Host Kevin O’Connor takes us on a road trip to Miami, where a homeowner’s desire to customize the interior of her home brings on a wallpaper project. With the help of a local wallpaper expert and friend of the show, the trio works together to hang grasscloth wallpaper to create a beautiful accent wall.
Next, Kevin brings us back to the shop to talk about irrigation with landscape contractor Lee Gilliam. Lee brought several sprinkler and irrigation parts with him and showed Kevin what each does. Lee explains his favorite options and how he likes to set them up.
Finally, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey takes us on a house call to help a homeowner with his wet basement. Richard assesses the situation and decides that a sump pump will do the trick, and the two work together to break up the concrete, install the sump pump, and pipe it outside to mitigate the basement moisture issue.
How to Create a Wallpaper Accent Wall
An accent wall is a great way to express your creativity and style. When a Miami homeowner decided to upgrade her space, she called on the Ask This Old House team for help with wallpaper. With the help of a local wallpaper expert, host Kevin O’Connor helps apply a grasscloth wallpaper wall that really stands out.
Where to find it?
To install a sisal grasscloth wallpaper be sure the wall surface is thoroughly cleaned. To prep the walls, apply a pre-wallcovering primer using roller brushes. A pole extension will be needed for high walls.
Apply the adhesive to the back of the wallpaper with roller paint brushes and let it sit for 2-5 minutes to allow the adhesive to absorb into the paper.
Use a plastic smoothing tool to remove any air bubbles or imperfections.
Install instructions may vary depending on wallpaper material.
Understanding Common Types of Sprinkler Heads
Landscape contractor Lee Gilliam teaches host Kevin O’Connor all about sprinkler heads, including the types, how they work, and how he likes to set them up around plants, trees, and yards.
Where to find it?
Lee Gilliam uses rotors on bigger lawns to efficiently cover large areas of grass. For grassy spaces near fragile plants Lee prefers the oscillating fan for its delicate water delivery method. To throw water among taller plants in flower beds, Lee uses pop-up sprays.
Some other sprinkler heads that Lee showed were:
How to Install a Sump Pump
There are a lot of reasons why a basement might take on water. Groundwater can seep in under the floor, downspouts could be positioned too close to the home. When a homeowner wanted to finish the basement for his daughter’s play area, he had to get to the bottom of the moisture problem first, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey knew a sump pump would solve it.
Where to find it?
Richard installed a submersible sump pump inside a sump basin. He attached a 1 ½” PVC pipe to the pump using a male PVC adapter for the water to go up to a check valve. The check valve prevents the water from coming back down to the pump.
After drawing an outline of the basin using chalk, Richard started drilling through the floor using multiple masonry drill bits while wearing hearing and eye protection. Once he had a drilled outline, he used a breaker hammer, rented from a local home improvement center to demo the rest. Other tools used to remove large pieces of debris were a post hole digger, shovels, hammer, pinch point bar, and buckets.
Once the hole was dug, Richard made small perforation holes in the basin using a step drill bit. He then added landscape fabric around the basin to prevent soil from getting into the basin. Richard added gravel around the basin to separate the soil even more for water to drain into the basin easier.
To make an opening from the foundation wall to the outside, Richard used a rotary hammer with a 2-5/8” core bit. He added more PVC for the discharge pipe to go up and out of the basement, using PVC cement to connect adapters and pipe together. After using a level to make sure the discharge pipe was plumb. Gap sealing foam was added to the hole in the foundation wall. For the outside, Richard made sure the water ran away from the house by using a drain pipe and splash block to expel the water away from the foundation.
Original Air Date: Nov 7, 2024, Season 23; Ep. 7 23:42