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S19 E15: Automated Landscape, Modern Bench

Ross explores ways that landscaping could be done automatically; Mark goes over different walkway and driveway deicers and how they might impact masonry products; Tom and Kevin build a modern bench.

by Ask This Old House TV
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In this episode:

In Future House, home technology expert Ross Trethewey explores some of the ways home landscaping can be done automatically. Ross looks at automated products that can help out homeowners with their landscaping. Ross then looks at smart irrigation. Ross meets Joe Jones, who has designed a robot that’s capable of weeding a garden for you. Afterward, Ross talks to Jenn Nawada about the future of landscaping technology.

Mason Mark McCullough shows Kevin O’Connor how to choose the best ice melt for your driveway and walkways. There are basically two materials to make surfaces less slippery in the winter: salt and sand. Salt has a lower freezing point than water, so when you put salt on ice, it lowers the ice’s freezing point to about zero degrees Fahrenheit, which forces the ice to revert back to water. Sand provides no melting, just friction. Sand is abrasive, so when it’s placed on top of the ice, it increases traction and makes it safer to walk on a slippery surface immediately.

Afterward, Tom Silva teaches Kevin how to build a slatted bench. Tom explains his plans for building a contemporary bench. He wants open joints on the top for a more modern look, tapered legs on the bottom to create a trapezoid frame. Tom has chosen ipe as the material, also known as ironwood. Ipe is a very heavy hardwood and is great for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Future House | Automated Landscaping Technology

Ross Trethewey explores a variety of technologies that could make the future of home landscaping automated. Products featured include a Husqvarna automower, Rain Bird smart irrigation, and the Tertill weeding robot.

Where to find it?

Ross explored a variety of different technologies that could change the way people approach landscape maintenance.

The robotic lawnmower is an Automower 450x, which is manufactured by Husqvarna. The installation involved running a low voltage wire around the perimeter of the yard and around any obstacles, which all connect back to a charging station.

The smart irrigation system shown is manufactured by Rain Bird. The components of the system in that particular setup were the 1800 High Efficency Sprays, 42SA Simple Adjust Rotors, Emitter Conversion Kit for Drip Irrigation, and a WiFi Controller (Model ST8i). All of these are manufactured by Rain Bird.

The weeding robot is a Tertill Weeding Robot, which is manufactured by Tertill Corporation.

The Best Ice Melt for Driveways

Mark McCullough gives a basic overview of a few different ways to deice walkways and driveways during the winter, and how those deicers impact different types of masonry.

Where to find it?

Mark discussed a few different types of driveway and walkway de-icers. Both the rock salt and the sand were generic products that can be found at any home center.

The rock salt/sand combination was a Road Runner 20lb Ice Melt Blend Bag, which is manufactured by Scotwood Industries.

Build It: Slatted Bench

Tom Silva and host Kevin O’Connor build a modern slatted bench.

Where to find it?

Tom and Kevin built the bench out of ipe deck boards, which can be found at any home center. Tom liked the idea of ipe for the bench so it could be used for either an indoor or outdoor application.

To cut all the boards to the proper dimensions and assemble the bench, Tom used a variety of tools, including a Domino Joiner, a Kapex KS120 sliding compound miter saw, a TS 55 circular saw, which are all manufactured by Festool, and an Industrial Table Saw from SawStop.

Tom and Kevin secured everything together using GRK #8 1-1/2″ multi-purpose screws from GRK Fasteners and some wood glue from Gorilla Glue.

All of the other tools and materials Tom and Kevin used to build the bench can be found at home centers.

Original Air Date: Feb 14, 2021 Season 19; Ep.15 23:42

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