In time for the 10th anniversary season of "Ask This Old House," three metro Atlanta residents got assists early this week from the popular TV show’s resident handymen.
The projects ranged from the simple – installing a sconce in Virginia Highlands – to the complicated – hanging a new front door in Winonna Park.
Danielle Herrmann of Decatur said hanging the door was every bit as difficult as she and her husband thought.
“I’m really glad that Tom came to install it because it was a lot more than what Lucius and I could handle ourselves,” she said. "It looks really great. We're just thrilled that it's up after all this time."
In addition to stops in Atlanta, the men will make house calls in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Dallas-Fort Worth for a total of 26 new episodes scheduled to air nationally Oct. 6 on PBS. (Check http://www.thisoldhouse.com/tvschedule or your local listings).
Thousands of people each month send in questions to the show’s host Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey.
Chris Wolfe, the show's senior producer, said projects are chosen based on how common they are to homeowners, and if "they give us the opportunity to demonstrate skills and techniques that are useful in many home improvement projects."
Viewers who live in or around one of the cities the show’s experts will visit this season, may submit questions at http://www.thisoldhouse.com/askaquestion for the opportunity to have their home repair problems answered.
These are the projects they helped with in our area:
Virginia Highlands
Task: Host Kevin O'Connor worked with local electrician Michelle Bray to help Aaron Marshall mount an outdoor sconce to a brick veneer wall near the front door. (We added the sconce to an existing switched circuit, so we didn't need to add the switch itself.)
Preparation: Purchase the fixture, masonry bit, cold chisels, junction box, and electrical cable
Time it takes to complete: 4-5 hours
Estimated costs: $293 for fixture; $40 for lamp; $8 for masonry bit; $30 for electrical cable, box.
Best beginner's tip: When fishing electrical cable down into a stud bay, drill two holes in the top plate: one hole for the cable and another for a flashlight. The flashlight will illuminate the stud bay and confirm that the holes are located above the fixture.
Winonna Park, Decatur
Task: General contractor Tom Silva helped Danielle and Lucius Herrmann hang a new front door.
Preparation: Purchase the door, lockset and hinges
Time to complete: 6 hours
Estimated costs: $1,592 for a 36 x 84-inch custom-ordered oak door with six dual-pane lights; $218 for door handle/knob and $54 for each hinge.
Best beginner’s tip: Use the existing door to transfer the location of the hinges to the new door.
East Cobb
Task: Plumbing and heating expert Richard Tretheway helped Cheryl Leitz re-pipe the drain lines from her kitchen sink. The traps were improperly installed, causing the drains to clog.
Preparation: None
Time to complete: 4 hours
Estimated costs: $30 for PVC 1.5 inch pipes, fittings, cleaner and glue
Best beginner's tip: After dry-fitting the pipes and fittings, make "witness marks" to make sure that you glue them in the proper orientation.
About the Author
