This Old House Radio Hour - podcast cover

This Old House Radio Hour

American Public Mediawww.apmdistribution.org
For over four decades, This Old House has been America’s most trusted source for home improvement, craftsmanship, and restoration. Now, we’re bringing that same expertise to the airwaves with This Old House Radio Hour—a weekly deep dive into the art, science, and soul of home building. Hosted by This Old House editor Jenn Largesse and featuring all your favorite TOH experts, each episode blends practical advice with rich storytelling. Whether you’re tackling a DIY project, renovating a historic home, or simply fascinated by the way we shape—and are shaped by—the spaces we live in, this show has something for you. Expect expert guidance from a roster of top builders, designers, and craftspeople who answer your home improvement questions—covering everything from plumbing to flooring, framing to finishing. We also go beyond the toolbelt, exploring the philosophy of craftsmanship with master artisans, and uncovering America’s forgotten architectural gems with the team behind Cheap Old Houses who spotlight properties you can buy for as little as $1000. Along the way, we’ll dive into the latest in building science, design trends, and home innovation. Plus, we keep things fun with games, surprise guests, and some seriously ridiculous prizes. So join us each week for the best home has to offer. Subscribe now to This Old House Radio Hour!
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

An Expert’s Guide to Babyproofing Your Home + Gas and Power Tips for Hurricane Season

On this This Old House Radio Hour, we’re helping parents breathe a little easier with a full guide to babyproofing your home, courtesy of Stephanie Lyons from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. From newborn-safe sleep setups to toddler-proof kitchen fixes, we cover every stage of early development with tips that make your home safer—without turning it into a padded cell. Then we visit the Massachusetts South Shore, where New York Times bestselling author J. Courtney Sullivan tells us how a weathere...

Jul 01, 202551 min

A Field Guide to the American Porch, Urban Gardening and Musician Nathaniel Rateliff's Mountain Hideaway

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we explore the spaces that bring us together—both inside and out. Architect and author Charlie Hailey joins us to discuss the surprising resurgence of the American porch, what makes it such a powerful space for connection, and how to design one that enhances airflow, light, and livability. Then we head to Morrison, Colorado, where musician Nathaniel Rateliff gives us a tour of his rustic mountain hideaway—complete with a recording studio and cliffside view...

Jun 24, 202551 min

The Ultimate DIY Cleaning Solution + Peter Sagal’s House from Hell!

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re scrubbing deep, digging trenches, and pulling back the curtain on the emotional side of homeownership. We open the episode with Brandon Pleshek—aka “Clean That Up”—who shares his go-to DIY vinegar-based cleaner, why it works, and where you should never use it. Then it’s onto the phones, starting with a call from California about whether vintage tile can (and should) be saved. Our weekly House Rules game delivers a quick hit of lawn care wisdom, while...

Jun 17, 202551 min

Is Your Parents Home Safe + DIY Weed Killer + The Right Way to Refinish Butcher Block

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 J...

Jun 10, 202551 min

The Ultimate Home Organization Method + How to Drill Safely into Walls

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. Fi...

Jun 03, 202551 min

Modern Feng Shui Tips + Restoring Rusted Chrome Fixtures + How to Stop Paint from Peeling

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 2...

May 27, 202551 min

Tips for Keeping Pests Out of Your Home This Spring, Plus: Actor William H. Macy Restores Two Cabins in "My Old Home"

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. T...

May 20, 202551 min

Sound Proofing Your Bathroom + How To Paint Your Garage Door + Walter Mosley’s Los Angeles

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*, a...

May 13, 202551 min

Designing for Disaster: How Los Angeles Builds Back Smarter + Saving The Outsider’s House + Four DIY Fixes: Chimneys, Circuits, Ceilings, and Steam

This week on This Old House Radio Hour—what does it mean to rebuild not just homes, but entire communities? Sunset Magazine editor-in-chief Hugh Garvey joins us to discuss the magazine’s special issue devoted to the rebuilding of Altadena and Pacific Palisades in the wake of January’s devastating wildfires. Sunset, a voice in California architecture for over 125 years, has assembled an extraordinary coalition of architects, planners, artists, and historians. Together, they offer not just a plan,...

May 06, 202551 min

Fixing Knob and Tube Wiring + Patching Moldy Dry Wall + Alessandro Nivola's Brooklyn Row House

This week, we meet writer Patrick Hutchinson who bought a $7,500 off-the grid, moss-covered Craigslist cabin—and taught himself to fix it with YouTube and trial and error. How he went from clueless to carpenter and changed his life. Actor Alessandro Nivola shares how his Brooklyn row house became a living tribute to Brutalism, family, and art history. Plus: – Mold or mystery? Our experts explain why cutting drywall might just save your house. – What to say to an electrician who won’t touch your ...

Apr 29, 202551 min

Farm to Table Architecture, Soundproofing your Bedroom, Plus Our DIY Experts Answer Your Home Improvement Questions

On this week’s This Old House Radio Hour, architects Jack Becker and Andrew Linn of BLDUS in Washington, D.C. explain how they’re turning the sustainable food movement into a sustainable building movement with their “Farm-to-Shelter” philosophy—drawing inspiration from Chef’s Table and using regional, regenerative materials to create homes that are beautiful, healthy, and good for the planet. Then, bestselling author Ariel Lawhon (Frozen River) returns to her childhood bunker in Taos, New Mexico...

Apr 22, 202551 min

MythBusters Adam Savage, Roseanne Cash's Steampunk Meets Jane Austen Town House + DIY and Home Improvement Answers

Adam Savage—former MythBuster and maker movement icon—joins us to talk about the philosophy of tools, the joy of failure, and building a 200-hour replica of Hellboy’s revolver. Then we visit Charleston to uncover the truth behind those sideways-facing row houses (spoiler: it’s not about taxes). Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash invites us into her lovingly restored 1855 Manhattan brownstone, where music, memory, and steampunk-Jane-Austen style live in harmony. Plus, our experts take your calls—from...

Apr 15, 202551 min

“How Much Do You Pay in Rent" with Caleb Simpson + Home Improvement Q&A + Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin

On this episode of This Old House Radio Hour, we sit down with viral sensation Caleb Simpson, the TikTok star who’s made a name asking one simple question: “How much do you pay in rent?” Caleb shares what 500+ home tours have taught him about housing, design, and what our spaces say about who we are. Then, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin reflects on turning grief into meaning by recreating her 19th-century farmhouse inside a Boston condo. Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein fro...

Apr 08, 202551 min

Ken Burns Shows Us, His Creative Shangri-La, Sarah Susanka On Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better and a Blue Print for Rebuilding Los Angeles

On this week’s episode, we rethink the meaning of home—from the scale of a single room to the soul of a sprawling city. First, visionary architect and best-selling author Sarah Susanka joins us to reflect on the enduring appeal of her groundbreaking book The Not So Big House. She unpacks power of designing for quality over quantity, how smarter, smaller spaces can transform our lives, and why her “Not So Big” philosophy is more relevant than ever in a world grappling with sustainability, afforda...

Apr 01, 202551 min

American Picker Mike Wolfe’s Main Street Revival, Historic Homes Under $1,000, and 60-Second Fixes for Everyday Problems!

Welcome to the Premiere of This Old House Radio Hour! Join us for an hour of expert-driven DIY and home improvement, where craftsmanship, history, and hands-on know-how come together. Master carpenter Callum Robinson reads from his bestselling memoir, Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman, and shares with host Jenn Largesse the deep joy of woodworking—and the stories locked inside every piece of wood. Then, we head to Le Claire, Iowa, where American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe restores a 19th-century gen...

Mar 25, 202551 min

This Old House Radio Hour Podcast - Trailer

This Old House has been America’s most trusted source for home improvement for over four decades. Now, we’re bringing that same expertise to the airwaves with This Old House Radio Hour. Each week we answer your DIY and renovation questions. Plus, we dive into the latest trends from building science to design with an ear for great storytelling about the places we call home.

Mar 11, 20254 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast