This Old House Radio Hour Podcast

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re making your home smarter, safer, and more soulful—whatever your age, stage, or style. Rick Cantino from Operation Independence joins us with essential advice for aging in place, from grab bars to threshold-free showers to stair lifts that won’t kill your curb appeal. Then we take your calls: a fireplace switch that only works if you smack it, post-contractor tile repairs, and the right way to refinish butcher block. Later, Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins takes us inside his decade-long restoration of a San Francisco Victorian. Plus: the real difference between gas and induction—and the DIY weed killer that actually works.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:
• How to make your home safer for senior. (0:55)
• Wiring a wall switch for a gas fireplace (8:38)
• How to hide tile holes after glass shower reinstallation (16:35)
• The best food-safe finish for butcher block counters (23:04)
• Fixing HVAC issues in multi-level homes (27:36)
• Stephan Jenkins’ renovation journey in a San Francisco Victorian (32:56)
• Gas vs. induction: which is right for your kitchen? (41:09)
• Simple Fix: DIY weed killer you can mix in minutes (49:46)

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re helping you bring order to the chaos—starting with the junk drawer. The founders of the Neat Method join us to share their ultimate organizing approach: no label maker required. Then, we roll up our sleeves for practical fixes around the house, including how to repaint a metal garage door, treat cedar beams damaged by roof leaks, and repair crumbling brick. Plus, we share a simple fix on how to drill into your walls without hitting pipes or wires. Finally, Marketplace host David Brancaccio shares the story of losing his beloved Altadena cottage to wildfire—and what it means to build a home for the next 99 years.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The best way to organize any space.  (1:08)
• Fixing a floating floor (9:27)
• Repairing bricks with damaged faces (17:50)
• Water-stained cedar beam solutions (23:14)
• How to repaint a steel garage door without peeling (26:42)
• David Brancaccio’s journey of loss and rebuilding after fire (32:51)
• Cheap Old Houses: A circular midcentury gem + a 7,200 sq ft schoolhouse (40:20)
• Simple Fix: How to drill safely without hitting pipes or wires (49:48)

Call the hotline with your questions: (877) 864-7460

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re shifting the energy—literally. Architect and modern feng shui expert Cliff Tan joins us to share how simple design changes can create more harmony, balance, and positive flow in your home. From furniture placement to room orientation, Cliff breaks down the ancient principles of feng shui with a fresh, accessible approach. (1:01)

Then: imagine secretly building an apartment inside a mall. That’s exactly what Michael Townsend and eight artists did in 2003 inside the Providence Place Mall. Michael shares how they constructed a hidden 700-square-foot home—and lived there for four years undetected. (32:46)

Want to make your lawn look like your favorite Baseball Field? If you build it… We can help you… Former Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox, David Mellor, joins us to share his tips and tricks to give your yard a major league overhaul. (40:27)

Plus, the This Old House experts are standing by to solve your most pressing home improvement issues:

(8:07)—Jenn Nawada and Zack Dettmore help Cory in Texas restore his classic porch, adding a creative DIY twist that blends traditional materials with a more flexible alternative, preserving the timeless look.

(18:12)—Zack Dettmore and Jenn Largesse chat with Kathy from New Jersey about an unusual challenge: her block house has no insulation between the walls and the exterior. Jenn and Zack share some solutions to update her walls and add that much-needed insulation, especially during the winter.

(22:54)—Mauro Henrique and Zack Dettmore help listener Pam in Michigan, who wants to paint the bricks in her home. Mauro goes over the best ways to paint brick and the steps you need to take if you want to paint the bricks around your fireplace.

(26:50)—Richard Trethewey and Zack Dettmore speak with Adam from Ohio. Adam is interested in retrofitting his existing heating system to incorporate propane as a fuel source. Richard evaluates whether Adam can make this upgrade.

All that, plus a round of our house rules game, and a simple fix for unsticking your windows.

This Old House Radio Hour is produced by Ember20 and distributed by American Public Media.

Spring is in full swing, and so are pests and critters. The Bug Boys join us to help prevent infestations in and around your home, wherever you live!

In “My Old House,” actor William H. Macy takes us on a personal tour of his Vermont cabin complex, which he has personally built over three decades; the ups and downs of his building have mirrored the highs and lows of his life off-screen.

Also, Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein from Cheap Old Houses join us to share listings that you can purchase. This week, they spotlight historic properties in Ohio and Michigan for a Rust Belt extravaganza.

We’ll also answer your DIY and home improvement questions, play a round of “House Rules.”

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we meet Bo Petterson—a 66-year-old dad, DIYer, and unexpected TikTok sensation. Known to millions as @DadAdviceFromBo, Bo began posting home repair videos with his daughter Emily as a way to help her recover from a traumatic brain injury. What started as a private act of love has grown into a viral force for good, offering step-by-step repair tips, emotional support, and the quiet reassurance that it’s okay not to know everything.

Then in *My Old House*, acclaimed author Walter Mosley returns to the South Central Los Angeles bungalow where he grew up—a 1,500-square-foot home filled with fruit trees, family, and the kind of detail that shaped his voice as a writer. With warmth and reflection, Mosley explores the power of place, the meaning of identity, and the memories that never leave the walls we call home.

Plus: your DIY questions, a round of *What’s That Sound?*, the surprising history of toilet paper etiquette, and Mauro Henrique’s clever painter’s tape workaround you’ll want to try this weekend.