Ask This Old House

Kevin

On "Ask This Old House," our experts travel across the country to answer questions about your house. Today, we'll tell you all about ground cover plants, show you how to patch any size hole in your wall... I love this....and install a new threshold for a problematic front door. On "Ask This Old House."

Jenn

There's lots to love about ground cover plants. They're durable, easy to maintain, and add all kinds of interest to your garden. When it comes to ground covers, I think we all could get a little more creative, instead of just using rocks or mulch. There are so many different plants that could take over the ground and help with erosion on slopes that you can't mow on or in little crevices where you just, you want a little green. So, I'm gonna show you a few plants to use in these situations. A great option is the juniper procumbens "Nana," the Japanese garden juniper. Juniper is an extremely durable evergreen. It can grow over walls and rocks. It's deer-tolerant, drought-tolerant, and will grow together as a large, dense mat, as long as you don't cut it back. It's a full Sun plant that can be grown in zones 4 to 9, which is pretty much everywhere in the continental United States. I like to use the Japanese procumbens "Nana" in gardens that have more of an Asian theme, that have rocks. It's more peaceful. They creep and crawl and grow around. It's a very good architectural element. This is microbiota. A lot of people get it confused with juniper because it does have that evergreen foliage, but it's soft, feathery. This plant is rugged. It's drought-tolerant. It does well in Sun, partial shade, and shade. It only gets to be about a foot tall, so, it's definitely another interesting option, if you don't want to use juniper, and I think it fits more in like a naturalized setting. So, highly recommended. Love it. This is another commonly used plant, called pachysandra. It's an extremely low-maintenance plant that thrives in shady areas and isn't too picky about soil quality. Aside from spreading quite rapidly, there's another little piece of interest that pachysandra gives us. It has a little white, inconspicuous flower, comes out in the springtime, just gives that little pop of white, which is amazing. But, otherwise, it's a green field and covers the ground, which is the goal that we're going for. This is sedum "John Creech." It's another stonecrop and it grows to one to two inches high. This nice, thick mat of succulent foliage. In the middle of the summer, it has this little pink flower. It's really cute. And it's another great ground cover option. I like to use sedum "John Creech" in stone walls and little crevices of stone steps. It's a really great accent. It could take the heat of the stone. So, really great option. This is Liriope spicata, known as lilyturf, and it's another fantastic, soft ground cover. What it does is it has runners, opposed to clumping version, and it travels across and creates a dense, soft mat. This one is also Liriope spicata, but it's a variegated variety, adds a little color and pop in the landscape. That's the only difference. I like to use Liriope when I need a more naturalized setting, like under birch trees or under dogwoods. It just really puts a nice, calming, relaxing vibe in the garden space. Now, those are just a few of the options available. I also like to use Irish moss, succulents, and even thyme. As long as it's not invasive and fills the area, I think you're good to go.

Kevin

So, patchy drywall, Tommy, something any homeowner is probably gonna have to do sometime in their career.

Tom

Absolutely. Somebody moving into a new/old home. Someone's hung pictures on the wall. They've got to patch a lot of holes. Or you're selling a house, you got to patch the holes from the pictures. This is a simple patch. I'm gonna use some spackling compound. You can get it in all different-size containers. But I don't have to do anything except push it into the hole, smooth it off, let it dry, and do a couple more coats later, as necessary.

Kevin

As it dries, it shrinks a little bit, so, the hole which is filled now is gonna look a little less filled after it dries.

Tom

Right, exactly. Spackling compound doesn't shrink quite as much as joint compound can, when you're doing a spackle job like this.

Kevin

Right. Okay. Gotcha. Alright, so, a medium-size hole?

Tom

Now, a medium-size hole like this, this could be from near the baseboard like this or it could be from a doorknob on the wall. And you could use some heavy-duty joint compound tape like this or plaster tape and put it on the wall right over the hole like that. But for that, I would recommend multiple layers of tape. So you might put three heavy coats of tape.

Kevin

So this is the tape. It's a mesh tape. And this is the tape that the installers use to tape the seams when they're putting it up on the wall for the first time.

Tom

It's a similar tape. That's the heavy-duty.

It's a little bit thicker. Kevin

This is for patching.

Yes. Exactly. Kevin

Gotcha. Okay.

Tom

Alright. So, now, they also make a patch like this that has adhesive on the back. It's metal. Comes in three or four different sizes. I've got, like, a medium size. And you notice that the mesh is overlapping the joint. I can lay this on the wall like this.

Kevin

And it's gonna stick to it.

Tom

Stick it. And I'm gonna just put, again, my layers of compound or spackle over it.

Kevin

Look at that. So, you mentioned spackling compound versus joint compound. The joint compound is what the installers use to cover those seams when they're putting the board up for the first time. Do you care which one you use for which?

Tom

Well, for this, I would use the spackling compound.

Kevin

And the difference between the spackling compound and the joint compound, generally?

Tom

The speckling compound is a little bit thicker, alright? I'm still gonna have to -- I tried to make it as smooth as I could on my first coat. I'll go over that again with another layer, keeping it smooth, and hopefully I can sand it after the second coat. But if not, I'll put a third coat. Make it smooth. And then sand it again.

Kevin

Gotcha. Okay. So that's the medium-size hole. You're using the pre-cut patches. And then you got a bigger hole like this.

Tom

Now, let's say something was made through that wall. What I like to do is cut a patch to go over the damaged section of the wall, which I did, and I cut out the damage, but I made this just a little bit smaller

so I can fit it in there. Kevin

I love that trick. Right? So, we could've had, like, a round hole right here. Rather than trying to get that precise patch, just cut a patch, trace it to the wall,

and then make the hole bigger. Tom

Exactly. But you notice the problem with this is I have nothing to fasten it to. So you'd have to put some -- something behind the wall. So I'd slide a board behind it and I'd put a couple of screws in place.

I love that. Tom

Yeah. Then take the center screw out. And then I could screw that to the wall. But they also make these clips now that you could actually put this in on two sides or four sides, depending on the size that's needed.

Mm-hmm. Tom

Put that in like that. And then you put your patch in that with a couple of little screws.

Kevin

Gonna go through that flange, behind there and there.

Tom

Flatten out these spots here.

Kevin

And that's gonna get flat enough that we're not gonna see that?

Tom

Yeah. You got to take your hammer and flatten them out.

Alright. Okay. Tom

But the other way is, is if -- you can take a piece of drywall like this. And I've cut it bigger than a hole,

and I've removed the perimeter. Kevin

I love this. So you actually cut the patch the size of this right here?

Tom

Yeah.

Kevin

But then you've got the paper?

Tom

Right. So, that's my tape. So now when I put this on the hole -- And I made it a little bit smaller so I can get it in easy. See? It's got some play in it. But what I've done by doing that -- I first have to put the glue, the compound on the wall first around the perimeter.

Kevin

And in this case, spackling compound okay for a hole this size?

Tom

Yeah, I wouldn't -- I would go to a joint compound

anything bigger than this. Kevin

Gotcha. Okay.

Tom

So I put just a quick layer on here. Like that. Take my patch. Push it in.

Kevin

So that's gonna hold it in place.

Tom

Right. Now, I just want to push around the perimeter. Now I take my knife. Stand it up.

Kevin

And you're pulling away from the seam right there.

Tom

Exactly. Scrape it right out.

Kevin

Look at that!

Tom

And I will let that dry. That's my first coat.

Kevin

So that's gonna hold your patch in place. It's gonna set up. It's not going anywhere.

Tom

Right. And I didn't have to do any tape. And you're not gonna get any cracking.

Kevin

Do you wait for that to set up before you put the top coats on?

Tom

Exactly. Try to keep it as smooth as you can on the first one, then put your second one on, again try to keep it as smooth as you can. And then the third one, put it on, and you may need to sand it.

Kevin

And if you do this well, your eye will never see this patch if it's sanded and feathered properly.

Tom

You'll never see it. And like I say -- And you're not getting any cracks.

Kevin

Beautiful. Alright, Tommy. Thank you.

Tom

My pleasure.

Kevin

Mark, you are not the only guy who's got a monopoly on holes in your wall.

Tommy Silva's patching drywall. Mark

I heard.

Kevin

And you are going to patch some brick holes.

Mark

That's right.

Kevin

How do we get holes in brick?

Mark

So, actually, it's pretty common. What about Christmas? Put lights up. Some people want to hang their stockings. Some people have signs on the exterior of a building. Your federal, your state buildings have letters.

Kevin

TV above your fireplace. Alright. I can see that.

So we got to patch some holes. Mark

Yeah.

Kevin

What goes into it?

Mark

Alright. Couple different methods. There's two that I really, really like. One is out front right here. And basically all it is is matching your brick color, okay, with one of these colors. Getting that, mixing it up, and applying it into a hole.

Kevin

And what are these? Is this your typical mortar mix?

Mark

This is just a mortar -- We call this a mortar stick.

Kevin

Okay, so, normally, it would be the mortar that goes between the bricks. Right.

Mark

But we're gonna get the same colors that we need

out of this group. Kevin

Look at all the samples.

Mark

So there's plenty to go.

Kevin

And then what are these?

Mark

This is what we call a compound. And this is actually the list of colors that you have, so it's a little bit shorter than this. But this, once it's mixed up, forms a putty, almost like a wood putty. And, again, that would be applied directly into the hole and fill the hole.

Kevin

The reason we have so many different options is because -- Brick is a natural material, right? So we get variations. We get dark spots, light spots. But then also you're showing here different types of brick. Okay, so, as we come over here to the wall, which we've got a patch right here.

Yep. Kevin

What's the technique? Once we decide on a color. Have you picked a color?

Mark

I have picked a color. Again, I've picked that one, which, again, is going to be in that field. So, that's a huge brick range right there.

That's not too bad. Mark

It's not too bad. It'll pick up a color somewhere in that wall, which is what we want so we can continue the color range.

Kevin

That's a putty. And do you have a mortar sample?

Mark

That's a putty. Mortar sample. I think that fits nicely. But there are others that we could use, as well.

Kevin

Alright. So what is the technique once we've decided on the color?

Mark

Technique basically is to mix up either product, the party or the mortar and sand, and just apply into the hole.

Let's do it. Mark

Alright.

Kevin

So, I presume that the color match is actually a big part of this, getting it right.

Mark

It's huge, but because this is such a difficult task, it's never gonna be perfect. So if I can't get as close as I would like, I do have other methods that are gonna bring me closer to what I want.

Kevin

Which one are you gonna mix up for us? Putty or mortar?

Mark

I'll do both, but I'll start with the putty.

Kevin

Okay. So that comes to us... I mean, that's already got a color involved. So I'm buying that with the color mixed in?

Mark

You are. So just add water. And, again, when we're doing these small patches, everything is done by eye. There's really no perfect mixture of ingredients. I don't want to over-pour the water.

Kevin

Golden rule with you guys, right?

You can't take the water out. Mark

We always say that, right? You can't take the water out.

Kevin

You've told me that a million times.

Mark

A million times. But it can't be any more true. So that's why I keep repeating it. And something else I always repeat, Kevin, is neatness counts. If you're gonna try to do this in a sloppy manner, it's just gonna show and it's gonna be there forever. So take your time. It's a small job. It's an easy job. But, again, the artistic integrity that most masons have within them always is gonna shine through if they just give it the time.

Kevin

I saw that eye contact you made with me when you're talking about messy. I feel you, brother. I feel you.

Okay. Gonna leave it to you. Mark

No, no, no. Not at all.

So that's the putty. Mark

So this is actually a very good consistency right here. Um...

Kevin

Oh,

yeah. Mark

Yeah. I actually like it a little bit drier than that for something this small, but...

So I'll let it set for a minute. Kevin

Gotcha.

Mark

I'm going to do the mortar mix just about the same way. This is my red. And I'll show it to you.

That's your dye. Mark

That's the dye. And that, to me, is a quintessential brick color. So I know I'm on the right path.

Kevin

Cayenne pepper. So you're mixing the dye into your basic mortar mix?

Exactly. It's a Type N. Kevin

Yeah. Where's a guy like me getting a bag of dye like that? Am I finding it at the home center or am I calling you for the secret code down at the brickyard?

Mark

Yeah, you're gonna have to go to the brickyard for this type of thing. So, I'll get rid of my spoon. I'm gonna add a bit.

Kevin

Don't add too much water. You can't take it out.

Mark

Not too much. Not too much. Another thing you want to be conscious of is a thorough mix. If you don't mix this stuff over and over and over, the dye clumps up, and you'll get a heavier set in certain locations.

Kevin

So, what is the process for putting it in the hole?

Mark

Believe it or not -- Well, obviously, if I try to poke into this hole with my margin trowel, it's gonna be superficial. I'm not gonna be able to get that as deep as the hole. So what I did, when nobody was looking, I went into Tommy's toolbag and I got a little Allen wrench.

He deserves that. Mark

Yeah.

Kevin

He's been going in my bag for years.

Mark

And I can't even tell you how many wheelbarrows he has of mine. He has like four or five. I'll apply on the back of my trowel, and I'll just poke this through until I actually get over-flushed. I want to come beyond the brick face, and I'll show you why in a second.

Kevin

Well, let's see it. I want to see this go in. It's a pretty good match, Mark. Is that brick wet?

Mark

So, that's what I'm talking about. That right there... looks like... I want to give it a little rub.

Kevin

Not a smooth pull. Just a little rub.

Mark

Just a little bit because, again, I don't want to pull this material all over my brick. I want to be as inconspicuous as possible at all times when I'm doing this, which, again, is why neatness is paramount. But even then, I had a little bit too much water.

But -- Kevin

Oh, yeah.

Mark

Okay? So when I dab like that and I pull that aggregate that's in my mix -- I pull that out a little bit, that's gonna mimic the surface when I'm dried up.

Kevin

Alright. Well, looks darn good to me right there, Mark.

Mark

So far,

that's great. Kevin

Alright. Appreciate it.

Thanks for the tip. Mark

You got it.

Nathan

Hey,

Andrew. Andrew

Hey, Nathan.

Thanks for coming. Nathan

Thanks for having me.

Beautiful house you have here. Andrew

Thank you so much. Yeah, we've been here for about three years now. And, you know, we're slowly making improvements as time allows, little projects here and there. But, unfortunately, we have one that really has us stumped. We have a bit of a threshold problem.

Let's go take a look. Andrew

Alright.

Nathan

Let's see if we can fix this thing.

Andrew

Great. So, here's the threshold I was telling you about,

Nathan. Andrew

Okay, yeah.

Nathan

As you can see, we got new hardwood floors installed when we moved in to the house, which we really love, but, unfortunately, it left us with a little bit of a dilemma here.

Andrew

Yeah, you can see this is a little bit of a quirky transition here. The flooring is a little bit higher than we want to see. Usually we like to have it flush or below the threshold. I'm imagining you close the door... And, yeah, you got a sizable gap below it. A quick fix is you could just do an applied sweep to that, and it would kind of seal that gap. But I think we could definitely ease this transition a little bit with some red oak, make it look a little better. Yeah, 'cause the other thing, too, Nathan -- we do want to be able to put a rug on the hardwood floor for when you enter through the front door. Is that something we could do, as well?

Nathan

Yeah. While we're here, I can undercut this door a little bit. I can build the threshold up to ease that transition, and then I can do an applied sweep that will actually spring up when the door opens. It'll clear the rug, and when you close it,

it'll drop right down. Andrew

That sounds great.

Nathan

I'll get some tools out of my truck,

and we'll get started. Andrew

Awesome.

Nathan

So, what I picked up for you is just some 3/4-inch red oak, and it'll blend right in with your floor and once we make this threshold piece. And I have a little mockup of what I'd like to do. Just take the oak. Rabbet out the back. Do a light chamfer on the front and back. And that'll saddle, and that'll help kill the bevel here, but also build up this threshold.

Sounds good. Nathan

Alright. So, we're applying 3/4-inch stock, and we're building it up, and I'd like about an 1/8-inch gap underneath the door, so I'm gonna set my scribes to 7/8 of an inch. Shut the door, and then I'm gonna mark the right side and the left side, and then we'll just connect the dots with the track saw.

Andrew

Okay.

Nathan

Alright. Now we have to take the door off. Set it on the horses and cut it. Just a couple of pins to pull this door.

Tapping

Buzzing

Nathan

Because of the fresh cut on the bottom, we exposed a lot of grain. We don't want that to wick up any moisture, so I'll spray the bottom with a sealant. While the door dries, I can work on building up this threshold. I'll cut the width from casing to casing on the miter box, and that'll get us started. Alright. So, for the piece that we're gonna attach to the top of this existing threshold, for my width, I'm gonna pull from the edge of my casing back because I want to come around and kill this area. But I need the full thickness of that 3/4", so I'm gonna have to stop it at the leading edge where it starts to bevel away. So if I pull a measurement there. 1 7/8". We'll rip that on the table saw. To make the transition smoother, I'm gonna ease the edges with my table saw. I'll cut a rabbet into the backside to help hide the edge of that beveled flooring. Alright. Now that we have the piece roughed out, we got to fine-tune it just a little bit more to get that exact fit, and the easiest way to get that is to put the piece right in place.

Andrew

Mm-hmm.

Nathan

Make a small mark here. Then lay it flat. Make a small mark there. Okay. Then we'll cut that up. Alright. Just a small bead of construction adhesive for it to bed into. I laid out three holes already. I did one 3 inches in from the end on either side and then one dead center, and so what we'll do is we'll pre-drill through the threshold down below, and then we're just gonna hand-nail it. Now we're ready to apply this doorstop to the base of your door. It's gonna be the finishing touch. There's some really expensive ones out there, and there's some really cheap ones, but the reason I chose this one is it has a little bit of a spring load to it. And you can see when I hold it down, see how that flips up?

Andrew

Mm-hmm.

Nathan

So this will be applied to the door, and when you open this door, this will spring up, clear the carpet, but when you close it, it'll push it right down.

Andrew

Oh, okay. That sounds great.

Nathan

Alright. Test it out and tell me what you think.

Andrew

Wow. Closes tight. There's room for a rug. And that threshold looks great. Thanks, Nathan.

Nathan

Enjoy.

Kevin

Next time on "Ask This Old House"... we'll demonstrate different ways to remove dry paint from your paintbrushes... With a little dip.

Man

Get a little dip.

Kevin

Oh, yeah, it's coming off....show you how to install tongue-in-groove flooring...

Tom

All I do is...tack it.

Kevin

...and we'll build a backyard ice-skating rink.

Drill whirring

Man

Just start rolling it out.

Kevin

That's next time on "Ask This Old House."