?

Siphons pump water using physics, not electricity. Learn how they work from Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey.
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How To Install Pegboard

Tom Silva demonstrates how to hang pegboard in a garage or workshop and organize tools with it.
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How to Redo a Brick Path

In this video and guide, This Old House Mason Mark McCullough shares how to redo a brick walkway that was originally a rush job.
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3 Day Blinds Review

When you’re shopping for new window treatments like blinds or shutters, choose a company with great products and customer service. In this 3 Day Blinds review, we examine what the company has to offer to help you determine if its products are right for you.
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LeafFilter Review (2025)

If you’re interested in protecting your gutters, read our LeafFilter review to find out if this company, with patented gutter technology, is right for you.
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Best Tool Belts of 2025 (Tested and Ranked)

The best tool belts in 2024 are the TradeGear Tool Belt, GatorBack Professional Carpenter's Tool Belt, and the Style N Craft Tool Belt.
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The 5 Best 220 to 110 Adapters (2025 Review)

Before your next trip overseas, make sure you can use your devices with an adapter and converter from our list of the best 220 to 110 adapters on Amazon.
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The 5 Best Extension Ladders (2025 Review)

If you need an extension ladder to complete a variety of tasks around your home, like cleaning your gutters, read our review on Amazon’s best options.
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Best Smart Thermostats of 2025

The best smart thermostats come with remote control, scheduling, usage reporting, and more. Upgrade your home with one of our top picks.
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5 Best Sledgehammers (2025 Review)

If you’re a professional or homeowner looking to buy a sledgehammer for your heavy-duty job, read our review to learn about the best sledgehammers on Amazon.
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Best Cordless Drills of 2025 (Tested and Reviewed)

In this round-up and buying guide, our team tests and reviews some of the best cordless drills on the market today. See how they stack up.
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S19 E9: Reclaimed Wood Mantel, Geothermal Installation

Nathan Gilbert helps a homeowner turn a reclaimed beam into a fireplace mantel; Richard Trethewey shows how to change a bathroom faucet; Ross Trethewey explores innovations to geothermal installations.
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S42 E9: Upgrading Old School

Original house details such as the Yankee gutters and corbels are installed. Host Kevin O’Connor catches up with the electrician’s apprentice. Richard Trethewey looks at the new tankless hot water system.
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How to Turn a Reclaimed Beam into a Fireplace Mantel

Ask This Old House carpenter, Nathan Gilbert helps a homeowner turn a reclaimed mantel into a fireplace mantel.
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How to Replace a Bathroom Faucet

Need to update your bathroom sink faucet? Watch this DIY Smarts as Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey demonstrates how to replace a bathroom faucet.
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Replacing Wood Stair Treads | Ask This Old House Podcast Ep. 15

Old houses can be full of surprises, both good and not so great. If you’re lucky, you can stumble upon a good surprise—like original hardwood floors underneath old carpeting. Listen as This Old House Builder Charlie Silva gives tips to homeowners on how to save their original wooden staircase that was ruined by roofing nails and carpeting.
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Installing AC in a Historic Home | Ask This Old House Podcast Ep. 14

We love old houses, but sometimes renovating them can lead to frustration. While construction on older homes is known to be sturdy, many of them come without modern conveniences—like central air conditioning. In this episode, This Old House Home Technology Expert Ross Trethewey gives advice to homeowners on how to add an efficient central air system to a historic 1913 row house in Washington, D.C.