Our host, a Boston designer and builder, tours the dilapidated turn-of the-century house in Dorchester, Massachusetts, that will completely renovated in the next 13 weeks. Our host talks with a realtor and a house appraiser to determine the condition and problems of the property.
Renovation has begun and the carpenter has find rot in the eaves. The kitchen, one of the hardest remodeling jobs, gets some attention, and we look into the history of the home.
Work on the house has uncovered some unforeseen problems from the roof to the plumbing, and at a moment, the dream kitchen is a nightmare. But our host has some solutions.
It's time to insulate the house, remove the old furnace, and replace it with a new-energy-efficient heating system.
This week the ceilings are leveled and renovated. The bulkhead is repaired and renewed. Our hosts talks about the kitchen lighting and answers some viewer questions.
How are we going to heat the house? This week our host talks with a heating specialist about baseboard heating, the heating plant in the basement and the water heater. We take a look at the bedroom closets and a new kitchen skylight.
Plasters, roofers, and carpenters are hard at work. The kitchen walls are plastered, the chimney get some attention, and works starts on the crumbling front porch.
The insulation and plasterwork are completed. The new kitchen windows are trimmed and finished. A historic preservation consultant traces the changes made in the past century in the house's exterior paint.
Work on the deck and its foundation is underway. Our host offers some hints on paint stripping and introduces an alternative to ceramic wall tile around a bathtub.
Our hosts walks through the grounds with a landscape designer and considers the gardening possibilities. The carpenters put on new red cedar clapboards, and the Mayor of Boston, Kevin White, pays a visit to the house.
Our host demostrates how to lay a parquet kitchen floor. He speaks to a marble expert about the dining room fireplace. The bathroom tile floor is installed, and we consider home security systems.
The house painter demonstrates how to apply primer. Our host talks about installing an oak floor and sanding floors. A stonemason repairs the stone wall around the house, and the yard gets two new trees.
A look at the nearly finished product, inside and out. And the finishing touches are put on the picket fence, the deck and yard.
Our host introduces the Bigelow House, a rambling 19th-century hilltop home in Newton, Massachusetts, designed by noted Victorian architect H.H. Richardson. The challenge - convert the abandoned structure into five modern condominium units, while preserving its architectural integrity. Vila and our master carpenter talk about the best way to tackle the project.
Our host discusses plans for renovating the barn unit - insulation, demolition and replacing broken windows.
Demolition is nearly complete and our host shows us some of the problems uncovering he's uncovered - including extensive damage from carpenter ants, vandals and rot.
Our host discusses some of the key decisions to be made about condominium sales. Also, plans are made to install woodburning stoves in the ice house and the woodshed.
We're ready to do some plumbing at the house. Our master carpenter shows us how to pour concrete wall and Tom Wirth, our landscape architect discusses the lay of the land.
The exterminator gives us a top-to-bottom bug check. Professor John Coolidge talks about the architect of the Bigelow House, H.H. Richardson - considered the foremost Victorian architect of the 19th century.
Our host discusses plans for a new, historically compatible five-car garage. The electrician begins wiring and a solar energy expert recommends the best location for a solar collector.
Our host and master carpenter gives us a progress report of the house. It's almost time to winterize this energy-guzzling summer home with insulation and fireplace fix-ups.
All radiators are not created equal. Our host shows us an efficient, aesthetic European version. Our master carpenter is busy installing new windows and a lighting expert make some illuminating recommendations.
The south roof gets an ice shield and cedar shingles. The living room wall gets a layer of energy-saving polystyrene board. And the grounds get a face-lifting.
This week, our host looks at the wiring needs in the barn; demonstrates lathing and plastering and talks about choosing tiles for the foyer in the main house.
Shingling is completed on the south side of the bungalow and the lights are in placed in the main house. Tile setter Charlie English shows us how to trim tiles.
What are the best tiles for the master bath? How is the electrical work coming? What type of cabinets should we use in the kitchen of the main house? Our host supplies the answers.
It's time to tackle some tough shingling jobs on the turret and roof-top belvedere. We'll also install a skylight, hook up a toilet and talk about water service for the house.
The crawlspace in the barn gets a concrete floor. The main house gets a parquet floor. And we lesson in tile grouting.
Our host sizes up the tree cutting clearing hob outside the Ice House unit. In the barn, he discusses the wood beam framing. Then, it's up to the main house for a look at the stairway.
Our host reviews plans for interior of the barn unit. In the main house, he decides that some of the floors will have to go; and out plumber is ready to install the Powder Room sink.
Tonight, our host tours the barn and gives more thought to the hardwood floors in the main house. It's also time to select locks and hardware for the antique floors.
This week, our master carpenter installs the unusual floor-to-ceiling triple hung windows; while Charlie, our finish carpenter, sets in window casings and kitchen cabinets.
The kitchen in the main house gets a ceramic tile floor. The south facade get a glass sunbath. The barn gets a heating and cooling fan. The fireplace gets a new stone face.
This week, the old metal garages come down and barn lighting goes in. In the main house, it's time to install the air conditioning and kitchen window casings.
Now that the old garage is gone, plans are made for the new one. Our master carpenter discusses the stairway in the barn. At the main house, a downdraft stove is installed and the sunbath gets a copper roof.
Our houst inspects the custom-made hardwood spiral stairchase in the barn and takes us on a tour of the factory where it was made. Later, we go up to the main house for a look at repairs on the fireplace tiles.
Our host inspects the custom-built kitchen cabinets in the barn and checks the plastering work upstairs. Then landscaping arcitect Tom Wirth gives us a lesson in brick paving and takes us on a fascinating tour of a granite quarry.
Things are really shaping up at the Bigelow House! Tonight, the white cedar shingling goes up in the barn greenhouse. Inside the barn, our host oversees installation on a heat pump, then he heads up to the main house to help apply the exterior stain.
Our host takes a stroll around the grounds and shows us that the landscaping is well underway. There's also been great progress in the ice house and woodshed. As for the barn, it's nearly complete.
This Old House is new again! The workmen are gone and the newly renovated Bigelow House is ready and waiting for its new occupants. Our host takes us on the long-awaited tour in this one hour special.
Our host introduces you to the newest project - a 1950s ranch-style tract house in Woburn, Massachusetts, that is badly in need of elbow room. Our host and our master carpenter discuss the possibilities for creating space where none presently exists. And they take a tour of the neighborhood to see how other homeowners have transformed their houses from the 1950s into roomier, energy-efficient homes for the 1980s.
It's time to pour the footings for the breezeway/greenhouse between the house and the garage. Then the house gets a high tech energy audit, complete with on-the-spot computer print-out and recommendations for cost-effective solutions to specific energy problems.
Our host assesses the efficiency of the house's heating planet. Our master carpenter builds the framing for the breezeway/greenhouse, and replaces windows. Back inside, our host is busy steaming off the old wallpaper.
Our host discusses plans for installing a wood burning stove in the family room. Our master carpenter roughs in the new bath off the master bedroom, then goes outside to check the condition of the roof.
Our host shows us how to waterproof a basement and install a wood stove and a free-standing chimney. Our master carpenter is busy putting in the new windows and doors.
Our host helps install the shower in the new master bathroom. Then he and our master carpenter shows us how to construct kitchen cabinets.
Our host and our master carpenter tear down the old wood panelling in the basement wreck room. Upstairs, it's time to install the new kitchen countertops and decorate the master bath.
Our host throws a little light on the subject of wiring the new breezeway. Then he warms up the garage-turned-family room with new insulation.
Our master carpenter shows us the right way to dry wall a new room - including important tips on taping and sanding. Then he and our host discuss tools: which ones are right for the job?
This old house is beginning to take on a new look. Our host shows us how to trim the windows and doors. He also gives us time-saving tips on preparing and painting interior walls.
Things are really cooking at the house. Our host is in the kitchen installing the new appliances. Our master carpenter is hard at work building a new rear deck. Back inside, our host shares some professional secrets for mistake-proof wallpapering. It's easy when you know how.
The house's transformation is nearly complete. Our host gives us some pointers on laying a no-wax floor. Then the guys discuss the finishing touches of the renovation. Outside, our host checks the progress of the landscaping.
The tract house from the 1950s is now a bright new, energy-efficient home for the 1980's. The guys lead a grand tour of the newly renovated house.
Our host takes you on a tour of the newest project - a three-story Greek Revival farmhouse in Arlington, Massachusetts. Over the next 26 weeks, he and his crew of building craftsmen will transform this old house from the 1850s into an idea house for the 1980s that gives viewers and homeowners a new sense of what a home can be.
Our host considers the many remodeling possibilities for the old house with architect Jock Gifford and landscape atchitect Tom Wirth. Where to begin!
Our host brings in the crane and demolition of a portion of the old farmhouse begins. Later, our hosts talks with a slate contractor about the old slate roof and discusses the merits of sandblasting.
Our host and his crew jack up the garage, relocate it, and consider turning it into a workshop/garden shed. The crew also conducts a window and door energy audit.
Our host and master carpenter undertake the task of framing in the new 1982 wing of the 1850s Greek Revival farmhouse.
Our host and crew tackle the insulation of the old farmhouse's new wing.
Our host and crew assess the old farmhouse's electrical need and update wiring for today's lifestyle.
Our host and crew shingle the new wing and plaster ceilings in the old portion of the 1850's farmhouse.
Our host and crew waterproof an exterior deck. Later, he discusses electrical wiring in new and existing walls and talks with restoratian specialist Dr. Judy Selwyn about the original paint used in the old farmhouse.
Our host conducts a room-by-room analysis of lighting needs for the old house and visits a lighting showroom to look at options. Back at the old farmhouse, our master carpenter installs one of the new replacement window sashes.
Our host pays a visit to a prototype exercise room room to get ideas for the old house's new spa and weight room. In the process, our host discovers the virtues of a steam shower, sauna and hot tub. Later, he discusses the final landscape plane, including the outdoor lighting.
Our host and his crew install the whirlpool tub in the bathroom of the master bedroom suite. Next, he tackles the problem of insulating the attic.
Our host visits a prototype wine cellar for discussion of storage techniques, lighting and climate control. Later, he travels to Walpole Woodworkers to see how a fence is made.
Our host visits Weston Nurseries to select planting materials for the Arlington site. He chooses shrubbery, trees and plants to enhance the landscape and complement the farmhouse.
Our host travels to to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, for a visit with master cabinetmaker Jack Cronin. Cronin takes us through the process of building kitchen cabinets for the farmhouse kitchen.
Our host travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a look at El Dorado, a community built around the sun. He explains how the subdivision utilizes passive and active solar heating and cooling techniques, as well as photovoltaics to generate electricity directly from the sun.
Our host discusses the site preparation for and assembly of a redwood hot tub. Later, the crew carries out the tub installation.
Our host discusses the problem of roof damage on the newly expanded dining area. Next, he visits a super-insulated home in Aurora, Illinois, and talks with its builder Perry Bigelow about construction details.
Our host talks with landscape architect Tom Wirth about plans for the farmhouse grounds. Later, the crew begins installation of kitchen cabinets in the auxiliary apartment.
Our host welcomes Better Homes and Gardens interior designer Bob Ditmer. Ditmer walks through the Arlington House and makes recommendations for the decor. Later, our master carpenter starts construction of the sauna.
Our host and the crew work outdoors installing the farmhouse's redwood gazebo and stockade fence. In the apartment kitchen, Richard Trethewey explains the installation of a sink and hot water heater.
Our host and the crew install Palladian windows on the garage and then outfit the apartment kitchen, Richard Trethewey explains the installation of a sink and hot water heater.
Our host and the crew install a Palladian window on the garage and then outfit the apartment kitchen with appliances. Later, our master carpenter builds and installs a passive lock system.
Our host reviews the installation of a projection television system in the media room and tile in the main kitchen. In the wine cellar, expert Phillipe Pascal makes suggestions for stocking French wines.
Our host walks through the Arlington farmhouse for another look at lighting needs, then discusses mirrors and equipment for the exercise room. German wine expert William Steifensandtaks about his recommendations for the wine cellar.
Our host takes a final tour of the fully decorated ""dream house of the 1980s."" Starting on the second floor, he guides viewers through the exercise room, master bedroom and bath, and apartment. Then he descends the hallway stairs for a look at the totally equipped media room, library and dining room. There's a final view of the grounds before the crew says goodbye to Arlington.
Our host kicks off the new season with a retrospective look at the first four seasons of This Old House. Combining original clips with updated footage, he recalls the restoration of a rundown Victorian house, the conversion of a mansion into condominiums, the expansion of a 1950s tract house and the rehabilitation of a Greek Revival-style farmhouse.
The star of this season's the All New This Old House is revealed: an energy-efficient solar home to be built from scratch in Brookline, Massachusetts. Our host introduces the new house site and talks to designer Steven Strong of Solar Design Associates about construction plans.
Designer Steven Strong and our host review the design of the new house step-by-step, from conception to final plans. A survey engineer describes the surveying process and how the house will ultimately be situated on the lot.
The work of digging a foundation for the new house begins. When the crew hits a rock ledge, they are forced to drill and blast in order to put in the bottom of the foundation.
Our host discusses construction of the foundation for the solar house in Brookline with the crew chief. Later, our host visits a couple in Sherborn, Massachusetts who have dismatled, moved and reassembled an historic house.
Landscape architect Tom Wirth discusses plans for a pool on the new site. Our host inspects the completed footings for the new house foundation.
Our master carpenter supervises concrete pouring and waterproofing for the foundation of the new house. Later, our host visits a solar home in Lexington, Massachusetts.
At the Brookline site, our host discusses the process of sealing the foundation sill with our master carpenter. Then our host looks at the Peabody House in Hollis, New Hampshire, an old home with a solar addition.
Our host visits a solar home in Wilton, Connecticut, which utilizes a unique system of window shutters to close off a glass atrium at night.
The All New This Old House surveys renovation and construction that is revitalizing the heart of Seattle, Washington. The crew visits the houseboat community of Roanoke Reef, view the restoration of Seattle's historic Alexis Hotel and explore the renovated Pike Place farmers' market.
Our host visits an apartment on Boston's historic Symphony Row and a solar home in Concord, New Hampshire. Back in the Brookline site, work continues on the new house.
Our host is in Stamford, Connecticut for a trip to United House Wrecking, the largest salvage yard of its kind on the East Coast. Our host surveys the yard's collection in search of come recycled architectural detail to incorporate into the design of the new house.
Our host and crew travel to New York City to investigate the reuse of some of its commercial buildings. With the help of architect who specializes in conversions, our host learns what loft living is all about.
Our host gives a progress report at the new house site and tours the most exclusive address in the world, The Trump Tower, Fifth Avenue, New York.
Work continues on the new solar home. Our host travels to Green Mountain Cabins in Chester, Vermont for a lookat how log cabins are manufactured.
After discussing the windows being installed at the new house, our host takes a quick trip to Medford, Wisconsin for a tour of the Hurd Millworks window maufacturing plant.
Installation of photovoltaic roof panels begins at the All New This Old House site in Brookline. Our host explains how the array of solar cells converts light from the sun directly into electrical current.
We visit Ryland Homes, manufacturers of pre-fabricated houses in Columbia, Maryland. Our host tours their factory where much of the construction takes place.
Our host visits the home of legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park, Illinois. Research Director Don Kalec explains how the structure was restored to its original 19th century state, and restoration expert Ed Johnson discusses the refinishing of some of the home's remarkable wooden doors.
We visit to Dallas to investigate another residental building alternative: a home that's computer-designed to offer optimum summer cooling efficiency.
Our host and our master carpenter report on the latest construction developments at the new house site in Brookline.
We travel to Riverside, California for a look at an unusual housing alternative: a computer-designed, moble home park.
Our host and company are in Hawaii to explore a unique island dwelling.
The winner of the Metropolitan Home interior design contest is featured.
The crew puts finishing touches on the solar home in Brookline.
Our host takes viewers for a grand tour of the completed solar home in the final episode of the season.
Our host looks into the concept of ""sweat equity"" will fuel the series. The season's first project consists of converting an attic into a new master bedroom and bathroom. Our host meets homeowners Rob and Jennifer to begin planning for what the job will entail, in consultation with our master carpenter and Richard Trethewey.
While the designs for the new bedroom and bathroom are being finalized, our host and the homeowner look into such details as wiring, piping and telephone hookups. After a visit to the Lynn Ladder & Scaffold Company in Lynn, Massachusetts, Rob and Jennifer begin demolition, with help from our master carpenter.
Exterior work for the new bedroom and bathroom gets underway, including framing and sheathing. Our host and our master carpenter discuss the new deck, exterior trim, sliding glass door, and new double hung window.
Work continues on the new bedroom and bathroom, with Rob and Jennifer tackling the job of shingling, including the installation of flashing. Meanwhile, the rough plumbing work begins.
The new bathroom begins to take shape, as homeowners Jennifer and Rob install a new fiberglass shower with our host's help. Our host and Rob also tackle electrical work.
Accompained by Richard Trethewey, Rob and Jennifer visit a plumbing fixtures store. Later, the bathroom floor is tiled and work begins on the new outside deck.
It's time for the finishing touches to be applied to the new master bedroom and bathroom. Our host says goodbye to the weary but satisfied homeowners and their space, and previews the season's next project - the conversion of an unfinished basement into a family room.
Our host introduces the next set of do-it-yourselfers: Debbie and Dick, homeowners want to create a family entertainment center and den in their dank basement. After we visit other completed basements to get ideas, work begins with the demolition of old closet space.
Homeowners Dick and Debbie begin construction on their basement family room by framing, insulating and sheathing the side walls. They also discuss ideas for wall paneling.
The basement family room takes shape as the electrical wiring, wall paneling and suspended ceiling are installed.
Our master carpenter offers assistance with the construction of shelves and storage cabinets for the basement entertainment room. Later, resilient vinyl flooring is laid.
The homeowners call in a mason, install lighting fixtures and welcome interior decorator Joseph Ruggiero from Ethan Allen, manufacturers of traditional furniture.
Our host introduces the next set of novice do-it-yourselfers, Meade and Bob of Reading, Massachusetts, who will be adding a single-story greenhouse to their Cape-style home. The couple will assemble the greenhouse from a kit and call upon professionals to assist them with the work of laying the foundation, installing a heating system and wiring the space for lighting fixtures.
The greenhouse frame ie erected and the window glazing process is demonstrated. Later, quilted shades are installed over the windows to provide insulation at night.
The homeowners learn how to install plumbing for the greenhouse heating system and how to wire the new addition for electricity.
The homeowners get a lesson in carpentry as redwood benches and and shelves for the greenhouse are constructed.
Our host introduces the next project of the season: a kitchen remodeling. Our host and the homeowners discuss how to update the kitchen facilities and layout while maintaining the traditional late-Victorian look of the home.
Demolition begins on the kitchen remodeling project when a dumpster is secured. Richard Trethewey gives the homeowners some unsettling news about the jumble of pipes in the basement.
Our host tours the Brosco window manufacturing plant in North Andover, Massachusetts, before installing a bay window in the kitchen. The kitchen walls are insulated and new plumbing is inspected in the basement.
The homeowners pick up new kitchen appliances with the help of a professional kitchen designer. Custom-made oak cabinets are installed.
The new kitchen receives a sink and garage disposal system, and tiling techniques are reviewed.
Finishing touches are applied in the remodeled kitchen. The beech flooring is completed, a wood stove is installed, and the kitchen is outfitted with cooking accessories.
Our host introduces the final project of the season: a disaster of an apartment beginning for redecoration. Working with designer Ben Lloyd of Mertopolitan Home magazine, tenants Margie and Eric begin to think about use of color, furnishing and accessories.
Experts at the New England Design Center advise our host and the apartment dwellers on choosing fabrics, furnishings and carpeting. Back in the apartment, Ben Lloyd presents final plans for the redecoration and design.
Lighting expert Richard Mecher discusses portable lighting fixtures for the apartment. Our host reviews progress in the kithcen and oversees restoration of the cork floor in the guest room and office.
Final details are completed in the apartment, including the installation of state-of-the-art telephone and a personal computer. Designer Ben Lloyd, tenants Margie and Eric and our host take a final tour of the newly decorated apartment.
Our host meets with homeowners Linda and Bill to plan the first project: a two-story addition to an 1860s Victorian in Newton, Massachusetts. The new free-standing structure - connected to the original building via skywalk - is slated to consist of a one-car garage and storage area with an interior staircase leading to a second-floor family room and home office. A member of the Boston-based Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) will be on hand to point out the historically significant features of the original house.
Final plans for the addition are reviewed with the architects. Then we make an encore visit to the United Wrecking Company to see what gems can be culled from the Connecticut salvage yard.
A hole is dug for the foundation of the new addition, and the slab is poured. Our master carpenter demonstrates the carpentry skills necessary for framing.
As our host gets into the nuts and bolts of roof installation, the Victorian's homeowners learn the art of shingling. Meanwhile, our master carpenter tackles the finish work by trimming the addition's windows.
Construction continues with the installation of the staircase. Homeowners insulate the structure and our master carpenter discusses and demonstrates the framing and installation of windows. Our host takes a side trip to Diamond Head, Hawaii, to tour the construction.
The garage door is installed, while work on the water and heating systems for the new bathroom proceeds with rough plumbing and gas fitting. Homeowners the get a lesson in rough electrical wiring.
Tile is installed in the new addition. On an excursion to Seattle, Washington, our host looks at a renovated hotel and visits elegant houseboats.
Inside, final electrical work is performed in the new addition and carpet is installed, while outside homeowners nail shingles and apply stain. Completion of the project is marked by a recap of the budget, and cost-saving measures are discussed. Our host learns the art of making white cedar shingles at a mill in Quebec.
The second project of the season begins: doubling the living space of a ranch house by raising the roof to create a second floor. Our host discusses the homeowners' needs and reviews remodeling plans with them, a banker explains various ways to finance home improvement, and another ranch home where similar remodeling has been completed is visited.
The project gets underway with demolition of the existing roof and opening of the house. Carpenters race to frame and close in the new second floor to protect the structure from weather.
Construction of the ranch house's new roof is completed, and shingling begins. Our host and the crew visit Hancock Lumber in Casco, Maine, to watch as timber is milled into dimension lumber.
Windows are installed in the new second-floor ranch house addition, and our master carpenter discusses the pros and cons of various types of siding with an expert contractor. The Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is the subject of a special field trip to examine the architectural origins of the American ranch-style home.
The ranch house's new second floor receives rough electrical wiring and plumbing and a whirlpool tub is installed in the master bath. Our host leads us on an encore trip to Acorn Homes, manufacturers of renowned for appealing design and energy efficiency.
The exterior of the second-story ranch house addition gets vinyl siding, with commentary by an expert in the field. Meanwhile, the interior of the addition is insulated and rough electrical wiring installed. Our master carpenter discusses the addtion's exterior trimwork with Frank, the homeowner.
We go on an encore field trip to Ryland Homes, Maryland-based manufacturers of prefabricated houses renowned for low cost and energy efficiency. Back at the construction site, our host and our master carpenter work with Frank to build the deck on his new second-story addition.
Tile work is done in the master bath of the new addition, and new fixtures are installed. With work nearing completion, our master carpenter builds a staircase to the new second floor.
Frank mills the pineapple detail typical to garrison colonials. Mary Jane and Frank give our host a tour of the newly-finished addition - complete with paint, wallpaper, and carpet - and then they review the budget.
The third project of the season gets underway, as homeowners Tug and Beth begin planning the remodeling of their attic with our host. Tug and our host visit a nearby attic apartment, and our master carpenter explains what's involved in changing of the structure of a roof.
Our master carpenter prepares Tug's attic for construction. Our host takes viewers on a field trip to Cornerstones, where homeowners (and would-be homeowners) learn to be homebuilders.
Work proceeds inside and out on Tug's attic, as the roof is shingled and skylights and windows are installed. Our host is given a special tour of New York's Trump Tower, where luxury and elegance abound.
The nearly-completed attic renovation is ready to be insulated. Our host sets off for the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, once headquarters for Al Capone and now being renovated by Sunbow, a foundation that trains women in carpentry and other construction skills.
Carpet is laid and finish work completed in Tug and Beth's attic addition. Our host pays a visit to admire the new living space - complete with furniture - and reviews the budget with the homeowners.
This Old House breaks new ground as renovation of a Tampa, Florida, home begins. Our host takes viewers on a tour of the ""sights and sounds"" of Tampa and introduces homeowners Paul and Amelia, as well as Tampa contractor Bob Diaz, who will supervise the project. Our master carpenter pays a surprise visit.
New ""heat-shielding"" windows are installed in Paul and Amelia's one-story home, and the house is inspected for termites. Rigid ductwork is installed for the new central air-conditioning system. The crew travels to Seaside, Florida, a modern residential and resort community near Panama City.
Our host, a Miami native, visits his hometown to admire the award-winning, trend-setting work of Laurinda Spear and Bernardo Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica. In Tampa, our host and Bob Diaz review construction of Paul and Amelia's home, with special attention to the masonry work and new solar hot water system. Work is started on the redwood deck, and an expert stucco contractor pays a visit.
Construction is completed on Paul and Amelia's house, now graced with lanscaping and a spacious redwood deck. The new ""Florida room"" is carpeted and a screened enclosure off the dining room is completed. Our host reviews the budget with the tired but happy homeowners, as This Old House completes its seventh season.
Our host reviews last season's projects - including the popular ranch-home makeover - and introduces the new project: the renovation of a 40-year-old Cape-style home. Homeowners Claire and John tour the house and our master carpenter surveys the project.
Architect Scott Finn goes over plans for renovating John and Claire's Cape-style home, and demolition and excavation begin. Richard Trethewey gives advice on plumbing and heating needs; and our host takes viewers on a tour of a 200-year-old Cape home.
The mason arrives to work on the footings and foundation of John and Claire's Cape home. Our host then takes viewers to a high-tech concrete block factory. Our master carpenter starts framing the family room addition, and our host looks at the new windows the homeowners have selected. John and Claire start planning the interior design of the new addition, while the crew begins demolition of inside walls.
The guys review progress on the Cape renovation, and then our master carpenter shows how to cut rafters and frame the roof, which is sheathhed with plywood.
Our host reviews the progress to date on the renovation of John and Claire's Cape-style home. New windows are installed, and we turn our attention to the roof, where roofing paper, snow-and-ice shield, and shingles are applied.
Work on the Cape's mechanical systems begins, as rough plumbing, a central vacuuming system, and wiring for a new security system are installed. Our master carpenter starts the foundation for a new deck to be built at the back of the house, and the gas line is laid for the new heating system.
Homeowner John shows our host his expertise in the fine points of blueboard. Our master carpenter works on the foundation of the new desk, and the plumber pays a visit.
We travel to the New Yankee Workshop to see work begin on custom cabinets for the Cape home, with assistance from a expert woodworker. Our host takes a side trip to admire old-fashioned kitchen cabinets in an antique home, and homeowner John demonstrates his plastering technique.
Custom-made kitchen cabinets are installed in John and Claire's home, and Claire turns her attention to the new bathroom, where she installs tiles. Our master carpenter works on interior trim.
Our host takes a trip to see how the synthetic marble material for the new kitchen countertops is made. Plumbing fixtures are installed in the new bathroom; a lighting consultant pays a visit; and an energy-efficient hot water heater is installed. John and Claire visit a lighting supply store.
The Cape receives new flooring and our host visits Sweeden to tour the factory where this do-it-yourself product is manufactured. The exterior of the house is stained.
Work on John and Claire's Cape home is completed. Interior designer Bette Rosenberg leads a tour the house, with its new kitchen featuring high-tech appliances, family room, upstairs bedrooms and bath.
In search of inspiration for a vacation home, our host visits Hyannis on Cape Cod to tour a beach-front home, a luxury condominium and lakeside property. The season's second project gets underway as our host tours Bob Houde's mountainside land in Brimfield, Massachusetts, and they begin to plan the building of a vacation home.
A dowster explains the art of finding water to our host and landover Bob Houde; a well is dug; and a surveyor goes over the fine points of a perc test. The importance of a water-quality test is explained, and our host looks at the special water pump.
We visit a vacation home similar to the one being built in Brimfield, and the homeowner meets with architect Jock Gifford. Later, the new vacation home begins to materialize as lumber arrives and the structure is raised.
Our master carpenter shows us how to install double-hung windows, explains skylight installation and puts a sliding glass door in the vacation home.
Ricard Trethewey pays a visit to Brimfield to discuss the vacation home's heating needs with our host and the homeowner. An exhibition in Malmo, Sweeden, shows the latest designs in manufactured housing.
The vacation home receives interior finishes such as decorative, low-maintenance plywood paneling. Viewers visit our master carpenter's workshop to watch as he builds screens for the veranda.
An energy-efficient wood-burning stove is installed in the vacation home. Our host larns about the new water purifier. We then learn how to hang interior doors. Kitchen appliances and plumbing fixtures installed.
Our host takes viewers on a tour of the finished vacation home. A flooring expert shows how vinyl floors are installed and the vacation home receives various electrical finishing touches, such as smoke detectors, fans and a thermostat.
This Old House visits Pioneer, Arizona, a typical ""Wild West"" town, and our host meets Phoenix homeowners Tom and Ellen to tour their adobe-style house. The homeowners meet with their architect and and contractor.
Our master carpenter pays a surprise visit to This Old House's Phoenix renovation project, and Tom and Ellen begin work on their Southwestern renovation project.
Tom and Ellen's Phoenix home receives exterior insulation and flashing, as well as a typical Southwestern viga and latilla ceiling in the master bedroom for added protection from the heat. The balcony piers and staircase are finished with adobe plastering, and viewers learn how to install flagstone paving. Our host pays a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's famed Talesin West.
The flat roof of Tom and Ellen's Phoenix home is protected with cold membrane roofing, and tiles are laid on the balcony. Our host takes viewers on a tour of an unusual modern ""castle"" on Camelback.
Fixtures are installed in the remodeled bathroom of Tom and Ellen's Phoenix home, and the house receives energy-efficient windows. Our host checks on the progress of the new reading nook, and takes viewers on a visit to the renowned Arizona Biltmore Hotel.
Awnings and special sun-shade screening are used to protect Tom and Ellen's Phoenix home from the southwestern heat, and balcony doors are hung. The landscape designer puts the finishing touches on the backyard pool area of this Sunbelt renovation. Our host escorts viewers on a tour of the territorial-style home, and bids a fond farewell to the charms of Arizona as the eighth season of This Old House draws to a close.
The ninth season of This Old House gets underway as our host tours the Weatherbee Farm, a 1785 farmhouse, with homeowners Bill and Cynthia and architectural historian Sara Chase from the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.
Our master carpenter assesses the condition of Weatherbee Farm and architect Mary Otis Stevens discusses plans for restoration of this 1785 landmark structure. Our heating and plumbing expert pays a visit to the new project, and discusses heating and cooling systems with the homeowners.
Our master carpenter continues to assess the condition of Weatherbee Farm. Architect Mary Otis Stevens shows homeowner Cynthia the model she has created of the farm. Our host and homeowner Bill help out as the dismantling of the ell begins.
Our host and master carpenter discuss the progress of the Weatherbee Farm restoration. Lead removal expert John Vega inspects the house, Richard Trethewey discusses the heating plans for the new kitchen wing and shows the homeowners the radiant heat system in his own house. The foundation for the new win is poured, the homeowners steam off wall paper from the plaster walls, and electrician Buddy Bisnaw stops by to discuss rewiring the house with our host.
Our master carpenter supervises the raising of the wall that finishes enclosing the partially framed new kithcen addition. Our host checks in with the homeowners and gives an update on the restorations progress.
Our host and master carpenter install true divided light French doors in Weatherbee Farm's new kitchen addition. Homeowners Bill and Cynthia start roofing the addition with Western red cedar shingles. An asbestos removal expert shows us how this hazardous material is removed from the basement pipes.
Our host gives an update on the progress of the Weatherbee Farm restoration. Windows are installed in the new wing, and our host takes viewers to Bayport, Minnesota, to visit a state-of-the-art window factory that covers 50 acres.
Our host and master painter Sam Perry of the Edward K. Perry Paint Company discuss the preparation of Weatherbee Farm for exterior painting. Insulation specialist Larry Gordon determines the insulation needs of the house and master carpenter installs fir decking on the front porch. In the cellar, the old furnace and pipes - now free of their asbestos insulation - are removed.
Our master carpenter crafts decorative arches for the exterior of the new kitchen addition and installs them over the French doors. Our host supervises as decorative balusters are lathed, and insulation is blown into the existing structure. In Weatherbee Farm's front parlor, the ceiling is replaced.
Work starts on the deck railings, and our master carpenter shows our host how to turn decorative bausters on a lathe. Painting foreman Chester Glowacz gives step-by-step instruction on painting window sash, while inside, the new addition insulated.
Exterior work on Weatherbee Farm continues as paint and restoration specialist Sam Perry supervises preparation of the house for painting, starting with priming. A special European techinque is used to line the aged chimney to make it safe for modern heating systems. Our host sees how new wooden gutters are installed on the front porch. Then he and landscape architect Tom Wirth discuss plans for the grounds.
Our host and master painter Sam Perry discuss the progress of Weratherbee Farm's exterior paint work. The new addition is blueboarded, and plaster Calvin Mills demonstrates his art. Security systems specialist Edmund F. Baker shows us the hard-wired security system recommended for the house. Our master carpenter instructs homeowner Bill in replacing window sash cords.
Our master carpenter installs barnboard from the old well at one end of the new kitchen addition. Tom McGrath stops by to discuss restoring the new wellhead for a decorative feature. A new driveway is excavated and paved with backrun.
Our host visits a New Hampshire mill, where reproduction shutters are crafted using 19th century equipment. At Weatherbee Farm, the front porch has a new rubber membrane roof, and master carpenter hangs shutters.
The outside of Weatherbee Farm is the focus, as a stone wall is built in the garden area, work starts on a brick wall. Inside, the guys uncover some of the hardwood floor in search of a fireplace hearth.
At Weatherbee Farm, landscaping proceeds as shrubs and flowers are planted, and the renovated wellhead is installed. In the dining room, master carpenter uncovers some of the hardwood floor in search of a fireplace hearth.
Southern yellow, pine flooring is laid over the new radiant heat system in the Weatherbee Farm's kitchen addition. At our master carpenter's workshop, the guys shows how the vanity for the new master bathroom was built. Our host looks at the title to be installed in the shower stall of the new master bath and tires out a new system for removing paint.
Cast acrylic countertops and sink and hancrafted, custom-made cabinets are installed in Weatherbee Farm's new kitchen addition, and our host visits the workshop where the countertops were fabricated. Our master carpenter demonstrates a new saw. Outside, new picket-style fencing is installed in the garden and surface gravel is spread on the driveway.
A specialist from the E.K. Perry Paint Company demonstrates the art of sponge painting in Weatherbee Farm's living room. Artisan Jeannie Serpa shows us the art of painting in the faux marble techinque. Wallpaper is hung in the nursery and Jeff Hoskings refinishes a floor.
Our host leads us on a tour of the finished and decorated Weatherbee Farm with interior designer Jean LeMon. Upstairs, designer Joe Ruggiero shows us simple decorated techniques used in the master bedroom and bath.
Our host takes viewers to Santa Barbara, California, to meet homeowners Susan and David and tour their 1923 Craftsman bungalow. Architect Brian Cearnal and the contractor are introduced to our host and our master carpenter.
Our host reviews the plans for remodeling Susan and David's bungalow. Demolition of the partially finished attic begins. Our host visits the Gamble House in Pasadena, a 1908 Craftsman landmark designed by Charles and Henry Greene.
Richard Trethewey introduces Santa Barbara heating and plumbing contractor George Brazil. Framing of the bungalow's new hip-roof dormer begins under the crew's supervision. Our master carpenter begins milling the pergola and a new stairway is being built.
Work on the California bungalow continues with the homeowners pitching in. The crew starts shingling the new roof, and our master carpenter starts to assemble the pergola. Electrician Rudy Escalera stops by and landscape architect Grant Castleberg shows his rough design plans. Later, our host takes a tour of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
Our host gives a progress report on the Craftsman bungalow project and finishing touches are put on the house as tiling is completed and a new door is hung.
Work on Susan and David's Craftsman bungalow is completed, and our host gives viewers through the newly enlarged house, as the ninth season of This Old House draws to close.
Our host tours Lexington real estate with agent June Goodwin, looking at older homes as well as newer construction. We tour a new condo development, and then meet our new project's homeowners, Mary-Van and Jim Sinek.
Mary-Van and Jim Sinek discuss expanding their side-by-side, two-family Lexington home with a new addition, which will double the existing square-footage of one unit and include a new master bedroom and bathroom, enlarged and efficient kitchen with adjacent breakfast room / dining room for family reunions and the bed-and-breakfast operation a spacious family room, two outdoor decks: one for family use, the other for b-and-b guests; and an attached two-car garage. Our host visits a local bed and breakfast for a behind-the-scenes look at how it's done. Then Jim and our host discuss the architect's model for the project.
Our host shows us how to use a laser level, which excavators use to achieve uniform depth for foundation footings. He, our master carpneter and excavator Herb Brockett discuss excavation plans and begins the loam removal. Then our host pays a visit to the Metropolitan Home's Showcase, a five-story classic Manhattan townhouse decorated by world-class artists and designers including Mario Buatta, David Hockney, Norma Kamali and Wolfgang Puck to beneift AIDS patients.
Our host and master carpenter meet with Gene Romanelli to discuss foundation footings and begin pouring the concrete garage slab. Our host then discusses a revised floorplan with the architect. Interior demolition begins in the old part of the house. Our host tours another local bed and breakfast with owners Joan and Fletch Ashley.
Jim Sinek and the guys remove the interior wall in the living room. Our host meets with concrete specialist Rich Toohey, and then watches the installation of the bulkhead. Richard Trethewey pays a visit to discuss the existing heating system and the possibilities for a new one.
Our host watches demolition in the kitchen, including the removal of the sink and cabinets. Then he and Mary-Van discuss options for the new kitchen. We meet up with Tom Silva to learn the finer points of house framing. Our host joins Mary-Van in the demolition of the kitchen ceiling.
After getting a progress report from our host, our master carpenter confers with Tom Silva. Our host then meets with Tom Wirth to discuss a wheelchair accessible-entry for the new house. Then he meets again with Mary-Van to discuss the budget and further changes in the floorplan.
The garage is nearly complete and fitted with trim that has been primed before construction. Our host and Mary-Van discuss insulation in the garage ceiling and the wall that meets the kitchen. Our master carpenter and general contractor install a low-maintenance, vinyl-clad window that has been adapted to make it more appropriate to a 1800s house. Then our host meets with security specialist Don Martini to learn more about interior and exterior motion detection systems, as well as reprogrammable alarm access code for bed and breakfast guests. He then meets up with our master carpenter on the roof where he's installed a skylight. Richard Trethewey debates the merits of different heating and cooling systems, including gas-fried furnaces, radiant-style baseboard heating, heat exchangers, and low-noise air conditioning units.
Cedar siding arrives and the crew begins to install it. Lighting consultant Dick Metchears meets with our host to discuss fixtures. Audio consultant Dr. Amar Bose discusses the home audio system. Finally Richard Trethewey presents the new system chosen to heat the house.
Our host meets with landscape artist Roger Hopkins to check his progress on the granite wall and terrace. Then we visit the Blue Mountain Quarry in South Ryegate, Vermont, where the stone originated. Back in Lexington, Mary-Van is busy looking at paint samples and choosing colors for the new rooms.
Our host and Tom Wirth look at the new plantings that have arrived at the jobsite. We then check Roger Hopkins' progress on the granite steps, terrace and garden pool. Inside, our host finds Tom Silva installing rigid insulation. Then he and Dick Metchears discuss lighting options for the garage. Lastly, Jed Harrison of the EPA educates us on the dangers of radon: how homeowners can detect it and what actions can be taken to make a home radon safe.
The crew is busy installing the new decking at the back of the house. Our host meets with zero-clearance fireplace specialist Lou DeMaria to discuss the living room's new fireplace. He then talks over plumbing fixtures with Richard Trethewey and then head down to the basement to see the pipes and how they can be check for leaks. Then Mary visits a plumbing supply house to select new fixtures.
Our host meets with Tom Wirth to discuss progress on lanscaping. Then we watch as Ken Dickenson puts in the exposed aggregate concrete wheelchair walkway. Later, he'll wash the concrete off to expose the pebble aggregate. Joe Manzi installs a central vacuum system and explains to Mary-Von hot it works. The crew installs the garage door.
The new plantings are in and a vegetable garden fence is put in place. The crew installs wallboard while our host and our master carpenter see a butane heater that will be use to keep the house warm and allow plasters to work without damaging the walls until the actual heating system is in working order. Then we visit a couple who has modified their home for future wheelchair access. Finally, our host meets electrical contractor Buddy Bisnaw who is installing a Square D breaker box.
Our host and master carpenter discusses how the rain gutters can best divert water away from the fir deck, wooden doors, and kitchen windows. Then the crew installs plywood panelling in the basement, and we make a visit to the plant where it was made. Mary-Van shows us the wheelchair accessible bathroom, where extra supports are in place to hold a freestanding sink and to provide sturdy grab-bars. The crew stalls cedar paneling in a storage over the garage. The outside of the house gets a first coat of primeras the show comes to a close.
Our host and Jim Sinek discuss the budget. Meanwhile, plastering contractors have begun their work. Our host tries out plastering stilts. Then we visit a bed and breakfast in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where the homeowners used the B&B income to restore their 1770 farmhouse to museum quality. Back in Lexington, our host checks out the fireplace chimney pipe in the attic. Outside, the crew has built a faux chimney to hide the metal pipe and give it a brick facade.
The guys erect a lamppost in the frontyard. Carpet underlayment is installed in the home office, while the crew also hangs burlap coverings on the walls. Bob Reed hangs suspended, acoustical tiles on the room's ceiling. Tom Wirth and Roger Cook watch the sod arrive and discuss grass blend and ground preparation before the sod is laid out.
The crew installs a metal railing on the granite patio using hydrolic cement. We then visit a single-family home development in Aurora, Illinois, featuring houses so energy-efficient the builder guarantees that annual heating bills will not exceed $200.
At the front of the house, our host watches Charlie McGongagle put up a permanent drain pipe, while John Silva installs a new storm door. In the master bedroom, our master carpenter is busy trimming the windows, while Mary-Van is painting window sashes. In the basement, our host watches as Tom Silva levels the basement floor where the washer and dryer will be located using a plaster based compound. Tile is set in the upstairs bath.
Our host and electrical contractor Buddy Bisnaw discuss outlets in the kitchen. Richard Trethewey accepts delivery of a new one-piece toilet and a pedestal sink. Then we visit the American Standard factory where these fixtures were manufactured. Back in Lexington, the crew sets in place wooden rain gutter that will divert water off the deck area.
When we arrive at the jobsite, we find homeowners Jim and Mary-Van outside painting clapboards. Inside, our host meets the Sinek children who are painting the ceilings. The tiling contractors are hard at work in the wheelchair accessible and master bedrooms, while in the living room Richard Trethewey shows off the new baseboard heating system.
The crew installs a new newel post on the main staircase. Then we tour the Morgan Door company, manufacturers of a true divided-light french doors. Back at the jobsite, our host and John Silva put finishing touches on the stairway.
At the bed and breakfast's enterance, our host and flooring contractor Jeff Hosking discuss refinishing and patching the 80-year-old fir floor. In the new part of the house, the crew is installing a pre-finished oak flooring while a vinyl floor is laid in the kitchen. The kitchen cabinets have arrived, and Mary-Van and our host unpack one for a closer look. In the upstairs hall, our master carpenter is working on a reading nook, placing bookcases and a seat he made earlier in his workshop.
Our host and Tom Silva are hard at work on the fireplace, mounting an new mantel and facing the surround with half-brick. We see construction of a man-made marble shower stall. The same material will be used for kitchen countertops. In the old part of the house, Jeff Hosking is trying to match the stain on the new fir flooring to that of the old. Our host finds Richard Trethewey installing fixtures in the wheelchair accessible bathroom, while our master carpenter puts the finishing touches on the reading nook and Tom Silva installs pull-down attic stairways.
The Corian countertops are installed in the kitchen. Our host discusses appliances with General Electric appliance designer Bob Mundt. Our host test the stain-resistant carpet that's gone upstairs, and then meets with representatives from the bank that helped finance the renovations. Finally, our master carpenter installs a vanity in the master bathroom.
Our host and Joe Ruggiero, editor of Home magazine and an interior decorator, tour the finished house. Richard Trethewey shows us the air conditioner, garbage disposal and shower door as they are installed. Alarm specialist Don Martini thst the house's new system. The house tour ends with a farewell to homeowners Jim and Mary-Van.
This Old House returns for its eleventh season with our master carpenter, who introduces the series' new host. The guys survey the project: an 1835 barn in Concord, Massachusetts, and talk to the homeowners, Lynn and Barbara, who want to dismantle and rebuild the barn and live in it.
The guys send homeowners Lynn and Barbara to Nantucket, while they visit a bar that has been remodeled into a home, and take a look at a timber-frame house designed by Jock Gifford. In Concord, the farm's old gas tank is removed.
Timber-frame expert Tedd Benson and the crew dismantle the barn. Homeowners Barbara and Lynn meet with designer Jock Gifford to plan their new home, and visit a nearby carriage house that had been converted to a residence.
Down the hill from the building site in Concord, well-driller Dave Haynes prepares to fill a well. The guys work on the foundation, and a septic tank is installed.
We travel to Brattleboro, Vermont to take a look at a factory where stress-skin panels are made. After openings for doors and windows are cut, these panels will be applied to the barn's post-and-beam frame. In his Alstead, New Hampsire, workshop, timber-framer Tedd Benson shows us how traditional post-and-beam buildings are designed using computer-aided-design technology.
At the Concord site, Tedd Benson and other members of the Timber Framers Guild of North America lead a workshop where students learn how to measure, cut and join timbers for the barn's post-and-beam frame. We then go to Wiscassett, Maine, to visit a sawmill and watch as a tree is transformed into timbers ready for use in the barn's frame.
The barn's massive frame is put up by hand at an old-fashioned barn-raising, and topped off with a tree for good fortune.
Stress-skin panels are installed over the barn's finished frame, and work on the well is completed.
Custom-made windows are installed in the Concord barn, and deluxe sklights are that feature one-step installation bring light into the great space and bedrooms. The crew hangs clapboards that the homeowners have stained on both sides, and landscape architect Tom Wirth discusses landscaping possibilities.
A concrete slab is poured in the basement. The crew reviews the progress on the barn renovation.
The well is connected to the house, and our host discusses the barn's new plumbing system with Richard Trethewey. Mason Roger Hopkins builds a stone wall on the barn's fromt exposure.
Tom Wirh reviews the progress of the landscaping work. Barbara visits a kitchen design center.
Richard Trethewey explains the barn's new heating system. Drywalling begins, and an air-exchanger is installed, and landscaping work continues.
Richard Trethewey takes viewers on a tour of a boiler factory in Battenberg, West Germany, where parts of the barn's high-tech heating system were manufactured.
A custom stairway is installed in the Concord barn, an we visit Neenah, Wisconsin, to see how the structure was manufactured.
Our host takes a side trip to a futuristic show house in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where plastic is used in novel ways. After Richard Trethewey shows how plastic piping has been laid for the barn's radiant heating system, lightweight concrete is poured on the first floor.
Terra-cotta tiling begins. The crew cases and frames the doors the doors and windows. We then visit a plant in Western Massachusetts where shingles and other asphalt products are recycled to make paving material that will be used on the driveway of the Concord barn.
Tiling continues in the in the guest bathroom, while lighting fixtures are installed along the beams in the great space. At the workshop, the guys build library doors.
The barn nears completion as wide pine flooring is laid and the kitchen appliances are installed. Richard Trethewey shows us a West German Plumbing fixture factory.
The project draws to a close as Jean Lemmon, editor-in-chief of Country Home magazine, tours the finished barn.
The show travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for its newest project: the renovation of a traditional Southwestern adobe home. The homeowners - both artists - shows us around their four-room home. Our host confers with local architect John Midyette and tours a new house in Santa Fe.
Sharon Woods, co-author of Santa Fe Style, takes viewers on a tour of some notable local houses. At the site, adobe walls are laid and vigas (roof rafters) are set.
Traditional kiva (beehive) fireplaces are constructed. Windows and doors are installed.
Richard Trethewey supervises installation of an in-floor radiant heating system, small wall-mounted air conditioners and plumbing fixtures. Our master carpenter begins work on his custom-built kitchen cabinets.
We visit the Ashfork, Arizona, yard that is suppling the flagstone flooring for the kitchen and library. Back in Santa Fe, the flagstone is laid; saltillo tiling commences; and the kitchen cabinets are installed.
Marble countertops are installed in the kitchen, and we visit the marble finishing yard in Juarez, Mexico, where they were made. We get a tour of the finished adobe home and bid hasta lugeo to Santa Fe.
We begin our 12th season with the restoration of Hazel Briceno's triple-decker, three-family home in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Together with the Residental Development Program of the Public Facilities Department of Boston, we'll renovate all three floors. First, we soak in the sights and sounds of Jamaica Plain. Then our host heads off to meet with Lisa Chapnick, head of Boston's Public Facilities Department. Finally, the guys introduce homeowner Hazel Briceno and meet contractor Abel Lopes.
The guys explore lead paint-health hazards, inspection, and removal.
The issue of vinyl siding is discussed. Cellulose insulation is blown-in from the interior. A variety of replacement windows is reviewed. Kithcen and bathroom redesign begins with Glenn Berger.
Abel Lopes explains construction of rear porches. Our master carpenter shows us how to install the new replacement windows. Vinyl siding goes on, kitchen and bath design plans are unveiled, and our plumbing and heating specialist discusses the homeowner's options.
Our master carpenter works on front porch. We get a lesson from the plastering crew on blueboarding. We then tour a Canadian gypsum mine and New Hampshire factory where gypsum rock is turned into wallboard.
The guys discuss the basement windows. Landscape architect Tom Wirth makes a preliminary lanscaping survey. The guys go over the pre-inspection plumbing. We then tour a factory in Charlotte, North Carolina, where PVC plastic pipe is made. Hazel visits Glenn Berger's showroom to choose kitchen cabinets, counters and flooring.
Home magazine editor Joe Ruggiero tours the house and discusses with Hazel ideas for interior decorating on a budget. Our master carpenter reconstructs the front porch post. Our host gets a lesson on plastering.
A visit to the Charlotte, North Carolina, chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a national organization that provides affordable housing through no-interest loans, sweat equity and volunteer help. Richard Trethewey explains the water and gas supply and the water heaters back at the triple-decker.
The guys install the new front porch columns and build a railing system. Abel Lopes and Amy Wrigley tour the house to see progress on the back shed, deleaded window trim and the new tile in bathroom. The guys then discuss baseboard heating and the boilers.
The crew installs the brackets they've built the workshop. The front door is stained and sealed. Hazel and Tom Wirth visit a nursery for the end-of-month season bargains, and Howard Husock, a housing researcher, takes viewers on a field trip to Worchester, Massachusetts, home of many fine triple-deckers.
Our host tries some sanblasting to get rid of the graffiti on front of the house. Our master carpenter installs some of the trim he made in the workshop. Our host takes viewers to Japan, where he tours a typical apartment and visits a model home park, where shoppers can choose among a variety of prefabricated houses.
Tom Wirth and Hazel lay out the plants for the front garden and a picket fence is installed. Our master carpenter and Abel discuss the upcoming lead reinspection for the stripped trim on the first floor and take a look at the store-bought old-style trim on the second floor. We return to Japan, where we tour a modular home factory and watch as a home is constructed at a jobsite in a mere four and a half hours.
We tour the vacant city-owned lot across the street with Stephanie Bothwell, senior landscape architect with the City of Boston. There, trees and bushes are being planted as part of a neighborhood-approved lot improvement scheme. Stephanie and Tom Wirth visit horticulturist Gary Kohler at the Arnold Arboretum to view suitable trees for city landscaping. Back at the house, Glenn Berger gives us a tour of the kitchens, as our master carpenter installs cabinets in Hazel's unit. Finally, we visit the Chicago Home Center Show, the largest of its kind.
Our host and Amy Wrigley tour two Public Facilities Department houses that will soon be on the market. At the workshop, the guys pre-hang the front door and install its lock system.
At the house, the guys install the new front door. Hazel's security system is reviewed. Jeff Hosking checks out the state of the house's floors, sanding what he can. Our host then takes viewers to the historic Gardner-Pingree House in Salem, Massachusetts, to see how floorclothes are made.
Our master carpenter tiles Hazel's bathroom with vinyl tile, Richard Trethewey gives us a lesson on installing a kitchen sink and disposal, and we visit a carpet factory in Lyerly, Georgia.
The guys visit the International Carpetry Apprenticeship Contest in Seattle, Washington. Back in Jamaica Plain, Richard Trethewey and our master carpenter look over some of the newly arrived appliances, and our host goes across town to check out a modular triple-decker going up on an abandoned lot.
The final day. Boston's Mayor Ray Flynn drops by to welcome Hazel to the city and gives her a wreath. Designer Joe Ruggiero shows us the three different treatments he gave each floor of the triple-decker, and we see how the stenciling and checkerboarding in the foyer were done. Out at the workshop, the guys build a folding screen for the first-floor dining room.
The 13th season opens with a visit to Hazel Biceno's triple-decker in Jamaica Plain, site of the 12th season's main project. We then go to Wayland, Massachusetts, site of this year's house, and meet homeowner Chris Hagger, who gives him a tour. The crew casts a cold, contractor's eye on the 1815 National Historic Register home and tells the Haggers (Chris, wife Joan, and children Andrew and Jason) that they'll need to spend a sizable chunk of their $200K budget on basic repairs and upgrades.
Work begins on Kirkside, with Tom Silva and crew beginning to remove the old ashphalt shingles. Our host discusses roof ventilation and drip edge with our master carpenter and Tom, then catches up with Greg Clancy, an architectural conservator. With the help of an architectural model, Greg and Chris Hagger discuss the house's history and the issue of ""how far back"" to restore it. Meanwhile, a percolation test has been run to determine where to site the new septic field.
The guys and homeowner Chris Hagger discuss Chris' decision to go with architectural-grade shingles on his new roof. On the roof, the crew installs shingles and a roll-out roof vent. Our host then visits a recycling facility that processes construction debris as well as community recyclables. Back at the house, a preservation mason gives the fireplaces and chimneys the once-over, recommending a careful cleaning for the former and rebuilding for the latter.
The guys begin to dismantle the front portico in preparation for its restoration to its 1888 look. Our host meets George Lewis, chairman of the Wayland Historic District Commission, to discuss the commission's concerns, while up on the roof our general contractor installs a rubber roofing system. Inside, Chris Hagger and designer Jock Gifford discuss ways of improving some preliminary kitchen plans and look at the problems confronting the master suite space.
Mason Lenny Belleveau teaches us the ins and outs of chimney-top flue dampers from and then checks out the work on the chimney sweeps. Down at sill-level, the guys discuss the replacement of one part of the sill and the consolidation of another using an absorbable epoxy. SPNEA head restoration carpenter Tom Decatur demonstrates another version of the epoxy used for filling voids in rotted wood. The crew demolishes the kitchen, and kitchen designer Glenn Berger recaps the evolution of the kitchen Chris and Joan Hagger.
The guys tours the site, looking at the grading and draining work of Herb Brockert. The crew jacks the western facade and replaces rotted sections of the sill. SPNEA's Greg Clancey does some preliminary detective work in his task of determining the building's 1888 color scheme. Richard Trethewey removes the old steam boiler and discusses heating options for the upper floors.
The crew pours footings for the new portico, and the guys tour the demolished bathroom and kitchen, reviewing framing plans. Outside, we meet deleader Dave Rugato, whose crew is scraping lead painf off the building. Electrician Paul Kennedy shows us some of his preminary concerns with the wiring of the new spaces, and landscape architect Tom Wirth walks the property with homeowner Joan Hagger.
Our master carpenter completes the radius frame for the front portico deck, while our general contractor reviews the new engineered wood framing for the kitchen and master bath. Excavator Herb Brockert begins digging the leaching field for the new septic system. Asbestos is removed from pipes in the basement.
Our host checks in again with Herb Brockert, who has installed the leaching pits. Middlesex Lead continues prep work on the exterior, powerwashing for a good painting surface. We visit the SPNEA lab to find out how the 1888 color scheme was discovered. Finally the guys install a new kitchen window, which gives the historic look of true divided light while providing the advantages of modern insulated glass.
Our host shows dry well for perimeter drainage, then catches up with our general contractor, who proposes settting the new entry door into the porch to provide shelter and pre-empt the use of a gutter along that side of the porch. They set in kitchen skylights. A paint technology expert talks about paint prep and choice of paints. At the workshop, our master carpenter turns new mahogany balusters. Back at the house, our host urges Chris and Joan to think about their kitchen lighting before the rough wiring begins.
The guys install a new bulkhead, while Herb Brockert puts in the septic tank, pump chamber and pump. Our host attends the Wayland Historic Commission meeting to watch the debate over Kirkside's proposed repainting. We then visit a paint store to have the historic paint colors computer matched.
Our host reviews rough wiring an plumbing porgies in the kitchen, then checks in with eletrician Paul Kennedy for a discussion of work box installation. Our plumbing and heating specialist explains the new zoned heating system, boiler, and hot water heater. New patio doors go in, and we visit a pair of computer modelers who have created a photo-real rendition of the proposed Kirkside kitchen.
Richard Trethewey shows us a gas company truck that runs on natural gas, then takes us inside to see progress on radiant floor heating. Chris Hagger accepts delivery of concrete for a new porch slab from a truck that mixes up small amounts on-site. The crew lays out the slab over the radiant tubing. The guys work with old planes to see how moldings were made long ago, while Tom Silva runs new molding for the eaves with a knife he custom made. Finally, we visit a lighting showroom to see some of the kitchen lighting the homeowners have chosen.
Wallboard arrives by boom truck and our host helps unload it. Electrician Paul Kennedy gives a lesson on how to cut a light switch into an old plaster wall, and we check on progress in the master bath. Outside, landscape architect Tom Wirth shows his master plan to Chris Hagger, while plants go in around the property. Back in the workshop, our master carpenter and host build redwood railings for the new portico.
Tom Silva explains the insulation he's been puting up in the kitchen, and in the master bath. We see a new screw gun the blueboarders are using, and then get a tour of the new air conditioning system. In the basement, Paul Kennedy installs a new generation of breaker boxes. Back at the workshop, our master carpenter bulids column support boxes for the portcio. Finally, the crew installs the grass entry door in the new back porch.
A licenced crew removes the two basement oil tanks. Mason Roger Hopkins splits granite for the portico foundation, while in the kitchen, designer Glenn Berger begins to install the cabinets. Our master carpenter trims out a new French door in the ballroom, and a wallpaper conservator gives us a rundown on the history and condition of the rare Zuber paper hung in the ballroom.
We meet Sam DeFrost, who points out the features of the new fence. Our master carpenter begins to fit the new portico together, and Roger Hopkins lays in a stone walkway using scrap granite slabs. We take a tour of US Treasury Building rooms that are undergoing historic restoration. Back at Kirkside, Paul Vogan installs the vinyl flooring in the master bathroom.
Richard Trethewey explains ways of preventing pipe freeze-ups. In the kitchen, lighting designer Melissa Guenet and electrician Paul Kennedy shows us the the low-voltage and undercabinet lights, then we visit to a fabrication shop where Kirkside's countertops are being made. Back at the house, the guys put a cedar skirt on the new portico, Chris Hagger gives a tour of the house's new security system, and a wallpaper hanger instructs Chris on the papering of the master bedroom.
The final day in Kirkside begins in the steeple of the church, where minister Ken Sawyer gives us a look at the Paul Revere and Son bell. Down at the portico, our master carpenter installs the finishing touch: a curved and kerfed step. Out back, George Lewis and Paul Gardescu of the town's historic district commission give their opinion on the final product. Inside, Glenn Berger gives a tour of the kitchen, and we take a trip to Ohio to see how the dishwasher was built. Richard Trethewey shows off the master bath, and designer Judy George takes us through the decorated four-season porch, master bedroom and ballroom.
This Old House goes to London for its first overseas project. Our host meets wit hhomeowners Jeremy and Carla Vogler -he's American, she's Australian - while our master carpenter visits their British contractor, David Booth, at one of his jobsites. With their realitor, we see two other flats the Volgers considered before buying the raw-space top floor of a circa 1850 townhouse, which they propose to open up and modernize. Our host visits an architect to discuss the planning permission necesary before the mansard roof can be altered or a roof deck put on.
Contractor David Booth introduces us to a ""rag and bone"" man who collects scrap from building sites with his cart and horse. David explains the elaborate scaffolding job and then takes us up to the flat, where the roof is off and bricklayers are extending the mansard sides. Our master carpenter arrives to give the British crew a lesson on pneumatic nailing, and he and David go off to The Building Centre, a showroom of building supplies and design ideas. At the flat, architect Trevor Clapp and homeowner Carla discuss the evolution of the flat's floorplan. Finally, our host and homeowner Jeremy tour a kitchen design shop.
The guys start the day with the English crew at breakfast. At the site, they inspect the new beam work with contractor, David Booth. Richard Trethewey goes through the flat and discusses the plans, and then takes viewers to Bath, site of Roman plumbing works around 2,000 years old. Our host catches up with homeowners Carla and Jeremy, who have just recieved news that they are over budget.
Our host visits the Tower of London and meets a Beefeater and one of the famous ravens. At the flat, site supervisor, Finn Hurley, updates us on framing and roofing progress. We then visit master thatcher Christopher White and get a lesson in this ancient roofing art. Our master carpenter visits a woodworking shop where the Volgers' new stairs will be made. Back at the flat, David Booth arrives with news that the local planning authority has said work must stop on the mansard extension so that they can review the proposed plan. A planning consultant adds his comments, and the homeowners are given the news.
Made-in-the-U.S.A. windows arrive by air freight on the site, where the council planner has given the Volgers three design options for making their front facade acceptable. David and the guys look at plastering in the master bedroom and dry rot treatment in the stairwell. Then they take a trip to the country, where our master carpenter looks for some old columns at an antiques warehouse and our host tours an ancient mansion. Back at the flat, the guys look at new plasterboard nail guns and a convertible table saw, and Carla explain Jeremy's decision to move the steel structure back.
The show starts at an ancient stone circle on the Salisbury Plain, then we check progress on the site. Richard Trethewey explains the shower, pump and heating systems and introduces plumber Stan Newton. On the roof, David shows the single membrane weatherproofing system. Our master carpenter points out the features of the American custom windows, and then takes viewers to the workshop where the flat's kitchen furniture is being made.
Our master carpenter shows us the details of the new staircase leading up to the flat. Carla goes through the lighting plan for the entire flat. David Booth reviews the front wall and discusses the kitchen installation. Tiler Terry Hallow works in the master bathroom, while the guys inspect the hardwood flooring and trim and stainless steel hardware. We then visit the Thames Barrier. New steel beams are fitted in the front wall, and only a few feet away, Jeremy looks at the recently installed kitchen. Design consultant Peter Leonard walks through the flat with Carla.
The new season kicks off with a visit to the Haggers at Kirkside in Wayland. The lawn has come in, and the place looks great. Then it's off to Newton, where a developer has found it economically sound to buy up tired little ranches and upgrade them ratically - the idea the show will explore this season. In Lexington, our host meets Brian and Jan Ioge, and their children Brennan and Sarah, in the ranch house they've lived in for the past nine years. They want to expand it, and the crew agrees that the basic structure is sound and can be added onto without the need for repair first. The guys tell the Igoes they'll help them on their project.
We meet architect Graham Gund in his offices at Bulfinch Square, a historic complex he restored. After a tour of the offices, Graham takes our host to look a house he designed in the Massachusetts countryside. He agrees to take on the redesign of the Igoes' ranch. Meanwhile, our master carpenter investigates a new style of insulated concrete foundation forms. At the ranch, architect Rick Bechtel discusses the Igoes' wish list with them.
Architect Graham Gund reveals his plans for the Igoes' ranch, using a model and drawings. The crew begins to file a for a building permit and to figure material and labor cost using a computer program. Meanwhile, our host takes viewers back to London to see Jeremy and Carla Vogler in their now-complete flat.
Our host catches up with homeowners Jan and Brian Igoe, urging them to vacate the premises before the demolition begins. The guys discuss the strategy of laying down fiberboard to protect the house's oak floors during construction. Tom Silva tracks down Richard Trethewey to find out how he plans to heat the new addition. We meet foundation contractor Ken Lewis hard at work digging the front bump-out's footing and learn about the Dig Safe program. (Ken hits an unmarked water pipe.) Then we take a look at the foundation hole for the new addition. A concrete cutter puts a doorway through the old foundation wall to connect with the new cellar. Graham Gund and Rick Bechtel discuss continuing design changes to the new addition.
Arborist Matt Foti and crew remove a large swamp marple from the site. Tom Silva takes us to see another, simpler ranch expansion he did in a nearby town. Back at the site, our master carpenter and host discuss the new polystyrene insulating foundation forms Ken Lewis is installing; then the concrete is pumped over the house and into the completed forms. Later, our host checks in to see the slab poured and termiticide applied to the new foundation's perimeter.
Lumber arrives on the site, and mason Lenny Belleveau applies a hard cement coating to the above-grade portion of the styrofoam foundation forms. Architect Graham Gund leads a tour of Church Court, an adaptive reuse project where a burnt-out church was transformed into a condominium.
With the roof demolished, the crew begins to deck over the second floor. The addition is decked over, and our master carpenter and architect Rick Bechtel discuss plans for the new front entrance. Our host talks with homeowner Brian Igoe about his new chimney, and then tours a ranch renovation in a nearby town.
With framing well underway, homeowner Jan Igoe gives our host a tour of the developing spaces inside the house. He then talks to framing specialist Gil Straujups, who has been hired to speed the job along. Richard Trethewey supervises the removal of the house's underground oil tank. In the new mudroom, our master carpenter shows how he is attaching closet sills to the concrete floor. Then architect Rick Bechtel takes on a tour of a nearby housing development where the homes are historically inspired.
Homeowners Brian and Jan tour the house and see how the kitchen ceiling has been removed. Landscape architect Tom Wirth visits the site and accepts the challenge of reworking the approach to the house's front entrance. Tom Silva shows us some new ventilation chutes he's using, as well as an engineered wood trim. Then we visit timber-framer Tedd Benson at a jobsite on Squam Lake, New Hamshire, and see Tedd and his crew fabricate scissor trusses for the Igoes' great space.
The timber trusses are craned into new place in the new addition, with stress-skin panels following to form the new roof. Tom Wirth arrives to show us two alternatives for the new entrance's landscaping, and inside Richard Trethewey demonstrates how the waste pipes were modified to handle the two new bathrooms. The guys examine the architectural shingles that are going on the new roof.
The crew prepares an opening to accept a new window. Housewrap is discussed, and inside our general contractor demonstrates how he is triming out the windows with engineered wood trim. Upstairs, our host discusses various parts of the library's design with Brian and Jan, and we see how mason Lenny Belleveau built the library's fireplace. We then meets Todd Dumas, who is putting the copper valleys onto the building. Our host shows the ridge vents that are part of the roof venting system, then catches up with electrician Paul Kennedy, who shows the mix of new and old wiring he's facing.
Our host arrives on site to discover stone mason Roger Hopkins at work on the new landscaping. Landacaping architect Tom Wirth explains the evolution of the winning plan. Inside, homeowner Brian Igoe is painstakingly back-priming all the vertical cedar siding, while the guys struggle to make the mitred corners on the redwood clapboards match up. Our host takes viewers on a tour of the factory where the windows were built. Back at the site, roofer Todd Dumas and his assistant Rusty put a standing-seam copper roof on one of the great room's bays. Inside, the guys discuss a piece of built-in furniture the architect has specified for the great room.
Work continues on the front landscaping, and Tom Wirth gives us a update on the layout. Inside, Richard Trethewey shows us the plastic tubing that has made rough plumbing proceed quickly. Stone mason Roger Hopkins is proceeding, with granite steps going in and a concrete slab poured at the front entrance. At the workshop, our master carpenter fabricates the columns architect Graham Gund has designed for the front enterance. Then we tour a Gund project outside St. Louis.
Our host catches up with Graham Gund as the architect discusses design issues with Jan Igoe. Meanwhile, our master carpenter tours the US Forest Service's Forest Products Lab, where wood is tested and evaluated. Back on site, Richard Trethewey guides through the process of installing a whirlpool tub, while Jan continues to insulate the building. Kitchen and bath designer Glenn Berger shows off the layout of the new kitchen.
The job has suddenly taken a turn for the better, thanks in part to the homeowners' cleanup efforts. The crew installs the double front door, and electrician Paul Kennedy shows us the centralized audio/video/telephone wiring system he's installing. Our master carpenter continues his visit to the Forest Products Lab, where he sees recycled wood and paper technology. Back at the site, blueboard is going up in the great room, and landscaper Roger Cook goes to dig up a ""pre-owned"" tree for the use in the Igoes' front yard.
After a major snowstorm, we arrive on site to find the granite steps installed and Herb Brockert's grading work in the backyard complete. Our master carpenter puts in the columns at the front entrance. Then we check in with Richard Trethewey, who explains the placement of the new oil tank in the garage. Upstairs, the plasters are hard at work, patching a section of the old living room ceiling with drywall compound and applying veneer plaster along a curved section under the new staircase. Tom Silva installs extension jambs in the great room's windows, while in the basement, the man who cut a hole in the foundation returns to try to smooth out the slab. Finally, Glenn Berger gives a tour of the kitchen as the cabinets begin to go in.
Roger Hopkins puts in the last pieces of the front stairs: flagging made from ""scrap"" granite. Inside, lighting designer Melissa Guenet gives a tour of the lights going into the new new great room and kitchen. Upstairs, a fiberglass repair is done on the damaged whirlpool tub, while radiant heating tube goes in on the floor of the great room. At the workshop, or master carpenter works on the carcass an inlaid panels of the Igoes' new entertainment center. Back at the house, Glenn Berger shows some of the other storage cabinets he's installing around the house; the plasters continue their work in the library; and tiler Joe Ferrante begins tiling the master bath.
We visit a iron fabrication shop to see how the front railings are being put together. Back at the house, a marble counter top is fitted into the kitchen, while manmade counters and a shower stall are fabricated on site. Roger Cook drops by with the pre-owned tree and plants it. Our master carpenter trims out a dormer window, and we check out the progress on the tiling. In the great room, Glenn Berger shows us a hutch made from cabinet pieces. In the mudroom, Joe Ferrante installs a heavy-traffic tile made from recycled glass.
Our host meets up with Jan Igoe to discuss the inadvisability of doing patches in the old floors. In the great room, Jeff Hosking and crew install a floating strip floor system, while our master carpenter continues work on the entertainment center at the workshop. Back at the house, Tom Silva is installing maple stair treads and woodmaker Pike Noykes presents the handcarved ""dollop"" newel he made in his shop. Upstairs, Glenn Berger talks about his custom cherry bookshelves, and Roger Hopkins fits in the granite hearthstone. In the master bedroom, we see Paul Kennedy install a stereo speaker and check up on Corian progress in the bathroom.
The home stretch. The guys arrive with the entertainment center, and meet up with architect Rick Bechtel, who is started his own firm. Tom Silva installs prefabricated cherry-veneer panelling in the library, while a mirror and glass shower doors go into the master bath. Sarai Stenquist works on Sarah Igoe's wallpaper, and Don Martini shows our host the security system.
The crew heads to storm-stricken Maimi, Florida, in search for a house to fix up. After seeing one that is too big a job for six short shows, they find a 1917 Mediterranean Revival-style home that was directly in the path of hurricane Andrew, surviving structurally intact but with significant water damage. Our master carpenter meets contractors Rich Groden and Brian Stamp at two of their jobsites. Our host talks with the homeowner's son, Tony O'Donnell, about the family's plans to restore and renovate the building.
With the wet plaster and carpeting removed from the house, some heretofore hidden features of the house are repealed, including a former window and the original fireplace detail. Our master carpenter sees the roofing replaced with a modified bitumen membrane system, our host meets with the architect and homeowner's daughter Mary Ellen Frank. He also tours an example of Mediterranean Revival-style architecture with Margot Ammidown of the Metro-Dade Historic Preservation Office, while Richard Trethewey checks out the state of the house's plumbing with plumber Eddie Faccaviento.
Tree cutter Tony Sisto takes down a ded tree, with some difficulty, while our master carpenter checks the installation of the house's new air conditioning system. Contractor Rich Groden explains his plan to make water run off the sun porch roof better, and we get an update on the electricans' progress. Our host meets with a window sales rep, who is ordering up as many standard-size replacement windows as he can get away with in order to avoid far more costly custom units. A concrete beam is repaired in the sun porch, and we visit Dr. Bob Sheets at the National Hurricane Center in Coral Gables.
Our host opens the show at ""Mt. Trashmore"", a collecting point - one of about a dozen in South Dade - for all the debris hurricane Andrew generated. Back at the house, we see how the plaster walls are being patched and finished. Our host tours the grounds with landscape architect Kevin Holler, who has devised a long-term master plan for the property. The windows arrive, and contractor Rich Groden explains their features and method of installation. We tour the kitchen and hear designer Cecilia Luaces' plans for it. finally, we visit a small Miami factory where cement tiles are being custom-fabricated to replace the broken clay ones currently on the house.
We see progress on the house with general contractor Rick Groden: window patch-in, interior plastering and trim. He then meets the man who is patching the exterior stucco. Our master carpenter talks with Brian Stamp about a concrete pour meant to strengthen faulty arches in the porch section, and then visits a home destroyed by hurricane Andrew - a structural engineer explains why the house failed. Finally, kitchen designer Cecilia Luaces supervises the installation of the newly arrived cabinets.
The final three days. The painters are hard at work; our master carpenter replaces a window that was broken during construction and shows us the hi-tech coated plastic membrane inside the panes that makes these windows energy efficient. Upstairs, our host sees that the pine floors have been sanded and refinished. We then watch a screened pool enclosure go up in a matter of hours, and checks out the new garage doors and the landscaping. Inside, tile goes down in the kitchen and around the fireplace. Our master carpenter visits a housing development where because most of the homes are below the flood plain, houses must be raised up to meet code. Back at the house, our host talks to Margaret O'Donnell Blue, the 76-year-old owner of the house, and takes a final tour of the completed kitchen with designer Cecilia Luaces. At the wrap party, Brian Stamp tells about the budget ($75,000 paid out by the homeowner - $10,000 more than their insurance settlement - and $75,000 of donated materials).
The season starts in front of a magnificent example of Victorian architecture, then we visit the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities to lean more about the style. Then we arrive at our subject house, Dean and Lauren Gallant's 1907 Shingle-style Victorian. After a spin around the outside, we go in and meet the homeowners, who show us the rest of the house and discuss their plans for it. Richard Trethewey checks out the systems and our master carpenter decides to have the siding checked at a lab to see if it contains asbestos.
The asbestos removal crew begins to strip the house of shingles, under the watchful eye of a state official. As a prelude, our master carpenter visits a lab to confirm that the shingles contain asbestos, while our host meets a doctor who confirms the health dangers of the fiber. Back at the house, the crew sets up pump-jack staging, and the Gallants talk about the estimate ($91,000) versus what they can afford ($80,000).
Our host visits a landfill engineered to accept hazardous waste, such as the asbestos off the side of the Gallants' house. Back at the house, Richard Trethewey helps Dean fix a leaky sink in the upstairs library, in preparation for setting up a temporary kitchen in the space while the old kitchen is demolished and rebuilt. Our master carpenter gives Dean and Lauren some help in removing the cabinets from the old kitchen, and they continue the job by pulling down plaster, lathe and blown-in insulation.
The guys meet Dean as he's removing damaged wood shingles, which have been revealed now that the asbsetos siding is off. Earlier, our master carpenter and general contractor surveyed the building, assessing which shingles would need replacement, and gave Dean a lesson with a shingle ripper tool. The crew begins to patch in with new shingles, and Lauren describes her plans for the new kitchen so far. Finally, Dean begins to remove the old chimney, using an aerial lift to access it.
While the guys use a new airgun and lightweight nylon hose to shingle the base of one of the turrets, Dean reviews some options for rehabbing and improving the energy performance of the building's windows. We then visit a house where a company is installing insulated glass in old sashes, preserving the historic loof of the house while modernizing its windows.
Dean tries out various ways of removing paint from the window castings - heat gun, heat plane, and chemical strippers. Upstairs, our master carpenter replaces the old window band moldings with new stock. Lauren and kitchen designer Phil Mossgraber use a model to take a walk through the proposed new kitchen. Then our host revisits last season's main project, the Graham Gund-designed redo of Jan and Brian Igoe's ranch.
Our host arrives to find the crew getting ready to frame up the gutted kitchen. First, though, the plumbing stack had to be moved; Richard Trethewey shows what's involved in such a project. Tom Silva explains how past work has compromised the framing system, and how he plans to insert a carrying beam and jack up the floor. Outside, homeowners Dean and Lauren strip the last bit of paint an oval window frame using a caustic paste. Dean shows our host newly discovered rot on the porch walls, and the two discuss the idea of putting wood shingles on the front slope of the roof. Dean visits a jobsite to see the details of shingling over an eyebrow window. The window crew begins refitting the old windows with insulating glass, and our host helps the crew put in the engineered lumber beam in the kitchen.
Our master carpenter rides a horse into the Washakie Wilderness in northwestern Wyoming, where US Forest Service carpenters are repairing, with hand tools only, a National Historic Register log cabin.
Our host visits an eight-color historically accurate paint job west of Boston, under the supervision of SPNEA's Andrea Gilmore. Andrea comes to the Belmont house to advise homeowner Lauren Gallant about the paint colors she's considering. The guys critique the trim details on the porch, which has been poorly repaired and patched over the years. Using inference and a turn-of-the-century architectural pattern book, they make an educated guess at to what the original look mhst have been. Richard Trethewey helps plumber Maura Russell work on the PVC piping in the new laundry room, then he and our host meet up with plumber Christine Ernst in the basement.
Our master carpenter gives us a tip on hiding nails when shingling, while our general contractor builds a cedar and fir deck for the new back entry. Out on the front porch, our master carpenter begins replacing the old, ""wrong"" square columns with new round ones, choosing between polymer/fiberglass/marble columns and traditional wood ones. Going with the wooden ones, he primes them with alkyd, coats the interrior with a tripolymer sealant and uses vented, polyurethane caps and bases. Then we take a trip to the Jimmy Carter Habitat for Humanity Work Project in Winnipeg, Canada.
In a big day at the jobsite, arborist Matt Foti and his crew cut down four conifers that had been hiding the house and keeping it damp. In the kitchen, the crew installs new true-divided-light windows, while on the roof, Jim Normandin is beginning to lay on the new wood shingles. Finally, in preparation for the paint job, painter Lou DiSanto and crew powerwash the building.
Our host Russell, who is completing the rough wiring in the kitchen. Lighting designer Melissa Guenet reveals her plan for lighting the kitchen and new bedroom, while outside, Larry Torti and his crew lay down an old-style macadam driveway. Up on the roof, our master carpenter and roofer Jim Normandin carefully shingle over the eyebrow window.
We arrive to see the new paint colors going up, while Tom Silva continues to re-detail the porch trim with proper fascia and wood gutters. Meanwhile, our master carpenter visits the island of Martha's Vineyard to see the oldest carousel and a full-blown hstoric restoration of an 1891 Queen Anne. Back at the house, kitchen designer Phil Mossgraber and homeowner Lauren Gallant shows us their choices for kitchen countertops, cabinets and flooring. Finally, arborist Matt Foti gives the oak a fall feeding.
Our host meets landscape contractor Roger Cook as he and his crew install a plastic drywell in the cramped space next to the garage. Homeowner Dean Gallant insulates beneath the kitchen floor, using breathable poly-wrapped insulation, which is easier to handle than the unwrapped product. In the kitchen, the crew has insulated both the exterior walls and some interior partitions (for sound transmission reduction) and put up a tough, cross-laminated vapor barrier that won't rip during the rough and tumble of drywall installation. At the rear of the kitchen, our master carpenter puts in the new back door. We meet historic interiors expert Susan Hollis, who is advising Lauren Gallant as to the proper Arts and Crafts-style wallpapers and lighting fixtures to use. Finally, our host visits the stained-glass workshop of Peter Mattison and Charles Billings, who are repairing the damaged windows from the Gallants' house.
Our host arrives to find the crew putting down rubber membrane roof on the garage, while homeowner Dean Gallant helps Roger Cook lay a concrete block terrace outside the back door. Meanwhile, artisans Peter Mattison and Charles Billings installed the leaded glass windows they've repaired. We then travel to the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut, a perfectly restored Victorian. Back at the site, homeowner Lauren Gallant is hard at work cleaning up the dust left from tearing down her sand-finish ceilings, which have been redone to a glasslike smoothness by the wallboard/plaster crew. Our host meets them in the kitchen, where they've used a fiberglass backer board around the perimeter for the tile backsplashes. He sees the device they use to lift drywall panels up to the ceiling, and watches as the brown base and veneer top plaster coats go down.
Our master carpenter checks out the new retractable awnings, while our host meets storm window installers who are protecting the leaded glass with custom units. Inside the house, Sarai Stenquist and her assistant Bruce Vivia put up a complex ceiling of wallpaper, and we take a tour of the California studio where the paper is made.
Our host arrives to find the crew fishing off the last of the porch's historic details, which is was able to duplicate thanks to a home movie provided by a previous owner. Charlie installs a new downspot with an improved fastening device. Inside, Tom Silva and master carpenter have hung the new kitchen cabinets, Jeff Hoskings has restored kitchen and living space floors, and tilers. Joe and Chuck Ferrante are beginning the countertops, using a new tile backer board homemade Arts-and-Crafts style tiles. Finally, we watch as an authentic linoleum floor goes down in the mudroom.
The final days. Our host arrives to find Don Franklin of DeAngelis Iron Work installing a new railing on the front stairs, while inside lighting designer Melissa Guenet shows him her completed work in the new powder room and kitchen. Our master carpenter checks out the new garage door with dual safety reversal features. Plumber Maura Marshall and Richard Trethewey go over the new bath china, kitchen sinks and recycled radiators. The next day, Lauren shows off the new Arts-and-Crafts syle lighting fixture hanging in the arcade, and we take a tour of the Shingle-style house where the craftsman who made it works and lives. Back in the arcade, historic interiors expert Susan Hollis and carpet merchant John Burroughs unroll a period carpet that provides the final touch to the room. In the kitchen, designer Phil Mossgraber gives us a final tour, pointing out appliances and finishes. Next stop: Hawaii.
The guys padde into Honolulu, Hawaii, to begin an eight show series on the renovation and expansion of homeowner Christiane Bintliff's oceanside bungalow, built in the 1930s. The house sits on part of a larger parcel given to her great-great-great-grandfather by Hawaii's King Kamehameha III in return for his services as admiral of the royal navy. Despite the apparement termite damage and out-of-date systems, Chtistiane is determine to save this old-style island home. So our master carpenter goes off to the lonely island of Molokai to see the restoration of Father Damien's church, recently completed by the firm of Ching Construction, and our host visits a stunning renovation of an oceanside home by architect Norm Lacayo. With the team assembled, the jobsite is blessed by Hawaiian minister the Reverend Abraham Akaka.
The guys start the workday by climbing Diamond Head for a view over the city of Honolulu. At the jobsite, our host meets contract supervisor Roland Lagareta to discuss the permitting process and demolition. Our master carpenter meets site supervisor Rob Varnet to see progress on replacing termite-ravaged beams and joists, catches up with with the electrician, sees the pouring of pier foundations, and meets roofer Jim Wilkinson, whose crew is starting the removal of the house's four layers of old roofing. Homeowner Christiane Bintliff gives us a update on her plans for the house. We visit Waimea on the island of Kauai, where a man named Mike Faye has a collection of old plantation houses restored to original condition and used as vacation rentals. We go to architect Norm Lacayo's downtown Honolulu office to see a model of the house, with improved floorplan and addition.
The show opens at the Punchbowl, an extinct volcano crater that is the site of the National Memorial Cementry of the Pacific, burial place of Americans who have fallen in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. On site, the new addition begins to take shape, with stud walls up and prefabricated trusses arriving on site. All lumber is pressure-treated to battle the resident termites. Homeowner Christiane Bintliff decides to go with a wood shingle roof, as the original house had, and our host talks to roofer Jim Wilkinson about the reasons behind the high - $21,000 - labor cost involved. We visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and learn of the events that brought the US into World War II. Back on the job, engineer John Allison and project super Rob Varner discuss options to tie the roof down to the sidewalls to protect against the lifting effect on high winds. Inside, our master carpenter shows us the unique way the original building is put together, and then builds a new single-wall
The show opens at Hanauma Bay, a sea-filled crater whose marine life attracts thousands of visitors a day, creating a conservation dilemma. At the site, project superintendent Rob Varner gives us a tour of the framed-up addition and rebuilt kitchen area. Up on the roof, our master carpenter sees the hurricane tie-down system connecting the roof to the sidewalls, and roofer Jim Wilkinson and crew install copper valleys, treated red cedar shingles with a 30-year warrantee, and a three-dimensional nylon mesh underlayment that allows the shingles to ""breathe"" and dry more evenly. Inside, electrician Pierre Jaffuel shows us how he's using underfloor junction boxes to cope with the original building's single-wall construction, which leaves no room for buying wires. Project architect Dan Morgan and window maufacturer Sue Marvin discuss the specifications of the new windows, made to match the originals, but with weather and termite-beating features. Then, to begin an inquiry into the high cost
The show begins at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a 1927 beauty known as the Pink Palace, one of the first two luxury hotels on the beach ar Waikiki. At the site, our master carpenter explains how the addition's siding will be made to look like the original's board and batten, then catches up with job super Rob Varner to see how the lanai is being reinforced with a welded steel frame. Inside, the kitchen wall is opened to give Christiane the ocean view she's wanted. We visit Lolani Place, home to Hawaii's last king and queen, and the United States' only royal palace. Built in 1882, its painstaking restoration is one of the country's finest. Back at the site, ""invisible"" audio speakers are built into the ceiling, and project architect Dan Moran shows us recessed halogen lights for the ""art wall,"" prairie-style exterior light fixtures, and brass entry hardware with a moleculary bonded finish that the manufacturer warranties as tarnish-free for life. The show ends with a Hawaiian beach picnic,
The show opens at Aloha Tower, built in 1921 and now part of a redevelopment effort by the same gorup that built Baltimore's Harborplace and Fanueil Hall in Boston. At the site, our host sees gound treatment for termites, our master carpenter trims out the vestibule with poplar, using a coping saw. Downtown, we visit a woodworkers' co-op where Christiane's built-in entertainment center is being built out of native koa wood, with a rack-and-pinion TV lifter. The security system for the house is reviewed, and our host visits architect Norm Lacayo's latest commercial project, Harbor Court, a mixed-use skyscraper on Honolulu's waterfront.
Our host opens the show at Halekii heiau, an ancient Hawaiian temple on the island of Maui. Surrounded by an industrial park and tract housing, it is an example of the tension between the development and historic preservation. At the site, we check out what's left on project supervisor Rob Varner's punch list, and tour the house. Our host visits a termite fumigation job where the entire house is tented and poisonous gas injected. Richard Trethewey reviews the new solar hot-water system and shows us the split-system air-conditioning units. We then visit a house in Maui designed in 1936 by the dean of Hawaiian architecture, Charles W. Dickey.
The final days in Hawaii. Our host starts the show in Kalapana on the Big Island, where a 1992 lava flow from Kilauea volcano obliterated much of the town and its famous black sand beach. At the house, lanscaper John Mitchell and crew install plants, to be watered by an in-ground irrigation system. Inside, Rob Varner shows off the new sisal-like wool carpet in the addition, as well as track lighting and fans in the studio. Decorative painter Angela Adams works on tropical motif in the powder room, and the guys see the imu (pit) where the luau's pig will be cooked on the final day. The next day, Christiane gives our host a tour of her new kitchen, and he continues into the master suite. In the living room, our master carpenter oversees the installation of the room divider/TV box. Finally, the luau, with thanks to all who made the project a success.
The season begins with a tour of the country's oldest wood-frame house: the Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts, built in 1636. We then go to the season's project house (and the oldest house the show has worked on): a 1710 colonial in Action, Massachusetts, owned by Terry and Sima Maitland. Though suffering from bad sills and much settling, its real problem for this family of five is lack of space. The Maitlands' $150,000 budget will barely cover an addition, and our master carpenter and Tom Silva advise them to ""let sleeping dogs lie,"" and not attempt to correct many of the original house's problems, which would soak up that amount and more.
The day begins with the crew moving the old milk shed to another spot on the property. Inside, Richard Trethewey has done an energy audit and determined that, with the addition of a stand-by hot water tank, the current heating plant is sufficient to handle the needs of the new addition. Architect Chris Dallmus reviews with the Maitlands the many design ideas they mulled before deciding on the addition's final layout. The need for the addition results from the lack of usable space in the original house. To illustrate the space-eating effect of the large central chimney, our host visits Minuteman National Historical Park and tours a ""naked"" chimney stack with hisorical architect Larry Sorli.
Homeowner Terry Maitland cuts down a tree to make way for the new foundation, while the crew lays out the excavation lines using a small laser level. Excavation contractor Herb Brockert arrives to dig, while out back the old septic field is expanded with a new tank and new leach lines. Inside, the guys review the demolition plans, pointing out the importance of not going beyond the planned areas of reconstruction. Architect Chris Dallmus guides us through a model of the new addition and discusses a possible window choice. Halfway through the excavation, Herb hits large boulders or ledge at about four feet, dashing the Maitlands hopes for a full basement.
We tour the newly demolished back areas of the house, and see how woefully underframed they are. In preparation for the new foundation, the crew suspends the gable end of the old house with ""pins"" of engineered lumber supported both inside and outside the building. Herb Brockert removes part of the old rubblestone foundation, and a small-batch concrete delivery truck pours footings for the addition's lally columns. Steve revisits the Gallants' Victorian to see how they're liking it. A few days later, a performed concrete foundation system arrives on site and is swung into place with a crane. Soon, a transit truck arrives and the crawlspace gets a slab as part of the foundation system.
At the site, lumber - conventional and engineered - has arrived, and the crew begins to attach the sill to the foundation. Terry Maitland lays down fiberboard to protect his old floors during construction, and discusses with our host his concern about the lead content of the old building: one of his children, who has been monitored for the past year, had a slightly elevated blood lead level. Our host promises the show's help. He then takes Terry into the basement, points out how little is holding up the living room, and suggests Terry replace the lally column that somehow got knocked down. We visit a c. 1760 tavern that has been moved across the state and rebuilt as a private home, with painstaking attention to historical accuracy. Back at the site, the first of the wood I-beam joists go in.
The framing crew continues working on the addition; a large steel beam to carry out the upper floor is lowered into place. A framer demonstrates a pneumatic tool for attaching metal hangers to wood. The guys lay down the second floor deck, using construction adhesive and tongue and groove plywood. Inside, we find Terry Maitland putting in a footing for the missing basement lally column. We then meet a lead paint inspector, who uses an x-ray machine to gauge the presence and concentration of lead paint in the old building. Tom Silva works on replacing the rotten and underframed back of the old building. We meet a lightning protection inspector from Underwriters Labs, who assesses the building's system.
With the addtion weatherweight, its massing is apparement and seems to make a successful match with the old building. Inside, Tom Silva shows us the lightweight steel partition walls he's building, and Sima Maitland checks out the new windows and first floor plan. We then tour a plant in Tennessee where power tools - including the circular saw he follows from start to finish - are made. Back at the site, Tom Silva shows us how to the exterior trim on one of the new windows.
Redwood clapboards - finger-jointed and preprimed - start to go on the addition; our general contractor shows us a trick with a ""story pole,"" which helps him space the clapboards evenly across a given field. Our master carpenter explains the challenges of waterproofing and venting the shallow pitch of the addition's shed roof, while in the master suite, we see Dickie Silva screwing down the floor deck with an automatic-feed screw gun. After a tour of the master bath and new second-floor common areas, homeowner Terry Maitland and the lead abatement contractor discuss how the old house's woodwork will be treated during the upcoming deleading process. Our master carpenter warns Terry that the trick will be removing the old windows carefully so as to minimize damage to the interior plaster and exterior siding. Richard Trethewey investigates an old water well discovered on the property - with a proper pump it could supply irrigation water for the yard. Finally, kitchen and bath designer Gle
As he contemplates installing replacement windows in the original building, our master carpenter explains that it might make sense to replace the old, heavily weathered clapboards on the fornt facade instead of having to cut each window's trim into them. On the less-weathered west side of the house, the guys shows us just what's involved in installing a replacement window and retaining the original clapboards. We watch the deleading crew in action as they remove lead paint from the original building. Richard Trethewey follows the installation of the well pump and tank, and visits a lab to have the water tested.
Tom Silva shows us his reroofing progress - stripping of old shingles, plywooding sheathing, new shingles, redge vent. Down at ground level, the old clapboards have been stripped off the front facade, revealing the reason for the bellying out of the lower left side. Associated interior demolition reveals wide feathered paneling behind the living room's plaster. The structural deficiency is solved by rebuilding part of the wall. In search of ideas for exterior paint colors, we visit historic Deerfield, Massachusetts, a town of remarkably preserved 18th and 19th century homes. Back at the site, landscape contractor Roger Cook installs a gravel path using steel edging and rice stone.
Homeowners Terry and Sima Maitland puzzle over exterior paint colors, settling on a pumpkin for the field and cream for the trim. They discuss a few details of the farmer's porch that may be reconsidered: a post up against the body of the main house, trim treatment along fascia, and a gutter. Inside, our host checks out a new central vacuum system, while the guys review the heating and cooling systems for the new addition: radiant baseboard downstairs and in the master bedroom, in-wall radiant tubing for mudroom, stairwell, and master bath. Preservation mason Steve Roy diagnoses the fireplaces on the first floor and decides that the chimney should be rebuilt from the roofline up. Finally, landscape contractor Roger Cook supervises hydroseeding of the lawn.
Tom Silva tests out the old-fashioned v-shaped gutter he made for the front porch, then takes us on a tour of the house, explaining his preparations for the spray-in insulation. Most of these are like for any other insulation job, like his use of vent chutes to keep the roof cool, though he did have to cover the windows to protect them from overspray and put up one side of the interior walls for those rooms he wants insulated for sound. Paul Kennedy explains the challenges he faced in working with the house's steel studs. Our master carpenter follows the spray-in urethane insulation process - from mixing the two-part formula on a truck to spraying it into stud bays, where the liquid expands to 100 times its volume, to cutting away the excess to allow for the drywall. The system not only insulates, but acts as a vapor barrier and air sealant as well. Outside, painter George Hourihan reveals some tricks of the trade.
We see Terry busily caulking the battered clapboards of the west gable in preparation for the top coat of paint. Painter George Hourihan applies the gloss latex top coat to body and trim. We join mason Lenny Belleveau to take down and rebuild the chimney from the roofline up. Our master carpenter meets up with archtect Chris Dallmus for a research trip around Action to find the proper design for a new front enterance, since the old one is now too rustic for the house. Sima Maitland reviews her choices for flooring: recycled longleaf and shortleaf southern yellow pine and old white pine. She decides on the white pine, and we visit the lumberyard where it and a wide variety of other 18th and 19th century architectural components are on display.
At in-ground propane tank is installed for cooking and drying. Inside, the wallbaord is up, plaster is going on the ceiling, and Tom Silva demonstrates a new vacuum sander for finishing off the taped seams on the drywall. Richard Trethewey installs a flexible stainless oil-burner flue liner in the chimney, which will prevent flue gases from considering and damaging the mortar and bricks. our master carpenter uses a new jig to drill out holes for the rear exterior door's lock set. Sima visits a tile store to pick out a slate tile, and the Ferrante brothers use a diamond wet saw to cut it before installing it in the mudroom, laundry room and half bath.
We arrive to find Jeff Hosking installing the salvaged floorboards he found in a New Hampshire yard. Jeff discusses the challenges of working with such material, and shows a stationary double-drum sander he uses to take off a little of the boards' rough surface at a time. Upstairs, Joe Ferrante applies a colored grout to the slate tile in the master bath. In the dining room, homeowner Terry Maitland - after checking out a similar house nearby - decides to take down the plaster ceiling, in the hopes that an original beam and joist floor system lurks beneath. Unfortunately, what they find is not very preety... On a more positive front, the guys build a historically accurate entryway for the house back at the workshop. Finally, a new lightning arrest system goes on the building.
The crew installs the new front entryway. Kitchen designer Glenn Berger leads a tour of the new kitchen, and our host takes viewers to the Bath, Maine, showroom and workshop where it was made, Glenn examines the restaurant-style range and hood. Upstairs, painter George Hourihan paints the master bedroom with combination sprayer and roller, while in the master bath, Richard Trethewey shows us how to install a new toilet.
Our host arrives to find installer Michael Griffiths laying out a carpet for the master suite. It's made of recycled soda bottles. Inside, he meets up with Tom Silva, who shows him the new ceiling in the dining room (reboarded, plastered, and given a faux box beam) and explains the work involved in finishing off the replacement windows. Homeowner Terry Maitland discusses with them his expenses for the project (around $190,000) and the amount of donated materials (around $120,000) - the target of $150,000 was exceeded because of all the unforseen work in the old part of the house. Steve meets interior designer Bill Reardon, who explains his approach to the project. Part of it includes a decorative wall finish of joint compound and successive latex paint washes, as applied by artisan Julia Clay. Up in the master suite, the carpet has gone down quickly, and our master carpenter prepares to install brass door hardware. We take a tour of the Reading, Pennsylvania, factory where it was made
The final days. We arrive to find the telephone company burying a new multipair line into the house, leaving the west gable free of overhead wires. Landscape architect Tom Wirth uses a mockup to help Terry Maitland decide where to site the old milk house. Jeff Hosking shows us how he finished the old pine floors to achieve an amber luster. Lighting designer Melissa Guenet gives us a look at the combination of old-fashioned and recessed fixtures, both incandescent and halogen, that she specified for the new spaces. Upstairs, Paul Kennedy installs a paddle fan in the master bedroom's cathedral ceiling, while the crew discusses the remaining problem areas that the Maitlands will someday have to face: sills, drainage, and an unsafe outbuilding. Richard Trethewey takes us on a plumber's final tour through the basement and bathrooms, and interior designer Judy George shows us the decorated rooms.
The crew heads west to California's Napa Valley and Dennis Duffy's circa 1906 farmhouse. Essentially untouched in the last few decades, the house needs a new, larger and brighter kitchen, as well as a new roof and a reinforced foundation. To help out on the project, our host enlists noted Valley architect Jon Lail, whose residences include a shingle-style home being built on the outskirts of St. Helena. Then we check out the work of general contractor Jim Nolan, whose company renovated and rebuilt the offices, winery, and tasting rooms of Merryvale Vineyards in downtown St. Helena.
Work begins on the Duffy residence, with Jim Nolan's crew tearing off the back porch with a backhoe. We visit architect Jon Lail's office to see the proposed kitchen addition and are treated to a ""virtual reality"" walk-through of the space as constructed by computer designer David Munson of HOK Architects, a large firm that employs the technique to present and analyze its large commercial projects. Our host visits Sterling Vineyards, a remarkable architectural statement perched on a mountain at the northern end of the valley. Back at the house, the septic tank has collapsed under the weight of the backhoe, and job foreman Jeff Castille shows us the termite damage and crumbling foundation that further demolition has revealed.
After a period of heavy rains and flooding, Napa Valley - and the jobsite - are a soggy mess. The show opens in sandbagged downtown Napa, then head to the job, where foreman Jeff Castille and crew have spent the week levelling the kitchen area with steel beams and hydraulic jacks. Jeff shows us the water level he used. Outside, the concrete truck arrives to pump in the mix for the steam walls. On site, our master carpenter visits a rammed-earth house being constructed on a nearby hillside. Our host checks out the condition of Dennis's roof with roofing contractor Mike McDermott, and Richard Trethewey takes Dennis to a San Francisco bath showroom to consider choices for his bathroom and kitchen.
The show start with a visit to Napa Valley's oldest wooden, gravity-fed winery, home of Trefethen Vineyards. At the site, our master carpenter meets plumber George Biter, who shows his rough work, including ABS and cast iron piping. General contractor Jim Nolan describes how a large laminated-veneer-lumber beam was hoisted into place, spanning the new kitchen and precluding the need for a mid-room support post. New French doors go into the west wall of the old dining room, and our host visits the Palo Alto factory where the energy-efficient plastic film inside the glazing is made. Back on site, we check out the foundation plantings that are threatening Dennis's house, and take a look at Dennis's little vineyard. Then it's off to the other extreme of the winemaking art: Opus One, a joint venture between the valley's Robert Mondavi and France's de Rothschild family.
We check out the mustard plants in a vineyard near the farmhouse before heading over to a very busy jobsite. There, contractor Jim Nolan shows us the extra work that has had to be done to save us the old front porch; the chimney has also been torn down. The roofing crew strips and sheathes the old roof, which has been straightened and reinforced with purlins and braces. Job foreman Jeff Castille shows us around the newly framed kitchen and we meet electrician Al Curtice, who is installing incandescent can fixures and a fluorescent valence light around the kichen ceiling soffit. We tour the champagne caves of Schramsberg Vineyards, while our master carpenter visits a crew who is busy digging a cave for a new winery. On site, Dennis meets with kitchen designer Paul Price to lay out the proposed cabinet footprint and choose cabinet door patterns and finishes, as well as solid surface countertops.
With remarkable progress at the site, we tour the exterior with Jim Nolan, seeing fir decking, trim details, traditional redwood siding and a synthetic stone facing for the foundation. Meanwhile, our master carpenter visits a nearby factory where wine barrels are made from American oak. Back at the site, our host sees the new semi-custom kitchen cabinets being installed - their features include solid-oak white-stained faces, morticed European hinges, full-extension, dovetailed, solid-wood drawers, and a two-part epoxy finish. The oak floor has been installed - quartersawn 5/16"" x 2"" strips with a walnut inlay - and we catch up with floor man Ron Spiteri to see how it went down. The next phase of finish work is mouldings and trim, and we see how finish carpenter Jim DePriest handles the casework around a door.
The show opens at Clos Pegase, a winery designed by noted architect Michael Graves. At the site, the rains continue, and so does progress. Our master carpenter follows the installation of the solid-surface countertop, while Richard Trethewey points out the important features of the new hot-water system: earthquake strapping, a circulating pump on a timer and the magnesium rod which prevents corrosion of the tank. A water softener goes in, and electrician Al Curtice installs a three-way dimmer that dims from two locations. Finally, we tour a remarkable winery property that's for sale in St. Helena.
The final day opens at a scenic overlook on the first clear day in a week. On site, the painters are applying the exterior topcoat, carpenters are cutting the last pieces of trim and architect Jon Lail is on-site to check out the final product. Meanwhile, Richard Trethewey shows us the utility room - a small toilet and shower room, a lavatory and a laundry with plenty of storage space. The kitchen has an island sink with water purification unit; a trash compactor; three-bowl sink with disposal; two undercounter thermal-convection ovens; a quiet dishwasher with a pause function (for turning on after people have left the room); a gas cooktop with retractable hood; and a built-in refrigerator that operates for around $85 a year. The push towards more efficient appliances and buildings began in California, and Richard meets with the chairman of the state's energy commission to learn about its programs. We see custom wood doors and brass hardware go in, then visit a stunning private wine ce
The show opens the season with a tour of Salem, Massachusets - the Witch Trials Memorial, the town's formerly bustling waterfront, the residential grandeur of Chestnut Street, the House of the Seven Gables, the Peabody-Essex Museum and the old town hall. Convinced that this is the town the show should work in, our host tours two houses that are for sale with realitor Betsy Merry. While one is in too fine shape, the other needs a lot of work. It's an estate property on the market for $239,000. We meet a couple who is considering making an offer on it - they have two children and one on the way and only six small rooms in their current house. Meanwhile, our master carpenter and general contractor check out the property. Their conclusion: Lots of repairs needed, mostly the result of neglect, but essentially the building is sound.
Their bid of $205,000 accepted, the Guinees take possession of the house. Our host meets their banker, who explains some of the financing of the deal. Deborah walks through her wish list for the house: a kitchen, master suite and some way of getting off-street parking. Meanwhile, our master carpenter has begun work on the old window sash in the dining room. He removes the stops, loosens the paint and caulk-encrusted lower sash, removes it and begins the process of taking out the glass. Scraped of loose paint, the broken wood is epoxied back into a strong unit and primed. Museum curator Dean Lahikainen gives us a tour of the Pierce-Nichols house, Salem architect Samuel McIntire's first commission. Built in 1782 and remodeled in the Federal style in 1801, it is one of America's finest late-colonial buildings.
We visit the island of Nantucket, where architect Ann Beha's firm is expanding and renovated the historic Atheneum, the town library. She agrees to help out in Salem. In Salem, the crew erects aluminum pump jack staging - a safe and efficient system, especially when many trades will be working on the exterior. We tour a couple of paint jobs with painting contractor Mike McManus and asks him to squeeze our house into his schedule.The guys finish reglazing the old window sash, using old-fashioned mouth-blown restoration glass. In the basement, Richard Trethewey points out an inefficient electric water heater that currently handles both sides of the house, and an oil heater that could use some tuning up. Our master carpenter points out ""cooked,"" degraded old clapboards on the upper third of the building and recommends replacing them.
On a hot July day, the crew got the existing children's bath and future master bath. They discover a flooring system that probably cna't support the heavy load of two bathrooms' worth of china and tile, and decide to beef it up before starting the rough plumbing. Up on the roof, mason Lenny Belleveau reflashes and repoints the chimneys, replacing a poorly built cricket and sealing it with a rubber membrane. Painting contractor Mike McManus powerwashes the building, and architecture students measure the building to prepare ""as-built"" drawings for the architects to use. Architect Pamela Hawkes visits the site and considers a suggestion of cutting through the house's rear ell with a porte cochere to gain access to the back yard and solve the parking problem.
Tom Silva shows us the reframed bathrooms, with floors stiffened by flipping the original joists and sistering on reinforcing members. The bathtub arrives, and the crew horses it upstairs, where plumber Charles Cashin is rough-plumbing the new children's bath and master bath. Restoration painter John Dee uses dental tools to reveal the finest of the portico's details. Before he could get to that stage, however, he had to painstakingly remove about 20 layers of built-up paint, aided by a paint stripping gel. We see wood restorer John Stahl use an epoxy repair system to work on the historic windows on the first floor. The Dutch system replaces rotted wood with workable epoxy and uses a flexible silicone for glazing compound. Architect Ann Beha presents some possible color schemes to homeowner Deborah Guinee, and later, after painting some samples on the building, she choses colors (blue body, white trim, black shutters) that she will present for approval to the Salem Historical Commissio
The crew insulates the exterior wall of the kids' bath with blown cellulose. Tom Silva shows us a paint-on bathtub protector that peels off after construction is complete. We meet roofer James Shea, who has three options, with prices, for the repair of the slate roof. Since the roof can be seen on the street, the Historical Commission will need to approve one of the options: slate repair, replacement of rear hip with fibberglass shingles or replacement with artificial slate. Then we're off to Frankfurt, Germany to visit ISH, the world's largest plumbing and heating exposition. Back in the bath, the crew puts up drywall, using a quick-setting joint compound.
We arrive to find Mike McManus and his painting crew continuing their prep work, dry scraping and hand sanding, per Board of Health regulations. The new staging now has safety nets, protecting passerbys from falling tools or debris. Inside, our master carpenter shows us how to lay out and install tile in the kids' bath, using both a stationary and a hand-held wet saw. We revisit the Maitlands' colonial farmhouse in Action, to see how they're liking it. Back at the house, homeowner Deborah Guinee shows us the drawings of the covered carriageway the architects have put together; she'll have to take them in front of the Historical Commission to see if they will approve the scheme.
The crew assesses the condition of the clapboards on the back of the building, patching presents a large investment of labor, while total replacement will be a big materials hit. Our host promises to take the issue up with the homeowners. Meanwhile, painter Mike McManus and crew apply the first coat of tinted primer - and they like the way the new paint goes on. We then attend the Salem Historical District Commission meeting, where architect Pamela Hawkes presents the carriageway drawings, commissioners ask questions, neighbors voice opinions and the commission votes to approve the concept, asking for more details of the floor. The guys grout the new bathtub wall. The tile floor is in, but before it went down they had to install a premade underfloor tubing system for heat and a cementitous underlayment. Outside, restoration painter John Dee is putting the final coat of paint on the portico. In preparation, he used a wood filler known as Swedish putty to smooth out the surfaces to a nea
We arrive to hear some troubling news: Some of the neighbors - not pleased with the Historical Commission's approval of the carriageway plan and worried about traffic flow, fumes, and the change to the facade - are thinking of appealing the decision. Upstairs, however, work on the kids' bath proceeds, with the installation of a new vanity, solid-surface counter with bowl, and lighting sconces. Our plumbing and heating specialist puts in a new sink faucet and shows us an electronic valve that shuts down when the clothes washer is off, reducing the chances of leaks. Downstairs, architect Ann Beha walks Deborah Guinee through the proposed new kitchen. After the bathroom mirror is installed, a crew arrives to fabricate and install a wire shelf system for the bathroom closets. Finally, the crew begins demolition for the new kitchen.
Our host recounts the latest Historical Commission meeting, in which the original approval of the carriageway was sent aside and the whole issue reconsidered. Because of discrepancies between the drawings and the actual house, the commissioners vote to visit the jobsite, see a mock-up of the carriageway, and vote on its appropiateness at a later meeting. Kevin Guinee expresses his frustration at not knowing whether or not that part of the project can move forward. Around back, the crew is replacing the crumbling wood side with a cement-based clapboard that's 60% the cost of cedar. Up on the roof, our host watches as roofer James Shea pulls out and replaces a broken slate; 100 more to go. He also is replacing the old zinc hip flashing with copper fastened with brass screws. The guys review progress in the rebuilt kitchen shed addition, in which Tom Silva used a keyed system of engineered beams to carry the weight of the exterior wall above over a wide span. They install two skylights in
The City of Salem's tree-planting program puts in a Callery pear (pyrus calleryana 'red spire') in fornt of the Guinees' house. In the kitchen, the guys examine the new windows - custom-made with sills and casings to match the existing ones on the house. They feature glass recycled from the original kitchen windows, which were too big to accommodate the countertops. The guys recall the scene earlier when Historical Commission members and interested neighbors visited the site to see a mock-up of the proposed carriageway. Roger Hopkins arrives to realign the granite steps, and Tom Silva puts a time capsule underneath, containing a TOH shirt, a Silva Bros. shirt, and a copy of TOH magazine. Upstairs, the crew cuts through a wall to reconnect the guest room to the Federal for the first time in 120 years. Our host takes the old clawfoot tub to a company in Ludlow, Massachusetts, to get it refinished.
Lighting designer Josh Feinstein shows Deborah lighting treatments for the kitchen and living room, while electrician Jeff Perry works to fish wires for the spots that will highlight the mantelpiece. Kevin Guinee reviews the progress so far and how much money remains in the Guiness' war chest (answer: only about $30,000 out of an original $110,000). We check the state of the new plumbing with plumber Charlie Cashin, then see the new high-velocity forced hot air heating system for the upper two floors. Finally, the guys remove wide pine boards from the attic for the use in the new master bath.
Our host arrives with news from the latest Historical Commission meeting: a decision on the issue of the carriageway will be made in three weeks. The Guinees asked for a continuance because the corrected drawings arrived only a day before the meeting and they wanted everyone, themselves included, to be fully up to speed on the details. Despite the continuance, public comment was heard, and a lot of it was against the carriageway. Out back, our master carpenter begins to build a trash shed that will allow the Guinees to store their cans and recycling bins. The crew uses engineered lumber to stiffen the floor of the boys' bedroom. Our host visits the Andrew-Safford house, a 1819 late-Federal that is part part of the Peabody Essex Museum, that been renovated by a local charity as a designer showcase. Back at the house, a slow-expanding insulation foam is injected into the walls, the shed is finished off, and the guys compare the merits of two types of storm windows: one-piece interior and
Our host arrives to see a wallboard delivery truck in action, while inside the wallboard/plaster crew works in the dining room. Upstairs, the guys address the out-of-square conditions in the guest bedroom by rejiggering the door casings for visual appeal. Our host uses a personal computer program to help Deborah Guinee work on the design of her kitchen-to-be, and he pays a visit to wallpaper expert Richard Nylander at the Harrison Gray Otis house in Boston, home of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, to get a tour of the Federal home and pick up samples of wallpaper for Deborah to consider in her historic rooms.
Homeowner Kevin Guinee tells us that, for now, they have withdrawn their petition to build a carriageway, citing lack of time to build, lack of remaining funds, Deborah's pregnancy and the highly charged atmosphere in town surrounding the issue. The Guinees will finish off the room where the carriageway may someday go as a simple family room. Richard Trethewey arrives with a stainless steel flue liner to prevent condensation from the highly efficient gas furnace from forming in the old chimneys, leaching through and damaging both the mortar and surrounding ceilings and walls. We meet a representative of the regional electric company, who shows us a new, more-efficient water heater being installed on the rental side of the building and explains the company's position on heating water with electricity. The guys fabricate a run of seamless aluminum gutter, and a crew installs a protector that keeps leaves from collecting in the gutter while still allowing water to be collected. We then vi
We meet artist Don McKillop, who is painting a portrait of the Guinees' house, while across the street a brick sidewalk is installed in front of the house. Inside, floor man Jeff Hosking finishes the rough wide pine flooring in the master bedroom, while painter Mike McManus uses a high-volume, low-pressure sprayer to paint hte fine woodwork in the guest bedroom. We take a tour of a replica village that recreates Salem's earliest days days a fishing settlement in 1630. In the backyard, a children's playset goes up to the approval of the Guinee boys. Our host reviews with James Shea the completed roof job - fiberglass shingles on the back slope, repaired slate on the front, new copper flashing throughout - with roofer James Shea, and Charlie Silva puts up a hybrid storm window system: single-pane interior units for the historically sensitive front facade windows; high-quality triple-tracks for the rest of the building. Finally, the guys begin to install the newly painted kitchen cabinets
A historically inspired Federal-style fence is installed to replace the rotting pickets in front of the house. Tom Silva installs a new mortice lock in the front door using an automatic morticing tool. In the kitchen, we meet with Julia Clay, who is painting a diamond pattern on the floor, while in the powder room decorative painter John Parsons is creating a mock library on the walls. We then visit Salem's Peabody Essex Institute for a sampling of its collection, which includes artifacts from the city's maritime past and original records from the witch trials of 1692. Back on the site, our master carpenter installs a new, full-light patio door in the family room to allow more light in, using a new kind of adjustable screw to set the jambs. The crew hauls the newly restored bathtub upstairs to the master bathroom, where it matches beautifully with the new toilet and pedestal sink. Our plumbing and heating specialist has found found antique-look chrome bath fixtures that comply with mod
The final days. We arrive after a snowstorm to find the front hall floor finished with a faux marble treatment by decorative painter Julie Clay. In the kitchen, Tom Worthen installs a ""man-made slate"" countertop. It's a dense composite of Portland cement and a mica-like mineral, often used in laboratories, but suitable for domestic applications. Upstairs, Michael Griffiths installs a dense carpet made from recycled soda bottles. In the McIntire room, historical goods merchant John Burrows supervises the installation of a historically accurate carpet, and we visit the factory in England where it was made on a narrow loom whose design has remained much the same since 1790. Then we check out the new alarm system, complete with low-temperature sensor. Josh Feinstein gives our host the tour of the new lighting. The guys examine a pop-up ventilator for the new modular cooktop and we see period-reproduction furnishings in the living room and guest bedroom, where we meets the latest addition t
This Old House heads south to the historic splendor of Savannah, Georgia, where Mills and Marianne Fleming have purchased an 1884 Italianate Victorian townhouse on Monterey Square, one of the city's most beautiful. We tour the house, whose rotting back porches will be replaced by a permanent structure holding an expanded kitchen and dining room on one floor, and a master bedroom and bathroom on the second. Other needed improvements include restoring the heart pine flooring, adding guest bathrooms, installing HVAC system to cope with the region's high heat and humidity and improving the facade with an appropriate iron balustrade and wooden shutters. Mills leads a ""greatest hits"" tour of downtown Savannah. Then contractor J.T. Turner, whose firm has restored many homes and buildings in the historic district, shows us a job in progress and a finished restoration. Finally, Turner's job foreman, Mark Fitzpatrick, goes over the subject house and gives us his take on the main challenges facin
The show begins with the TOH guys antiquing and then heading over to the jobsite on Monterey Square. With demolition of the rear porches complete, the Turner Construction team, led by Mark Fitzpatrick, has moved on to framing, using engineered lumber where possible. Mark tours the project from garden-level apartment to roof. We visit the next door twin of the Flemings' house for clues about its original floors, lighting, mantlepieces and archway between front and rear parlors. Homeowner Mills Fleming and designer Jeff Verheyen review some of the changes - mainly in bathroom placement, number and design - that have occurred since the original blueprints were drawn up. Meanwhile, plumbing contractor Ernest Hutson shows us how to vent an understairs powder-room toilet with an air-admittance valve that precludes the use of a through-the-roof vent. Viewers then tour the architectural and plumbing splendors of the Owens-Thomas House, an outstanding example of the English Regency style built
The show opens at Wormsloe Plantation, ruins of a 1736 dwelling on the banks of the Inland Passage and the earliest remnant of those colonial times in Savannah. Back at the project house, a new water main is going in on Gordon Street. Inside the new historically accurate (true-divided-light, single-thickness glass) windows have arrived, and project manager Mark Fitzpatrick applies brick-mold trim to one and installs it. The high-velocity air-conditioning ducting and air-handlers are now on site. Viewers then tour the Green-Meldrim house to see its many methods of keeping cool in the days before electricity. Atop the Flemings' house, a new terne metal roof and a fluid-applied acrylic and polyester mesh roof, new and old. A pull-down attic stair is installed, while out back masons reuse local ""Savannah Grey"" bricks from the original structure to build up a veneer on the new addition.
The show opens at an architectural salvage shop in downtown Savannah; the proprietress drops by the jobsite to buy some of the salvaged plumbing fixtures and woodwork. The strip oak flooring is ripped up to reveal the original heart pine beneath - it's in great shape and can be refinished. A new spray-on cellulose insulation is perfect for the irregular and thin spaces against the exterior masonry walls of the building. The exterior of the new addition is paneled over with medium-density overlay board, ideal for exterior painted surfaces. Finally, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil author John Berendt takes us a tour of the Savannah portrayed in his best-selling book.
The show opens at Fort Pulaski, a Federal fort taken over by Confederate forces early in the Civil War, only to fall to superior weaponry, rendering its masonry construction obsolete. At the site, new mouldings, custom milled to match the existing ones in the house, have arrived and are stacked neatly and out of harm's way in the carriage house. Upstairs, job supervisor Mark Fitzpatrick uses a fax service to up-to-date specs for the new appliances so that he can rough in electronics and gas accurately. Upstairs, drywall contractor Kevin Landry is using a vacuumed sander to smooth out his joints. Viewers then check out a new batt insulation made of cotton scraps and meet flooring contractor Mike McMurray, who will lay a new heart pine floor in the addition and make it match the old, which he will also be refinishing. We see paint and wallpaper prep, and a new plaster ceiling medallion made by master plasterer Jean-Francois Furieri. We visit the Lucas Theater restoration project, where F
The show opens at Congregation Mickve Israel, where Rabbi Belzer takes us on a tour around the 1876 building and shows us the congreation's Torah, the oldest in America, brought over with the original temple members in 1733. At the house, city preservation officer Beth Reiter confers with Mills Fleming about the exterior paint colors and the way they will be applied to the stucco building. Inside, paper hanger Peter Bridgman works on one of the four ceilings he is treating with wallpaper. Before he could proceed, paper hanger Don Taylor had to stabilize the cracking plaster with a system of paper-barrier paint and fiberglass fabric. Finish carpenter Steve Scherz shows us some of the elaborate new moldings going up, including a cornice made up of seven separate elements, design to imitate the building's original plaster cornices. We visit blacksmith Johnny Smith's forge, where he is fabricating a new wrought iron railing for the Flemings' house, while back at the house, tile contractor
The show opens with a visit to the Port of Savannah, one of the busiest container ports on the East Coast and a major employer for the region. He delivers the new cedar shutters to the jobsite, while the heat pumps are hoisted onto the roof. Installer Jimmy Woods shows us the new maple cabinets going into the kitchen. The building's front facade gets a lift as project manager Mark Fitzpatrick removes the old sheet metal ""pigeon guards"" that were obscuring the lintels. We visit nearby Gulfstream Aerospace, where state-of-the-art business jets are built and fitted out with cabinetry of the finest veneers. Back at the house, we see a floor mosaic go down in the entrance vestibule; its intricate Greek key and acanthus leaf design is formed of porcelain tile cut by computer-controlled water jet. We check out the new and old heart pine floors, matched perfectly by specialist Mike McMurray and crew. Finally, paper hanger Peter Bridgman continues his work in the rear parlor.
The final days in Savannah. We visit a preservation expert in charge of saving Pulaski Monument in Monterey Square, which is falling victim to the ravages of acid rain, sulfur, and bacteria. At the house, we meet up with homeowner Mills Fleming, who is busy programming his new security system via a touch-tone phone. Blacksimth Johnny Smith is installing the new wrought-iron railing for the house's front stairs. Inside, lighting designer Cyndee Sessoms shows the sand-cast and crystal chandelier lighting fixtures she chose for the house, while in the kitchen, Mills sees the completed cabinetry and stainless-steel appliances. The granite countertops are in, and we visit the local shop where they were fabricated. On the main staircase, we check out brass dust corners, period hardware that keeps dust from collecting in stair's corners. Outside, paint contractor Parker Chapman works to make sure the house will be ready for the final day. The final morning starts with Savannah mayor Floyd Ada
This Old House sets out for Nantucket the classic way, aboard a Streamship Authority vessel. On island, they tour one of our master carpenter's first jobs, a clothing store. Linking up with designer Jock Gifford, we take a walk up Main Street, one of the finest preserved streets in America. At the subject house, a tour reveals small rooms and poor systems, but a project with a lot of potential. Accordingly, we meet island contractor Bruce Killen and then the homeowners, Craig and Kathy McGraw Bentley.
The crew starts the work day surf casting with local expert David Goodman (and full-time tile contractor) - and even catch a striped bass and a bluefish. At the house, Jock Gifford and the Bentleys use a model to go over the new design for the new house. Whatever they decide they want to do, all exterior changes will have to be approved by the island's Historic District Commission (HDC). We meet commission head Mark Avery to hear about to hear the group, its mandate, likes, dislikes, and proceedings; meanwhile Jock takes us on a photography expedition around the island as he prepares a presentation to the HDC about exterior changes - dormers, decorative shingling - proposed for the Bentley house. In the basement, Richard Trethewey finds very little plumbing or heating equipment worth saving; he then follows the energy story on Nantucket, from wind power to electricity generation to fuel oil to LP gas to wood. In a word, it's all expensive, so the choices the Bentleys make for their hom
The show starts with a visit to Nantucket's Unitarian Universalist church, a beautiful showcase of restrained New England architecture and trompe l'oeil painting built in 1809. At 3 Milk Street, we catch up with general contractor Bruce Killen, who has his building permit and is well into a gut job on the building. Reasons for this dramatic course include the fact that the building will need insulation, upgraded wiring and plumbing, new windows and trim, and a notable change of floor plan; it will also get rid of the bulk lead paint. Outside, mason Don Kissell is accepting a load of concrete for the new addition's footings. Our master carpenter takes a trip to an island plant to see where the concrete is mixed. We hear designer Jock Gifford's report on the Historic District Commission's judgement: the additions were approved, but any exterior details will have to be proven to have been on the building originally. To that end, Syd Conway, who grew up in the house, drops by to share some
Our master carpenter goes lobstering with contractor/lobsterman Pierre Garneau, who has a family license to put out 10 traps. At the house, mason Dan Kissell takes down the unneeded (and unsafe) chimneys, careful to salvage the old bricks, which can fetch up to $2.50 a piece. Homeowner Kathy McGraw Bentley is assigned the task of cleaning the bricks of their old mortar. Engineered lumber arrives on site, in time for reframing to begin both inside the building and on the platform left by the recent demolition of the kitchen ell. We learn how to mix the perfect motar with the masons, who are beginning to build the concrete block foundation for the new addition. Inside, job foreman Patrick Hehir and the crew work to insert a new engineered lumber beam into the second floor system, and begin to sister on 2 x 8s to the existing 2 x 6 joists.
The show starts with a visit to Sankaty Head Light, a Coast Guard property of the exposed Eastern edge of the island. Built in 1850, it like the rest of the houses along the the bluff that leads up to it, is in danger of being washed away by the encroaching Atlantic. Coast Guard Capt. Bill Batson gives us a tour and discusses the options for the future. Back at the house, general contractor Burce Killen checks out the nearly entirely reframed house and discuss the efficiency and code considerations that led to such a radical reworking. Outside, designer Jock Gifford shows homeowner Kathy McGraw Bently a sample of the new windows he's specified for the house, featuring true divided lights, interior energy panels, factory installed trim, and a factory applied three-part exterior pait finish guaranteed for ten years. The Bentleys need to go before the Historic District Commission to obtain approval for the colors they want to use on the building; upon approval they can order the windows.
The show opens with a little clamming, looking for quahogs at a secret location. At the site, we meet designer Jock Gifford, who uses the model of the house to explain the work going on: cutting a hole in the roof to accept the addition's gable. Inside, we meet framing contractor Paul O'Rourke, whose crew makes the cut, assembles the gable wall on the second floor, and pushes it up into place. On the roof, Bruce Killen reviews the progress the new wood shingle roof and the ingredients that go into a roof designed to last 50 years, even in the harsh island environment: heavy roof sheathing, tarpaper, bitumen membrane along edges and in valleys, copper valleys and drip edge, a three-dimensional mesh that allows a layer of air beneath the shingles, and the shingles themselves - #1, vertical-grained, thick-butted (5/8"") Western red cedar. Homeowner Craig Bentley considers the possibility of using a ground-source heat pump to both heat and cool the building, a good choice on an island with
The show begins at Nantucket's Old North Wharf, much of which dates from the early 18th century and site of several small cottages available for rent. At the site, homeowner Kathy McGrew Bentley shows us the window sash color approved by the Historic District Commission, as well as the outside placement of the chimney, which had previously been slated for inside the building. Contractor Bruce Killen describes the cost of the extra framing work so far: $30,000. Outside, mason Dan Kissell shows us how to parge the new concrete block foundation so that it matches the old foundation, while cedar roofer John Rex reveals the secret of the roof's decorative diamond detail. Out at Bruce Killen's workshop, Bruce helps refrubish the building's old fornt doors, using custom knives to replicate the moldings and a large belt sander to remove the paint from the frames. Finally, lighting designer Melissa Guenet and electrician Sally Kay Bates shows us the plans for the second floor.
The show opens at Nantucket's Whaling Museum with curator Mike Jehle. At the site, we see the first of two wells being drilled for the Bentley's ground-source heat pump; they meet an expert in the technology, Carl Orio, who explains how the heat pump works off the ambient temperature in the groundwater. Then we take a tour of some of the island's best open spaces, preserved through the efforts of the Nantucket Land Bank, a public body that competes against developers on the open market using funds it receives from a 2% fee accessed on every real estate transaction on the island. Back at the site, homeowner Kathy McGrew Bentley is hard at work at decisions about her kitchen and floors - our master carpenter reviews wood floor options with her and general contractor Bruce Killen. Our host discusses decisions about the electrical and lighting plans with lighting designer Melissa Guenet and electrician Sally Kay Bates.
Before heading over to the job site, we visit the 1827 African Meeting House, a former school, church, and meeting house used by Nantucket's black population until the 1920's and now the object of a restoration effort. Contractor Bruce Killen builds a new door frame for the restored Victorian double doors, which he and the crew hang. Then we go to Switzerland to see one man's solution to the high cost of building and real estate there: high-quality factory-built houses.
A visit to Nantucket's Life-Saving Museum teaches viewers about a key part of the island's maritime past. Meanwhile, the site is a flurry of subcontractor activity. Mason Dan Kissell shows us the rounded firebox - a traditional Nantucket design - he's building into the Bentley's new chimney. Upstairs, electrician Sally Bates is roughing in workboxes, using airtight plastic surrounds for those in the outside walls to aid in keeping the building well insuated. Installer Eric Branzetti runs the tubing for the central vacuum system and shows us the motor unit in the basement. Plumber Butch Ramos gives a tour of the rough plumbing, while out at Bruce Killen's workshop, work begins on the elegant Victorian brackets that will support the roof over the restored front entrance. Finally, the crew starts to wrap the house with a spun-bounded fabric to keep the winter drafts from blowing through the old sheathing.
The show begins with a visit to the Wharf Rat Club, a collection of old-timers who gather to chat each morning in a former quahog-sorting shack on Old North Wharf. Then we check out the progress at the house: a Victorian-detailed chimney is complete, as is the custom bulkhead door. Inside, general contractor Bruce Killen goes over the features of the newly arrived windows - wood construction, factory-applied two-color paint scheme and exterior trim, interior energy panels, vinyl sash guides, tilt-in cleaning, excellent weatherstripping - and we see one go in. Then we meet energy conservation specialist David Weitz, whose company is using a three-part system - foam, high-density fiberglass batts and extra-tough vapor barrier - to bring This Old House up to the highest of insulation standards set for new housing. At the workshop, our master carpenter finishes off the exterior brackets by making intricate decorative in-fill on the bandsaw.
Dr. Tim Lepore, the island's leading specialist in tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and babeosis, tells us more about their prevalence here and what can be done to avoid them. At the house, preparations are underway for the installation of the restore Victorian double doors. Inside, Richard Trethewey shows us the new metal ductwork for delivery heating and cooling service for the house; he visits the shop where the metalworking is done. Outside, we get a lesson in sidewall shingling with Eastern white cedar, the preferred siding on Nantucket. Then we visit the Nantucket dump, rapidly reaching its capacity, and see the recycling facility that supervisor Jeff Willet hopes will reduce the flow of material and extend the life of the landfill. Back at the house, Bruce Killen and crew put up the front door roof, install the double doors and see what brackets will look like at the restored entrance.
Realtor Hammie Heard shows us around the Dreamland Theatre, a downtown Nantucket landmark. First a Quaker meeting house, then a straw hat factory, then a roller rink, then part of a hotel on Brant Point before finally becoming the island's biggest movie theatre in 1904. Now for sale for $4.2 million, it stands as 15,000 square feet of pure potential with a great view. At the house, Bruce Killen takes a look at the interior insulation, used for sound deadening and heat zoning, and unpacks the new etched glass just in from California. Based on a rubbing of the surviving front door glass panel, it's a perfect match and the final touch on the refurbished Victorian entry. Our host arrives to see bluebarders David and Eric Sandrson tackling the tricky angles of the upstairs rooms, then goes with designer Jock Gifford to see a Victorian-style kitchen in another island home, part of Jock's work to help the Bentley's decide on the work of their new kitchen. Also helping in the kitchen design an
After a ride out to the beach reservation known as Coatue with with Nantucket Conservation Foundation director Jim Lentowski to see both the natural beauty of the preserve and a 1920's fishing shack, used by the foundation's rangers, that represents a simpler time on the island, we return to the house. Our master carpenter questions Bruce Killen on his preferred method of clapboarding: 3"" exposure, sunken nails, an no back-caulking. Bruce shows him several examples of this ""Nantucket style"" in the neighborhood. Out back, foreman Mike Lynch shows us the new deck system, which uses ipe, or Brazilian black walnut, an extremely hard and long-lasting hardwood. Our host takes viewers to a planned community called Nashaquisset, whose density, landscaping, and architectural detailing recalls traditional Nantucket. Back at the site, designer Jock Gifford shows us the Victorian fence he proposes for the house, citing a historical precedent on Main Street.
We visit the Nantucket Marine Lab and its director, Rob Garrison, to see efforts of augment the islande's scallop population. At the house, Bruce Killen tells us that the Historic District Commission has rejected as ""too fancy"" the proposed Victorian fence, approving instead a simple Quaker picket. Painters Gerry Ratnecht and George Loranger applied a plastic filler to nail holes, sand, and lay down a top-quality latex paint on an island used to oil. Inside, Bruce sees carpenter Joe Topham finish out a new window with traditional Victorian trim. We meet landscaper Michael Flanagan, who is dry-laying walls of Pennsylvania fieldstone, then plasterer Howie Nair shows us what's involved in repairing the broken plaster cornice mouldings in the front room. Finally, we catch up with energy-conservation specialist David Weitz as he conducts a blower-door test on the building, trying to seal it up to meet the high standards of the utility company.
Our master carpenter boards the fishing boat of Capt. Tom Mleczko in search of the mighty striped bass and hooks one on his first cast. Fresh from his triumph, he arrives on the job to see a pressed-metal (""tin"") ceiling going up panel-by-panel in the kitchen, while Barry Cohen and crew installing a decorative solid-surface bath stall in the kids' bathroom. In the mudroom, tiler David Goodwin (the fishing expedition's first mate), lays out a Welsh tile mudroom floor; viewers tour of the small factory in Whales where the tiles were maufactured.
After a visit to the Milestone Cranberry Bog in time for the October harvest, viewers meet up with Bruce Killen who discusses the punch list - it looks like the project will not quite be finished by the show's last taping. Inside, tiler David Goodman shows our master carpenter how he copes a decorative tile molding for the powder room using a water-cooled diamond band saw. We visited with Chuck Davis, who brought back the old pine floors upstairs and is laying a new ""floating floor"" system in the rest of the house. Richard Trethewey and ground-source heat-pump expert Carl Orio fire up the new system and review the air-to-air heat exchanger in the attic, necessitated by the tight envelope the building now has. Our host arrives to find cabinet designer Gina MacVicar going over the kitchen, family room, and master suite cabinets, while outside, lanscaper Mike Flanagan is puting in hydrangeas and day lilies to set off the crushed stone parking tray. Fence installer Ron Dugas shows us the n
The crew starts off the last Nantucket show up to their chest in water, harvesting the succulent bay scallop. At the house, the final rush is on. Our master carpenter sees a wallbed unit going into the library/guest room, while Richard shows us some of the toilet fixtures and faucets for the house's new bathrooms. One of the toilets, which manufacturer calls the ""Peacekeeper,"" flushes only by closing the seat. The following day, the crew arrives to find the final coat of paint going on the restored front doors, complemented by brass hardware whose high-tech finish will stand up to Nantucket's harsh seaside enironment. Lighting designer Melissa Guenet takes viewers through some of the reproduction Victorian fixtures she's chosen for the house, while our host visits a lighting maufacturer's lab, where designers can learn how to use various types of fixtures to achieve the desire effect. Syd Conway, who grew up in the house, drops by to give his blessing on what's been done to the family
This Old House hits Tucson, Arizona, for an eight-part winter project: the renovation and and expansion of Jim and Colleen Meigs' 1930 Pueblo Revival home. After an overview of Tucson's sights - tract housing, golf courses, Old Tucson Studios, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the Air Force's ""Boneyard"" of old planes, Biosphere 2, and the magnificent Catholic mission San Xavier del Bac - we head to the Meigs' house, where we see that the homeowners have for nearly 20 years, they are pretty certain: a new kitchen, an outdoor cooking area, a finished courtyard with fountain, a media room, library, a new master suite and a new coat of stucco. Their target cost is around $150,000. As Jim is an architectural designer, we visit one of his completed houses. However, since as Jim puts it, ""A new lawyer who defends himself has a fool for a client,"" he has hired an architect for his own job - Alexandra Hayes. She shows us the model she has built for the proposed project. Then general contractor
The show opens at Casa Cordova, one of the last remaining pieces of early Tucson. Built in 1848 within the original presido (""walled fort"") walls, the Casa is now preserved as part of the Tucson Museum of Art. At the job site, the crew arrives to find progress well underway.Genreal contractor John McCaleb inspects termite and honeybee damage with continuing on to the new addition, whose walls are complete, put up in four days by a two-man crew using hollow building blocks made from recycled styrofoam and concrete. With rebar added horizontally and vertically and concrete poured in, the new walls achieve a remarkable R-36 rating. Then we visit the magificent Catholic mission San Xavier del Bac, built in the late 1700s and now undergoing extensive renovations, some of which incorporate prickly pear juice! Then it's back to the house where plumber Dan LaBlue is using flexible plastic (PEX) tubing instead of copper for the building' water supply. The plastic tubing is nearly approved fou
The show opens with a hike in the natural splendor of Sabino Canyon, in the northern foothills of Tucson. At the house, a crew prepares and pours a colored and scored concrete floor, a typical detail in older Arizona homes. Homeowner Jim Meigs and our host discuss design issues concerning the new powder/laundry room and outdoor and indoor kitchens, and then we visit cabinetmaker James Vosnos at his shop, where the kitchen's cabinets are coming together in Mexican mesquite. Richard Trethewey and HVAC contractor Marshall Dennington review the heating and cooling system Marshall has design for the house, including a natural gas-powered air-conditioning unit, electronic air cleaner, humidifier, and high-function thermostatic controls. Finally, we visit Old Tucson Studios, a moviemaking mecca since the 1930s, recently rebuilt after a catastrophic fire.
An early moring breakfast at a tradtional Mexican restaurant prepares the crew for a job site abuzz with traditional handwork and products, as well as state-of-the-art technology. Interior plaster goes up the old-fashioned way with Gilberto Chavez's crew, while we see a high-tech stucco system go on over the old adobe exterior. Contractor John McCaleb takes us to the historic colonial town of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, a center for traditional crafts. In nearby Delores Hidalgo, the handmade terraccotta tiles for the Meigs' veranda are hand made in a method nearly 300 years old. Back on site, Colleen Meigs sees the beginnings of her ""endless"" pool going in.
The show opens with a visit to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where the natural-looking environments are the result of painstaking human artistry, including the casting and construction of artificial rocks. On site, new windows have arrived, and window consultant Forrest Campbell explains their features, including true-divided-light appearance with thermal pane efficiency, custom-matched, high performance exterior paint, and, for the French doors, a one-move, three-point pin locking mechanism. Outside, the entire Meigs residence begins to get a new skin, as insulated board goes over the failed stucco, to be followed by a new fiberglass and acrylic stucco coat. HVAC installer Marshall Dennington explains why the system was broken into three separate units. In the master bath, David Kelly is putting in tile and electrician Dan LaBlue is installing a steam shower unit. Finally, we check in with Shelly Kessler and her crew, who are modifyingthe old bedroom floor with a walnut inlay to m
Before heading to the job site, we pay a visit to the Air Force's AMARC, a vast collection of mothballed aircraft preserved in the Tucson desert for use as parts, for storage, or for destruction. As the Meigs' house, Mexican tile is going down in the courtyard, the new mesquite kitchen cabinets are in place, and we see the process of putting in poured concrete countertops, a first for This Old House. The library cabinet is the work of Tom Klijian, who has fashioned floor-to-ceiling bookshelves out of black walnut. Viewers take a tour of Tucson straw bale houses - one finished, one under construction with expert Matts Myhrman and builder John Woodin. Tucson is a national center of this environmentally friendly building technology. Back on site, a beautiful set of glass doors seals off the steam shower.
After a trip downtown to Tucson's Hotel Congress, built in 1919 and the site of John Dillinger's hideout back in 1934, we return to the Meigs' house, concrete pavers are laying the driveway - consistent in size but varied in color, they form a hard-wearing cobblestone-like surface. We inspect the outdoor kitchen's gas barbecue, whie in the indoor kithcen cabinetmaker James Vosnos puts the finishing touches on the mesquite cabinetry. James Murdock puts the finishing touches on the ""endless"" pool, while NCAA swimmer Sean Pepper test it out. Our plumbing and heating expert checks out the house's water treatment equipment, then takes viewers around Tucson to see the ongoing challenges the city faces in its struggle to satisfy its water needs. Our host takes a look at a new privacy glazing in the master bath - it uses a liquid crystal and electricity to switch between transperancy and opacity while the flooring contractors finish up the library floor.
As the Tucson project enters its final days, our host takes viewers to Biosphere 2 in nearby Oracle. Site of two experiments in self-sustained living, Biosphere 2 is now part of Columbia University's earth sciences program, serving as a laboratory for research into the effects of so-called greenhouse gases thought to be causing global warming. At the house, the finishing coat of the re-stuccoing system is going on, as well as a water-based highly reflective and waterproof roof coating. We check out a termite control system that uses insect growth hormones rather than poison, then tour the Meigs' beautiful new kitchen, complete with mesquite cabinets, black concrete counters, and gleaming stainless-steel commercial-grade appliances. We find cabinetmaker Tom Klijian behind his new library shelves-cum-powder room door. On the final day, Richard Trethewey arrives to check out the master bath, with walk-in closet with custom shelving, whirlpool bath, separate toilet/bidet room and a mahogan
The show opens in the historic town of Milton, Massachusetts, founded in 1662 and the site of the c. 1725 Colonial home the show purchased for renovation and eventual sale. The This Old House crew looks the old structure over, including the massive post-and-beam barn on the property. The diagnosis: questionable room layout for modern life, some rot, but a remarkable sound house with a lot of potential. Jinny Devine, owner for the past 38 years, recalls raising her family of four boys in the home.
Our host arrives to find excavator Herb Brockert preparing to knock down the rotting ell off the barn. The crew salvage a few valuable bits before it goes, including the cupola and an arched window. A group of young men, from a program that acts as an alternative to juvenile detention, work to dismantle the brick patio in the back of the house and haul in fiberboard to protect the house's delicate old floorboards. Architect Rick Bechtel and our host discuss some ideas about reworking the house's floorplan, including moving the kitchen from the dark northeast side to the sunny south. Our host goes to New York City to visit the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club Decorators Show House, which has been going annually for 25 years, to get ideas for turning the Milton house into a similar showcase at the end of the renovation. Richard Trethewey checks out the the house's aging heating system, complete with solar collector.
The show opens with a visit to the top of Great Blue Hill and its historic weather observatory (built in 1885) to view the sights: the town of Milton, downtown Boston (8 miles northeast), and the 7,000 acres of parkland that comprise the Blue Hills Reservation. At the jobsite, the crew takes up planks in the front part of the barn in preparation for turning it into a garage; the structure reveals various areas of rot and poor construction. Forms are in place to accept the concrete coming to make up the new workshop's foundation, and landscape architect Tom Wirth assesses some of the site's challenges, including a lack of proper accesss to the front prospect of the house. Historic photos shows a gravel or shell drive that once passed by the home's front, and Tom thinks a similar scheme would be appropriate. Insulation specialist Graeme Kirkland shows us the results of a blower door test he's conducting: the house changes its interior air 11 times an hour in a simulated 15-mile-an-hour w
Our master carpenter lays out lines for subslab ductwork in his workshop, and the crew strips off the barn's old shingles. They will use a shingle panel system when they replace the siding. Tom Silva shows us his new jobsite trailer, leased complete with office and secure storage room. A surveyor works to put together a certified plot plan, while we see the excavation work around the main house for the kitchen foundation and for a perimeter drain along the front rubblestone foundation for years. In the barn, our master carpenter puts in one of the new post to make room for the garage to come - earlier he used new one-piece footing forms and a waterborne lazer level to provide solid bases for the new posts, poured by a small-batch concrete delivery truck. In the future media room, the crew removes the lally column, holding up the building with jacks and a cripple wall before inserting a flitch beam of laminated veneer lumber and steel.
Our master carpenter's workshop continues to take shape, as Richard Trethewey lays out radiant floor heating tubes over a layer of rigid insulation. We meet audio/visual systems contractor Steve Hayes to get a preview of what the new media room may look like, and visit a showroom to see the range of equipment options. We see a virtual walk-through of the new workshop put together by Randy Levere, while the crew tears down the old kitchen addition, which has revealed itself to be woefully built. Paint stripper Brooks Washburn uses a paraffin-based paste to remove dozens of layers of old paint from the front staircase, and our host suggests trying it out on the historic front facade. Finally, the concrete arrives to complete the floor of the new workshop.
A big day on the site: the structural insulated panels for the new workshop are hoisted into place - they, along with a massive ridge beam of engineered lumber, form the entire workshop structure, complete with window, door, and sklight openings. We are introduced to a range of metal roofing available to top off the workshop, while our host meets furniture and finishes restorer Robert Mussey in his shop, brings him back to the house, and gets some advice on the care and feeding of the historic pine paneling. Landscape architect Tom Wirth checks in with Milton town civil engineer Jim Greene about moving the driveway and any wetland issues involved.
The house's new spaces are framed and sheated, giving us a chance to tour the new kitchen and media room. The front facade is now completely stripped of its burden of 200 years' of paint, ready for primer and a new color. Architect Rick Bechtel and window specialist Mike Roach discuss the new windows they are specifying for the new work (all wood units, double hung, insulating glazing, applied six-over-six muntins), and decide that, rather than being replaced, the historic sash of the front part of the building should be restored and weatherstripped. At the workshop, we see now, low-cost, breathable building wrap, then watch as the crew installs one of the new skylights. Then a roll-forming machine spits out metal roof panels for the building's new standing-steam roof. Finally, we see the engineered wood product that is being used to trim out the house - it's very stable, warpfree, consistent, and cheaper than clear pine.
Victory Garden chef Marian Morash and kitchen designer Phil Mossgraber work to refine a plan for the new kitchen, with special attention to window and appliance placement. Out in the workshop, T.J. Silva uses an airless sprayer to apply a stainkilling primer to the interior walls and ceiling, while the crew begin to apply the newly arrived shingle system: 2' x 8' panels, prestrained, with braided corner units that go up quick and cost less than uninstalled traditional shingles. Security system consultant Steve Yusko shows us the wireless radio transmitter that will link the property's alarms with a central monitoring station, redundant with the regular phone link. In the media room, a/v expert Steve Hayes pulls speaker wires and adjusts the rooftop DSS (digital satellite system) dish to pull in a clear signal. Finally, lighting designer Josh Feinstein gives a tour of the many lighting control options available for the new house.
Our host arrives to find our master carpenter unpacking the new stationary woodworking tools for the workshop; they admire the newly shingled barn, whose panelized shingle system the general contractor estimates saved him almost two weeks' labor. At the main house, the crew shingles the low-pitch roof over the media room, taking special care to first cover the deck with a waterproofing membrane. Inside, we see the restructuring being done in the dining room: using engineered I-joist to level the ceiling and reinforce the floor above; carefully removing the old floorboards to get the rotted subfloor, strengthening it with more I-joist and a new plywood deck. Our host meets with chefs Julia Child and Marian Morash in the kitchen to discuss the layout, work surfaces, islands, tables, and flooring options. Out at the workshop, the team puts togehter the deck using an undermount system and decking made of recycled plastic bags and sawdust, and checks out the nerw woodworking tools. We watch
Richard Trethewey is on site to see the new gas line being laid and the old oil tanks removed, courtesy of a gas company program. Coppersmith Larry Stearns shows off the fabulous copper weathervane he's made for the new workshop cupola, which he and the master carpenter place the roof. Arborist Matt Foti and his crew work to clear the way for the new driveway, as well as cleaning up damage and debris from the spring's surprise snowstorm. We recieve a tour of the studded up master bathroom, and watch as a new kind of retractable screen system is put in at the workshop's new French doors. Excavation contractor Herb Brockert shows us the work he's done laying in the new driveway and discusses his concerns about properly draining the site. Finally, paint expert Andrea Gilmore shows us the results of her research of the house's exterior: 16 coats of paint, the last eight of which were white, with earlier schemes ranging over from the original dark brown with red trim to a putty color to a y
Our master carpenter inspects the new garage doors, made of redwood to look like old-fashioned outswing carriage doors but operated like modern overheads. The construction crew thickens the sills of the new windows to match the old trim style and installs a three-window mulled unit in the kitchen. Our host tours Milton with realitor Susan Bolgar-Wiesjohn to see what kind of properties are available in this town of 25,000, just 9 miles from downtown Boston. Lighting designer Josh Feinstein gives us an overview of the workshop's new lighting package, while landscape architect Tom Wirth and architect Rick Bechtel discuss plans for the shade garden.
A busy day at the site, as several weather-sensitive jobs are brought to completion. The crew puts in the final touches on the cedar clapboarding and window trim, explaining to us the fine points of keeping out the water. A new fiberglass bulkhead is installed, while painter Seth Knipe shows us the proposed colors for the main house. Inside we watch the insulation contractor Don Sawyer and crew spray a fast-expanding foam into the open stud bays of the media room, into the joist bays of the crawl space, and down into the cavities of the master bedroom's walls, whose old fiberglass has been pulled out. Outside landscape contractor Roger Cook supervises the installation of an in-ground sprinkler system to take care of the lawn-to-be, which a hydroseeding company sprays over the prepared soil. Elsewhere on the property, paving contractor Larry Torti shows us the new MacAdam driveway he's laying, using recycled paving as a base, liquid asphalt as a binder, and rice stone as a surface coat.
Our host arrives to find the site thick with trucks delivering drywall, cement board, and interior wooden doors. In a rapidly filling barn, he meets electrician Allen Gallant installing a lightning arrestor on the workshop panel - it's a simple $25 device that protects all the house's and barn's outlets from damaging power surges. Off of the exercise room, a prefabricated cedar sauna goes in, while arborist Matt Foti trims and props up the old apple tree outside the workshop. Down by the road, stonewall builder David Nyren and crew build a farmer's wall across the old driveway opening and a riprap retaining wall at the bank cut for the new drive, and lanscaper Roger Cook and crew lay in the shade garden's brick patio. Landscape architect Tom Wirth shows us choices for the latticework around the shade garden, and tells us about the specimen terrs he's ordered for the property: a lacebark Chinese elm, two American hollies, and a cornelian cherry. Plumber Ronald Coldwell checks the state
The show opens at the Milton gravesite of Captain John Crehore (born 1694), the builder of the Milton house. At the house, our host checks out a new clogfree gutter system, a prefabricated wine cellar, and the central vacuum system. He and plumbing & heatind expert review the hot water plan for the building: radiant tubing on the first floor, a high-efficeincy gas burner and hot water tank downstairs, and a superinsulated pipe to take hot water to the barn. The This Old House team installs a prefabricated wainscoting in the house's dining room. In the kitchen, designer Phil Mossgraber checks in and unpacks the new cabinets, while writer Daniel Levy gives us a short historical tour of the old house, including a look at a secret passage that may have played a role in the Underground Railroad. In the patio garden, landscape contractor Rodger Cook works with members of the Milton Garden Club to plant the newly arrive shade plants, and accepts delivery of new trees from the nursery.
The finishes have begun at the Milton project. We see the shellac and wax work painter John Dee is applying to the stripped old-growth white pine in the front wall - it now matches the look of the adjacement parlor. The crew directs a crane as it swings the new, 490-pound soaking tub through the master bath window. We visit the Wisconsin foundry where it was made. Meanwhile, tiling contractors the Ferrante brothers prepaer 16 x 16 limestone tiles for the bathroom floor using an extra-tile wet saw. Outside, our host meets a termite exterminator who uses an insect growth hormone bait to wipe out subterranean colonies. Upstairs, HVAC contractor Ken Winchester shows us the very important air-to-air heat exchanger, which introduces fresh air that picks up the house's exiting stale, damp air. In the courtyard, the new iron fountain has arrived, and the crew puts the finishing touches of the green lattice cedar fence. We meet Glenn Bowman, who is cutting and installing soapstone countertops i
The show opens to find landscaper Roger Cook and crew putting in a granite block curb around the driveway island to protect it from wayward vehicles. Inside, Charlie Abate shows us the butcherblock island countertop and discusses its care and feeding. In the old front rooms, painting contractor Steve Kiernan explains the steps he and his crew before painting the woodwork in the library and shellacking the wood in the parlor. Outside, the crew installs the new gas barbeque and side burner unit, while mason Lenny Belliveau shows us how he's dry laying a brick floor in the screen porch. Our plumbing & heating expert installs a chimney cap over one of the fireplace flues and shows us the aluminum liner he placed in the flue that handles the moist and relatively cool gas burner exhaust. Chiller units outside and barely detectable outlets inside make up the visible portions of the house's air-conditioning system. Jeff Hosking shows us the cleaning-screening-shellac-wax process by which he i
Interior designers begin their work as the construction crew scurries to finish up the job. Painter John Dee uses a wood fillerto repair the deteriorating front door, while kitchen designer Phil Mossgraber shows us features of the cabinets and the newly installed appliances. A designer from Laura Ashley Home Stylings discusses the family room's while painted woodwork and ""crackle-coat"" wallpaper, while Glenn Bowman routes out an integral drainboard in the kitchen's soapstone countertop. Upstairs, we see the new electronic shower control, and designer Cheryl Katz describes the progress by which she went from raw space in the master suite to a finished design. Jeff Hosking and the crew lay a new wide-plank pine floating floor in the dining room and we see the ceiling mural decorative painter Julie Williams is putting up in the media room using a unique color-transfer medium.
The show opens to find Roger Cook and crew laying down a sod lawn and we recieve a one-button key-fob controller demo from security expert Steve Yusko. Inside the house, we see the new flower sink and check out the new high-efficiency front-loading washer and dryer. In the wine cellar, Quarterly Review of Wines editor Randy Sheahan tells us some of the hows and whys behind the 216 bottles he's chosen. In the media room, a padded fabric wallcovering goes up, while upstairs, carpet and a master closet system are installed. We meet Robin Raskin, editor of Family PC magazine, to see some of the must-haves for the home office. Lighting designer Josh Feinstein and electrician Allen Gallant shows us the lighting and control package in the kitchen, while our master carpenter gets a test-drive of the new media room with a/v contractor Steve Hayes. Tom Silva shows us the old-fashioned brushed-brass rim locks he's using throughout the house.
The grand finale in Milton, with the house completed furnished with the work of 10 separate decorating teams. We tour the house, the barn and the grounds. The wrap party begins and the contractors and subs get a big thank you for a huge job well done.
This Old House's team goes to San Francisco to take on a unique project: the conversion of a 1906 church (lately a synagogue) into a home for Mark Dvorak, a store designer, and his fiancee Laurie Ann Bishop. A tour of the building reveals cavernous spaces, an institutional feel, dated systems, but a fantastic view of the Bay. The homeowners invite our host to their current apartment , full of striking furnishings they plan to set off against minimalist palette of finishes in the new building. Architect Barbara Chambers is the ideal professional to help on the project, living and working in a similarly minimalist home of her own design. At the church, she the homeowners thgrough a model of the proposed conversion, complete with a two-car garage in the basement, preserved chapel space, and kitchen, bath, and three bedrooms in the rear, two-story addition, formerly the synagogue offices. General contractor Dan Plummer check out the basement area, with its inadequate seismic enigneering,
The crew start the workday at the Powell Street cable car turntable, where cars are spun around by hand for the return trip over the Fisherman's Wharf. On site, general contractor Dan Plummer has three weeks of work to show: the woodwork in the chapel has been sanded, the baptismal fount has been filled with concrete for the new fireplace's foundation, and the entire rear addition has been gutted to the walls. The reason: termites. We meet exterminator Bill Pierce as he sprays down the plywood for the new subfloor with a borate solution; the new floor joists are of a pressure-treated Douglas fir that contains no arsenic or chromium, unlike conventional PT lumber. Richard sees a blown-in cellulose insulation treatment of the floor joist bays, while our host visits a Gap store that homeowner Mark Dvorak helped to design - the simple, monochromatic finishes are meant to push the clothes forward visually, and Mark and Laurie Ann plan a similar scheme for the church to highlight their furni
The show opens at a spectacular spot: the top of the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, 48 stories above the Bay. At the site, Richard Trethewey shows the recycling Dumpster - almost everything coming out of the job is reclaimed at a facility across the Bay. In the basement, Richard gets the underfloor heating story from Larry Luttrell, who is using a aluminum plates to direct the heat up through the chapel's old wood floor. Our host meets mason Jim Dayton, who explains the workings of a modern Rumford fireplace, while the master carpenter sees the framing work of Jim Pitcher and crew up on the second floor. Jim shows a rigid 3-4-5 framing square he's using, then we catch up with the window manufacturer's rep Glenn Eige to see the features of the new windows, including sound-deadening and infrared blocking. Richard visits a Berkley salvage yard where Mark and Laurie Ann have picked out some vintage fixtures, including two stunning lavatories. Back on the site, general contractor Da
The show opens with a walk through the magnificent Muir Woods, home of the coast redwood, the world's tallest tree. At the house, where general contractor Dan Plummer is dealing with yet another of heavy rain, we see the lighweight concrete mixed and poured over the kitchen's radiant floor tubing. Our host gets the rundown on the building's sprinkler system from installed Fred Benn, including a dramtic demostration. We visit the workshop of Peter Good in Oakland to see him building new exterior doors for the church - a matched pair for the front and a Dutch door for the side entrance. At the house, Jay Fenton shows the stainless steel flue he's installing above the new Rumford fireplace, while Dan Plummer and the team review the new stairs and the old-growth Douglas fir joist he's recycling into treads and risers.
The crew visits Coloma, California, where the Gold Rush began in 1848, to see Sutter's Mill and try their hands at panning for pay dirt. At the house, a break in the rainy weather means the crew can put up the new redwood siding, while inside Richard Trethewey helps plumber Jeff Deehan retrofit a vintage lavatory with a modern mixing faucet. Homeowner Laurie Ann Bishop shows us the transforing effect of the new windows in the chapel, and an energy consultant demonstrates their heat-retaining capabilities with a thermographic camera. In the basement, Richard discusses the new heating plant (a combination boiler and hot water tank) and the manifold system that will control the building's radiant floor heat. Our host accepts delivery of the church's custom exterior doors, and a cleverly disguised garage is installed.
Our host visits Alcatraz before heading off to the jobsite, where our master carpenter is hard at work installing the new front doors. First step: trimming them to fit the out-of-plumb opening. Progress in the chapel continues, with industrial halogen light fixtures being hung from the ceiling, while paint going over the dark waiscoting, and a cleft-slate surround gracing the Rumford firebox. Upstairs, the drywall has been treated with a bonding agent so that a two-coat finsh plaster can be applied, the result of a last-minute decision by the homeowners. A zero-clearance fireplace centers the master bedroom, and plumber Jeff Deehan wrestles with an old-wall-mount sink, retrofitting it with a foot-pedal-controlled faucet. Our master carpenter continues on his on his doors, using a mortice jig to position and installs the hinges. Homeowner Mark Dvorak accepts delivery of the kitchen cabinets he designed - built in a computer-controlled manufacturing facility run by Paul La Bruna. Finally
The final episode on the San Francisco project begins with a visit to the Marin County Civic Center, Frank Lloyd Wright's only government building. At the site, Richard joins our master carpenter to do a little gardening in the ten square feet of soil in front of the church, then Richard gets the rundown on homeowner Mark Dvorak's new front-loading washing machine, which saves 60% of the electricity and 40% of the water used by conventional top-loaders. Our master carpenter trims out a window using a wood fiber and resin composite material, while our host checks out the last-minute work in the chapel, including bottom-up privacy shades, a clean up with a backpack vacuum, and the staining of the floor with a very dark stain. The next day starts off with homeowner Laurie Ann Bishop having fingerprints read into the new security system. We catch up with general contractor Dan Plummer as he puts togehter his second-floor punchlist, Mark shows Richard the finished kitchen, and lighting desi
Our 20th year on public television began with the renovation of a circa 1886 Victorian with a large circa 1915 rear addition, in the Boston suburb of Watertown, Massachusetts. Essentially untouched since it was built, the house was recently purchased by a young couple from nearby Cambridge, Christian Noen and Susan Denny, who were attracted by the classic neighborhood, spacious yard, and the relative affordability of Watertown. Along with the This Old House gang and designer/architect team Sandra and Tony Fairbank, they plan to address the house's many problems: a boggy basement and backyard. paint-encrusted siding, crumbling chimneys, outdated heating and wiring, and a labyrinthine floorplan that masks the house's spacious 5,000 square feet. The show opens with the This Old House team visiting a potential project project that the show decided to pass on: ac. 1720 colonial that was nearly destroyed by a chimney fire. They tour the house to see what a fire can do to a building, and meet
Our host opens the show with a visit to the Watertown Arsenal, now decommissioned and slated for redevelopment into office space. The highlight of the property is the Italianate Commander's Residence, a brick mansion being given to the town by the developer for use as a community center. At the project, the crew experiments with methods of stripping the exterior of its paint burden, while our host visits a renovated house in Cambridge, whose design was the reason Christian and Sue chose their designer/architect team, Sandra and Tony Fairbank. Richard Trethewey checks the state of the heating plant (grossly oversized) and the pipes (mostly OK), and Sandra Fairbank and Christian go over a proposed reordering of the house's tangled floorplan.
The crew begins to dismantle the grand oak staircase as the house's new floorplan comes into focus - seen in a vitural-reality walkthrough, it calls for removing all three staircases and repositioning one in the center of the house, providing a sensibleand easily navigated layout on both the first and second floors. We visit the house next door, which is for sale, with Realtor John Petrowsky, to get an idea on what the market is like and whether Christian and Sue are on the right track in the scope of their renovation. A professional crew removes abestos from the basement of the project house, and the staircase comes apart in the three large sections.
As a professionally installed scaffolding system rises up to the roof ridge, landscape archtect Clarissa Rowe walks around the lot, assessing problems - mostly an overabundance of weedy trees and terrible drainage - and possible solutions. Our master carpenter relives his western odyssey with the US Forest Service, 22 miles into the wilderness by horseback to repair parts of an historic Service compound. Back at the house, the old second bath floor is demoted, but not before the crew save the old sink and some of the tiles.
The landscape work begins with landscaper Roger Cook and arborist Matt Foti marking trees slated for pruning or renoval and Matt's crew relieving the yard of some of its overgrown burden. Inside, the crew begins to rebuild the old oak staircase in the center of the building while mason Lenny Belliveau assesses the state of the flues with the help of a tiny ""lipstick"" camera. Atop the scaffolding, we learn how he has rebuilt the chimneys from the roof up, copying the corbelled and decorated originals.
The team's work to complete the reframing of the second floor starts with the use of engineered lumber, which makes for wide clear spans in the new kitchen area. Landscape architect Clarissa Rowe shows us two plans for the yard. Thinking ahead, homeowner Christian Nolen visits a hands-on showroom to choose high-end appliances for the house, while Sue Denny and a/v specialist Steve Hayes review a new wiring and distribution system that will ensure that, no matter how data is spent or recieved in the future, the walls will never have to be opened to rewire.
The show opens with a walk along a newly restored natural corridor lining the banks of the Charles River in Watertown. The result of years of hard reclamation work by the Metropolitan District Commission, it forms part of an unbroken systems of walk and bikeways stretching from the mouth of the river west to Waltham. Back at the house, the crew opens up a water-damaged corner of the building to find rot, carpenter ants, and termites, Homeowner Christian Nolen is presented with a plan to heat and cool the building efficiently, while still using the existing ductwork. Our host visits the Browne House, circa 1690, the oldest house in Watertown, and one of the first restoration efforts by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. At the site, historic preservationist Andrea Gilmore explains the architectural features that make our subject house a Queen Anne Victorian, and she reveals its original colors.
A Dig Safe representative is on site to explain the nonprofit organization's function: to notify all utilities of impending excavation so that they can mark buried lines. Out back, Roger Cook and crew remove topsoil to begin the digging of a massive drywell that will hopefully control the water that drains from surrounding yards onto the property during rainstorms. The team review the extensive termite damage to the front sill; to replace it, they need to jack the balloon-framed wall above it - no easy task, since the floors are not really attached to the wall studs in this type of construction. Meanwhile, Christian and our host take a tour through the mocked-up kitchen, where Christian is asked a few pointed questions about the design.
Entomologist and pest control contractor Steve Marken takes us on a termite-damage tour of the house, pointed out the conditions that led to the original infestation. Out back, Roger Cook shows us the drywell and drainage pipe system he's installed to handle the water problem. The This Old House team work with excavator Jim McLaughin as they try to pull out the old galvanized water service, with a new copper pipe attached to the end, to replace the old pipe without having to dig up the front lawn. Homeowners Sue Denny and Christian Nolen experiment with exterior paint colors on the side of the building - our host advises them to consult with historic paint expert Andrea Gilmore. Inside, homeowner Christian learns the effect, or lack thereof, of the skylight he's considering installing over the central stairway.
Roger Cook and Christian Bilodeau plant 30-foot evergreens as a screen in the backyard, using Christian's tree spade. Tom updates us on the project's progress: termite damage has necessitated replacement of all three porches, rough wiring is well underway, and rough plumbing has already been inspected. Out on the front lawn, homeowners Christian and Sue put a first coat of finish paint on some of the 8000+ new red cedar shingles and shows us the historically accurate new paint scheme: light olive for the body, straw for the trim, and a pumpkin red for the decorative shingling and window sash. Electrician Allen Gallant links the house up with the live Boston Edison service from the street, while the crew cut through the roof for the new sklight. Finally, we visit the granite quarry and finishing yard where new pink granite blocks are being prepped for use on the front part of the Watertown house's foundation, matching the rest of the granite around the sides and back of the building.
The This Old House team installs a zero-clearance fireplace with a handsome cast-iron firebox. Window rehabilitation specialist David Liberty shows us his method of refurbishing the building's existing windows using old-fashioned, long-lasting materials. Show friend George Putnam works with a new stripping chemical to relieve the decorative carving on the front gable of its layers of paint, while our host visits the new owners of last season's home, the 1724 Colonial in Milton, Massachusetts. Our master carpenter checks in with a/v specialist Steve Hayes as he pulls ""futureproof"" wiring bundles through the walls and back to a central switching box. Finally, custom cabinet maker Ted Goodnow and homeowner Sue Denny shows us the progress they've made towards finalizing the kitchen's look.
A busy day on site: the back decking is coming along with a new undermount system. The insulation crew is hard at work inside spraying on foam insulation. Up top, Mark Schaub and his crew prepare to line the chimneys with a concrete lining poured down around bladders in each of the flues, and in the backyard, Dick Washburn shows us a unique dipping tank for stripping one of the house's old mantles of paint. In the relative quiet of the workshop, our master carpenter is fabricating a quartersawn white oak raised-panel piece for the bottom of the stairway. Finally, mason Lenny Belliveau works on the newly arrived pink granite blocks for veneering the foundation at the front of the building.
Exterior painting by Steve Kiernan and crew is underway out back, as is the erection of a white cedar combination fence and trellis along the driveway. In the kitchen, Fred Morgan explains to us the ancient process of terrazzo flooring, with a modern twist: instead of concrete, epoxy is used. Drywaller Mike Couillard shows us a tiler backing board, that unlike cementitous board, can be worked with regular drywall tools, as well as 56"" wide drywall sheets that eliminate a seam when used in high-ceiled rooms such as ours. In the basement, Bill Clayton takes us through the perimeter drain and sump system his company has installed to deal with the flooding the house suffers during heavy rains. Roger Cook and crew unload trees and shrubs from a local nursery and begin sitting them around the yard. Finally, our host gets a lesson in granite work as Lenny Belliveau completes the foundation's stone veneer.
The show opens with a plumbing and heating tour of the basement, with stops at: a pressure-reducing valve that steps down the incoming water pressure from 110 psi to a more useful 65 psi; no-hub cast iron waste lines; two-burner high-efficiency boiler; and a topnotch ducting job that interfaces with an air handler, humidifier and electrostatic air cleaner. Upstairs, the terrazzo floor is polished. Our team istalls a new window with guts of wood fiber and resins, a wood veneer interior and vinyl-clad exterior. Lighting designer Doreen Le May Madden takes us to a nearby lighting showroom to see what she has come up with for homeowner Sue Denny. Among the surprises is a fiber-optic lighting package.
A huge drywall goes in under the front lawn to handle water pumped out of the basement slump, and chimney specialist Mark Schaub and crew shows us the newly ""Rumfordized"" front parlor fireplace and the cast iron Victorian fireplace inserts they've installed in the dining room and in Sue's office. Homeowner Sue Denny uses a biodegradable stripper to remove built-up varnish from the old oak doors, while Tom and our master carpenter fabricate new fluted post and replica goosenecks for the house's porches. The new copper shingle system is being installed on all the porch roofs.
The This Old House team shop for lunch supplies at Eastern Lamejun Bakery, one of the oldest Middle Eastern grocery stores in the counrty. (The Watertown area is home to one of the largest Armenian populations in the country.) At the jobsite, Augustin Crookston and crew install copper gutters and downspouts as homeowners Sue Denny and Christian Nolen sift through the dumpster for some expensive mosaic tiles that were mistakenly thrown out during a jobsite clean up. We visit a larger-scale mine, the Kennecott Utah Copper facility in Salt Lake City, to see the complex process by which pure copper is extracted from ore. Back at the jobsite, floorman Pat Hunt and his crew restore the house's original quartersawn oak flooring and install new material that matches. Finally, the crew install the quartersawn oak wainscot that our master carpenter made in the New Yankee Workshop.
Our host arrives on site to find the building's exterior nearly complete: the new paint scheme is on, the copper gutter system is complete, and Tommy and crew have finished the front porch, from copper shingle roof to new front steps. Roger Cook and his crew are putting in a rice-stone front walk and garden path, leading to the formal herb garden at the house's south side. Inside, the big story is the arrival and installation of the kitchen cabinets. We visit the custom shop where they were made. In the front hall, finishes expert John Dee shows us how he is matching the old, stripped oak of the central staircase to the new oak of the wainscot, using different shades of traditional shellac. Upstairs, Joe Ferrante installs a complex pattern of marble tiles in the master shower, while the crew reassemble the scattered pieces of the central balustrade, handrail and newel posts.
Our host arrives to find Roger Cook and crew installing sod on the front lawn, while inside painting contractor Steve Kiernan gives him a lesson on proper prep and priming in the media room. The crew install the commercial-style hood over the cooktop in the kitchen. Our host continues the finishes tour by observing the decoratitive painting techniques of Iris Marcus, who is putting up a ""silk moiré"" pattern on the walls of the dining room. Our host takes us to see the other hand of the house's security system, visiting a central station that monitors houses and businesses across New England, while our master carpenter checks in with the closet system installers, who are working with a custom product made in Italy. We find electrician Allen Gallant working of the fiber-optic equipment that supplies light to the oak stairway. Finally, termite man Steve Marken injects a blanket of protection around the building's perimeter to insure that all the fine renovations will remain bug-free.
The final days of the Watertown project start with Richard Trethewey's tour of the completed kitchen, complete with stainless-steel cleanup sink, the completed baths, and the laundry. We get a lesson in wallpapering from expert John Gravallese. Hint #1: use a ton of single-edge razor blades. Decorative painter Julia Purinton and her crew show us their two-tone striped wall treatment in the guest bedroom. Craftsmen install a restored stained-glass panel in the front door and a brand-new one in the front wall. Lighting designer Doreen Le May Madden shows us the finished lighting package in the kitchen - including a dimmable fluorescent ceiling fixture - and the dining room, and Christian prepares some hors d'oeuvres in his new kitchen. We check out Susan's new office, where she's using a high-speed cable modem to surf the internet, including the new This Old House and New Yankee Workshop sites, and moves on to find Steve Hayes setting up the media room with some new, adjustable and tunab
Our host and master carpenter find paradise at the end of the famed U.S. Route 1 - Key West, Florida. Along the island's back streets they discover their latest renovation challenge, a Conch captain's house built by a shipwright in 1866. Over the course of seven new episodes, they will team with homeowner Michael Miller, who will also serve as the project's architect, to expand the vintage structure and refine its interior and exterior details. Watch and learn: A history of Key West architecture of embodied in the subject house.
After catching the famous Mallory Square sunset the evening before, the This Old House team gets to work, first checking in with general contractor Roger Townsend to see the jobsite's progress while our master carpenter visits the local lumberyard to look at some of the building materials Key Westers use to beat the elements and stay true to local architectural traditions. Homeowner/architect Michael Miller takes us on a tour of one of his projects, and old Conch cottage converted into a library and guest room. Its porch is quintessential Key West - tongue-and-groove painted decking, simple columns, full dimension exposed rafters and beadboard ceiling - and serves as a model for what Michael and Helen want to do to their back porch. Back on site, excavator Ray Vanyo starts digging the pool, only to come across a buried cistern and a floating piece of Key West History. Watch and learn: The best materials to build with in semi-tropical and hurricane-prone climates.
The show opens at one of Key West's most popular destinations, Harry Truman's ""Little White House,"" where the President visited for many years after having originally been sent to the island to recover from a severe cold and exhaustion. Our heating and plumbing expert gives HVAC contractor Charle Roberts a walk-through of the high-velocity, flexible-duct air conditioning package, making its debut in Key West. Out back, pool excavator Ray Vanyo continues to struggle with the challenge of working in a confined space. Back at the jobsite, homeowner Michael Miller shows us his plans for the new library. Finally, our four Northerners sneak off to watch the sailboats battle it out in the Key West Race Week heats. Watch and learn: Innovations in water conservation.
The show opens at Truman Annex, a planned community on land that was formerly Key West's naval station. Later in the show, we tour another planned community, the town of Celebration, with archtect Graham Gund. A Disney venture, it was built from scratch over the last four years, with the participation of some of the world's best-known architects. Back at the project house, Roger Townsend shows us the fully framed great room and the nearly complete rough plumbing and electrical work, as he awaits inspections before the insulation crew arrives. Homeowner Michael Miller finally makes his decison about the back porch: take it down and rebuild it in a style more in keeping with the rest of the house. Finally, we check out lap-siding Key West-style, and the foam insulation, another island first, starts to go in. Watch and learn: Porch construction and building and commuinty development.
The show opens at Key West's biggest industries - cruise ships. The This Old House team takes a tour of Carnival's Ecstasy, in port for the day. Back at the house, a glazier cuts and beds restoration glass - mouth-blown, like glass from the 1800s - in the new replacement sash. Outside, lead carpenter Bev Horlick and crew use 3"" x 4"" rafters to frame up the new porch roof, a crew sprays concrete to form up the new pool. Then we take a ride up to Savannah, Georgia, to tour the millwork sohp that is building the library cabinets to homeowner Michael Miller's specifications. The show ends with us checking out the new skylight. Watch and learn: Building fine cabinetry and considerations for insulating island homes.
Just as they're getting used to all the sunshine, the crew realizes it's almost time to wrap up the Key West project. The activity on site is intense. Window installer Charles Malta reviews the options in balancing the traditional sash he's installing - vinyl with springs, tube, tape and good old prop sticks. We see the Italian-made kitchen going on in and admire its style, mechanics and ease of installation. Afterward, the molded urethane window trim is applied in the dining room. In the library, we see the first of the cabinets to arrive from Savannah and then take a tour of an exquisitely restored and furnished Key West ""eyebrow"" house. Back on site, the flooring contractor inlays the river-recovered heart pine floor with a diamond pattern of rare curly pine. With a thunderstorm quickly approaching, we watch v-crimp metal roofing go on the new rear roof. Watch and learn: How to install metal roofing.
On our last day in Key West, viewers get a look at the new pool, its cleaning system and the heat pump that both heats and cools it. (Key Westers have to chill down their pools during the brutal summers.) Inside, we see the handiwork of tileman Tom Lapp, who is putting the finishing touches on a beautiful entryway of black and white, concrete Cuban tiles. Outside, painter Perry Fergus and crew are using a latex topcoat for the house's body and trim, and a high-gloss oil for the new shutters. Vierers then visit the local shop where they were made. Back at the house, lead carpenter Bev Horlick installs the first of several mahogany French doors made by the same shop, using heavy brass hinges and tarnish-proof handles. Our host checks out the new lanscaping with contractor Mari Blair, who has used a variety of native plants, an irrigation system and low-voltage lighting. Our master carpenter agrees with homeowner Michael Miller that rushing the cabinetry in the library is not a good idea,
The new season starts with a visit to Chub Whitten's Colonial home in Ipswitch, Massachusetts, that we toured at the beginning of last season. Then it was a burned wreck; now, a year later, it is impeccably restored. After Dick Silva talks about the fire, he leads a tour the ruins of the house. Then our host meets with Dick and his wife Sandra to discuss their plans for the future, which are to rebuild on the same spot. Finally, we see the basement heating plant which investigators believe may have been the source of the fire.
We visit the Billerica Fire Dept. to hear what it was like to fight the Silva fire, and how it might have been prevented or at least kept more manageable. Back at the house, our host meets with the Silvas' insurance agent, who explains the benefits of having a ""guaranteed replacement cost"" endorsement on one's homeowner's policy - it provides for rebuilding after a complete loss. Public insurance adjuster (and former This Old House homeowner) Dick Benedetti shows us some of the process by which he is writing up the insurance claim for the Silvas. Architect Chris Dallmus begins to discuss the design of the new structure with homeowners Dick and Sandra Silva, while outside a perc test is run for the new septic system and lanscape contractor Roger Cook takes an inventory of the plants that did and did not survive the fire.
Tom recounts the day the machines came to tear down Dick and Sandra's old house. All that's left is a hole in the ground. Arborist Matt Foti and his crew take down two 75-year-old Eastern white pines damaged by the fire and cut them into 2x10 planks on a mobile saw mill. An environmental testing crew arrives to take soil samples, as the fire department suspects fuel oil was spilled on site during the fire. If tests shows that concentrations are high enough, a mitgation will be required by the state's department of environmental protection. Another team arrives to re-establish the height of the water table, digging a hole by hand, to satisfy the town's building department that the foundation's proposed elevationis legal. Architect Chris Dallmus shows us a model of the house-to-be, a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath structure whose style Chris describes as ""village Victorian,"" modelled after some houses he found in Billerica's town center.
A full month after our last time on site, the foundation is just being completed, the construction schedule having fallen victim to a three-week soil cleanup process. With the complex, 30-corner foundation walls up, it's time for a proactive termite treatment beneath the slab, using a new class of chemical, that rather than acting as a barrier, allows termites to enter the treated zone unknowingly, upon which they die. Its continuing efficacy in the ground has been proven for seven years and counting. Before the slab is poured, the crew installs an underlayment of 2"" styrofoam insulation and a clip-in system for radiant heat - at half the price it was only a few years ago, Richard insists we put the tubing in every slab we pour, even if it isn't used right away. Then our host takes viewers to a Florida house built by a major insurance company to showcase tips for loss mitgation - everthing from sprinklers to kick-proof door jambs. Back at the site, the slab is poured, and homeowners Di
Homeowner Dick Silva gives a tour of the newly framed up first floor, and Tom Silva shows some of the hallmarks of a good framing system. In the basement, our master carpenter explains how the floor joists meet two steel beams to maximize headroom, while our host and crew held a metal post in position. We then visit the Florida factory where the wooden I-beams used in the house's floor are made - 25 miles' worth a day. Back on site, architect Chris Dallmus explins some of the srtategies he's using to reduce the mass and appearance of the proposed three-car garage. Finally, framing contractor Eric Machemer and crew raise the last of the first-floor walls and the building begins to climb into the sky.
Homeowner Dick Silva gives a tour of the framed and sheated house and reports that he and Sandra have recieved a very satisfactory insurance settlement on the structure; the settlement on the contents awaits a complete inventory. We pay a visit to the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, where firefighters learn hands-on the techniques that save lives and buildings. Back at the house, the crew discusses the fine points of shed dormers, while framing contractor Eric Pierce puts one together in a fast and professional way. Mason Lenny Belliveau shows us his system: veneer brick on the concrete foundation face, a matching full brick for the chimney.
The new windows have arrived. They're made from an extruded composive of PVC and sawdust, and we visit Minnesota to see the factory. The crew puts up corner trim using two layers of cementitious board, while mason Lenny Belliveau shows us a new tool that extrudes cement grout like icing for a cake. Lenny forms the new hearth, and the guys move on to installing one of the new windows.
Our master carpenter and general contractor take over Dick's Quonset hut to set up a woodorking shop, forcing Dick to take his restored 1931 Ford Roadster pickup truck up to the new garage. He gives us a tour, then we meet James Crowe, inventor of a synthetic slate made from recycled automotive rubber and industrial plastic trimmings. Cast in molds, it almost exactly like the real thing, yet is lighter, less fragile, and a quarter of the cost. Roofer Mark Mulloy shows how it's going on the building and predicts that, if it last last as long as Crowe claims (a minimum of 50 years), it will be a real hit. In the workshop, tool technician Scott Box helps the guys set up and calibrate the new table saw, shaper, planner, joiner, and chop saw, while Richard Trethewey shows us the factors that determined the layout of the house's waste pipes. Finally, the guys put the finishing touches on an assembly table, the first piece to be made in the new on-site workshop.
The local electric utility is on site to bring power across the street to a new pole positioned in a discrete spot along the front edge of the Silva's property. Far cheaper than digging beneath the road, this method will still allow for electricity, cable, and telephone wires to be undergrounded to the house, avoiding unsightly overhead wires. Inside the house, kitchen designer Phil Mossgraber and Sandra Silva are going over her wish list for the kitchen; our host joins them as Phil suggests eliminating a closet in the mudroom and putting in a service door to the dining room, a good idea Sandy embraces. Richard Trethewey is on site with the head of the American Fire Sprinkler Association, seeing the first steps in designing a sprinkler system for the house, while our host visits Underwriters Laboratories th see how they test all kinds of materials relating to fire and fire safety. Out in the workshop, our master carpenter gives the machines a test by fashioning a flat-panel cabinet doo
As our master carpenter sets up the table saw to make a sample raised-panel door for the Silvas to consider for their new kitchen, our host sees Tom's system for flashing windows: a layer of waterproof membrane covered with a custom gap of side-bent lead-coated copper. The cementitious clapboards - factory primed and first-coated - go on to great acclaim, and our host meets with landscape designer Stephanie Hubbard to lay out the challenges facing the project: entries to the property, views from inside, transitions among vastly different elevations.In the basement, master electrician Allen Gallant is working on one of two main panels. Turning down his rechargeable jobsite boombox, he shows off a new breaker called an arc-fault arrestor, which detects the kind of electrical arcs in frayed cords and worn wires that can cause fires. Tom Silva shows us the first of the porch decks: he's using ipe, a Brazilian hardwood, and giving it a clean look by fastening it down using only a marine adh
The site is abuzz as subcontractors hurry to complete their in-wall work before the insulation truck arrives. Tom Silva gives a tour of the wires, pipes, conduits and ducts, while Paul Somerson, editor-in-chief of PC Computing magazine, makes recommendations about the proper wiring, placement and configuration of the house's computer system. Kitchen designer Phil Mossgraber and homeowner Sandra Silva are down to the final decisions in the kitchen - natural fir cabinets, linoleum floor, counters of a material called kirkstone and they debate the merits of two different island designs. The sprinkler system is roughed in, and sprinkler specialist Jack Viola shows our host where the water comes in and (hopefully never) comes out. Media systems designer shows us his plans for outfitting the living room with a surround-sound television package; it includes the rather unorthodox replacement placement of a plasma-screen TV in the wall over the mantle. Finally, landscape designer Stephannie Hub
We arrive at the house to find the last of the wallboard shipment being loaded into the basement. In the rest of the house, it's already hung and plastering has begun, homeowner Dick Silva gives a tour of the top floor, where the rooms are taking on their final shape. The building has been insulated with an open-cell polyicynene foam, earlier Steve met with its Canadian inventor. Tom and Norm are in the workshop building the last of the kitchen and bath cabinet carcasses, while landscape contractor Roger Cook works with stonemason Roger Hopkins to shape granite steps for a new walkway up from the driveway. Tom shows Steve the cementitious shingle panels being used on the garage walls, and metal fabricator Tom McGregor works on a lead-coated-copper flat-seam roof over the kitchen bay window. Finally, Tom and Norm build a fir face-frame for the bathroom vanity using pocket-screw technology.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook and his crew begin to install a stone wall along the driveway, using a split stome from North Carolina that is available at home centers nationwide. Roger shows us his method of building with geotextile and proper drainage to ensure the wall won't succumb to frost heaves over time. Inside, Tom Silva is putting in the first of the new interior doors - made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) in the traditional panel-stile-rail way, they keep the crisp details of a wood door, yet do not expand and contract like wood. For custom panel patterns like ours, they are less than half the price of wood and are delivered in a mere two weeks. Painters Ron and Greg Byers are applying latex paint to the house's exterior using an airless sprayer, and our host takes viewers to the factory that made expanded urethane millwork we're using inside and out. Homeowner Dick Silva shows us some of the schemes he's considering to hide the flat-screen TV over the mantle when it'
We arrive to find Rich in the basement, where the forced air unit for first-floor heating and cooling hangs; the main source of first-floor heat, however, will be radiant floor heat, made more effective with aluminum mounting plates and a joist-bay foil insulation that reflects heat back up into the floor above. Out front, Roger Cook shows us the options he had in edging the landscape's walkways - he chosen steel, which is long-lasting, flexible, and nearly invisible. Out in the workshop, Tom Silva is spraying fast-drying lacquer out the new cabinet doors, while our master carpenter is in the New Yankee Workshop turning legs for the kitchen island. This Old House magazine editor-in-chief Donna Sapolin tours around the house to explain the interior design challenges, and then visits a nearby furniture showroom to see some of the design work that has been done for the Silvas' new house.
Master electrician Allen Gallant shows us the workings of the new emergency power generator, a quiet natural-gas-powered unit that will supply the house's ""essential services"" (heating plant, refrigerator, well, some lights) with electricity in the event of a blackout. Beautiful wooden garage doors go in, and we get a tour of their construction, installation and operation. In the kitchen, Dick Silva begins installing the new cabinets, while our master carpenter visits a converted woolen mill, where a local cabinet maker is building the Silvas an entertainment center out of rare and beautiful tiger oak. Back on site, inventor John Crowley shows us his line of ""kit of parts"" wainscoting.
Paving contractor Don Sloan shows Roger Cook a few different ways to pave the drive: plain black ashphalt with crushed stone rolled into a liquid ashphalt binder. Around back, Roger shows us the drywell and crushed stone he and his crew installed to handle any excess water on the north side of the building, while inisde Tom Silva gives our host a ride on the kitchen island's new pull-out pastry board, supported by 300-pound rated slides. Then its' off to Kirkcaldy, Scottland, to see real linoleum being made the same way it's been made for the past 100 years, with the same natural ingredients. Back on site, Richard Trethewey gives the new a/c chiller a test, proving just how quiet these machines have become. Downstairs he explains the iron-removal unit that will handle the house's well water. Finally, Jean and Bob Sparkes spray on a hydroseed lawn, just in time, before the water cools much.
Landscape designer Stephanie Hubbard oversees the placement of the new plants and trees with Roger Cook, while inisde our master carpenter talks to mill owner Charlie Wilson about the vertical grain loblolly pine and quartersawn white oak flooring he's supplied to the job. Meanwhile, our host visits a nearby shop to learn the ins and outs of Oriental carpets from expert Steve Boodakian; on hand is Jampa Tenzing, a Tibetan carpet weaver and repairer, who is giving in-house demonstrations. Back on site, Tom Silva hangs the new front door, a thick, custom mahogany unit with hand-cast period brass hardware. Then we tour of This Old House magazine's just-completed Dream House, a Robert A. M. Stern-designed Shingle-style home in Connecticut. Back on site, the guys check out the ongoing wainscoting installation, then hang the dining room's ""hidden"" door, using hidden hinges, then discuss the latest plans to use cabinetry to hide the living room's flat screen TV when it's not in use.
Our host arrives to see wooden shutter maker Peter Malone and crew installing shutters on the front facade, using traditional pintle hinges and shutter dogs. Inside, master electrician Allen Gallant shows him the reproduction lighting fixtures he's hanging in the foyer and bathrooms, while the guys install the ingenious TV-hiding cabinetry built for the family room. Cabinetmaker Aaron Barth brings in the magnificent tiger tiger-oak cabinet he's built to hold (and hide) the audio/visual equipment. Outside, our host helps carpenter Chirs Hastings hang a mail-order copper gutter system to head off potential water problems at the house's rear entry, where several roof planes converge. Tom Silva begins to install the main staircase's treads and risers. Richard Trethewey tests the whirlpool bath and shows us the bathroom fixtures, which have no-maintenance ceramic valves inside and allow the homeowner to change out handles and faucets without needed to replace the fixture. In the kitchen, ti
The final two days in Billerica find Dick returning his beloved Model A truck to the new garage, which is nice and warm thanks to a natural-gas heater. Roger Cook and his crew are rolling out a bit of sod in the back yard, and Roger gives us a look at how he covered up the septic tank, moved the frog and replaced the old pavers around the pool with some beautiful granite coping by Roger Hopkins. Inside, oriental carpet expert Steve Boodakian extolls the virtues of a central vacuuing system - it makes vacuuming so easy that people tend to do it more often, which greatly extends a carpet's life. The front stairs runner receives its decorative brass hold-down rods. PC Computing magazine editor Paul Somerson reviews the house's computer set-up, which starts with a high-speed cable connection to the internet. A ""hub"" allows multiple Internet connections throughout the house, so all computers in the house to share any peripherals, like a printer or fax. The final pieces of linoleum go down i
Our host and master carpenter arrive in sytle, by sailboat, at This Old House's winter project location: Santa Barbara. Homeowner Jan Winford has waited 25 years to expand her tiny 1907 California bungalow on a beautiful lot overlooking the city's historic downtown and the Pacific Ocean beyond. With a solid team of architect Jerry Zimmer and general contractor Steve Crawford, she plans to add a second floor master suite, expand the kitchen, and reshape the entire front facade, with an emphasis of the Craftsman style, all on a budget of $200,000.
The guys revisit This Old House's winter 1988 Santa Barbara project: Dave and Susan Dickenson's bungalow. Upon arrival at This Old House's current jobsite, they find the building reduced to a few walls and a forest of studs. As we learn from general contractor Steve Crawford, the building had to be deconstructed and reinforced before it could support the new addition. Richard Trethewey checks out the plastic water piping, along with a new ""reversible"" brass fitting system. Then we tour town with historian Neal Graffy, who reveals how a devastating earthquake in 1925 gave birth to the Mediterranean Revival city that stands today.
We review the progress the crew has made in reframing the expansion of the Santa Barbara bungalow. Then we check out the new garage, built to comply with city code, and the new, synthetic sandstone front walkway. We then go aboard one of the oil rigs that dot Santa Barbara's spectacular coastline to learn how the oil industry has shaped the area's economy and environment.
We check out the framing of the Santa Barbara bungalow's new second-story master suite - and take in its stunning views of the Pacific. Then we head off to a small art-tile kiln in nearby Ojai where Jan's Arts-and-Crafts style backplash, counterand fireplace tiles are being made. General contractor Steve Crawford discusses the aesthetic challenges he faces in giving the exterior an authentic historic look. City fire codes that against the threat of wildfire meant that he will have to use modern, non-flammable building materials such as Class A fire-rated asphalt roofing and fiber-cement sidewall shingles.
We check out the new custom windows, which feature cherry, wood interiors and true divided lights. Then we meet landscape architect Susan Van Atta who reviews her design for the historically sensitive landscape that includes plants native to California. Then our host meets with Paul Duchscherer, design expert and author of three books on Arts-and-Crafts style, who was enlistedto ensure that the new interior and exterior colors, finishes and decorative details stay true to the home's period character. Duchscherer then takes us to the neighboring town of Ojai for a tour of a spectacular Greene and Greene home, which epitomizes American Arts-and-Crafts style.
The countdown to completion of the Santa Barbara bungalow renovation begins. The elements of the new kitchen arrive, as does the magnificent oak front entrance. The focal point of the house - the fireplace - is given a wounderful facelift with handcrafted Arts-and-Crafts style tiles. And finally, we make a trek up the West Coast to a Portland, Oregon, factory that produces exact replicas vintage lighting fixtures.
Homeowner Jan Winford finally realizes her dream of 25 years - the renovation of her 1907 bungalow - thanks in part to This Old House. The guys return to Santa Barbara after a couple of weeks of construction have gone by and are amazed to find Jan's bungalow transformed with a classic Arts-and-Crafts style detailing. Our master carpenter congratulates general contractor Steve Crawford on squeezing an immensely ambitious project into such a limited time-frame before they both join the crew at the traditional wrap party.
The This Old House crew welcomes to the 22nd season of This Old House from the main deck of the beautifully restored USS Constitution, which is docked in Boston Harbor's historic Charlestown Navy Yard. After disembarking, they trek up to Bunker Hill, to learn about the site of the famous Revolutionary War battle and the story of the monument's construction. Along the way, they pass the some classic examples of the 17th and 18th century urban architecture, many of which have been recently restored. Soon thereafter, Steve is given a walking tour of Charleston by local realitor Frank Celeste, who tells a remarkable story about his rise, fall and recent rebirth as one of Boston's most sought-after communties. Celeste then gives him a lead on a young couple who recently purchased a three-story 1865 Second-Empire style brick townhouse on famed Bunker Hill Street, and who are in need of some renovation help. Steve agrees to meet with Dan and Heather Beliveau to learn more about their dreams f
Host Steve Thomas opens the show from City Square Park, a Charlestown, Massachusetts, landmark that once was overshadowed (literally) by elevated train tracks and highways. A citizen-led group succeeded in having them removed and replaced with a beautiful public park. Steve interviews Rich Johnson who played a key role in this urban revitalization project. Then he heads to the subject house to meet with homeowner Dan Beliveau and architect Jack French to discuss the their goals and ideas for the renovation. Afterwards, Jack takes Steve to visit one of his firm's projects, a decommisssioned Catholic school that was converted into condominiums. We then visit with the homeowner of a beautifully restored, neighboring townhouse to learn more about her approach.
The Charlestown townhouse can be found on the route of one of the country's oldest parades, the Bunker Hill Day Parade. Host Steve Thomas gets the scoop on the parade's 225-year-old history and its annual events from the locals. Afterwards, he checks in of the flurry of activity at the jobsite including Tom's removal of the old brick patio and the abestos-abatement crew's work in the kitchen and basement. Later, Steve meets with homeowner Dan Beliveau and project architect Jack French to review the two options for expanding the structure and the building permit and zoning approvals needed. We review choices for improving the old windows, and then Tom and Richard discuss the challenges of updating the home's cooling and heating systems. Finally, Dan Beliveau rolls up his sleeves and works alongside the crew to demolish the old kitchen.
Steve Thomas can be found opening the show from Boston Harbor again, this time aboard the STS Sagres, the stunning Portuguese entry in the Tall Ships Parade. Meanwhile, viewers check out the towering scaffolding around the Charlestown townhouse. When Steve arrives at the job site, Dan takes him on a tour of the gutted kitchen and baths that reveal the full interior space available for construction. What exactly Dan and Heather will be able to build in this space remains undecided, as Steve finds out when he visits Boston's Inspectional Services Department with architect Jack French. While some parts of the promised building plan are approved, others are flagged for a for a zoning review. In the basement, we find Tom shooting lines to create a level new floor before prepping the area for the pouring of concrete. Heating and plumbing expert Richard Trethewey is able to shed light on the pipes, explaining how PVC pipes can line pre-existing clay pipes, eliminating the need to cut through
Hard rain doesn't appear to hold back progress on the Charlestown renovation. Dan climbs the new scaffolding to take in the gray view of the city and to discuss the issues of putting a roof deck on the building's hip roof. Meanwhile, host Steve Thomas learns about filling in a flue channel, which is a structural element of the house before finding out the prognosis of the plaster from preservationist Rory Brennan. Richard takes Heather to a nearby plumbing salvage yard to see if owner Fran Fahey might be interested in swapping a classic clawfoot tub and pedestal sink for the fancy radiators her house no longer needs. The work on the basement hits a milestone as the new floor is poured, and Tom and Dan waste no time laying out and framing in the new rooms in the basement once the floor is set.
Steve and Tom commute to the Charlestown job site in style - about Tom's boat. They arrive on site to find landscape contractor Roger Cook and his crew removing the massive granite curbing along the back patio and the old concrete steps at the rear entrance. In the process they unearth an old gravestone. Chimney specialist Mark Shaub gives a report on state of the home's four fireplaces and the staggering costs involved in getting them all to work. Steve helps Tom put in new floor joists, before taking viewers to visit one of the Charlestown's oldest residents, the Navy Yard.
Host Steve Thomas recaps with homeowner Dan Beliveau the recent Boston Zoning Board of Appeals decision that gives the go-ahead for the project's master bath addition and roof deck. With approval in hand, the work commences in earnest. This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Steve how the new HVAC duct system will be zoned to provide maximum comfort. Historic conservator Andrea Gilmore visits the project house and assesses the condition of its brownstone lintels.
The work continues in Charlestown as steps are taken to make the fireplace and chimneys safe for wood buring fires. Our master carpenter and general contractor Tom Silva install some of the handsome new windows. Throughout the townhouse, the wiring and rough plumbing continues. Host Steve Thomas and homeowner Dan Beliveau visit a kitchen design showroom to check out the options for outfitting the townhouse's two kitchens - the rental unit's and owners'.
The Beliveaus' townhouse affords a few views of Boston Harbor, which is a working port. Ships of all shapes and sizes steam past Charlestown everyday, and regularly dock in the channel. Heatin and plumbing expert Richard Trethewey goes aboard one of the harbor's frequent visitors, a liquid-natural-gas tanker, to learn more about the vessel operates. Meanwhile, at the townhouse, work continues on the Beliveaus' prime viewing spot, their roof deck. Seeking some inspiration for its design, Steve visits a spectacular roof deck nearby.
The basement of This Old House's Charlestown project continues to be transformed into two bedrooms for the rental unit. To ensure the space remains warm and damp-free, close-cell foam is sprayed against the exterior walls. Upstairs, in the Beliveaus' living room, host Steve Thomas meets with plaster restorer Rory Brennan to learn about the process of saving the old horsehair plaster and vintage ornamental details.
The transformation of the Charlestown project house is coming alomg according to plan, including the metal sprial staircase that will be installed on the exterior of the rear ell and run from the Beliveaus' new kitchen to street level. Meanwhile, landscaping contractor Roger Cook and landscape architect David Hawk begin the process of creating two private outdoor spaces, one for the renters and one for the Beliveaus.
The Charlestown project house will retain many of its original 1865 details, but many of the crumbling brownstone lintels will not be among them. While mason Lenny Beliveau installs new cast stone lintels, host Steve Thomas visits the Rhode Island yard where they are made to learn about the materials and casting techniques. Roofing contractor Mark Mulloy explains the intricacies of reroofing the mansard as he and his crew finish their work on the house.
The Charlestown project continues to be transformed into two distinct living spaces, the rental apartment and the Beliveaus' home. As the plastering nears completion, host Steve Thomas learns some tips for ensuring a smooth plaster finish. Meanwhile, out at The New Yankee Workshop, our master carpenter can be found working on a built-in china cabinet for the Beliveaus' dining room, which will be similar to the original found in the rental unit.
Steve sees landscaping progress with Roger, including a tumbled concrete wall that's almost done, paversgoing down. Inside, Steve finds Tommy, who gives him the plaster report. Steve sees how John Dee is transforming the plain white double doors into dead-ringers for the existing stained woodwork, which he's cleaned with a rub-on, wipe-off product. Then we see the doors made at a medium density fiberboard (MDF) factory in Denver. Richard meets the gas company man connecting the house to the street, and by policy, firing off a gas appliance: our new furnace.
Steve arrives to find a temporary metal door in the enrty and goes in to see how John Dee is stripping and refinishing the front entry doors. Dan installs a pair of exterior shutters, custom-sized in solid PVC with a 10-year factory job and hardware for $450. We then visit the workshop of the USS Constitution. Next our master carpenter helps Tom trim out one of the new egress windows in the basement with custom molding supplied by our trusty Cambridge millwork company. Meanwhile, Steve helps Rory Brennan install our new plaster medallion and then sees the new bamboo flooring go down in the rental kitchen and finds out what it is, where it's from, how it's made and what it costs.
The single-lever kitchen faucet is one of the most familiar pieces of American plumbing. This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey tours the state-of-the-art factory where this tried and true fixture is made. Back at the Charlestown townhouse, progress continues on the landscaping, as Roger Cook accepts delivery of the new plants. Inside the house, it's a big day for the kitchens as both sets of cabinets, one for the rental unit, and one for the Beliveau's home, arrive on the job site. Steve arrives at the job site to find Roger Cook and crew unloading the plants from the nursery truck. Roger and landscape architect David Hawk then discussion their positioning and planting. Inside, Dan applying thinned-down joint compound to front stairs wall prior to paint crew's arrival. In the owners' kitchen, our master carpenter finds Eric Rikeman checking on the new cabinet's installation and discusses some of its features. Steve finds Richard in the master bath filling soaking
The Charlestown project enters the homestretch, and there is evidence throughout the house that the end is in sight. The flooring for the basement hallway, made of bamboo, is installed. On the first and second floors, the marble kitchen countertops go in, bringing the kitchens one step to completion. And finally, host Steve Thomas tours a small foundry in San Francisco where historically accurate brass doorknobs for the front entryway were crafted.
The final days in Charlestown. The This Old House team works its way through the checklist of finishes. Period lighting fixtures, wallpaper, carpeting, and two new suites of modern appliances turn the Beliveaus' townhouse into a up-to-the-minute histioric showpiece.
Destination: West Palm Beach! With the allure of costal breezes, warm Florida sand, political intrigue, and 16 historical districts, how could we refuse? A community with a revitalized downtown and considerable residential renovation, West Palm Beach, Florida, serves as the backdrop to the This Old House project house, a small Mediterranean Revival bungalow. Built in the 1920s, new homeowner Rob Thompson envisions turning it, and the two-story garage/apartment behind it, into a compound for living and working.
Work begins in earnest on Rob Thompson's 1925 Mediterranean Revival-style home in West Palm Beach, Florida. General contractors Harley Edgell and John Kern begin to assess how much termite and water damage is lurking behind the stucco, while architect Roger Janssen explains his vision, via a model, of the proposed redesign. Host Steve Thomas tours Flamingo Park, the historic neighborhood where Rob's house is located.
As hurricanes are a serious threat to houses in Southern Florida, precautions are taken to help the buildings survive the storms. Hurricane resistant replacement windows arrive at the West Palm Beach project house, the shatterproof glass does away with need for clumsy storm shutters. Our team visits one of the century's most ambitious and complex construction project-NASA's International Space Station at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Steve recives an exclusive tour of the Space Station's components while Morm learns about the specific job performed by various space tools. Finally, they visit the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which will haul this equipment 240 miles into space.
Host Steve Thomas checks in with homeowner Rob Thompson as renovation work continues on the West Palm Beach project house. While the new lap pool is installed behind the house, progress continues with the kitchen expansion. Our master carpenter finds the transformation of the former garage into a workshop for Rob well underway.
The transformation process continues at the West Palm Beach project house, and now it's decision time. General contractors Harley Edgell and John Kern press homeowner Rob Thompson about his decisions for cabinets, appliances, tile, countertops, and bath fixtures so that the materials can be ordered and arrive without breaking the workflow, which could cause delays.
Host Steve Thomas learns more about West Palm Beach's story from former mayor Nancy Graham as they tour City Place, a new shopping and residental block. The new development has been credited with inspiring West Palm Beach's renaissance. Back at the project, Steve Thomas watches the new cabinetry being installed as the kitchen renovation nears completion. Our master carpenter checks in with general contractors Harley Edgell and John Kern who are busy converted the garage into a workshop. Finally, the landscaping begins at earnest with the installation of the new patio featuring a new type of paver.
With just a few weeks left to go until the project house in West Palm Beach is completed, our team surveys the progress. Steve oversees the installation of granite countertops in the new kitchen, while our master carpenter checks on the pergola that will separate the driveway from the pool. Later, Steve meets with landscape architect Jeff Blakely to discuss the new state-of-the-art, substance drip irrigation system and checks out the landscape's new plantings.
It's the finale of This Old House's West Palm Beach project. Our team checks on the remaining details including the finished landscape, the new, professional grade kitchen appliances, and the interior design work being done by none other than homeowner, Rob Thompson.
Steve and our master carpenter approach the latest project house by water, finding a convenient dock at the base of the property. They meet Janet McCue, who is busy supervising the family's move out of the house for the duration of the project, and her husband David, who gives them a tour around the inside of the rambling building. Steve meets architect Stephen Holt, who shows a picture of the house looked 100 years ago. For inspiration, they visit a classic Shingle-style home, built in 1881 and lovingly maintained ever since. Back at the subject house, Richard Trethewey and Tom Silva pull up in their own boat to begin a mechanical exam of the house with our master carpenter. Their verdict: a solid, well-plumbed structure to build on. The McCues describe their hopes for the project: better communication between house and yard, a relocated and improved kitchen, expanded master bath and bedroom, and a great room for music performances and relaxing.
The day starts off with the landscaping works of Roger Cook. He and his crew cut down a few trees that were threatening the house, have move a dozen or so rhododendrons and azaleas that are in the way of the new addition, and are preapring to move a 25-foot evergreen and a 20-foot dogwood by balling the roots and using a large excavator. Inside, architect Stephen Holt shows a model of the proposed renovation to homeowner David McCue and Steve. Essentially, he hopes to restore the building to its former architectural beauty on the outside, while overcoming some floorplan problems to make it work better for the McCues inside. Part of the interior rearrangement includes putting the kitchen front and center in the house, something that wouldn't have been found in the original Shingle style building. To prove it can be done, Holt takes David and Steve to a nearby house, of a similar vintage, where he accomplished just such a change for the client. Back at the house, our master carpenter and
Steve sees the seaside public rotunda and ""chowder house"" our subject property looks out on, with Manchester Historical Society president John Huss as guide. At the house, nearly four dumpsters worth of gutting has occured, and Steve, our master carpenter and Tom take a tour of the building to see what has been revealed of its renovation history and discuss what is planned for this job. Architect Stephen Holt and homeowner David McCue continue to discuss options available to give the McCues the feeling of space and light they crave for the kitchen and living room - some are radical and expensive, some rely more on minor but clever changes. One thing they can't include is a change in footprint: the concrete has arrived for the footings for the new addition and porch. In the basement, the start of an oil leak in one of the old steel tanks has forced Richard Trethewey's hand, and he's brought in two new polyethylene-lined tanks from Europe, guaranteed never to rot. Finally, Steve learns f
With the new concrete walls poured, it's time to damp-proof them, just one more in a series of tasks that adds up to nearly $30,000 for the new foundation - which is simply the cost of building to code. Reviewing the immense amount of demolition done, and the work left to do, Steve asks the obvious: wouldn't it be cheaper, faster, and better to simply bulldose this tired old building and build a fresh replica? Our master carpenter and Tom have done the math, and while it might be simpler, it would cost about $1 million more than the planned renovation. Besides, adds Tom, we are saving the old place, which is worth something. After taking a tour of one of the great surviving Shingle style buildings, H. H. Richardson's Stonehurst in Waltham, Massachusetts, Steve comes back more convinced than ever that saving what little is left of the McCues' house is the right thing to do.
The foundation has been backfilled and carpenters are busy putting up the forms for the new terrace. Inside, the area for the new kitchen and family room has been completely opened up, thanks to a 3800-pound steel and laminated lumber beam Tommy and his crew engineered and inserted through the side of the building. Within the new space, kitchen cabinet designer and builder Ted Goodnow works with David and Janet McCue to begin to lay out the new kitchen, pantry and office. Ted takes David and Steve to a nearby kitchen built his firm to get some more ideas about design features and materials. Back at the house, Tommy and our master carpenter investigate some archeology revealed during demolition: original fabric of the building, including the roof, a dormer and a gabled sidewall. The original wood roof shingles are an important factor as our master carpenter begins to consider roofing choices with roofing contractor Mark Mulloy and product rep Steve Miller, who shows them a treated shing
Steve finds our master carpenter in the new jobsite office trailer, complete with secure storage - good for keeping paperwork safe from the work going on inside the house and for keeping track of delivered materials. Tom shows Steve the progress on the job, including the restored dormers, straightened floors and an ingenious metod of raising the kitchen/family room ceiling by shaving 2"" off the joists and stiffening the remaining structure with engineered lumber and steel to form flitches. Window specialist Jay Harman shows our master carpenter three different windows to consider for the renovation: pine, aluminum clad, and Alaskan yellow cedar. Each has its own qualities (and price point), but for maintenance by the water, the choice may very well be the clad. Finally, kitchen cabinet designer and manfacturer Ted Goodnow and homeowner Janet McCue show Steve a full-size mock-up of the kitchen they're considering.
Steve tries his hand at driving the jobsite forklift, successfully (if shakily) delivering a load of plywood to the thir floor. Inside, he and Tom discuss their concerns about the planned kitchen, office and gameroom, and Tom shows Steve an alternate location for the latter: the now-spectacular dormered third floor. In preparation for residing our old house, our master carpenter learns the finer points of red cedar shingles and bleaching oils from specialist Rick Farrar. Steve takes a harbor tour with architect Steve Holt to see what has happened to some of the town's great old houses - everything from total restoration to total removal. One of the notorious removals was that of Kragsyde, considered by some to be the greatest example of the Shingle style - it was demolished in 1929. Though it's gone, an exact replica has been built by a couple in Swan's Island, Maine, and Steve visits them to see their remarkable achievement.
Our new roof is going on, and our master carpenter talks to roofing contractor Mark Mulloy about the system: decking, bitumen membrane covering every surface from eave to ridge, a three-dimensional nylon mesh to allow air to flow beneath the shingles, and finally the shingles themselves - pressure-treated southern yellow pine with a 50-year transferable warranty. Tom shows Steve how to cut studs quickly when building a partition wall beneath a bowed ceiling, while our master carpenter takes viewers to the Bend, Oregon, factory where our new windows are being made. Finally, specialist Mark Schaub assesses the state of the chimneys; suprisingly the relativelynew one, built in the 1970s, is not up to snuff.
Steve sees the progress on the new addition, including a roof joist system of 1 x 12 LVLs, necessitated by the room's high ceiling height. Inside, Tom and our master carpenter show him how they are stiffening up a bouncy third floor by sistering 1/8"" steel sheets to the floor joists from below. Richard Trethewey checks out a software program that computes heat loss for our building, as well as projecting heating and cooling costs with various insulation, window, and power plant configurations. One remarkable finding: with the current, inefficient heating plant and standard insulation and double-pane windows operating costs for 30 years would be around $220,000; with expanded-foam insulation, low-e windows, and super-high-efficiency heating equipment the cost would be $75,000. Our master carpenter takes viewers to Portland, Oregon, where a couple has turned passion for period-perfect Victorian restorations into a fledgling business. Finally, the first of the new sliding glass glass door
Steve begins the show in a municipal parking lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where once stood a beautiful 250-year-old Georgian home. Later in the show, he takes viewers to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, where the house - and the lives of the many families that live there - have been recontructed. At the jobsite, mason Lenny Belliveau builds the new addition's exterior face from water-stuck brick, while inside, our master carpenter checks out Dan McLaughin's use of an insulating chimney system made from pumice. It goes up quickly and keeps the chimney stack warmer, preventing the buildup of the column of cold air that normally dumps out, spreading smoke into the room. Tommy shows Steve his method of putting in a wooden floor over concrete that was previously outdoor patio space; his scribing technique is one Steve's never seen before. Finally, architect Steve Holt shows our master carpenter his design for the new fireplace inglenook, based in part of old photos t
From the shoreline, Steve sees the rapidly improving look of the house, which has now regained its missing wing and dormers, and is starting to have its new front porches put on. Tom and our master carpenter take a progress tour, whose highlights include the new wood roof, tricky roof detailing on the new addition, and a look at the newly dormered third floor. Landscape contractor Roger Cook, landscape architect David Hawk, and homeowner Janet McCue discuss plans for the new landscape, with special consideration given to the idea of changing the size and location of the current driveway. The kitchen design has been finalized, and designer Kevin Finnegan take Steve through a full-size mock-up.
There's been major progress on the job, as Steve sees the new bays and porch deck on the sea side of the house, Tommy and our master carpenter begin shingling with red cedar shingles predipped in bleaching oil. Steve and landscape contractor Roger Cook meet with Manchester conservation officer Betsy Rickards to learn what the regulations say about thinning a dense copse of trees down by the water. As we begin to think about about our house's interior finishes, Steve takes viewers on a visit to a home that is all about interiors: Beauport, a 40-room fantasy that was the passion of interior designer Henry Davis Sleeper, who worked on it from 1907 to his death in 1934, fitting each room out in a different theme. Back on site, our master carpenter checks in with roofer Mark Mulloy, who is fashioning a lead-coated copper roof for the bell-shaped bump-out on the music room. Finally, Steve gets a glimpse of plumbing's future as Brian Bilo shows him the simple and quick installation of plastic
Roger Cook and crew have begun to tear up the old asphalt driveway in preparation for a newly configured one. Painter John Dee shows Steve his approach to restoring the turn-of-the-century portico: some stripping of existing features, and some replacement of those decorative elements - brackets and capitals - that are simply not salvageable. Homeowner David McCue tells Steve about his desire to install an outdoor hot tub, for his two boys to enjoy alone or, importantly, with him, and Steve takes him to see the one Steve installed in his own backyard for the exact same reasons. Back at the site, Tom and our master carpenter use - and approve of - polyurethane exterior trim, while Steve joins acoustical consultant John Storyk as he works with David to tackle some of the sound issues in the new music room. Our master carpenter and Tom discuss the state of the original diamond-paned bumpout, its usefulness as a place for plants, and the possibility of replacing it with a proper greenhouse.
Our master carpenter sees how the faulty east chimney has been fixed by specialist Mark Schaub and his crew: the game room fireplace is bricked over, but the guest room above gets a new hearth, firebox and gas ""coal grate."" Richard Trethewey shows Steve how he's using a beat-up airhandler to provide dry, clean temporary jobside heat and gives an overview on how he plans to heat and cool the house - radiant floor heat on the first floor, flat-panel radiators for the second and third, and a/c only in select rooms on the second and third. Steve finds Roger Cook out back, where he's been denied Conservation Commission approval to cut down trees near the ocean, though he is allow to limb them up for a better view. Out at the auto court, Roger shows Steve how he cuts 2"" thick granite in a curve. Steve and homeowner Janet McCue visit a garden shop to see how various paving options look before she commits to buying materials for the landscape. Back at the house, architect Steve Holt describes
The last of the ipe decking is arrived, Steve and our master carpenter check out the installation method on the front deck: pressure-treated sleepers spiked into the concrete slab, with the ipe held down with marine adhesive and a few stainless steel finish nails. The wood itself is so dense that it takes oil with difficulty - it's fine to leave it unfinished. Our master carpenter finds out how homeowner Janet McCue has fare in her attempt to strip the diamond-paned curved sash on the historic bump-out. It was an arduous process - an alternative would be to send them out for stripping, but that would necessitate reglazing and repainting the entire sash, even though only the exterior needs it. Steve sees the expanded foam insulation going in and talks to the company president about its relatively high cost (2 to 3 times of that fiberglass), its performance, and its environmental record (which is excellent). Richard Trethewey shows our master carpenter aluminum-clad PEX tubing used for p
The last of the wallbaord has arrived, including 1/4"" bendable board for the music room's curved ceiling. Lighting designer Susan Arnold shows Steve the many choices in recessed downlights, including the ones picked for the kitchen, which electrician Peter Woodbury is installing. In the basement, Richard Trethewey explains the plumbing setup to homeowner David McCue, who is eager to understand which part does what and what he should and should not do when interacting with his house's heating plant. Painter John Dee shows Steve the progress on the portico restoration project; his latest achievement is making a mold to cast missing pieces of the decorative plaster. Roger Cook shows Steve the three patios he and his crew have built, then takes Steve to a nearby nursery where he and landscape architect David Hawk lay out, at full scale, David's proposed planting plan for the turning island in the new driveway. Back at the site, Tommy and our master carpenter put up a new porch column made
Steve drived down to the house, checking out the newly open vistas of the house and yard through the newly bare trees along the road. Inside, ths study and dining room are shaping up, with blueboard on the walls and the old fireplace rehabilitated. In the music room, the dramatic coved ceiling is getting the first part of its acoustical plaster system: fiberglass panels coated with plasterlike coating that's invisible to sound, allowing the panels to absorb unwanted echoes while maintaining a traditional look. Acoustician Peter D'Antonio explains the new aluminum half-round gutters manufacturer Augustin Crookston ans his crew are hanging from the roof shingles. Steve sees John Dee's slow but steady progress on the portico restoration; today, he's installing new plaster brackets to replace the originals, which were too deteriorated to salvage. Steve takes viewers to the Chicago factory where they were made, the same way they have been for 100 years. Finally, Roger Cook shows off the new
The new spa arrives on the back of the truck; placed on concrete pad, plugged in and filled with a hose, it's soon open for business. Tom begins installing the new beautiful wood portico columns, using an ingenious jig to fashion two of them into engaged columns up against the house. Our master carpenter visits Alcott House in Concord, Massachussetts. Home of Little Women author Louisa May Alcott and her transcendentalist father Bronson, it is a mecca for thousnads of visitors, and preserving it intact is a high-priority but tricky job. Back at the house, our master carpenter help finish carpenter (and former TOH homeowner) Dick Silva trim out one of the windows in period detail.
Roger Cook and crew enclose the new spa in veneer stone, while inside homeowner Janet McCue has roped two friends into helping her complete the srtipping and reglazing of the half-round bump-out windows, no small job. The music room recives its final, finish coat of accoustical plaster, and our master carpenter checks out a new four-oscillating-head sander that flooring contractor Pat Hunt is using. Richard visits Kohler, Wisconsin, to see how one company has used computer-aided engineering to design a toilet ""engine"" that meets the challenge of using only 1.6 gallons per flush. Back at the house, Tom shows Steve a flexible molding that bends around the radius of the kitchen bay and matches perfectly with the wooden moldings on the straight runs. Finally, our master carpenter takes measurements for the music room inglenook, making a set of layout sticks he can use in the workshop to accurately reflect conditions in the field.
An asphalt grinder makes quick work of the old driveway, truning blacktop into a gravel mix that will serve as a bed for the new, reconfigured drive. Inside, Mark Schaub shows Steve the new sealed gas fireplace in the guest bedroom; a last-minute discovery of a Massachusetts-only code prevented the use of the open unit we had hope to use. Nonetheless, the new solution is a handsome unit, remote-controlled, with a period English tile surround and hearth and with a mantle made from pieces of the old master bathroom fireplace, which was taken out. Landscape architect David Hawk walks Steve along the rapidly developing new driveway, which gives an entirely different arrival experience than the old 16-foot-wide straight approach it replaces. Richard Trethewey shows off a new energy-recovery ventilator that not only changes the house's air (essential, given how highly insulated we've made it) but harvests heat and moisture from the exiting stale air in the winter, adding both to the incoming
Roger Cook mulches the planting areas around the finished spa; bushes will give it some privacy. In the dining room, Tommy puts up the final pieces of an elaborate, 11-piece ceiling molding that replicates the house's original detail, while our master carpenter meets cabinetmaker Tom Perkins, who is using a software program to specify the exact components of the many built-ins. He will e-mail a numerical code to a shop in the Midwest, which will efficiently cut all the pieces and ship them to him to assemble and install. Steve gets a lesson in paint preparation from paint contractor Jim Clark, who reveals the many steps necessary to obtain the smooth finish that is he and his crew's trademark. Richard Trethewey shows Steve the latest generation in radiant-floor-heat technology: accordianlike panels that quickly unfold to cover 10 square feet and accept radiant tubing. Finally, Joe Ferrante shows off his tiling work in the master bath, whose steam shower is done up in limestone and marb
In the music room, our master carpenter begins to install the first pieces of inglenook, while Steve gets a look at the wiring, fuse panels, and emergency backup power unit for the house with electrician Pete Woodbury. Steve continues his painting training with contractor Jim Clark, this time spending a few hours preparing the master bedroom bay windows for final coats. Outside, Roger Cook and arborist Matt Foti decide the fates of an unhealthy ash tree and a split-fork oak is overhanging the east end of the house. Tom shows Steve the system he's using to make mahogany panelling in the music room; one of its key components is a fastening technology that uses plastic ""bow ties"" to hold wood to wood. Our master carpenter and Tom get a lesson in its use from a factory rep.
Mud season has arrived early in Manchester, and Steve pulls our producer out of the mud to start the show. In the mudroom, Joe Ferrante lays 6 x 6 Chinese slate, while our master carepnter checks out the newly arrived kitchen cabinets. Their light mahogany will contrast with the painted ""furniture-look"" of the islands. Other cabinetry for the house was measured up for on site, cut in a factory in the Midwest, and sent as parts back to cabinetmaker Tom Perkins' Massachusets shop. Our master carpenter visits him there to see how the job's progressing. Back at the house, painting contractor Jim Clark gives Steve a lesson in painting complex trim using an HVLP (high-volume, low-pressure) sprayer, and lighting designer Susan Arold shows him how she plans to meet the challenges posed by the music room. Our master carpenter and Tom check out the new quartersawn oak floating floor contractor Pat Hunt and crew are installing - this is a good product that has only gotten better over the years. F
As our completion deadline draws near, the house is abuzz with activity. Flooring contractor Pat Hunt installs a lazer-cut wood floor medallion in the shape of a compass rose, while our master carpenter continues to assemble the various pieces of the inglenook on site. Today's elements include curved flanking benches perched on turned legs, while Steve got to try his hand at the New Yankee Workshop. Our master carpenter also shows Steve a trick carpneter Dick Silva discovered to handle the curved trimwork around the inglenook: he passed flexible expanded polyurethane planks, the same as we used on the exterior trim, though a molding machine to give it the right profile, and bent it into place. Plumbers Richard Trethewey and Richard Bilo show Steve that getting the old oval sink running again is no simple task. The kitchen is nearly complete, and project manager Doug Kutz gives Steve a tour as the last large piece of honed green granite gets put into place. The glass conservatory roof h
A last arrival by boat reveals to Steve and our master carpenter how far we've come from the plain shingled box we found on Day 1 of this project, and Steve declares he'll be satisfied if, as other boaters float into Manchester harbor over the years, they'll look at the McCues' home and say what a nice old building it is (even though most of what they'll see is new). Inside, painter Jim Clark shows our master carpenter how he's using tung oil to give the music room's mahogany paneling its final, rich look. David McCue gives his new kitchen a test drive with the help of demonstration cook and appliance expert Jane Scammon; together they make Steve lunch and show off the kitchen's many cutting-edge appliacnes. Our master carpenter helps Tom install an interior mortise set, in tarnish proof brass, into one of the house's many new MDF doors, while Steve checks out part of the new audio system with designer/installer Bob Domus. Richard Trethewey gives Steve a tour of the new master bath, ca
The final days in Manchester begin with a look at the smoke detectors - specialist Greg Smizer explains to Steve maintenance obsolescence issues, and points out that the ones he's installing also detect high and low temperatures. In the master bedroom, Richard Trethewey sees how the frameless glass shower door is going in, while our master carpenter and Tom go over the few items remaining on the punchlist, and Steve looks at the new master closet system as it goes on. Outside, Steve recalls the rather forlorn building we began this project with and and takes a final look at the restored facades. Inside, homeowner Janet McCue and her interior designer, Leslie Tuttle, take Steve on a tour of the house, ending in the magnificent music room, where the wrap party is underway.
Host Steve Thomas recreates a homeward commute from the 1920s, returning by train to Winchester, Massachusetts, a town that retains much of its original early 1900s character. Waiting for him at the station is master carpenter Norm Abram in a classic Ford Model A ""Woody."" A short drive through town brings them to a 1922 Colonial Revival home in a charming neighborhood known as the ""Flats."" Steve steps out back door to find new homeowner (and master gardener) Kim Whittemore pruning perennials. Their tour of the first floor reveals a tired but well-maintained house in need of updating. Meanwhile, general contractor Tom Silva, Norm and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey search for trouble spots. Convinced that the home has ""good bones"" and needs primarily only surface work, Steve and Norm seal the deal with new homeowners Kim Whittemore and Bruce Leasure welcoming them to the This Old House Family.
Host Steve Thomas checks in with general contractor Tom Silva and painting contractor Jim Clark, who are busy testing means by which to strip nearly 30 layers of lead-based paint from the exterior of the house. In the backyard, landscape contractor Roger Cook shows homeowner Kim Whittemore how to properly ball and burlap several trees and shrubs, moving them to safety before construction begins. Looking to enlist the help of a good architect, Steve meets project architect David Stirling, whose firm has worked on some 120 houses in Winchester; they tour a beautiful home he designed from the ground up. Later, back at the project house, they meet up with homeowner Bruce Leasure to sketch out some solutions for the master suite.
Master carpenter Norm Abram arrives on site to find the demo crew suspended over the roof dismantling the top of the unused kitchen chimney. Architect David Stirling and homeowner Kim Whittemore look at the latest plans for expanding the kitchen and improving flow on the first floor. Meanwhile, landscape contractor Roger Cook meets with entomologist Bob Childs to explore ways to save the property's signature hemlocks from a potentially fatal infestation of woolly adelgids, which have been attacking forests up and down the East Coast.
Host Steve Thomas lends carpenter Charlie Silva a hand in slowly jacking up the second floor, then general contractor Tom Silva glues and bolts reinforcing LVLs to the damaged floor joists. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey arrives to drain the heating system and disconnect the old radiators. In the kitchen, homeowner Kim Whittemore and a friend take down the chimney brick by brick. The next day, some unwanted trees are cut ""up"" rather than cut down, as they are chain-sawed apart and lifted piece by piece out of the backyard with the help of a large crane.
It's time to begin excavation on the new Kitchen foundation! Excavater Jeff Dervin brings in a backhoe to knock down the back entry porch. In the basement, master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva jackhammer through the floor to install footings for a new steel support column. Architect David Stirling presents homeowners Bruce Leasure and Kim Whittemore with a new layout for the master suite, and landscape contractor Roger Cook invites host Steve Thomas and Kim to see a nearby vintage greenhoue for inspiration.
Contractor Mark Dimeo uses a 30"" diamond blade to cut a new doorway into the existing basement foundation. Host Steve Thomas checks in with painting contractor Jim Clark to see how a new non-toxic chemical paint stripper is working on the multiple layers of exterior paint. Architect David Stirling and homeowner Kime Whittemore discuss strategies to deal with the house's asymmetric roof dormers. Then, Steve and Kim go shopping for the new addition's windows.
Master carpenter Norm Abram shows host Steve Thomas the new foundation for the kitchen addition and explains how to properly anchor it to the old foundation. General contractor Tom Silva and his crew begin demolition on the rotted sections of the sun porch, and Norm explains why they should salvage the roof to save both time and money. Down the street, Steve and homeowner Kim Whittemore visit a recently renovated sun porch, kitchen and media room for design ideas. In the master suite, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey lays out a plan for the rough plumbing.
Chimney specialist Mark Schaub meets up with host Steve Thomas in the Winchester living room and shows him why the chimney is smoking, with the help of a diagnostic ""fluecam."" In the kitchen, general contractor Tom Silva shows master carpenter Norm Abram and Steve how he reinforced the framing of the kitchen addition with engineered lumber and steel. Recalling the issue of the cantilevered second floor, Steve takes a look at a major renovation of perhaps the most famous cantilever in the country, that of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. Back at the project house, Steve lends Tom and Norm a hand on the deck structure for the new sun porch.
Host Steve Thomas finds homeowner Kim Whittemore experimenting with Colonial Revival paint colors on the front of the Winchester house. For further ideas, they travel with building conservation specialist Andrea Gilmore to see a classic Colonial Revival that is a high expression of the style. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey plans a radiant heat solution for keeping the exterior concrete basement stairs ice-free. In a side story, Steve visits a local museum dedicated to Winchester resident and photographer Arthur Griffin, noted for his legendary work with baseball's Ted Williams, and master carpenter Norm Abram takes homeowner Bruce Leasure through a variety of roofing options to replace the house's tired asphalt shingles.
Host Steve Thomas arrives at the Winchester house to find a surpirse in the backyard: the house to the rear is fully exposed now that the neighbors have cut down additional hemlocks. A few miles away, master carpenter Norm Abram takes a look at a real estate development success story - a 1950's ranch has been torn down and replaced by a brand new Colonial Revival handcrafted to feel like an old home. In the Winchester basement, general contractor Tom Silva shows Norm and Steve the adjustments made to help reroute traffic around the future media room instead of through it, and chimney specialist Mark Sucaub uses a centrifugal hammer to break up the ailing chimney's old flue.
The Winchester kitchen addition is nearly complete, and general contractor Tom Silva installs the last of the new historically accurate double-hung windows on the sun porch. In the kitchen, mineral wool - an old-style insulation known for its fire resistance and sound deadening capabilities, now revamped for the residential market - is sprayed into the walls. Custom cabinetmaker Jeff Peavy lays out the design and material choices for the kitchen, and roofing contractor Tom Evarts shows master carpenter Norm Abram his crew's project: architectural asphalt for the main roof, and flat-seam lead-coated copper for the addition. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Steve Thomas the new plastic water supply lines, and the heating and cooling system, supplied by flexible 4"" ducts.
Using a 70"" tree spade mounted on a front-end loader, landscape contractor Roger Cook and arborist Matt Foti remove a healthy (but poorly located) blue spruce from a front yard in a nearby town and replant it in Winchester to begin the process of screening the backyard. To help with decision-making in the media room, host Steve Thomas and homeowner Burce Leasure visit a house that has both a high-end theater in the basement and a more modest media room on the first floor. Back at the project house, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Steve three polyethylene tanks that will sotre 1,125 gallons of harvested rainwater for reuse in the garden. Master carpenter Norm Abram takes a trip to Vermont to visit coppersmith Larry Stearns who is busy building a ""This Old House"" weathervane.
With the weather turning cooler, Steve finds painting contractor Jim Clark under pressure to finish the exterior painting. On the third floor, Norm learns that Tom is off the job having emergency knee surgery due to a recent injury. With Tom out of commission, foreman John Sheridan gives Norm an update on what's left to do. Steve joins interior designer Manuel de Santaren to see how his firm designed the living room of a similar Colonial Revival. Manuel's partner, Carolina Tress-Balsbaugh, meets Steve and homeowner Kim Whittemore at the project house to present their design ideas for our living room. Flooring contractor Patrick Hunt discovers three different species of wood flooring used throughout the hosue - heart pine, beech, and oak - and shows Norm how to use a router to nearly patch holes left by the old radiators. In the backyard, Steve finds that Roger has planted a small forest of spruce and white pine to provide shade and privacy.
Steve arrives to find Roger out front hauling away the last of the dismantled driveway. Inside, Steve finds a recovering Tom Silva, fresh from surgery and walking with a cane, but back on the job. Tom shows Steve an extruded polystyrene crown molding that is affixed only with joint compound, not nails. In the kitchen, soapstone installer Glenn Bowman shows Norm how his crew customizes soapstone counters on site. In a side trip to the Vermont woods, Glenn shows Steve how he is prospecting for deposits of soapstone in a long-abandoned quarry. In the garage, Stev finds Dave Hahn installing sectional overhead garage doors designed to look like original 1920's swingout doors.
Steve visits Middlesex Fells Reservation - a 3-mile by 3-mile park shared by five suburban towns North of Boston - and climbs Wright's Tower to take in the cityscape and some vibrant autumnal views. Back in Winchester, Steve helps Roger Cook and concrete contractor Syd March pour and trowel the new front walk. Custom cabinetmaker Jeff Peavey shows Steve the unique features of the newly installed kitchen cabinets. Outside, Tom shows Steve how to properly measure for storm windows. In a side story, Norm finds a custom storm window company in Connecticut that will plant aluminum storms to match any color trim. Under pressure to get the heat on down in the basement, Richard shows Steve what's new with radiant heat, and how he plans to heat three different types of floors with three distinct radiant zones. Tom and Norm carry out the architect's plan for elaborate pyramidal mahogany stairs off the sun porch.
With Steve away on assignment, Norm arrives to find Roger unloading and inspecting the last delivery from the garden center. On the sun porch floor, tiling contractor Joe Ferrante shows Norm how to apply grout around the new 12-inch by 12-inch Chinese slate tiles. Meanwhile, Steve and interior designer Carolina Tress-Balsbaugh visit a boutique in Boston that has been manufacturing custom lampshades for 150 years. Things heat up in the master bath as Richard tries out the new steam shower, then shows Norm how it works. Painting contractor Jim Clark demonstrates tips and techniques for prepping and painting the interior of the house, and flooring contractor Pat Hunt installs a new floating oak floor in the master suite. In the backyard, Roger shows Kim how creative landscaping can conceal the external air conditioning condensers.
In the second-to-last show, Steve and homeowner Kim Whittemore test-drive the new stainless steel appliances. Norm meets fencing contractor Mark Bushway to admire the entire custom package: a driveway gate (make to look like the 1920s original) perimeter fence, arbor and pergola, and a new plastic fence post system designed to prevent insect damage and rot. Steve visits a nearby upholstery shop to see several of Kim's chairs, just shipped in from Alabama, being stripped, repaired, and reupholstered. Closet system designer Marcy Weisburgh shows Steve how she designed the master closet to accommodate both a window and a steam generator for the adjacent bathroom. Electrician Allen Gallant installs a five-arm Colonial Revival chandelier made by a mail order company that builds to order and delivers directly to the job site. Tom and carpenter Jason Wood line the walls with cost-effective built-in bookshelves, made from MDF and popular laminate.
In the final show, Steve checks out the new garage storage system, including diamond-plated cabinets, toolboxes, and adaptable ""gear walls."" Window treatment specialist Kevin Murphy shows Steve the custom shades and drapes ordered by mail, and A/V expert Mike Smith shows him an ""out of the box"" media room solution that won't break the bank. Roger literally lays the groundwork for a lush new lawn next spring with a three-layer customizable grass seed mat. Norm and coppersmith Larry Stearns install a TOH weathervane atop the finished garage, while Steve test-drives some high-tech toys for the new home office. Moments before the wrap party begins, interior designer Carolina Tress-Balsbaugh reveals her multi-textured interior design for the sunroom, living room and dining room.
For the first time ever, This Old House let viewers choose the project. A nationwide Dream Kitchen search culminated in an online vote, with the Smith family of Lake Forest, Illinois, garnering the most votes. The challenge: Find more space in an old, cramped kitchen so homeowners Mike and Heidi Smith and their 5-year-old triplets can cook and eat in comfort. Plans for the 1928 Tudor include installing new custom cabinets and appliances, relocating an ill-placed powder room, and turning an old greenhouse into a new eating area at the front of the house. To allow the family to live in the house during the renovation, Richard Trethewey helps sets up a temporary kitchen on the sun porch, while Norm and Steve discuss design options with project architect John Krasnodebski. To contain dust and debris during demolition, the kitchen is sealed off from the rest of the house.
The day begins in Lake Forest's historic Market Square. Built in 1916 by Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, the square is America's first drive-up shopping center. Back at the project house, demolition is already a distant memory as project manager Jim Eimerman shows Norm and Steve the plumbing and electrical rough-in, the new bath stripped and reframed, and the brickwork associated with moving windows underway. Steve and homeowner Heidi Smith visit a converted 1920's carriage house belonging to design/builder Kris Boyaris and her husband, architect John Krasnodebski. Steve and John discuss the challenges of squeezing a powder room into a former dead space along the hallway. Demolition has revealed several pipes wrapped in asbestos, so Norm catches up with an asbestos abatement team to see an alternative to removal: stabilization and containment.
The Lake Forest project is well under way as Norm works in his temporary garage workshop making the bracketed posts to be used on the breakfast room's exterior. Steve meets up with project manager Jim Eimerman for an update: a dip in the floor has been addressed with a steel beam in the basement and the floor resheathed with plywood; new windows have arrived; a new concrete floor has been poured in the breakfast room; and the drywall is up. In a flashback, Norm sees polyurethane foam insulation blown into the walls. Steve and Heidi visit kitchen designer Eileen Thurnauer at a showroom in Hinsdale, Illinois, not far from the airport. Back on East Atteridge, Heidi puts some countertop materials through a stress test and Norm, Jim, and Steve work to install the posts and beam on the front section of the breakfast room.
Steve and Norm arrive in Lake Forest to find local carpenters braving the cold, crafting custom cedar siding for the exterior of the kitchen addition. In the former greenhouse, Richard shows Steve how he saved the homeowners valuable real estate by putting radiant heat under the floors, and in the walls of the new eating area. Local historian Paul Bergmann shows Steve a shoreline mansion built in 1911 by one of Chicago's top architects, Benjamin Marshall. A reminder of a bygone era, it's for sale for $25 million. Project manager Jim Eimerman shows Norm the new steel beam in the basement, added to level out and support the kitchen floor above, and how the solution to this problem was the cause of another: the floor jacking caused substantial cracks in the plaster in other parts of the house.
With temperatures hovering near zero, Steve brings Tom Silva to Lake Forest for the first time. Before heading to the project house, they decide to check up on project manager Jim Eimerman at one of the other jobs that he is running. Architect John Krasnodebski shows Steve and Tom a few ways to minimize the transition from drywall to brick in the new eating area. Steve tells Tom about a visit he and Norm made to Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry to see planes, trains, and a captured German submarine from World War II. In the Dream Kitchen, the new prefinished oak floor is installed as homeowner Heidi Smith and interior designer Suzanne Cederlund reveal the emerging plan for the kitchen design.
Steve visits the Charles Glore House in Lake Forest to see what it's like to live in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Built in 1951, the Prairie style house's ongoing renovation is a labor of love for its current owner. Back at the project house, the cabinets have arrived in record time, and Norm recalls a recent visit to the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country to see them being constructed and finished. In the front hall, painting conrtactor Ben Evangelista begins repairing the cracks in the plaster caused by jacking the kitchen floor. As promised, it is a quick fix with tape, mud and texturing. With only two weeks to go, project manager Jim Eimerman says he's already working weekends, but predicts he'll finish the job on time.
On the way to the Lake Forest job site, Steve visits a stone fabrication shop to see where our Dream Kitchen countertops (an Italian sandstone known as Pietra del Cardoso) came from. Jim Kapcheck, a fourth-generation countertop fabricator, shows Steve what's hot in countertops and how his shop combines automation with hand-craftsmanship. At the job site, with only six working days left to go, project manager Jim Eimerman gives Steve a rundown of his punchlist. The countertops go in, Steve lends a hand setting the cast iron farm sink, and Richard installs an elaborate faucet system containing a retractable sprayer head and an undercover water filtration unit.
After only 12 short weeks, the Dream Kitchen is complete, and Heidi Smith and the triplets are already moved in and cooking up treats for the wrap party. Steve sees how a decorative painter treated the inside of the new kitchen cabinets and learns how a new control device will coordinate over 40 individual lights to create different lighting ""scenes"" for the kitchen. Acclaimed Chicago chef Rick Bayless arrives to take the new kitchen for a test drive and to answer the question ""How does a pro cook at home?"", shows Steve the inviting, functional kitchen he created in his house on Chicago's North Side. Homeowner Mike Smith reveals that the job cost around $85,000 - which doesn't include all the donated products. In the real world, such a transformation would have been $200,000 and taken much longer. As the wrap party begins, Steve and Norm commend all involved on a job well done and heartily agree that from location to contractors to homeowners this was a ""dream"" project indeed.
Master carpenter Norm Abram welcomes new host Kevin O'Connor aboard with a visit to one of the most ambitious This Old House jobs to date, the Manchester-by-the-Sea project. Wanting to tackle a big job like this on his first time out, Kevin instead ends up in historic Concord, Massachusetts, with a small (but sweet) 20 x 26 foot garden shed that homeowners Jeff and Janet Bernard want to convert into an in-law cottage for Janet's retired parents. Protected by local zoning laws, the shed can't be torn down and rebuilt, so general contractor Tom Silva will reframe the c. 1894 building from the inside out, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey will face the challenges of bringing in water, sewer, and gas lines to the building for the first time ever. The cottage is one of the smallest projects in This Old House history, but everyone agrees that although there's not a lot to work with, there's still a lot to do. Janet takes Kevin to see the inspiration for her project, a small garage apartment that's part of an estate currently on the market in Concord for $7.2 million.
Work can't begin at the jobsite until permits are issued, so host Kevin O'Connor takes homeowner Janet Bernard to meet Concord building commissioner, John Minty, to see what potential roadblocks she's facing in trying to turn an accessory building into a full-time residence. Then, Kevin meets local architect Holly Cratsley to see a new home she designed to look like an old home, and an accompanying timber frame barn. Meanwhile, with flashlights, ladders, and archival photographs, master carpenter Norm Abram and preservation architect Leonard Baum reconstruct the architectural history of the shed, learning that the building started out as a one-story chicken coop with a hip roof, and that it is indeed older than the zoning law itself - a finding that's essential to moving forward with the town.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the newly issued building permit affixed to the building, and work is finally getting underway. Architect Holly Cratsley is officially on board, and Kevin pays a visit to her office to see the first pass at floor plans, elevations, and a scale model of the cottage. Zoning laws only allow for a modest increase in overall volume, so the new one-bedroom cottage will be less than a 1,000-square-feet when it's done. Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva prepare to brace a bowed wall, but find a completely rotted sill that needs replacing before they can proceed. They put Kevin to work building two temporary walls, and then driving them into place, taking the weight off the compromised outside wall. The rotted sill comes out, and a new, pressure treated sill goes in. Then, Kevin visits a converted carriage house in Winchester, Massachusetts, that's full of great ideas for the project. Unexpected rain postpones the excavation for the foundation of the new addition.
General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor the progress on the new utility trench - a time-consuming and expensive undertaking that (with several thousand dollars in permit fees) has already eaten up $30,000 of the budget. Concrete cutting contractor Peter Dami is on site to make way for the final connections, using a diamond plated coring drill to bore holes through the 10" foundation wall. Kevin finally meets the most important person on the job -homeowner Janet Bernard's mom, Jacqueline Buckley, who will actually live in the cottage with her husband Len. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey takes Kevin to visit master carpenter Norm Abram at the New Yankee Workshop to see how the shop is heated and cooled - he's thinking of using some of the same solutions (radiant heat, baseboard, and/or split system A/C) at the Concord cottage. Looking for an interior designer who knows how to work with small spaces, Kevin meets Tricia McDonagh in Boston's South End to see how her design firm made a 600-square-foot apartment feel more spacious and inviting. Inside the cottage, all four walls have been reinforced, old sheathing has come down, new plywood has gone up, and the new windows have been framed in.
Master electrician Allen Gallant installs PVC conduit 2 feet below the surface of the driveway to allow the 200-amp service to reach the cottage. Using a "mouse," a string, a pull rope, and a vacuum (known to the trade as a "fishing system"), his crew hauls the heavy electrical lines underground from the street to the cottage, a span of over 200 feet. Architect Sarah Susanka shows host Kevin O'Connor a 3,000-square-foot house that illustrates the fundamental design principles outlined in her best-selling book, The Not So Big House. On the second floor of the cottage, carpenter Jason Wood sisters new two-by-eights to the existing two-by-four rafters, and cuts a hole in the roof to accommodate the new dormer. Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva push the old roof section out, and let the light in upstairs for the first time in almost 100 years.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the project house fresh from a jog around the track at Emerson Field - several acres of playgrounds, tennis courts, and ball fields - right in the Bernard's backyard. Homeowner Janet Bernard asks general contractor Tom Silva to relocate the porch stairs on the main house, which now seem too close to the future parking court, and too imposing. Tom suggests some options, but advises Janet to consult her architect, Holly Cratsley, before they proceed. Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows Kevin a 100-year-old Concord grape vine that's growing right in the middle of the work zone. Chances of the vine surviving a transplant are slim, so Roger opts to leave the vine as is, protect it, and propagate it in place. Out back by the future sunroom, master carpenter Norm Abram shows Kevin how to set 2 x 6 foot pressure treated sills squarely on the new foundation using sill seal foam insulation and fasteners. In nearby Lincoln, Massachusetts, Kevin meets park ranger Lou Sidiris for a look at Minuteman National Historical Park and the Hartwell Tavern, a 1733 building that was the typical country inn of the Revolutionary War period. With an approved plan, from the architect and an excavator on site, Tom digs the footing for the new porch stairs.
Host Kevin O'Connor visits the Concord Museum, which houses one of the oldest collections of Americana in the country - including one of the lanterns that hung in the church on the night of Paul Revere's ride, and several items relating to the life of local Concord resident Sam Staples, the man who built our project house. General contractor Tom Silva and master plumber Ron Coldwell show Kevin the progress on the rough plumbing and how adding a shower at the last minute affected the layout of the first floor powder room. In search of more elegant small spaces, Kevin travels to Nantucket, Massachusetts, to meet homeowner Harvey Jones for a look at his charming North Wharf boathouse, and two recently renovated guest cottages near the center of town. Back at the Concord Cottage, master carpenter Norm Abram discovers that the stairs to the second floor are too steep for older residents to navigate, and that headroom is tight on the landing. Tom suggests eliminating a step to reduce the rise, allowing him to both shorten and lower the landing platform to free up the necessary headroom. Then, Kevin lends Norm and Tom a hand building the new staircase.
Master carpenter Norm Abram finds general contractor Tom Silva installing exterior trim that looks like wood, but is actually cellular PVC and therefore resistant to rot. Inside, host Kevin O' Connor finds homeowner Jeff Bernard finalizing the lighting plan with master electrician Allen Gallant. In the future sunroom, Kevin lends Norm and Tom a hand installing the new clad windows that look just like homeowner Janet Bernard's traditional wood windows on the main house. At a Menomonie, Wisconsin, facility that produces more than 550 tons of glass per day, float glass expert Al Slavich shows Kevin how residential window glass is manufactured using state-of-the-art technology. Back at the Concord Cottage, with the rough plumbing complete and inspected, it's time to infill the slab. To cut costs, Tom shows Kevin how to make concrete from scratch - 3 parts gravel, 2 parts sand, 1 part cement - mixing it on site with a portable concrete mixer.
General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how the red cedar sidewall shingles are installed in decorative courses, designed by architect Holly Cratsley, in a classic turn-of-the-century pattern. Tom shows Kevin the most complicated part of the job, braiding the shingles to cover both the outside and inside corners. Master carpenter Norm Abram uses a template and router to cut holes in the old barn door for the new windows. Kevin lends him a hand reinforcing the back of the door, and then setting the first window, which is inserted from the back, in order to maintain a low front profile. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the compact wall-mounted condensing boiler that will save space, energy, and virtually eliminate boiler noise - it's quieter than most refrigerators. In Spring Green, Wisconsin, insulating glass expert Tom Kaiser shows Kevin how residential window glass is coated with silver for energy efficiency, then sandwiched together and injected with argon to form insulating glass panels. Back in Concord, homeowner Jeff Bernard meets with landscape contractor Roger Cook and landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard to see the first pass at the landscape plan, and to discuss the practical aspects of executing it.
On one of the first cool days of autumn, host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook excavating the jobsite in preparation for the hardscape install. Roofing contractor Alex Alpert shows Kevin how his crew is installing a standing seam copper roof on the new addition. General contractor Tom Silva gives Kevin a progress tour of the interior spaces, showing how the first floor can be transformed to accommodate one-floor living, should it become necessary for the homeowners, Jackie and Len Buckley. On the second floor, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the new 5-foot cast iron whirlpool tub, a European towel warmer that will also serve as the room's main source of heat, and a split-type air conditioner that will keep the entire second floor cool during the summer. With the new window already set in the center of the old hayloft door, master carpenter Norm Abram shows Kevin how he's making a false exterior door out of medium density overlay. On the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Kevin visits another small cottage, designed by architect Jeremiah Eck, for an active couple in their 70's.
Host Kevin O'Connor finds landscape contractor Roger Cook inspecting a new shipment of select bluestone from Pennsylvania and cobblestones imported from India. Out back, Roger shows Kevin the right way to lay a bluestone patio using stone dust and cement over 3-feet of pack for drainage. Inside the cottage, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how wallboard contractor Paul Landry is hanging wallboard - it' s a new product that's non-combustible, moisture resistant, and mold resistant - an important innovation as mold problems continue to plague the building industry. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the air-to-air heat exchanger that will bring fresh air into the building and a new radiant heat system, installed in the outside walls going up the stairs. Kevin meets up with homeowner Janet Bernard and interior designer Tricia McDonagh for a preview of her design choices for the cottage. Architect Holly Cratsley takes Kevin to Acton, Massachusetts, to see the in-law suite that she created for homeowner Sylvia Arrom's 90-year-old parents. Back in the kitchen of the main house, family friends Joanne and Jordan Lovejoy show Kevin and Janet how to turn her ripe Concord grapes into jelly.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive at the jobsite to find the base coat of the driveway down, and the new fancy cut shingles finally up on the gable end of the cottage. Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows Kevin how he's laid out the new brick walkway, and raised the grade by the front door to allow for a comfortable 6-inch stair rise. The homeowners have already secured permission to add a ramp for increased accessibility, should it become necessary in the future. In the kitchen, Kevin's surprised to find there's no outside cabinet company on this job - the kitchen's so small that general contractor Tom Silva's crew is building everything on site. Tom and Norm build the base cabinet for the pantry out of veneer plywood, while Roger takes Kevin to see a recently renovated garden center that's currently growing plants on more than 650 acres. They meet owner Wayne Mezitt to select, tag, and dig some of the plants for the Concord project, including Japanese tree lilacs, stewardia, and several spectacular pink diamond hydrangea. Back at the Concord Cottage, in the first floor bathroom, tiling contractor Joe Ferrante shows Norm and Kevin the challenge he' s facing in pitching the whole bathroom floor to a corner drain, while incorporating radiant tubing into the mud job. With just over eight weeks to go on the project, Kevin and Norm check in with Janet and her mom on the status of the job.
Master carpenter Norm Abram arrives at the Concord Cottage during the first snow of the season, and finds the bad weather slowing down both the landscaping and the exterior painting. In the future dining room, Norm and general contractor Tom Silva show host Kevin O'Connor how they're creating decorative wall panels by applying chair rail, baseboard, and surface applied mouldings directly to the plaster. In Walpole, Massachusetts, fencing specialist Mark Bushway helps homeowner Janet Bernard pick the right size shed in a style that will compliment the cottage, and back in Concord, Kevin helps Mark put the shed together on site. With the base cabinets complete in the kitchen, Norm and Tom show Kevin a simple way to fabricate the face frames using a pocket hole cutter. In the parking court, landscape contractor Roger Cook shows Kevin how to layout and set regulation size cobblestones in a setting bed of stone dust and cement to achieve a flush finish, and minimize cuts.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives just in time to see the installation of the new fence, trellis, and gate. Then, landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard gives Kevin an update on the landscape plan, explaining how new plantings will help conceal the utility shed in the back corner of the Cottage. Kevin surveys the progress on the first floor and finds a new custom front door in place, as well as a built-in hutch in the dining room made off-site by local cabinetmaker Jon Sammis. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin coping techniques -traditional and new-fangled - as he works to build, and fit a cap for the crown molding in the dining room. Kevin stops off at the historic Noah Brooks Tavern in Lincoln, Massachusetts, to see the Junior League of Boston's Show House - an annual event that brings in more than 30,000 visitors to see the work of some of the best interior designers in Boston. Then, Kevin makes a trip to The New Yankee Workshop to see master carpenter Norm Abram's progress on the frame for the interior sliding window unit.
It is wall-to-wall subs today. Everyone from the tile guy, to the fireplace guy, to the painter, to the granite-pillar guy - that would be landscape contractor Roger Cook - are at the Concord Cottage. Host Kevin O'Connor checks out Roger's latest project: installing granite bollards in front of the barn door to prevent vehicles from accidentally backing into the barn, while also adding lots of old time character. In the front hall, tile contractor Joe Ferrante is prepping the radiant deck for tile with thin set first then cement board. In the living room, chimney specialist Mark Schaub shows Kevin the new remote controlled gas fireplace that can be vented up or straight out, via an exterior wall, and installs in about one hour. At Boston's Design Center, Kevin meets interior designers Tricia McDonagh and Charles Spada to see the antiques they've selected, and are still considering, for the cottage. Then back at the site, Kevin lends master carpenter Norm Abram a hand installing the sliding windows over the kitchen sink.
Despite a cold winter chill, today's the day for sod - 12,000-square-feet of it to be exact. Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows host Kevin O'Connor the unloading and installation of the 48 62-foot long rolls of sod. Then, Kevin meets landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard and homeowner Janet Bernard to learn how the new plants will grow in over the years to create a lush cottage garden. Inside, Kevin finds tile contractor Joe Ferrante laying out and laying down 16 x 24 foot distressed Irish limestone tiles, and finds that general contractor Tom Silva is relying on a team from a local home center to install the engineered maple floor. Meanwhile, master carpenter Norm Abram meets plant manager John Tappan at a factory in Danville, Virginia, to see how engineered flooring is manufactured. In the master suite of the cottage, screen fabricator and installer Steve Primack shows Kevin how he can create a custom retractable screen for the balcony door on site in about one hour. In the living room, Kevin gets an "Interior Painting 101" lesson from painting contractor Jim Clark.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets architect Holly Cratsley for a look at the exterior details of the Concord Cottage - including a pressure treated southern yellow pine roof shingle that carries a 30-year warranty. In the kitchen, Kevin meets countertop installer Dimitri Kampouris to see the new honed `Black Zimbabwe' granite countertops going in. Upstairs, Kevin finds a crew from a local home center installing a stain resistant carpet that is both durable and soft -a combination that's tough to create. Downstairs in the living room, lead carpenter Jason Wood shows Kevin a few tricks to installing hardware on a rail and stile closet door. Then, Kevin meets stained glass artist Jim Anderson to see the custom windows he's created for the cottage, including one small design that bears an important date - that of the original barn - 1894. Upstairs, Kevin meets John Jawarski, owner of an online custom closet company that lets homeowners design and install their own closet systems. As the day winds down, general contractor Tom Silva clears the decks and puts Kevin to work sealing the stair treads with polyurethane, while master carpenter Norm Abram meets finishing expert Bruce Johnson at a plant in Flora, Illinois, to see how polyurethane and stain are manufactured.
It's the big day, and host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the completed cottage in style (circa 1894) on a horse named "Daisy." Landscape contractor Roger Cook and master carpenter Norm Abram help him tie up at the new hitching post. Then Kevin catches up with homeowner Janet Bernard for a brief reflection on why the end of the project is bittersweet for her family, and is now more important than ever. Upstairs in the laundry area, home economist Lucinda Ottusch shows Kevin the latest in laundry technology: a washer that can sense how dirty the clothes are while handling 16 pair of jeans at once. Kevin meets lighting designer Susan Arnold to see her interior and exterior lighting choices and to get a demo of a new high-tech radio frequency lighting control system. Plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey shows Norm the finished bathrooms and mechanical room, including a central vacuum system that will help keep the air clean inside the house. Window treatment specialist Kara Roberts shows Kevin the simple white linen panels selected for the cottage windows, and an alternative way to dress them up. Next door in Janet's basement, Kevin meets furniture specialist Debbie McKirihan for a look at the semi-custom furniture her company created for the cottage. Architect Holly Cratsley shows Kevin and homeowner Jackie Buckley the finished kitchen and explains the universal design elements that will make the kitchen easy for people of all ages and abilities to use. Moments before the wrap party begins, interior designer Tricia McDonagh shows Kevin how her design elements work together to evoke the comfortable, classic feeling of an old carriage house. At the wrap party, the crew congratulates general contractor Tom Silva on a job well done - and one that proves that small houses can be big on charm, especially when delivered on time and on budget.
With their course set for historic and sunny Bermuda, host Kevin O' Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram set sail aboard the Island Raider in search of a winter project house. Once on shore, they zip through the narrow cobblestone streets of St. George on mopeds and arrive at Aunt Nea's Inn where they meet potential This Old House homeowners Andrea Dismont and Delaey Robinson - local innkeepers who want to fix up "Harbour View," a vacant and dilapidated circa 1805 Georgian-style home on their property. The house needs a lot of work, so Kevin meets up with local architect Colin Campbell at a recently renovated home in Pembroke to see if he thinks the project is viable. Meanwhile, Norm tracks down general contractor Alan Burland at a commercial job he's running in Hamilton, and Alan, an eleventh-generation Bermudian, assures Norm that he can handle the job. After weighing the pros and cons of working on a remote island 680 miles out at sea, Norm and Kevin tell Andrea and Delaey that although the renovation is going to be a challenge, This Old House is on board to help them out.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram open the show in Southampton at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, the highest point in Bermuda. Back in St. George, Kevin meets architect Colin Campbell to review his design plans for the renovation and expansion of Harbour View. Norm meets fourth generation quarry man Jonathan Cumberbatch in Smith's parish to see how native limestone is quarried and cut into roofing tiles known as "slate." At the project house, lead mason Dilton Cann shows Norm how he's using the slate, mortar, and cement wash to repair the extensive roof damage caused by hurricane Fabian. General contractor Alan Burland and job foreman John Richardson give Norm a progress tour: the former kitchen and second floor bath have been removed, the cedar roof rafters have been exposed and reinforced, excavation for the new addition is complete, and the window frames are being replaced. Homeowners Andrea Dismont and Delaey Robinson begin stripping their old Bermuda cedar window sash by hand. Now all the team needs is a building permit to begin work on the addition. If the approval is delayed much longer, the job may not be finished by the time This Old House has to head back to Boston.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram welcome plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey to Bermuda in front of St. Peter's Church in St. George. Next door at Aunt Nea's Inn, Norm and Kevin meet homeowner Delaey Robinson to talk about the building permit and the budget. Across the street at Harbour View, general contractor Alan Burland shows Norm how he's using a steel beam to pick up the second floor load, while lead mason Dilton Cann shows Kevin how he's building new walls of the addition out of concrete block. To see how charming an old renovated Bermuda home can be, Alan shows Norm his carefully restored circa 1750 farmhouse in Somerset. Back at the project house, master plumber Gerald Smith shows Richard how two existing cisterns or "tanks" will collect rainwater from the roof to supply the house with drinking water. Kevin meets master electrician Noel Vanputten to see how the electrical rough-in is progressing on the old house (Bermuda stone) and the new addition (concrete block). Although the progress may appear to be slow, Norm, Richard, and Kevin recall that compared with time-consuming wood construction and finishes, the masonry work at Harbour View will come together quickly.
Master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor open the show 120 feet below ground exploring the Crystal Caves of Bermuda. Back at Harbour View, Kevin finds project manager Alex DeCouto overseeing the prep and pour of the second floor deck on the addition. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets civil engineer Keith Claridge on a neighborhood roof to see how 95% of Bermudians obtain drinking water - by collecting rainwater in roof catchments and cisterns known as "tanks." They visit a massive military fort turned catchment, as well as a modern reverse osmosis plant to see how the government supplements the water supply. Two weeks of rain might be good for the tank levels, but it's bad for the construction schedule, so foreman John Richardson shows Norm and Kevin how work has progressed on the interior of the house, despite the rain. Then, Norm visits the general contractor's mill shop and volunteers to help out by building a cedar mantel for Harbour View's dining room fireplace.
Master carpenter Norm Abram welcomes general contractor Tom Silva to the island by getting him properly outfitted in the "full Bermuda." Host Kevin O'Connor meets homeowners Delaey Robinson and Andrea Dismont at Aunt Nea's Inn to see how they are managing the renovation while operating the circa 1780 guest house and raising two young boys. They show Kevin the historic mantel they'd like Norm to replicate for their new home. Across the street at the jobsite, Kevin finds foreman John Richardson and lead mason Dilton Cann pouring the bond beam that will unify the structure of the new addition and bear the load of the new stone roof. While measuring for the job, Norm and Tom decide that the firebox needs to be rebuilt to accommodate the new mantle. Worried about time and resources, project manager Alex DeCouto reluctantly agrees to add the masonry work to his list. Kevin meets curator Hugh Davidson for a tour of Verdmont, a house that has not been altered in 300 years, that features an extensive collection Bermuda-made cedar antiques. Later at the mill shop in Hamilton, Tom and Norm get working on the fireplace mantel. Tom's final analysis of the job: there's still a lot to do, but as someone who's been in the hot seat before, he knows that the builders can move mountains during the last few weeks, and they're going to have to.
There are only three weeks left on the job, and any materials and products not already aboard a ship to Bermuda are not going to make it in time. So master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor head down to the docks of Hamilton to greet the "Bermuda Islander" container ship, just in from New Jersey. Back at Harbour View, Kevin meets project manager Alex DeCouto for an update: landscaping has begun in the south court, the verandah is framed in, and the second floor walls are up. In the basement, Norm finds HVAC contractor Steven Cardoza installing a new high-efficiency heating and cooling system that uses an environmentally responsible refrigerant that won' t deplete the ozone layer. Up in the kitchen, Kevin meets interior designer Michele Smith for a preview of the kitchen elevations. Then, homeowner Andrea Dismont and job foreman John Richardson show Kevin their recently discovered treasure - an 1884 gold sovereign found beneath the dining room floor. Kevin meets Dr. Ed Harris for a tour of Bermuda's Royal Naval Dockyard. Once known as the "Gibraltar of the West," Dockyard is still the largest fort in Bermuda and the largest tourist destination on the island. Kevin finds kitchen contractor Mark Henneberger unloading the kitchen cabinets that have just been cleared through customs from Canada.
After welcoming landscape contractor Roger Cook to Bermuda, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram meet with project manager Alex DeCouto in the North court to see the scaffolding down, the old building painted and the landscaping well underway. Inside, Alex shows Norm the new cedar French doors and oiled bronze hardware - an ideal combination for this seaside location. Kevin finds kitchen contractor Mark Henneberger finishing up the countertop install - it' s a new quartz material that is non-porous, two times stronger than granite, maintenance free, and carries a 10-year warranty. In the upstairs hall, Kevin finds interiors specialist Jennifra Gray installing a faux Bermuda stone - it's closed cell polymer that gives the look of natural limestone without the maintenance issues or cost. Then, Alex and Norm meet tiling contractor Gene Aitkin to see his work in the boys' bathroom, and the progress on the master bath, which has been slow due to last-minute changes and additions. In the dining room, Kevin meets painting contractor Paul Mathias for a lesson in applying a 3-coat latex paint that results in a "brushed suede" decorative finish. Landscape contractor Jeff Sousa shows Roger the local flora at private nursery only open to the trade, and on a challenging (and dramatic) finished lot in Paget. Back at Harbour View, Jeff shows Roger how his crew is installing Mexican river rocks and Turkish travertine pavers to create a courtyard for two outdoor spa units. The end of the day brings the flooring installers, and this time it's Randy Stafford putting down a hand-scraped engineered floating floor in the master suite.
It's the day before the wrap, and host Kevin O'Connor finds homeowner Delaey Robinson believing in miracles, standing in his new state-of-the-art kitchen, which was a water-damaged storage room only four short months ago. He shows Kevin a stainless steel task sink, professional style range, and 48" refrigerator, as well as a snap-together indoor/outdoor hardwood floor for the entryway. Upstairs, Kevin finds homeowner Andrea Dismont setting up a custom closet system in the master suite. Then, she shows Kevin another space saver - a stackable front-loading washer and dryer in the new laundry closet. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets exterior shutter expert Fritz Brenner to see the new pulltruded fiberglass Bermuda shutters -they're custom made, factory-finished, and resistant to rot. Window treatment installer JC Lehren shows Kevin the interior plantation shutters going up in the master bedroom. Then, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the progress in the master bath that's really more "spa" than a bathroom - featuring a soak tub, steam shower, and foot whirlpool. Outside, landscape contractor Roger Cook meets project manager Alex DeCouto for a closer look at the swim spa, hot tub, and composite decks that have just gone in. Then, it's our last day in Bermuda and interior designer Michele Smith shows Kevin the completed living room, dining room, and master suite. Up on the roof, the team assembles for a traditional Bermuda "roof wetting" - a ceremony celebrating the end of the project with rum and good wishes. Making their way down to King's Square, the crew departs Bermuda, once again aboard the Island Raider, bound for Boston and the 25th Anniversary season.
This Old House celebrates 25 years of home renovation by going back to its roots. The season opens with Kevin and Norm taking a look at the first This Old House project in Dorchester, Massachusetts - a house the show brought, renovated, and sold in 1979. This season we'll be homeowners again, with some of the proceeds from the sale of the 25th anniversary centerpiece project endowing a new scholarship for the building arts. To find just the right house, Norm takes Kevin to Carlisle, Massachusetts, a beautiful New England town 20 miles outside Boston. After looking at several properties, This Old House decides to take on an 1849 Greek Revival-style farmstead that's big on charm, but needs a lot of work to be comfortable for a modern family.
Have house, will renovate! Thanks to an accepted bid, This Old House is now the proud owner of a classic New England farmstead in Carlisle, Massachusetts. To be sure that the house will have all the right amenities, Kevin and Norm meet with a local real estate agent Laura Baliestiero to see what buyers are looking for in Carlisle. Then Kevin asks architect Jeremiah Eck to do the design work, and also checks in with the town's Board of Appeals to understand the bylaws affecting our project. Former resident Eleanor Duren shares photos and memories of her years growing up on the farm.
Kevin finds Roger clearing land for a much-needed job site parking lot. Architect Jeremiah Eck walks Norm and Kevin through a 3-D model of his proposed design. Highlights include dramatic reuse of the existing timberframe barn as a ""living hall,"" an updated floor plan incorporating the kitchen and dining room in the new connecting ell, and an addition containing a generous master suite. Tom brings in a barn jacking crew to lift the 65-ton barn two feet off the ground so his crew can repair the foundation and replace the first floor deck. Demolition contractors arrive to knock down the failing ell, which will be rebuilt using structural insulated panels.
Tom brings in an excavator fitted with a hoe ram to jackhammer away the ledge standing in the way of our new basement. Using a 3D model, Richard explains the anatomy of a septic system, and what we'll have to do to bring our system up to code. Under the jacked-up barn, Norm shows the state of the existing rubble stone foundation. For inspiration, Kevin travels to Vermont to meet Ken Epworth of ""The Barn People,"" a group that rescues, restores, and relocates old timber frame barns. Ken shows Kevin how the old barns came down in the field, and how they go back up as restored barns and dramatic living spaces.
Kevin visits Great Brook Farm State Park, a 1,000-acre park and the last working dairy farm in Carlisle, Massachusetts. Tom shows Kevin how he created a custom crushed stone flooring for the foundation using a ""stone slinger"" - a high-speed conveyor that projects stone as far as 75 feet. Norm oversees the installation of a new insulated foundation system that's pre-cast in a factory and then trucked to the job site. Certified arborist Matt Foti shows Kevin and Roger how to relocate the septic tank without harming an old catalpa tree that might be worth saving.
Tom uses laminated veneer lumber to make up 40-foot beams that will support the first floor deck of the barn. Kevin meets panelized construction specialist Jim LeRoy to watch the I-joist floor panels for the new ell swinging into place with a crane. Norm meets structural insulated panel expert Frank Baker to see the SIPs wall system go up. After discovering that several of our old trees are sick with the fatal diseases Dutch Elm and Ash Yellows, certified arborist Matt Foti brings in two crews with bucket trucks to safely remove them. At the end of the day, Tom and Norm are surprised to learn that the barn was built with one side shorter than the other - a quirt that will cost them time and money.
Detectorist Bob Phillips discovers a cannonball at the job site that may be a souvenir from the war of 1812. Norm shows Kevin the progress on the framing of the old Greek Revival house and the new connecting ell. Tom introduces Kevin to two carpentry students that are part of the This Old House 25th Anniversary apprenticeship program. Then Tom explains how he's built up all ten posts on the short side of the barn by using scarf joints to make the connections. Kevin travels to New Haven, Connecticut, to visit the Yale Building Project, a graduate class that requires Ivy League architecture students to learn by doing as they design and build a stylish urban home in a low-income neighborhood. Back at our project, Norm meets structural insulated panel expert Frank Baker to see another application for the SIPS technology - it's a fast way to install an insulated structural floor.
Kevin and Roger meet landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard to review her latest plan for the property, which features the rural simplicity of open spaces, low stone walls, hedges, and a few new elm trees. Richard installs a new 2,000-gallon dual-compartment septic tank and formulates a plan for the rough plumbing. Norm meets architect Jeremiah Eck to learn how his modern window selections will update the New England farmstead vernacular. In Park City, Utah, Kevin visits a house that's all about windows, and a whole lot more. Tom brings in specialist Kevin Kirkland to treat the new construction with a non-toxic borate solution to protect against future insect infestations.
Kevin drives up to find landscaping finally underway and the house is full of 100 newly arrived windows. Stone wall expert Nick O'Hara shows Kevin why he has to send back an entire truckload of fieldstone - it's lacking the character necessary to build a traditional New England farmer's wall. Tom gives Kevin a lesson in how to properly flash a window. In the future kitchen, Kevin and Norm wonder if the kitchen is too big and enlist the help of certified kitchen designer, Kathy Marshall, to help define the space. Kathy shows Kevin a dream kitchen that she recently created for a family of four, as well as a cabinet showroom where the design process begins for the Carlisle kitchen.
Roger shows Kevin how he's refusing the old foundation capstones as granite steps to connect the two driveways. Mason Mike Lapitsky explains to Kevin how he selects, chisels, and dry fits old New England fieldstone to create a farmer's walls. Inside the barn, Norm shows Kevin how the ""living hall"" is taking shape - all of the windows are in, all three of the floor decks are in place, and the rough plumbing is complete. Entomologist Ron Schwalb treats the old timers for insects and mold using a borate-based solution. For inspiration, architect Jeremiah Eck takes Kevin to see a dramatic great room and Rumford fireplace at a home he's recently designed in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Kevin lends Norm and Tom a hand as they raise the ceilings in the future kids' room three inches to achieve much-needed headroom. Richard brings in well contractor Dave Hayes to test the flow and capacity of the existing well - with surprising results.
Kevin finds Tom milling up exterior window castings that look like wood, but are actually made out of cellular PVC material that is resistant rot. Richard installs PEX water supply lines throughout the house. In the barn, chimney specialist Mark Schaub shows Norm the final design of the Rumford fireplace and chosen materials - granite hearth, fieldstone surround, soapstone firebox, and recycled oak lintel. Kevin welcomes senior design consultant Alexa Hampton to the show by visiting a ten-thousand square-foot French Neoclassical home that she's working on in New Orleans. Kitchen designer Kathy Marshall presents her plans for the kitchen using cardboard mock-ups of the proposed cabinetry.
With the house just about to go on the market, real estate agent Laura Baliestiero shows Kevin how she plans to present the renovated farmstead to potential buyers. Roofing contractor Mark McNicholas shows Norm how his crew is putting down a traditional 30-year, black 3-tab shingle to achieve a crisp black roofline. In the barn, chimney specialist Mark Schaub works with Tom and Roger to design and install the new fieldstone hearthstone. Outside, Roger cuts down the 500-pound stone, while inside Tom scribes the wood sub-floor to accept the new hearth. Carpentry apprentices Joe Langlais and Laura Cyr begin installing pre-finished cedar shingle panels on the barn, while Kevin visits Minuteman Regional High School to see what the apprentices do when they are not on the jobsite. At the end of the day, Kevin helps the crew roll the finished hearthstone into the barn on a system of PVC rollers. Thanks to Tom's accurate templates and Roger's precision cutting - it's a perfect fit.
Kevin opens the show in Concord, Massachusetts, where dozens of stately elm trees once lined Main Street - until Dutch Elm disease nearly destroyed them all. At the project house, elm tree specialist Roger Holloway plants two three-inch caliper Princeton Elms - a disease-resistant cultivar that is helping return the elm to the American landscape. Well contractor David Haynes begins prospecting for water in the side yard, while master electrician Allen Gallant shows Norm the challenge he's facing with wiring both the SIPs and the timberframe barn. Lighting designer Susan Arnold shows Kevin some creative lighting solutions at another renovated barn in Reading, Massachusetts. Tom installs pre-finished cedar single panels that go up six times faster than individual shingles and carry a 35-year warranty. As darkness falls, the new well is already 200 feet deep, and counting.
Tom reports that after two days of drilling, the well contractors finally found water - 700 feet down. Norm shows Kevin the progress in the future garage and how the space can be heated with up to five zones of radiant heat in the slab. In the barn, Norm finds mason Tony Martin creating a veneer for the fireplace surround out of fieldstone and mortar. At a stone supply yard in Woburn, Massachusetts, Kevin learns how to select granite countertops from granite specialist Susan Tuller and interior designer Alexa Hampton. Paint color specialist Bonnie Krims shows Kevin historical paint color schemes for the project house. For the benefit of the paint job (and his crew) painting contractor Jim Clark sets up shop in the heated basement to paint the fiber cement siding before it goes up.
As part of our 25th anniversary season, Kevin returns to the show's first timber frame barn project, the Concord Barn, to see how the building has held up over the last 15 years, and learn from homeowners Lynn and Barbara Wickwire what it's really like to live in a barn. Chimney specialist Mark Schaub oversees the prep and pour of a new flue for the living hall fireplace. Back in Carlisle, Richard shows Kevin the anatomy of the new submersible pump that will be 400 feet underground inside our new well. Norm and Tom shows Kevin how to work with the latest generation of pressure treated lumber while building the front entry porch.
Richard shows Kevin how the utility company will make a new gas connection to the house. Roger brings in paving contractor Don Sloan to lay the basecoat of the lower driveway. Norm shows Kevin how carpenter Charlie Silva is installing pre-painted fiber cement siding to the exterior of the house. Kevin meets in-home media specialist Todd Riley at a showroom in Braintree, Massachusetts to see what's available today in home automation and media systems technology. Tom reveals the engineering behind the stringer-less staircase that will extend from the garage to the third floor of the barn.
Nurseryman Peter Mezzit arrives on site with a truckload of plant material, and (with frost on the ground) it's not a moment too soon. Roger unloads the plants while landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard reviews the placement of the new birch trees. Inside the barn, Norm finds Tom overseeing the insulation of the barn with a water-blown expanding soft foam insulation. To learn the language of Greek temple architecture and how it influenced the American Greek Revival period, architect Thomas Gordon Smith shows Kevin a full-scale model of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee and an ornate house called ""Rattle and Snap."" Back in Carlisle, in the master bedroom, Norm finds plasterer Stephen Norton hanging wallboard - made out of a new product that's non-combustible, moisture resistant, and mold resistant - an important innovation as mold problems continue to plague the building industry.
Despite freezing temperatures, Roger lays down sod in the front yard. Inside the Carlisle farmstead, plastering contractor Stephen Norton gives Kevin a lesson in the fine art of plastering. In the lower driveway, Norm finds garage door specialist Keith Tate and installer Dave Ferguson finishing up the installation of the custom garage doors. Then, Norm travels to upstate New York to meet architect Gil Schafer for a look at a new house that was designed to feel like a period Greek Revival. Back in Carlisle, Richard shows Kevin the new radiant floor heating system going down the barn.
Kevin finds Roger and his crew finishing up the bluestone terrace and retaining wall under the protection of a heated tent. Generator specialist John Barros shows Kevin the new standby generator that will restore power to the house in less than 30 seconds in the event of a power failure. In the barn, Tom shows Norm the new parging on the chimney, and how he's recreating the look of the old barn loft on the new barn ceilings. Kevin visits one of the largest antique lighting restoration houses in New England to see if they can save our old barn fixture. In the master bath, Norm finds tile contractor Joe Ferrante laying out the recently arrived handmade tile. On the third floor of the barn, Kevin finds Richard installing the air handler that will provide cool air for the living hall, as well as a hydro-air until that will provide both heating and cooling to the guest suite.
Norm learns how the seamless, clog-less gutter system for the barn is fabricated and installed. Flooring contractor Patrick Hunt shows Kevin how to install a pre-finished engineered cherry floor throughout the first floor of the house. Tom builds the railing system for the barn stairway, while Richard visits a new product design and testing facility for the plumbing industry. Wine cellar contractor Michael Galvin shows Kevin a 3-D fly-through animation of the future wine cellar. At the end of the day, cabinets for the kitchen, pantry, wet bar, and laundry room arrive on a truck from Pennsylvania.
In the barn, Norm meets up with chimney specialist Mark Schaub to determine if his oak lintel above the fireplace is truly safe, and if it will meet code. Kevin meets interior designer Alexa Hampton for a sneak peak at the furniture and fabrics for the dining room. Kevin meets millwork specialist Mark White at his showroom that specializes in high-density polyurethane trim, and back in Carlisle, Tom shows Kevin what it's like to work with. Richard walks Kevin through the anatomy of the mechanical room. Back in the barn, there is a surprising twist - just a few hours into it, the fireplace has already failed the safety test and Norm breaks it to Mark that he must swap out the wood for a masonry lintel. Cabinet specialist Maureen MacDonald shows Norm the newly installed cabinets in the office, kitchen and pantry. The day ends with the much-anticipated arrival of the built-ins for the library.
On the back porch, installer Steve Primack shows Norm the new motorized screen system. Closet designer Marcy Weisburgh shows Kevin the mudroom and master closet, and shares strategies for smart closet planning. Tom installs the custom-made interior double doors and oil-rubbed bronze hardware. Furniture maker Robert Hanlon shows Norm how he made the hand-planed African mahogany wood countertops for the kitchen island and home office. In the guest bath shower, Kevin finds Tom installing solid-surface shower walls instead of tile. Richard travels to New Bern, North Carolina to see how our dishwashers are made by one of the leading appliance manufacturers in the world. The completed wine cellar is presented, and wallpaper blocks are applied in the master bedroom.
Norm meets lighting designer Susan Arnold for a look at the modern (but practical) cable lighting system in the kitchen. The limestone tub deck is installed in the master bath, while Richard installs an undermount sink in a freestanding vanity in the kids' bath. Norm finds garage system specialist Christopher Hubbuch installing a workshop storage system in the basement of the barn. Designer Beth Ferencik shows Roger Cook the handcrafted teak furniture and accessories she's selected for the terrace. Richard shows Norm the last pieces of the HVAC story - the condensers (that uses a refrigerant that won't delete the ozone layer) and the heat-recovery ventilators (that will bring fresh air into the sealed-tight house.) Alarm specialist Don Martini shows Norm the latest innovations in his field - an access keypad that unlocks the front door with a swipe of a key tag, while keeping a log of comings and goings on the household computer. Finishing specialist John Dee shows Norm how he's going
The designer show house begins as interior designer Mally Skok welcomes Norm to the dramatic entry hall. In the barn, senior design consultant Alexa Hampton discovers the decorated loft space and guest suite. Tom shows Kevin how he's creating saddle thresholds out of oak. Kevin meets kitchen designer Kathy Marshall for a look at the completed kitchen. Kevin pays a visit to the New Yankee Workshop to see Norm's progress on the TV hutch for the living hall. Designers Charles Spada and Hilary Bovey reveal their designs for the classical library and the whimsical breakfast room.
Kevin and senior design consultant Alexa Hampton continue to explore the designer show house through the work of designers Gracyn Whitman, Lisa Newman Paratore, and a company that produces furnishings especially for teenagers. Tom shows Kevin how he's going to extend the sliding barn door to make up the difference lost in the barn jacking. Richard shows Alexa the new 6-foot whirlpool tub and walk-in shower room in the master bath. Designer Frank Roop gives Norm a look at his Mediterranean-inspired master bedroom. Painting contractor Jim Clark finishes up the last of the trim, and Alexa gets to show off her own space - a formal dining room room featuring damask upholstered walls and clean, classic furnishings.
On the last day of the project, host Kevin O'Connor joins architect Jeremiah Eck for a look at the finished house. The show house continues as garden designer Richard Magnuson shows landscape contractor Roger Cook the rustic barn court. Senior design consultant Alexa Hampton meets Christine Welch for a look at the sophisticated library hallway, and Robin Pelissier shows master carpenter Norm Abram how she brought a little glamour to the screen porch on backside of the barn. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey drops in on designer Katy Flammia to see her fun and luxurious first-floor laundry room. In-home media specialist Dave Tovissi shows Kevin a flat screen wireless LCD TV and the state-of-the-art media alcove. In the barn entry, designer Kathleen Kennedy shows general contractor Tom Silva how she worked with the barn timbers (and not against them) to design her space. As the wrap party approaches, designer Eric Cohler reveals the finished two-story barn "living hall" as a complete destination for family and friends. Outside, the team marvels at how Tom Silva and the entire crew completed a high-quality, two-year project in less than one year; it's quite possibly the greatest accomplishment in the show's 25-year history.
The new season finds the experts at This Old House in historic Cambridge, Mass., working on a mid-century Modern house for biotech bachelor, George Mabry. At the project house near Harvard Square, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram discover that George's house is the sleeper on a street of renovated beauties. Problems include water damage, structural issues, failing plumbing, and an outdated floor plan that locates the master bedroom near the front door. The kitchen, renovated 13 years ago, and many aspects of the landscape, will stay. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin the failing 50-year-old tar-and-gravel roof, while plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the house's original boiler and early radiant-heat system, both of which are still in use. Despite concerns about working in a congested city neighborhood, the team is up for the challenge, and the change of pace, of working on a Modern home.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find homeowner George Mabry moving out and general contractor Tom Silva moving in. With a building permit in hand, Tom starts with the carport, dismantling it piece by piece on order to gain better access to the house. Kevin meets landscape architect Gregory Lombardi to evaluate the existing landscape, and finds that while much of the back yard is worth saving, the rest of the site will need to be completely reworked. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets project architect Will Ruhl at another modern house he recently designed on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Then, back in Cambridge, Will presents his design for George's house with the help of computer renderings and a 3-D model. The new house will still be Modern, but tempered by a warm palette of natural materials. The expansion allows for a combination library/dining room on the first floor (along with a powder room, mudroom, and wet bar), a new master suite upstairs, and a private guest suite housed in the new third-floor loft. Certified arborist Greg Carbone arrives to begin clearing the lot of the overgrown and dying trees
A week of rain from a springtime Nor'easter hasn't stopped work on the house, nor on the lot. Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows host Kevin O'Connor the progress—the trees are cleared, the access road is in, excavation for the new foundation is complete, and the form work is underway. General contractor Tom Silva discovers extensive rot and termite damage on the Eastern elevation, and what he thinks is a failed footing in the basement. Master carpenter Norm Abram finds that the problem is not the footing, but rather under-structured framing from two previous renovations. Homeowner George Mabry shows Norm the exterior materials he's thinking of using; stucco and stone with accents of wood siding. In nearby Lincoln, Mass., Kevin meets educational director Peter Gittleman to see the Modern house Walter Gropius designed and built for his family in 1938. Gropius' modest house was revolutionary in its impact at the time, and is today a museum and monument to the Modern movement.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram visit the independently owned neighborhood shops of nearby Huron Village. Back at the house, Kevin lends Norm and general contractor Tom Silva a hand jacking up the old floor joists of the future library to make it level with the floor of the new addition. Landscape architect Gregory Lombardi presents a plan for the front yard featuring stone walls and courtyards organized around a water feature. Certified arborist Jack Kelly shows landscape contractor Roger Cook a treatment of horticultural oil that will protect the property's hemlocks from a fatal infestation of wooly adelgid. Down the street, Kevin meets curator Nancy Jones for a tour of the legendary Longfellow House. Built in 1759, the Georgian-style home has been lived in continuously for 250 years by luminaries such as General George Washington and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Master carpenter Norm Abram shows Host Kevin O'Connor the newly discovered problems at the project house, most of them caused by the poor workmanship of a previous contractor. In the living room, one structural fix is already underway as general contractor Tom Silva prepares to install a flush frame beam made from LVLs that will carry the load of the second floor. Pest management expert Dan Fleicher shows Kevin the extent of the termite and carpenter ant damage, and suggests possible treatment options. Landscape contractor Roger Cook reveals the anatomy of new landscape walls; they'll be natural stone veneer over reinforced concrete. Kevin visits Six Moon Hill, a utopian neighborhood of modern houses created by The Architects Collaborative in 1948. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin one of the challenges he's facing in this minimalist modern house — no place to hide necessary ductwork.
Master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor open the show at Cambridge Common — the city's oldest public open space and a center of rebel activity in the early years of the American Revolution. Back at the project house, Kevin lends Norm and general contractor Tom Silva a hand framing in the "not quite flat" roof above the library — it has a slight pitch to shed water. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin a new software program that allows him to design the HVAC system on a laptop and run heat loss scenarios for the house while changing variables like windows, insulation, and various kinds of ductwork and heating. Landscape contractor Roger Cook brings homeowner George Mabry to one of the largest stone yards on the East coast to begin selecting hardscape materials for the landscape.
Host Kevin O'Connor finds master carpenter Norm Abram and homeowner George Mabry discussing the recent water damage in the old kitchen, and George's new inclination to renovate the entire space. Master mason Lenny Belliveau gives Kevin a lesson in block work while he builds up the lower landscape wall to the proper height. Kevin travels to Los Angeles to see a restored modern house that once belonged to Hollywood legend Gary Cooper. In the entry to the library, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he's using fir two-by-fours turned sideways to frame for the future pocket door.or the future pocket door.
Host Kevin O'Connor opens the show around the corner at Formaggio Kitchen — a world-class gourmet food shop that also has a cheese-ripening cave in the basement — the first ever to be installed in a retail store in the USA. Back at the project house, Kevin finds stone specialist Jason Buechel installing natural quartzite veneer on the landscape walls. At three dollars more per square foot, it's more expensive than fake stone, but worth it to homeowner George Mabry for its authenticity. Designer Todd Tsiang shows Kevin how obscure glass, custom shoji screens, and low-E coatings will work together to provide privacy, UV protection, and lower energy bills. On the roof, general contractor Tom Silva oversees the installation of the low slope EPDM roofing system. Kevin meets up with George and kitchen designer Amy Leonard to review a few possible layouts for the new kitchen and wet bar.
Landscape architect Gregory Lombardi shows host Kevin O'Connor the final design for the entry courtyards and water feature, and landscape contractor Roger Cook explains the formwork, rough plumbing and rough electrical on the structure. General contractor Tom Silva removes the old single-pane steel slider in the living room and replaces it with a more energy efficient, insulating glass unit with a low E coating. Master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Keene, NH to meet artisan tile manufacturers Stephen & Kristin Powers for a tour of their showroom and factory. Custom pool specialist John Fitzgerald shows Roger and Kevin how his eight-member crew forms the trough of the water feature out of gunite.
Host Kevin O'Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey stop in to a neighborhood institution known as "Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage." Master carpenter Norm Abram explains the decision to use a formerly controversial exterior cladding system know as an "exterior insulated finishing system", or EIFS. Installer Dan Rourke shows Norm how product manufacturers have adapted over the last decade to solve problems of water infiltration. In the library, Kevin finds general contractor Tom Silva chimney specialist Mark Schaub working with the new gas fireplace unit to establish the location of the vent pipe in the new "chimney."
Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows host Kevin O'Connor Mount Auburn Cemetery — America's first landscaped cemetery featuring 5,500 trees and many notable graves. Back at the house, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he's creating a modern look inside by using minimal wood trim around the windows. While the garage slab is poured in the garage, landscape contractor Roger Cook starts installing 18 tons of bluestone in the front courtyard. In the kitchen, tile contractor Joe Ferrante shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's reusing old slate (should be bluestone) from the front entry to extend the old kitchen floor using a traditional mud job. Kevin lends Tom a hand building a small deck on the flat roof off the guest suite.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find exterior coatings specialist Dan Rourke and his crew applying the EIFS finish coat. Custom pool specialist Bob Snay installs a black pebble finish on the bed of the new water feature. Inside, general contractor Tom Silva oversees the installation of the steel stairs. Kevin visits the custom metal shop that fabricated the steel as well as the dramatic bronze "wishbone" balustrade that will be installed later on the job. Reclaimed wood specialist Richard McFarland shows Kevin samples of reclaimed wood from all over the world as Tom's crew installs exterior redwood siding harvested from giant olive casks. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey gives Kevin an update on the mechanicals — the new boiler has arrived, radiant panels are installed underneath the first floor, and PEX water supply lines have been run.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's installing a pre-fabricated pitched structural foam trench drain at the entrance to the garage. Inside, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the radiant tubing going down in the master suite, the cast iron waste pipe and PEX water supply lines in the walls of the library, and how the high-velocity mini duct system is saving valuable space on the first floor. Painting contractor Jim Clark shows master carpenter Norm Abram the challenge he's facing in developing a stain formula that will work with all of the various wood species in the house. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin the water-blown expanding soft foam insulation going in on the second floor. Kevin visits the Stata Center at MIT to see how modern architecture is serving the needs of one of the country's most advanced universities. At the end of the day, Tom lowers the 12kW generator into place on the newly poured pad next to the garage. The unit will cover just the "essential loads" during a power outage — some lights, mechanical systems, refrigerator and sump pumps.
Host Kevin O'Connor visits Harvard University to see their preservation efforts on several historic old buildings, including Memorial Hall, which was ravaged by a fire in the 1950's and was recently restored to its former glory. In the backyard of the project house, landscape contractor Roger Cook installs two concrete storage tanks that are part of the underground water collection system that promises a cure for George's waterlogged yard. In the garage, a crew from a local home center installs a two-part epoxy coating to give the concrete slab a showroom-quality finish. Master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Middletown, Rhode Island to see the custom mill shop that is machining the stair treads and making most of millwork for the project house. In the driveway, Roger shows Kevin how he's installing the new concrete pavers over radiant "snow melting" heat.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook sets the massive bluestone treads on a stringer that appears to "float" over the new water feature. Landscape architect Greg Lombardi shows host Kevin O'Connor the low-maintenance plants he's chosen for screening and seasonal interest in the side yard. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram meets plastering contractor Alberto Riponi to see the most challenging trim detail in the house—a narrow plaster bead that creates a subtle shadow line around every window and door. Plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey shows Kevin why a chiller makes sense for cooling a house on a tight urban lot. In the front guest room, flooring contractor Pat Hunt shows Kevin the new engineered floors from Europe—a 5/8" pre-finished red oak floor that carries a 30-year warranty over radiant heat, and locks together without glue. Rug specialist Steve Bookokian shows Kevin how he's cleaning, drying, and repairing 26 of George's oriental rugs. Out front, custom door specialist Tim Forster shows Kevin a cutaway of the construction of the front door as general contractor Tom Silva prepares to hang the door and install the hardware.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find general contractor Tom Silva meeting with building inspector Michael Grover. At the front door, Tom shows Kevin how he's installing the brushed nickel mortise lockset on the custom oak door. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows master carpenter Norm Abram the mechanical room —highlights include a gas fired boiler, three different temperatures of radiant heat (for ice melt, under floor, and over floor), an HRV for fresh air, and a fine mist humidifier to add a touch of moisture to the building. In the kitchen, Norm finds carpenter Charlie Silva installing the custom cabinetry and scribing the base trim to the irregular bluestone floor. Out back, irrigation system specialist Ed Marchant shows landscape contractor Roger Cook the features of the new irrigation system. Kevin sees the new modern closet systems from Italy being installed in the master suite. Norm travels to a fine furniture shop in Auburn, Maine to see some of the modern cherry furniture being made for the house. In the basement, Kevin finds master electrician Allen Gallant and audio/visual specialist Dan Chadwick installing a complex electrical landscape that employs over 6 miles of wire to support whole house automation and lighting control.
With only a week left on the project, master carpenter Norm Abram finds general contractor Tom Silva at work on the dramatic 3-story stair. With the teak treads and bronze balustrade finally in, Tom can work on installing the teak handrail. Audio/visual specialist Dan Chadwick shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's concealing a 61" plasma TV in the living room, and adding acoustical panels to enhance the sound in the room. Designer Todd Tsiang shows Kevin the modern fireplace mantle, tile, plumbing fixtures, and the fully decorated master suite. Tom reveals the private roof deck off the master bedroom as a new modular steel railing system is installed. Landscape contractor Roger Cook visits a 500-acre sod farm in Rhode Island to see how sod is grown and harvested. In the wet bar, tile contractor Joe Ferrante shows Norm a "bubbly" glass tile being installed on the backsplash.
In the garage, master carpenter Norm Abram finds specialist Joe Ferraro installing a new custom garage system. Inside, host Kevin O'Connor and homeowner George Mabry meet kitchen designer Amy Leonard for a look at the finished kitchen and state-of-the-art appliances. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the central vacuum system and modern plumbing fixtures on the first floor. Upstairs, the stainless steel washer and dryer and the luxurious master bath round out the master suite. Chimney specialist Mark Schaub installs new vented gas logs in the corner fireplace of the library, as general contractor Tom Silva installs custom shoji screens from California. Instead of rice paper, the panels are made of an environmentally friendly textured polyester resin. On the second floor, another kind of window treatment is going up—mail order custom shades. Specialist Cindy O'Reilly shows Kevin how easy they are to install. On the final day, minutes before the wrap party, audio/visual specialist Dan Chadwick shows Norm the finished media system and whole house automation. Lighting designer Susan Arnold and designer Todd Tsiang show Kevin how they have illuminated and decorated the house that George has been dreaming of for 13 years—a glowing, minimalist home that is clearly modern, but yet comfortable and warm.
Master Carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor travel to Washington, D.C. to help non-profit developer Mi Casa Inc. renovate an abandoned 1879 rowhouse. The group attempts to preserve economic diversity in transitioning neighborhoods by selling renovated houses to low-income families at below market costs. Architect Genell Anderson envisions a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home that features exposed brick, dramatic lighting, new windows, and updated amenities. With only $200,000 to work with, general contractor Mahyar Mahvi is hoping to save as much of the original house structure as possible. Norm and Kevin agree that the fire-damaged shell is going to need a lot of work, and that the budget must be spent carefully.
Host Kevin O'Connor visits the National Mall to see how the National Park Service is finishing up nearly 10 years of renovation at the Lincoln Memorial. Back at the project house, master carpenter Norm Abram finds the house has been almost completely gutted. General contractor Mahyar Mahvi had hoped to save many of the floors, studs, millwork, and plaster—but water damage had ruined them beyond salvage. In the basement, the news is better—a new slab has been poured, electrical service has been updated, and the new water service is underway. Out at the street, master plumber Robert Major replaces the 3/4" lead water-service pipe with 1" copper tubing. Up on Capitol Hill, landscape contractor Roger Cook meets garden designer Kevin Cordt to see how he designs beautiful, low-maintenance urban gardens on small rowhouse lots. Surprised by the radical changes at the jobsite, architect Genell Anderson has no choice but to go back to the drawing board.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram grab breakfast with the crew at Saints Paradise Cafeteria, a non-profit church kitchen in the neighborhood. Back at the project house, framing is almost complete. Architect Genell Anderson's new design features a more open floor plan and the addition of a small first-floor powder room. Upstairs has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a laundry area. Norm meets with preservation planner Steve Callcott to review the procedures for working in the Mt. Vernon historic district. The restoration of the façade will require approved specialists in architectural ironwork, brickwork, and roofing. Restoration contractor Danny Palousek shows Norm how he will begin repairing and rebuilding the brick on the front of the house. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey visits the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall where university students compete to design and build houses powered entirely by the sun.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram open the show at the most visited destination in the Nation's capital—DC's newly restored Union Station. Back at the project house, restoration contractor Danny Palousek has begun work on the exterior brick, while inside, general contractor Mahyar Mahvi shows Kevin the progress—the building has been insulated with expanding foam insulation, wallboard is going up, the stairs are under construction, and the new windows are going in. Norm meets millwork specialist David Baldwin at his shop in Millersville, Maryland to see how they are replicating new wood casings from originals found in the house. In the basement, HVAC contractor Michael Bonsby finishes installing the new high-efficiency, two-stage gas furnace. Although over budget due to items like the curved staircase and the additional powder room, project director Elin Zurbrigg feels she's still on track due to the 10 percent she set aside for overages.
Restoration contractor Danny Palousek shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's repointing and rebuilding the decorative brickwork on the facade of the house. Host Kevin O'Connor ventures to the industrial waterfront of southwest Washington to see architectural ironwork specialist Fred Mashack's rehabilitation work on front entrance stairs. Inside, the drywall is up, taped and mudded, and cabinet installer Oliver Earl installs the new maple cabinets. Out back, garden designer Kevin Cordt shows Kevin his plan for the backyard—a functional urban landscape that features parking for two cars, natural wood fencing, a small shed, and a low-maintenance garden.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets local Rick Lee for a tour of the most famous block in the neighborhood, the "U Street Corridor," which includes stops at Ben's Chili bowl and the historic Lincoln Theatre. Back at the project house, work begins in the backyard as fencing specialist Phil Brennan and his crew install a neighbor-friendly shadowbox fence and saltbox shed, while landscape contractor Dan Barry preps the planting beds. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram finds the curved stair coming together and interior trim going up. Countertop fabricator John Huzway makes templates for the new engineered quartz kitchen counters using state of the art computer technology. Norm takes Mi Casa's project director, Elin Zurbrigg, to Washington's premier architectural salvage yard in search of a fireplace mantle to replace the one that was stolen. Owner Ron Allan shows them several period-appropriate options. Without a homeowner to work with, interior designer Kate Dieterich beings selecting paint colors by taking her cues from the architecture.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook brings host Kevin O'Connor to the United States Botanic Garden — it's at the base of the Capitol and serves as the nation's greenhouse boasting 4,000 living species and 26,000 different plants. Back at the project house, Roger finds garden designer Kevin Cordt and his crew bringing in steel edging, pea stone, and plant material for the new backyard garden. Inside, general contractor Mahyar Mahvi shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's sealed the exposed brick and started the tile work on the second floor. Custom stair manufacturer Jeff Glass and his crew fabricate a laminated railing for the new curved staircase. Interior designer Kate Dieterich shows Norm a new linoleum flooring for the kitchen that's homeowner friendly — it comes in panels with a cork backing, and clicks together without glue. In nearby Anacostia, Kevin meets park ranger Eola Dance for a look at the ongoing restoration work at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Upstairs in the back bedroom, flooring contractor Ralph Santos installs a traditional pre-finished strip oak floor.
Day before the wrap party, master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor visit the Jefferson Memorial. Architect Genell Anderson shows Norm the archival photo that inspired her design for the replacement roof turret, and Norm meets roofing contractor Tony Constantino to see how the structure is coming together. The finish materials are low maintenance — synthetic slate roofing, a high-density urethane cornice, and a shiny copper finial — all approved by the historic board. In the parlor, Norm applies a few coats of wax to enhance and protect the newly-stripped and salvaged mantle. Garden designer Kevin Cordt adds teak furniture and blooming annuals to the backyard, creating a true urban oasis. The next day, Norm arrives to find general contractor Mahyar Mahvi finishing up an elaborate tile medallion at the entry way, while his crew attends to the last details. Architectural ironwork specialist Fred Mashack installs the newly rehabbed iron and steel entry stair, while inside, interior designer Kate Dieterich shows Kevin her strategies for decorating an urban row house. Out front, thanks to a talented team of restoration contractors, the renovation is complete. The team assembles on the front steps, as Washington, DC, Mayor Anthony Williams arrives to officially open the house with a ribbon cutting and good wishes for the future homeowners.
For the first time ever, the experts at This Old House gathered house proposals via www.thisoldhouse.com, and now find themselves working with two single female homeowners in the dynamic neighborhood of East Boston. The challenge for this new season is to renovate their 1916 two-family house on a modest budget. While the house needs new wiring, plumbing, and insulation — the homeowners hope to spend most of their money on stylish new kitchens and baths. Downstairs, homeowner Liz Bagley wants an open, contemporary look, with a new back porch. While upstairs, her aunt, Chris Flynn, prefers a more traditional approach that includes adding a new bath in the attic, and greatly expanding her kitchen. After a thorough inspection, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram discover additional problems with the roof, heating systems, and an aggressive vine that's engulfing the house.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets local architect Craig Buttner to see how he saved money on this own renovation by doing the work himself and by using salvaged materials. Craig agrees to draft some plans for the East Boston house, while general contractor Tom Silva meets historic masonry specialist John Lambert for a closer look the stucco exterior of the project house. In a perfect world, the 90-year old stucco would be replaced, but the homeowners might only be able to afford a temporary patch and paint job. Out front, landscape contractor Roger Cook shows Kevin how a street tree might be strangling the sewer pipe with its roots, causing backups in the basement. Options include removing the tree, and/or replacing the pipe, so to find out how bad the damage is, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey uses a snake equipped with a tiny video camera to investigate.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook puts homeowner Liz Bagley to work removing the dead privets on her property. Architect Craig Buttner walks Liz through three options for opening up her kitchen, the last one calls for a radical reorganization that would address some traffic-flow problems, but it could also be a budget breaker. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows master carpenter Norm Abram that although the panel boxes have been updated in the basement, much of the original knob and tube wiring is still active and in need of replacing. In preparation for demolition, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey drains the heating systems and begins removing radiators that will be saved and reused. Environmental consultant Sam Covino discovers asbestos in Liz's kitchen that will need to be professionally abated, but that does not stop general contractor Tom Silva from showing Liz and friends how to demo the old cabinets, plumbing fixtures and ceilings to make way for the new.
Landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard shares her strategies for creating a "bold and simple" urban landscape in East Boston. Abatement contractor Brian Fitzsimons and crew remove asbestos-laden flooring and mastic from the first floor kitchen. Upstairs on the second floor, general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram carefully remove the original mouldings that will be saved and reused if possible. Then, host Kevin O'Connor lends them a hand knocking down the partition wall that currently separates two bedrooms, to make space for the new kitchen. City contractors arrive outside to excavate the sewer main and lateral to the house — they discover both are chronically choked with tree roots, and in need of repair.
Despite both of their kitchens being gutted, aunt Chris Flynn and her niece Liz Bagley are still bunking in together in the upstairs unit, getting by with just a refrigerator and a hot plate in the dining room. Kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows Kevin and Liz two possible schemes for Liz's new kitchen in the first floor apartment. Master plumber Bill Kane shows plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey a new pipe relining system that will line the old cast iron sewer pipe lateral with a new, continuous pipe made out of resin to protect against future tree root infiltration. On the second floor, host Kevin O'Connor lends general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram a hand hauling in and installing a new carrying beam that will allow for an open floor plan. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows Kevin how he's snaking new wires through the old walls using a fishing system and a flexible steel drill bit
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and homeowner Chris Flynn haggle with salvage expert Harry James as he prepares to remove antique plumbing fixtures from the house. To make way for the new kitchens, Kevin and the homeowners lend general contractor Tom Silva a hand taking down the central chimney from the top, brick by brick. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits the jobsite of the first art museum to be built in Boston in nearly 100 years, the Institute of Contemporary Art, which features a dramatic glass cantilever and a tight construction deadline. Back at the house, kitchen and bath designer Kathy Marshall shows Norm how she plans to squeeze a new, no frills, full bathroom into the attic for Chris. The new bathroom will be built first, before demo takes place in the old second floor bathroom, so the homeowners won't have to move out.
Homeowner Chris Flynn takes host Kevin O'Connor to the highest point in East Boston to see the spectacular view of downtown, and a national religious shrine featuring a 35-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin some of the problems with rot on the front porch, and failures in the old stucco exterior, while landscape contractor Roger Cook enlists the help of the homeowners to remove all of the ivy that is engulfing (and damaging) the building. Kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows master carpenter Norm Abram the design and finish choices for the upstairs unit's kitchen, while plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey roughs in a new full bath in the attic space on the third floor. On the first floor, flooring contractor Patrick Hunt pulls back the old wall-to-wall carpeting to discover a fir floor that needs to be replaced, and two rooms worth of valuable long leaf pine flooring in beautiful condition. In the basement, demolition contractor Bob Gagliard breaks up and removes the old cast iron boiler.
Host Kevin O'Connor opens the show at Piers Park, a waterfront park in East Boston that gives its residents access to the water and free sailing lessons to city youth. Even though they plan to live in the house during the renovation, homeowners Chris Flynn and Liz Bagley pack up most of their belongings into a portable storage unit so work can progress. Liz helps general contractor Tom Silva dig holes for the footings for her new deck using a compact utility loader. To resist weather and frost-driven uplift, Tom uses a one-piece ultra high-density polyethylene footing form. Fire inspector Bill Honen helps Kevin locate the new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, while master electrician Allen Gallant installs them. On the exterior of the house, masonry contractor Mark McCullough patches the worst of the crumbling stucco.
Master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor open the show steps away from the project house at a little-known monument to a local pilot who sacrificed his life to save the neighborhood in 1954. Kevin helps general contractor Tom Silva pull up the second floor front deck to examine the structure and make the necessary repairs. They find extensive rot, colonies of active carpenter ants, and insufficient structure due to years of misguided repairs. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installs new thermostatic valves that will allow the homeowners greater flexibility and control of their heating systems. Norm shows homeowner Chris Flynn how to remove a broken stained glass window, while Kevin visits the Brookline studio of stained glass artist and restorer Emanuel Genovese to see how the window is repaired. Landscape contractor Roger Cook brings in certified arborist Matt Foti to prune the street tree both up and down, in order to allow more light and water views into both the first and second floor apartments.
Out front, the porch story continues as general contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how he is replacing the old rotting wood trim boards with new rot-resistant PVC material. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows homeowner Liz Bagley why her aging oil tanks need replacing. The new double-wall tanks are seamless galvanized steel on the outside, and high-density polyethylene on the inside to resist corrosion and leaks. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows Kevin why he is using IC rated recessed lights, as well as how to properly install them. To experience a day in the life of the East Boston waterfront, Kevin accompanies a state-of-the-art tractor tugboat on a mission to guide a container ship safely through the harbor. Back at the project house, roofing specialist Rich Kline shows Kevin the reinforced elastomeric membrane roofing system going down on the front porch roof.
Homeowner Chris Flynn shows master carpenter Norm Abram how she is making do with the makeshift bathroom on the third floor. General contractor Tom Silva offers Chris reasons why she needs to replace her old basement windows, and host Kevin O'Connor lends a hand installing them in the existing jambs. In the basement, as an alternative to using direct vent oil appliances, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the new stainless steel double wall chimney that will be used to vent the heating equipment. On the other side of town, Kevin meets developer David DuBois to see how he fulfilled an urban fantasy by renovating an 1865 East Boston firehouse into an over-the-top dream home. Tom shows homeowner Liz Bagley how he'll insulate behind her existing walls using familiar spray foam insulation, but this time it will be poured into the wall cavity through a series of small holes, so as not to disturb the old plaster.
The ninety-year-old slate roof could not be saved, so roofing contractor Sean Green and his crew strip off the old slate, and lay down new asphalt the proper way. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how his crew is hanging 5/8 fire-rated wallboard on the ceiling with the help of a handy wallboard hanger. In the second floor bathroom, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installs a new custom copper shower pan and drain. In the basement, master electrician Allen Gallant shows homeowner Chris Flynn the new, updated service panels and the new external whole house surge suppression system that will protect all the household appliances and electronics from power surges and lightening strikes. Kevin lends Tom and Richard a hand getting the cast iron tub into homeowner Liz Bagley's first floor bathroom.
Work begins on the exterior of the building, first by cleaning any old cracks, and then by applying a flexible polyurethane caulking that is blended to match the texture of the old stucco. Master carpenter Norm Abram repairs and updates the original front doors to the house, which were recently discovered in the basement. Inside, plastering contractor Karl Gross uses a reinforced plaster mix, mesh tape, and joint compound to patch the old plaster and prevent future cracks. Nearby, landscape contractor Roger Cook visits a colorful East Boston community garden. While back at the house, coatings specialist Scott Bennung shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's applying an elastomeric coating, rather than paint, to the stucco that will seal out water and provide a fresh, clean look for the house.
While homeowner Liz Bagley works to strip paint off the front door trim, general contractor Tom Silva creates a wood inlay to patch her kitchen floor with material salvaged from other parts of the house. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor the progress in the basement, and the anatomy of the new boiler for the first floor unit. Kevin visits Boston Symphony Hall to see how they are using custom milled maple and steel cut nails to replace the 100-year-old original stage floor, without altering the renowned acoustics of the hall. In the second-floor bathroom, Tom shows Kevin how he's milling up custom PVC mouldings to trim out a window that is in a shower well, and therefore vulnerable to water damage.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook removes the rest of the old plants and dead lawn to make way for the new, while homeowner Liz Bagley and interior designer Lisey Good show off their plans for decorating the more modern downstairs unit. Upstairs, cabinet installer Oliver Earl shows master carpenter Norm Abram the new cabinets going into the kitchen. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey visits nearby Boston Light, the site of the first lighthouse in the country, to see its newly restored Fresnel lens. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's expanded the back porch using composite decking with a hidden fastening system, and how he's repairing an old pressure treated railing, rather than replacing it. Flooring contractor Patrick Hunt shows Norm a new dust collection system that attaches to a standard floor sander, separates particulate matter through a cyclone, and then funnels the dust to a canister that can be kept outside, leaving the jobsite dust free.
Host Kevin O'Connor visits Suffolk Downs ? the oldest horseracing track in Massachusetts. Landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard fills Kevin in on some changes to the landscape plan, as the decorative trellises go up against the neighbor's garage. General contractor Tom Silva replaces the old, ivy-stained aluminum trim with new material. Homeowner Chris Flynn lends painting contractor Buzz Zimmerman a hand painting the walls in her kitchen, as master carpenter Norm Abram builds her a custom banquette at the New Yankee Workshop. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the new PEX water supply lines, the automatic water shutoff in the third-floor laundry, and the custom radiator covers going in on the first floor.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive to find the landscape coming together with a new fence, sod, and plants. General contractor Tom Silva fabricates and installs a laminate countertop for the laundry area. Kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows homeowner Chris Flynn how to design a bathroom on a budget, as she takes her tile shopping at a local home center. Tile contractor Joe Ferrante gives homeowner Liz Bagley a lesson in installing subway tile in her new bathroom. The flooring contractors apply polyurethane to the longleaf pine floors on the second level, while Norm installs the custom banquette in Chris' kitchen. Countertop contractor Jason Keefe installs engineered stone tops upstairs, and black granite downstairs.
It's a wrap for the This Old House East Boston project! After a short ride on the Blue Line - the first subway in the world to run underneath a section of the ocean - master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor arrive in East Boston to find furniture being delivered, a tent going up, and flat screen TVs being installed. Upstairs, custom cafe shutters complete the casual, cottage look for homeowner Chris Flynn, while downstairs, the grout on the glass tile backsplash is being finished in the first floor unit. Interior designer Lisey Good shows Kevin how she used paint color, lighting, and furniture to create a "boutique hotel" look for homeowner Liz Bagley, while upstairs, kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey the cottage kitchen and bath she designed with the help of beadboard, quartz countertops, white appliances and rustic tile. With the two-family complete, and two happy homeowners, the crew bids farewell to the unique seaside neighborhood of East Boston.
For the first time ever, the experts at This Old House travel to Austin, Texas, to transform an historic bungalow into an expanded, eco-friendly home with the help of a team of local green building experts. Newly married homeowners Michele Grieshaber and Michael Klug need more space to accommodate their modern lifestyle and Michael's two growing sons, Sam and David. Architect David Webber plans an architecturally sensitive and modest second floor addition, while local builder Bill Moore has some smart strategies for increasing the efficiency of the house, while preserving the old house charm. He begins with the biggest challenge of the project ? trying to level the house's pier and beam foundation that constantly shifts with the weather due to tough soil conditions. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits another green renovation that Bill recently completed in Travis Heights to see how green building can be tasteful, subtle, and truly mainstream.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive back in Austin, Texas, with a visit to the spring fed pool at Barton Springs, a favorite local outdoor hangout since the 1920s. Back at the house, the first truckload of framing material arrives, while Bill's crew is busy "deconstructing" the house. Program manager Richard Morgan drops by to explain what they will need to accomplish to qualify for a rare 5-star rating from Austin Energy's Green Building Program. To gain access to the much-needed workspace in the attic, the inefficient old system must go, so HVAC contractor Michael Scher begins outside, by draining and recycling the refrigerant from the old A/C unit. Curious about where the waste from our jobsite ends up, Kevin follows a dumpster of construction waste from our jobsite to a recycling center, and then to an integrated landfill where dimensional lumber and wallboard are turned into mulch and organic compost. Builder Bill Moore works quickly on framing the new addition, to get the building closed in before the rainy season begins.
After a visit to the Texas State Capitol building, master carpenter Norm Abram sees the standing seam metal roof going on our green building project, while host Kevin O'Connor meets builder Bill Moore for an update ? rough plumbing and electrical are complete, wallboard is up on the first floor, and spray foam insulation is being sprayed into the rafter bays of the new second floor. West of the project in Tarrytown, Kevin meets renowned green architect Peter Pfeiffer to see the green home he designed for his family of six. The breathtaking Craftsman-style home features local limestone, cement board siding, reclaimed wood, cross ventilation, CFLs, daylighting, and xeriscaping. Back at the project house, Bill shows Norm how his crew is making custom cedar brackets to extend the Craftsman detailing to the new work on the addition. Homeowner Michael Klug shows Kevin where contractors are spraying non-toxic borates onto the new work to prevent future insect damage, and how, upstairs, the crew is installing see the custom triangular windows that are insulated and coated for energy efficiency.
Host Kevin O'Connor welcomes plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey to the "Live Music Capital of the World" with a visit to the legendary Continental Club ? home of live rockabilly, swing, and country music since 1957. The next morning, builder Bill Moore shows Kevin the progress, and how sons Sam and David are helping out with demo in the first floor bath. Up on the roof, Richard finds solar contractor Andrew McCalla and his crew beginning to mount the modules that will make up a 2.45kW solar array that will provide 40% of the power needed for the new house. To keep the old house charm, Norm visits Brad Kittel at the largest salvage yard in Texas to find interior doors and glass knobs for the addition that will match what's already on the first floor. Plumber John Podolak connects the circulator pump for the tankless hot water heater, while out front, Bill shows Norm the problem with the sagging front porch pad. Concrete lifting contractor Ken Mongold provides a fix by injecting polyurethane foam under the slab, to slowly lift it back into place.
Host Kevin O'Connor shows landscape contractor Roger Cook some local color on Austin's Town Lake, while back at the project house, green builder Bill Moore demonstrates how he's using a French drain and moisture barrier to try and lower the water table around the house to partially stabilize the foundation of the house. Inside, Kevin finds that the reclaimed flooring has arrived from Virginia, the new French doors are installed, and the kitchen cabinets, made from sustainable MDF and Lyptus, are going in. On a trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Roger and homeowner Michael Klug find creative ways to use native plants in residential landscaping. A new composite decking, made from 100% recycled wood and plastics, goes down on the deck off the master bedroom, while sustainable lighting designer Mark Loeffler shows Kevin how he'll use compact fluorescent and LED lighting to increase the energy efficiency of the house. In the upstairs bath, master carpenter Norm Abram finds tile contractors Robbie and Bryan Hawkins applying a "mud set" to the shower wall that will be tiled with 50% recycled-content subway tile.
Despite a crippling ice storm in Texas, work continues at the project house. Builder Bill Moore shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's using old roof rafters to fashion the railing system and nosings for the new stair treads. In the kitchen, homeowner Michele Grieshaber has selected six different paint colors, and paint specialist Mike Branch explains why, due to low-VOCs, the new paint we're using will be less toxic to homeowners and workers. Outside, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey lends a hand moving a 1200-gallon tank into place on the property, while rainwater harvester Blake West shows how the water will be collected from the metal roof with a series of gutters and PVC pipes, stored in the tank, and used later for irrigation. Richard visits West Texas to see how Texans are creating clean, renewable energy by harvesting the wind. Tile contractors Robbie & Bryan Hawkins install handmade tile made from 50% recycled-content on the master bathroom floor. Richard gets an update on the mechanicals from HVAC contractor Matt Romero who's installed a high efficiency two-stage air conditioning system with an electronic clean air filter.
Using locally abundant natural materials is considered "green", so we're using local limestone on the front porch wall caps, the first floor vanity top, and in the landscape borders. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits Jarrell, Texas to see how the stone is quarried, while lead carpenter Tony Goss reinstalls the old wooden front porch columns on new bases that will resist rot better than the originals. Builder Bill Moore takes host Kevin O'Connor to a local home center to show him several products that are not only green, but also widely available. Countertop contractor Chris Farris arrives to install the new recycled glass and concrete countertops in the kitchen, and Kevin travels to Brooklyn, New York to see how they are manufactured. Back at the project house, homeowner Michael Klug and landscape designer Adams Kirkpatrick show Kevin what they have planned for new green landscape ? highlights include native plants, minimal use of grass, and local limestone borders.
To celebrate the last episode, the crew visits the Broken Spoke, which has been called the "last of the true Texas dancehalls." Landscape contractor Roger Cook meets up with local landscape contractor Russell Womack to see the sod, plants, and pinestraw mulch going in. Irrigation specialist Chris Lupton shows off the new drip irrigation system, while general contractor Tom Silva checks out builder Bill Moore's temporary workshop in the driveway. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits a local lighting workshop to see how they're making over a dozen custom light fixtures for our project, while sustainable lighting designer Mark Loeffler reveals the final lighting effects achieved with the low-energy use lamps. Window treatments installer Hiram Lynch finishes up hanging custom shades and shutters, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey reviews the green features of the plumbing in the house ? 1.28gpf high efficiency toilets, low flow aerators, water filtration in the kitchen, and Energy Star appliances. At the end of the day, and the project, Richard Morgan from Austin Energy presents Bill and the homeowners with a 5-Star Rating from the Green Building Program ? only the third renovation to receive that designation the program's history. A Texas-style barbecue follows to celebrate the eco-friendly renovation that's both easy on the eye, and the environment.
In just a short subway ride, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive at the latest project house in Newton, Massachusetts. Built in 1897, the house is a Colonial Revival in "Shingle-style clothes"—a typical transitional-style house from the late Victorian era. Nearby, homeowners Paul Friedberg, Madeline Krauss, and their two young sons are moving out of old center hall Colonial. After struggling with the "move or improve" conundrum, they decided to move AND improve. On a tour of the "new" old house, Norm and general contractor Tom Silva review the good news—an exterior in pretty good shape and beautiful intact woodwork—and the bad news—some structural issues and a disconnected, sorely outdated kitchen. Upstairs, they find extensive plaster damage, bathrooms in need of updating, and an old enclosed sleeping porch that will become part of the new master suite. Architect Treff LaFleche shows Kevin and the homeowners his plan for opening up the kitchen and adding a mudroom, while also explaining how these rooms will be connected to the rest of the house and the backyard. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey surveys the state of the mechanicals, while landscape contractor Roger Cook exposes problems with the steep grade in the backyard, drainage, and wood-to-ground contact.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard to see her plan that calls for minimal changes out front, but major work in the back to re-grade and create a large new patio. In the old kitchen, general contractor Tom Silva recaps the plan, while master carpenter Norm Abram and homeowner Paul Friedberg begin demolition. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin how to loosen a stuck sewer cap. Kevin visits a state-of-the-art facility in Westborough, Massachusetts, where the crew's construction and demolition waste is sorted for recycling. Chimney expert Mark Schaub evaluates the 100-year old chimney flues with the help of a "flue cam," which is monitored on a laptop computer. Landscape contractor Roger Cook cuts down the giant ewes that have been obscuring the front of the house for decades.
Host Kevin O'Connor finds general contractor Tom Silva in the backyard prepping the footings for the new porch columns. Landscape contractor Roger Cook brings in civil engineer Mike Kosmo to do the perk test needed for the new landscape plan. To learn more about the form, architect Treff LaFleche shows Kevin a stunning neighborhood Shingle-style house that he purchased, renovated, and sold 3 years ago. The turn-of-the-century home features a curved wrap-around porch, dramatic entry hall, charming inglenook, and, similar to the renovation plans the team has in store, it has a new open kitchen and family room that connect visually with the rest of the house. Back on site, Roger finds certified arborist Matt Foti removing a rotted red maple from the side yard with a tree crew and crane.
General contractor Tom Silva removes the temporary support beam that has been holding up the back corner of the house. Meanwhile, engineered lumber specialist Craig Smith shows master carpenter Norm Abram the "green" framing materials to be used in the new kitchen. Norm, Tom, and host Kevin O'Connor remove the old kitchen walls and install a new 16' beam to open up the space. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows Norm how the shoddy wiring installed over the years has created unsafe conditions and code violations throughout the house. Kitchen showroom co-owner Yael Peleg presents her vision for an "unfitted kitchen," while kitchen designer Donna Venegas shows Kevin and homeowner Maddy Krauss how the concept is incorporated into the floor plans and design choices. Back in Newton, Tom and Kevin reframe the structure of the floor under the master closet to strengthen, level, and tie it in with the rest of the floor in the new master bath.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs 200 running feet of pre-cast concrete to create a retaining wall that will define the perimeter of the new backyard. Inside the house, wallpaper historian Richard Nylander helps host Kevin O'Connor date and evaluate the historic wallpaper throughout the house, while general contractor Tom Silva frames for a new window in an old wall. Kevin makes a trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to see how three 19th century buildings are being moved as part of a construction project at Harvard Law School. The million-dollar move, which has been planned for five years, requires the buildings to be lifted and rolled down Massachusetts Avenue on hydraulic dollies steered by remote control.
After a brief stop at Johnny's Luncheonette for breakfast, host Kevin O'Connor meets paint color specialist Ann Pfaff to learn what colors might be appropriate for the Shingle- style house. Back in Newton, general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram build the 12-foot wall of the new kitchen bump out that will contain a built-in bench for the kitchen table. In the South End of Boston, Kevin visits stained glass designer Jim Anderson at his workshop to see the restoration and rebuilding of the home's four historic windows. In the home's backyard, under the new porch, landscape contractor Roger Cook uses a pay-as-you-go concrete truck to pour a small buttress wall that will support the exposed rubble stone foundation.
Host Kevin O'Connor drives up to the house to find general contractor Tom Silva helping load up a truck for the "Building Materials Resource Center," a local non-profit that will be selling the project's surplus materials to needy homeowners at discounted prices. Inside the house, Tom shows Kevin the progress on the porch, kitchen, and master bath, where his crew is installing several new windows. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey gives an update on the mechanical systems. To learn more about the home's Milford Pink granite foundation being a sign of wealth at the time the house was built, architect Treff LaFleche takes Kevin to see how the same stone was used on the Boston Public Library, and also how the granite is quarried and split to best match the home's existing stone. Back on site, Roger installs the new Milford Pink granite, and also matches the old mortar.
Host Kevin O'Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey stop to see Echo Bridge, a 500-foot long arched structure built in 1976 to carry water over the Charles River. Back at the project house, landscape contractor Roger Cook digs up a large, established shrub by the front walkway which will be transplanted to the backyard to help with screening. Roger also shows Kevin how work on the new fieldstone sitting wall is progressing. In the first floor parlor, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how to install a replacement window. Meanwhile, Richard adds radiant heat panels under the entry hall, a great solution for warming an area that was not previously heated. PEX water pipe goes into the kitchen, while master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Germansville, Pennsylvania to see how countertop fabricator Paul Grothouse is crafting a beautiful 3-inch teak island top for the house.
Host Kevin O’Connor sees how landscape contractor Roger Cook is building the fieldstone and mortar sitting wall. Meanwhile, master carpenter Norm Abram shows homeowner Paul Friedberg troublesome conditions with the wood-to-ground contact on the side of the house, underneath the front porch, and at the garage. Pest control expert Bill Seigel comes to the rescue with a treatment to stop the termite activity and prevent further damage. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin the new stepped dowel fastening system he is using to put down the ipe decking. Architect Treff LaFleche takes Kevin to see a riff on the Shingle-style brand new home he designed that looks traditional on the outside, but features clean, wide open, modern spaces on the inside. Up in the attic, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the air handlers, and how the high velocity mini-duct system lets him easily feed conditioned air to the second and third floors.
Host Kevin O’Connor runs with marathon champion Bill Rodgers to find out why Heartbreak Hill is a challenge for runners of the Boston Marathon. Back in Newton, painting contractor Jim Clark and crew are prepping the exterior of the house for paint. Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows Kevin the progress on the bluestone patio and massive bluestone stairs. The patio is set in sand, instead of stone dust, to meet the permeability requirements of the town. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he is wrapping the exterior columns with shingles woven together in a hand-crafted, flared detail at the base. Upstairs, spray foam insulation is put in the open bays of the new work and injected into the soffits of the old work. In the third floor billiards room, lighting restoration expert Scott Sweeny demonstrates several options for adapting an antique light fixture to meet modern needs. Pool table expert Steve Kelly arrives to dismantle the antique pool table for off-site restoration.
Progress on the home’s exterior painting continues. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor how he is wrapping the columns under the back porch in shingles. Preservation plasterer Rory Brennan shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he’s saving the old plaster in the billiards room using a new adhesive system. He also shows Norm how to replicate an authentic corner bead detail from the 1890s. Kevin meets homeowner Madeline Krauss and her interior designer, Abbey Koplovitz, to see their selections for the home’s lighting, paint colors, and furnishings. In nearby Somerville, Massachusetts, Norm visits billiard restorer Steve Kelly’s showroom and workshop to see rare and valuable antique pool tables, and also to see how work on the pool table is progressing.
A local nursery brings plants to the house. General contractor Tom Silva addresses some unforeseen rotting problems with the garage. Inside, the kitchen is plastered, the new white oak flooring is down, and the cabinets have just arrived from Kitchener, Canada. Flooring contractor Steve Dubuque shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he is layering aniline dye, stain, and polyurethane to achieve the floor color the homeowners are seeking. Plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey travels to Racine, Wisconsin, to see how one manufacturer is making a new generation of kitchen garbage disposers. Tom installs a new standing seam copper roof over the back porch. In the master bath, Kevin finds tile contractor Joe Ferrante setting up for a major tile job – the first step is waterproofing the shower by using a paint-on, flexible, seamless, waterproofing membrane.
Host Kevin O’Connor talks with homeowner Paul Friedberg to learn more about Paul’s past as an Olympic fencer. Master carpenter Norm Abram checks on the installation of the new custom garage doors. Cabinet installer Patrick Malone finishes the job by scribing his base moulding the floor. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he is giving a stock masonite door a face lift by adding an oak veneer and new oak mouldings. In the master bath, tile contractor Joe Ferrante shows Kevin how he is laying the mosaic “rug” tiles in front of the new vanity. Kitchen designer Donna Venegas shows Norm the countertop and tile choices for the kitchen, while template maker Kent Whitten creates the templates using digital technology. Landscape contractor Roger Cook works with an irrigation contractor to add both sprinkler heads and drip irrigation to the landscape before the cold weather sets in.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs sod in the backyard, while host Kevin O’Connor meets engineered stone distributor Chelsie Arnold to learn more about the quartz and resin countertops being installed in the kitchen. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the new high-efficiency air conditioning system. Kevin then helps general contractor Tom Silva fabricate new wainscoting for the kitchen. In the front hall, painting contractor Jim Clark shows Kevin how the oak woodwork is cleaned using TSP and a little elbow grease. In the upstairs hall, the damaged wood requires stripping and re-staining. The day ends with the sad news that our beloved tile contractor, Joe Ferrante, has unexpectedly passed away.
Host Kevin O’Connor checks out general contractor Tom Silva’s makeshift workshop on the front porch of the house. Inside, countertop fabricator Paul Grothouse arrives from Pennsylvania to install the end grain teak island top and deliver its companion piece “a custom teak farmhouse table” for the breakfast area. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey displays the progress on the second floor bath and meets tub refinisher Jack Donaruma on the third floor to see him strip and refinish the old clawfoot tub. In the master closet, Kevin finds the room painted and closet designer Brian McSharry is installing a custom closet system. Back in the kitchen, tile contractor Mark Ferrante shows Kevin how he uses wedges to create even grout lines on the uneven handmade tile backsplash. Tom shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he uses portable lathe to turn a new newel post finial out of walnut. In the billiards room, pool table expert Steve Kelly reassembles the restored antique pool table and finally gets to play a game of pool with Norm.
In the final episode of the Newton project, host Kevin O’Connor meets lighting designer Susan Arnold to see how she is using new light sources and more modern fixtures to update the formerly dark areas of the house. Greg Smizer, Larry Schulman, and Eric Reinhardt install the security system, plasma televisions, and audio systems while Meghan Hodge installs window treatments. Landscape contractor Roger Cook inspects the finished garage and meets landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard to see the finished back porch and terrace. Homeowner Paul Friedberg and his sons break in their new backyard with a game of Home Run Derby. Architect Treff LaFleche hangs a historical marker out front. Designer Abbey Koplovitz and homeowner Madeline Krauss display how they have pulled together the interior with paint colors, custom furniture, window treatments, rugs, and family antiques. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey tests the new digitally controlled shower system in the master bath while master carpenter Norm Abram tours the finished kitchen with designer Donna Venegas. As the wrap party begins, the team gathers on the front porch to toast general contractor Tom Silva on a job well done.
For the second project of the season, This Old House travels to New Orleans, Louisiana, to help a fourth-generation resident of the Lower 9th Ward return home, while following stories of rebuilding and recovery throughout the city. Host Kevin O'Connor visits Musicians' Village with founder Harry Connick, Jr. to see how he, along with childhood friend Branford Marsalis, are providing new housing for the city's musicians through Habitat for Humanity. In historic Holy Cross, along the banks of the Mississippi River, homeowner Rashida Ferdinand shows Kevin why she loves her c. 1892 flood-damaged shotgun single and artist's studio, and how she plans to restore and expand them after a two-year vacancy. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with her builder to assess the challenges of building in post-Katrina New Orleans, while homeowner Marna David shows Kevin how she managed to renovate her own shotgun single in Holy Cross, twice, once before the storm, and once after.
Back in New Orleans, Kevin meets homeowner Rashida Ferdinand and her architect Rick Fifield for a look at the plans and model of the proposed work to her shotgun single. The plan calls for a camelback addition that will house a master suite, and also a new family room with back and side porches to take advantage of the cool river breezes. As demolition begins inside, builder Carl Hithe shows master carpenter Norm Abram how the house was originally constructed from dismantled bargeboards taken from vessels that once traveled down the Mississippi. At Musicians Village, Kevin meets Executive Director Jim Pate to see how Habitat for Humanity's houses are constructed post-Katrina, starting with an extensive foundation system that includes 35-foot deep pilings tied into a robust footing system. As work progresses at Rashidas house, the discovery of toxic mold is a setback, until mold remediation expert Dr. Eric Griggs arrives to begin a whole-house remediation and prevention program for the old part of the house.
Host Kevin O'Connor visits the French Quarter with Vieux Carre Commission Director Lary Hesdorffer to see how one of the most important neighborhoods in America faired during the storm. At the project house in Holy Cross, master carpenter Norm Abram finds work on the side porch underway, with homeowner Rashida Ferdinand at work stripping paint from the historic windows that will be reused on her project. Paint color consultant Louis Aubert shows Kevin how he's bringing color back to our house, along with other houses in the neighborhood, by providing bright color schemes applied in a historically accurate manner. At Musicians' Village, Norm and Kevin lend a hand to some of the volunteers who are rebuilding New Orleans, by raising walls, laying decking, and installing windows, one house at a time.
Master carpenter Norm Abram takes host Kevin O'Connor across the Mississippi River by ferry to Algiers Point, home of the first This Old House New Orleans project back in 1990, to see how it fared during Hurricane Katrina. Back at the 2008 project in Holy Cross, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the plumbing layout, and how HVAC contractor Raul Mena is planning on heating and cooling the house. Across town in Broadmoor, Norm and Kevin lend a hand installing windows with the non-profit group Rebuilding Together, who are renovating a house for wheelchair-bound homeowner, Sonia St. Cyr, at no cost to her. At Musicians' Village, Branford Marsalis shows Kevin around and introduces him to the youngest resident in the village, saxophonist Calvin Johnson, who joins Branford in a duet of "When The Saints Go Marching In." Despite the wreckage at our jobsite, landscape architect Brian Sublette starts working with Rashida to draw up a plan for her yard and gardens.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram open the show with a quick visit to the local's alternative to Bourbon Street, the neighborhood jazz clubs of Frenchmen Street, where the New Orleans music scene is still alive and well. At the project in Holy Cross, homeowner Rashida Ferdinand has some surprising news: Her old contractor couldn't complete the job, so she's hiring someone new, while filling in herself to bridge the gap between builders. On her brief watch, she's managed to obtain her rough inspections, so spray foam insulation gets underway in the new addition. For progress on the French doors, Norm visits carpenter Matt Thompson to see his renovated house and shop in Bywater, and also how he's milling our historically accurate doors out of Spanish cedar. At Musicians' Village, founder Branford Marsalis gives Norm a look at the plans for the music education and performance center that will be built in honor of his father, Ellis Marsalis.
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram take a ride through the city of New Orleans with streetcar driver Sue Daniel, who is known locally as "Streetcar Sue." At the project house in Holy Cross, Norm catches up with homeowner Rashida Ferdinand's new general contractor Larry Schneider to see the amazing progress he has made in just two short weeks on the job. At Musicians' Village, saxophonist Calvin Johnson shows Norm how he is investing sweat equity toward the 350 hours required to become a homeowner in the neighborhood. Back at the project house, lead carpenter Mike Gettle shows Kevin how he is trimming the side porch. In Central City, Kevin meets Mercy Corps program director Rick Denhart to learn how the non-profit organization helps homeowners in New Orleans desconstruct their ruined properties at no cost. The salvaged materials are given to local depots where they are sold at a reduced price. The last stop in the process is the Green Project in St. Roch where the goods are bought and sold by members of the community.
Host Kevin O'Connor visits the architectural marvel next door, the Dollut Steamboat house, with its owner, Don Gagnon. Back at our house, master carpenter Norm Abram meets homeowner Rashida Ferdinand and general contractor Larry Schneider for a progress tour. In addition to painting and flooring, the cabinets are mostly up in the new kitchen. Installer Oliver Earl shows Norm both the architectural details and the finish details of the cabinetry. Right behind him is countertop contractor John Finney, who's making templates for the new quartz countertops using laser technology. At the Musicians' Village, general contractor Tom Silva is on hand for the morning meeting and then gives construction assistant Danielle Draper a lesson in making a window stool and apron. In Central City, Kevin meets Craig Cuccia to see how his non-profit group rebuilds the lives of at-risk youth through a unique hospitality and construction program. Back in Holy Cross, Norm and Tom help lead carpenter Mike Gettle put down the reclaimed pine engineered flooring in the future family room.
Host Kevin O'Connor and landscape contractor Roger Cook visit a 70-year old tradition on Poydras Street, Mother's Restaurant, to sample some of the local cuisine. In Holy Cross, Roger meets landscape architect Brian Sublette to see how he's creating both public and private space on our sizable lot. Fencing specialist Mark Bushway is on hand to install the green privacy fence, arbor, and gates going up in the side yard, while Deryl Boudreau is installs a standby generator on the other side of the house. Two blocks away, master carpenter Norm Abram meets executive director Beth Galante to see how her non-profit, Global Green, is building a sustainable and affordable housing development in the neighborhood with the participation of actor Brad Pitt. Back at our house, countertop contractor John Finney arrives with the countertops for the kitchen, while upstairs in the master bath, tile contractor Fred Foltmer shows Kevin the travertine floor and the glass tile going up in the shower area. Over at Musicians' Village, under the watchful eye of pianist Ellis Marsalis, Kevin finds NBA Legends Willis Reed and Robert Parish lending a hand along with local hero Tyson Chandler from the New Orleans Hornets. All of the players have local ties and are committed to keeping the national spotlight focused on the ongoing housing crisis in New Orleans.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets District Fire Chief Tim McConnell to see how his own firemen are rebuilding 22 damaged firehouse on their own time, with the help of volunteers and the Denis Leary Foundation in NYC. In Holy Cross, master carpenter Norm Abram drives up to find plants arriving, and master mason Teddy Pierre, Jr. laying local St. Joe brick at the front walk. Lead carpenter Mike Gettle installs new custom composite shutters, which are functional for privacy and security, while also meeting Historic District guidelines. The mechanicals, including a new continuous flow tankless water heater, are also in place. In the French Quarter, Kevin stops into Bevolo Lighting to see how Drew Bevolo, a third generation lighting fixture manufacturer, is carrying on the family tradition, while also building lights for our project. Over at Musicians' Village, Roger helps the volunteers establish grade and plant some screening shrubs and grasses in homeowner Calvin Johnson's front yard.
Host Kevin O'Connor opens the show as the Krewe of Zulu prepares for Mardi Gras. In Holy Cross, landscape contractor Roger Cook arrives to find metal worker Joe Strain finishing the installation of the "hoop and scroll" iron fence in the front yard. General contractor Tom Silva meets pest control contractor Wayne Zimmerman to see the work going on under (and around) the house to protect it from termites. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey looks at the final paint color scheme with colorist Louis Aubert, then checks inside, on the new laundry area and first floor bath. Master carpenter Norm Abram reviews the punch list with lead carpenter Mike Gettle, as furniture maker Bill Taber arrives with two custom tables that he made out of the old bargeboard walls that came down in the renovation. Over at Musicians' Village, we wrap up our five months of following the progress with the dedication ceremony at Calvin Johnson's house. Back Uptown, the party continues as Kevin "rolls" with the Zulus down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras day. The next day in Holy Cross, landscape architect Brian Sublette gives a final tour of the front garden and side yard, while inside, homeowner Rashida Ferdinand and her interior designer, Nancy Robbins, show Kevin the choices they made to blend the old house with the new addition, while using Rashida's artwork to personalize the spaces. Knowing that many folks in New Orleans are still struggling, the whole crew celebrates the completion of Rashida's house, and the rebirth of one small corner of the city.
For the new season, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram reveal that This Old House will be building new—a prefab, eco-friendly home that will feel like an old barn. Homeowners Amy & Pete Favat love their land, but have outgrown their 1970s-era home, so they'll deconstruct the old house to make way for a new one that will better suit their active family. To achieve their vision of a vacation home "all year round", custom homebuilder Tedd Benson and his staff are designing and prefabricating the new state-of-the-art timberframe home, with general contractor Tom Silva pulling it all together on site. To see how Tedd's panelized system looks in the field, Norm and Tedd visit a recent project in Center Harbor, New Hampshire, while back in Weston, Tom works with deconstruction contractor John Grossman to take the old house apart by hand, in a way that saves landfill space, and allows the reuse of building materials. Meanwhile, landscape contractor Roger Cook meets with conservation commissioner Brian Donahue to learn about the brook that flows through the property, while John Engwer and his crew install a new eco-friendly alternative to hay bales and silt fence to protect it—it's organic mulch and compost wrapped in hemp to form a protective barrier during construction. By the day's end, a truck's worth of salvaged building materials has been harvested, and the project is well underway.
Host Kevin O'Connor drives up to find the old house gone, and general contractor Tom Silva finishing the job by demolishing the chimney and foundation with an excavator. The old concrete and brick will be crushed, trucked away, and used as base material for new roads, while the rest of the house will eventually find new life as affordable housing, but for now it's being stored at the ReStore in Springfield, Massachusetts. John Grossman shows Kevin how the non-profit center operates, and how much salvaged material came out of our house. Up at the shop in Walpole, New Hampshire, Kevin meets architect Chris Adams and homeowner Amy Favat to see how she planned her family's dream home, and to take a tour of the new house—via a 3-D software program that allows them to design and "build" the house virtually. Then, work gets underway as Tedd Benson shows Kevin how the main timbers for the house are sawn from massive salvaged Douglas fir derricks from a granite quarry in Vermont, and also some old live oak ship's ribs that will be used for dramatic effect in the dining area.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives in Weston to find homeowners Amy & Pete Favat in the backyard, cutting back the spring overgrowth so the workers can get through. General contractor Tom Silva begins building the new house by setting the pre-cast foundation walls that are poured in a factory then trucked to the site and lifted in by crane. In New Hampshire at Bensonwood, builder Tedd Benson shows Kevin the work in the timberframe office, and demonstrates how his crew is using sophisticated software and computer-controlled cutting machines to begin fabricating over 300 timbers for the project. Back in Weston, the next step is to pour the slab for the basement and garage floor, so plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installs a new insulated in-slab radiant heating system. Landscape architect Wes Wirth presents a plan for the new yard that helps deal with the wetland setbacks, excessive road noise, challenging topography, and existing garden beds.
With 75 percent of the new prefabricated house being built in a workshop, host Kevin O'Connor opens the show at Bensonwood in New Hampshire, where today it's all hands on deck. General contractor Tom Silva meets up with builder Tedd Benson to see how his crew prefabricates interior and exterior wall systems, while next door in the timberframe shop, job captain Mark Roentsch shows master carpenter Norm Abram the assembly of salvaged Douglas fir and live oak timbers that will frame the dining area. Master electrician Allen Gallant works inside with the Bensonwood crew to pre-wire the building with a new plug and play wiring system, while security system contractor Greg Smizer preinstalls chases and wiring for alarm and data cables. Once in Weston, work on site will be a matter of connecting the wires and getting inspections. At the end of the day, Kevin and Tedd load up the first truck for delivery to Weston, getting ready for the dramatic "house raising" that will take place over the next 3 weeks.
Homeowners Amy and Pete Favat are on site in Weston for the first day of "raising" their new house but the excitement is soon tampered by unexpected rain. After a two-day rain delay, the Bensonwood crew begins by craning in and setting the mechanical room module and all of the walls for the basement level. In the New Hampshire workshop, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and mechanical systems manager Paul Boa fabricate the floor panels and add radiant heating and insulation in the comfort of a controlled environment. Back on site in Weston, the completed floor systems are craned into place. Despite continued rain, the crew manages to close in the basement level, and Amy gives host Kevin O'Connor a tour of the amenities on that floor—parking for two cars, a mudroom, workshop, powder room, kitchenette, and media room.
The second week of the house raising begins with a ceremonial timberframe raise on the first floor—by hand. The rest of the job will be done with a crane including lifting a forty-eight foot long assembly of Douglas Fir timbers and live Oak crucks that will run the length of the entire first floor. Timberframe captain Mark Roentsch shows host Kevin O'Connor how the assemblies are joined together and flow into place. Homeowner Pete Favat shows Kevin the new kitchen space, while master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Claremont, New Hampshire, to see the custom kitchen being fabricated and finished using hand-applied milk paint and distressing techniques used to make the new cabinets look at home in an "old" barn. Back in Weston the first floor exterior walls featuring windows and some finishes already installed are craned into place.
Two weeks into the new house raising, master carpenter Norm Abram meets architect Chris Adams for a tour of the first and second floors. At the Bensonwood shop in Walpole, New Hampshire, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets plumbing contractor Lynne Keating to see how she is running PEX water supply lines and ABS drainage pipe to the back-to-back kids bathrooms, both of which are assembled in the shop as one pre-built "module". Back in Weston, to keep pace with the fast building schedule, landscape contractor Roger Cook is already working on building the landscape plan. It calls for an elaborate drainage plan with a rain garden on the tail end to help protect the wetlands from surface runoff and contaminants. Homeowner Pete Favat and his daughter Juliette lend a hand building the rain garden and planting it with native plants and seeds. Back at the shop in New Hampshire, Norm sees how timberframe Rick Whitcomb crafts a complicated scarf joint both by computer and by hand. Back at the project site in Weston, host Kevin O'Connor sees how the scarf joints go together in the field. At the end of the day, with the final roof rafter in place, the homeowners join the builders for a traditional tree branch dedication ceremony.
Three weeks into the new house raising in Weston, Massachusetts, and the building envelope is almost complete. The Bensonwood crew places the last of the roof panels and sets the five-thousand pound cupola to cap off the house. The roof panels are made in the Bensonwood workshop from over fifty different structural insulated panels while crews work to apply shingles and a standing seam copper roof to the cupola before it flies. An important part of the energy efficient story with the Weston project is the new windows. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how the windows are properly flashed and installed in the Bensonwood workshop in New Hampshire.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives in Weston and finds a busload of masons just in from Wisconsin to help with the exterior stone veneer, while general contractor Tom Silva shows homeowner Amy Favat the new synthetic slate roofing material made from 80 percent recycled content. On the outside of the building, Jason Buechel and his crew install a New England fieldstone natural stone veneer that goes up with dark grout and deeply raked joints to give it a dry-laid look. Meanwhile, in Brookline, New Hampshire, master carpenter Norm Abram meets third generation lumber and paneling expert Tom Bingham to see how he is making custom wainscoting, chair rail, and horizontal wallboards for the Weston home. Back in Weston, Tom shows homeowner Pete Favat the new custom garage doors and how they are installed and operated.
On the roof at the project house in Weston, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor the new solar hot water system that makes use of evacuated tube technology—the perfect solution for a cold climate. General contractor Tom Silva gives homeowner Amy Favat a progress tour of the house. The rough plumbing and electrical are nearly complete, the cabinets are in, and the concrete countertop fabricators are on site to template for the tops, which will take four to six weeks to make and to cure. At the Bensonwood shop in New Hampshire, Tom lends a hand to finish carpenter Dennis Wright as he installs "home slicker" and pre-stained white cedar shingles to the exterior wall panels. Back in Weston, plumbing contractor Lynne Keating shows Richard how the plumbing connections are made on the prefab floor panels. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits a small shop in Walpole, New Hampshire, that produces 95 percent of the pegs used in the North American timberframe industry. Later, at the project house, tile contractor Mark Ferrante preps a shower stall for tile using a new prefab system for the shower pan, curb, and drain that is used in place of a traditional mortar bed.
At the project house in Weston, host Kevin O'Connor finds solar energy specialist Jeff Wolfe installing eighteen solar panels that can provide up to 75 percent of the home's power needs. Later, in Alstead, New Hampshire, builder Tedd Benson shows Kevin a modest prefabricated Habitat for Humanity house that a group of 450 volunteers assembled in 8 days. Back in Weston, general contractor Tom Silva installs the red distressed vertical boards that will adorn the walls of the second floor hall. At the Bensonwood shop, master carpenter Norm Abram meets timberframer CJ Brehio to see how he is laying out and carving "2008" in Roman numerals into a reclaimed Douglas fir timber for the first floor. Back at the project house, Tom shows Kevin the new custom half-round copper gutters and decorative brackets going in on the street side of the house.
At the project house in Weston, landscape contractor Roger Cook installs granite steps on the entry porch, precast footings for the pergola, and Goshen stone for the front patio. General contractor Tom Silva installs the rough sawn and reclaimed white oak flooring on the first floor. Host Kevin O'Connor takes homeowner Amy Favat to a local appliance showroom so she can "test drive" new kitchen appliances before buying them. Security systems specialist Greg Smizer installs a cure for the cell phone "dead zone". It's a cell phone zone extender system that works by capturing the cell signal outside and amplifying it inside the home. Kevin invites designer Carole Freehauf to the house to offer a few sophisticated and unexpected options for furnishing a timberframe home.
The Favat family takes host Kevin O'Connor to see Land's Sake Farm, a local non-profit farm stand where they can get organic flowers, fruits, vegetables, and even timbers for their house. Back at the project house, landscape contractor Roger Cook sets the last of several underground tanks that are part of the rainwater harvesting and runoff control system required by the town. On the back entry porch, general contractor Tom Silva uses a new hidden deck-fastening system to put down composite decking. Upstairs, Tom's brother Dick Silva is cladding a wall in reclaimed galvanized metal to achieve a rustic and industrial feel. Conservation commissioner Brian Donahue shows Kevin how the town of Weston is partnering with Land's Sake Farm to sustainably harvest trees from the town forest for use by its residents. Designer Carole Freehauf meets with painting contractor Debi Gaudet to see the neutral paint color palette selected for the second floor and how she has prepped to paint the room with a new low-VOC paint that comes from a local home center.
Master carpenter Norm Abram meets with Michelle Moore from the U.S. Green Building Council to learn more about their LEED for Homes program and how the Weston house will qualify. Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs porous pavers in the driveway, while the Port Orford cedar pergola is being craned into place on the front lawn. Bensonwood woodworker Kevin Bittenbender shows host Kevin O'Connor how they build window trim kits in the Bensonwood shop and later how they are installed in the field at the project house. General contractor Tom Silva shows Norm the new industrial steel staircase going in and how the look is softened by reclaimed Douglas fir stair treads. In Nantucket, Massachusetts, Norm and designer Carole Freehauf visit remote Esther's Island to see how one developer has achieved luxury living completely off the grid.
At the project house in Weston, landscape contractor Roger Cook installs a berm and fence in the front yard to screen out the busy street. Landscape architect Wes Wirth and homeowner Amy Favat review the native plants they've chosen for the new planting beds. Amy takes host Kevin O'Connor to a showroom and workshop in Florence, Massachusetts, where they both lend a hand in making the concrete countertops and sink. Back in Weston (after a 30-day cure time) master carpenter Norm Abram finds the countertops being installed in the kitchen. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin how the house is being cooled, with an a la carte, split-type air conditioning system featuring outdoor heat pump units and indoor wall mounted units. These provide zoning control in the different areas of the house. Upstairs in the master bedroom, Kevin finds Amy and designer Carole Freehauf putting down eco-friendly carpet tiles that are easy for DIY-ers to install. General contractor Tom Silva installs a handcrafted copper owl weathervane that will sit on top of the project house.
At the project house in Weston, landscape contractor Roger Cook tends to the last efforts on the landscaping front, which includes fresh sod, a bocce court, and a new irrigation system. Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva review how the choices of lighting, hardware and wood finishes contribute to the barn effect, and then they help Roger install the rustic granite hearthstone for the new fireplace. In the master bathroom, tile contractor Mark Ferrante lays the last of the handmade tile over the new cast concrete vanity sinks. Finishing touches are put on the security system and industrial light fixtures, and the signature "harvest table" (designed by architect Chris Adams) is delivered for dining room. After reviewing the amenities on the basement level and the features of the new mechanical room, homeowner Pete Favat shows plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey the new media room which is outfitted with a 92" HD screen, HD projector and a concealed surround sound system. Homeowner Amy Favat shows designer Carole Freehauf the finished private spaces including a guest room, a small but functional laundry room and a beautiful master suite with all of the amenities. After a tour of the finished first floor, builder Tedd Benson joins the crew to celebrate a job well done both in the shop and on site.
For the first time in the show's history, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram take This Old House on the road to New York City to restore a neglected 1904 brownstone in Brooklyn. Homeowners Karen Shen and Kevin Costello will convert the former rooming house into a three family home while preserving and restoring period detail wherever possible. In Brooklyn, Norm meets veteran brownstone remodeling contractor Michael R. Streaman at a similar job down the street to see how he transformed one of these rooming houses into a beautiful, modern family home. Back at the project house, Streaman gets to work on demolition and also starts stripping the paint off the back of the house to prepare the brick for re-pointing and eventually the installation of new energy-efficient windows.
Host Kevin O'Connor and landscape contractor Roger Cook visit Prospect Park, a 585-acre urban oasis unofficially known as "Brooklyn's Backyard." At the project house, master carpenter Norm Abram meets contractor Michael R. Streaman and homeowner Karen Shen to see how the framing is progressing and to hear about their thoughts on the kitchen layout. To learn more about how brownstones were used in the past, architectural historian Charles Lockwood takes Kevin to Manhattan's East Village to see a perfectly preserved rowhouse dating to 1832, including the original intact kitchen in the basement. Then, to see how the old-fashioned spaces can be updated, they visit a restored brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn, to see how former kitchens were often converted into rental apartments, and how modern kitchens and baths can be either carved out or bumped out from existing spaces.' Back at the project house, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets with local plumbing and heating contractors Randy and Erik Gitli to see the options for updating and/or upgrading the old steam heating system. In Hell's Kitchen, nurseryman David Protell shows Roger how he operates his garden center in the middle of the city, then they head downtown to see a spectacular roof garden in Tribeca recently designed and built by his firm. Protell's team will be designing and building the new landscape in Karen and Kevin's backyard.
Host Kevin O'Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey visit lower New York Harbor, taking in the city skyline and the Statue of Liberty from the water, and from Liberty Island. At the project house in Brooklyn, master carpenter Norm Abram meets local wood refinisher John Thomas for an assessment of the multiple wood finishes in the house (including lots of deteriorating shellac) and how to properly restore them. At a tile showroom in Bensonhurst, designer Carole Freehauf shows homeowner Karen Shen some period-appropriate tile combinations for her bathrooms and kitchen. Back at the project house, Richard gets an update on the plumbing and heating progress, and sees how brothers Randy and Erik Gitli are converting the old steam radiators to hot water.
After starting the day at nearby Tom's Restaurant, host Kevin O'Connor finds homeowners Kevin Costello and Karen Shen inspecting the new exterior paint job at the project house in Brooklyn. Inside, general contractor Tom Silva finds local builder Michael Streaman laying down new 5/16" white oak flooring in the parlor with two accent strips of cherry as a decorative border. Nearby in Red Hook, plaster contractor Stuart Sobczynski shows Kevin how he's replicating the plaster crown mouldings for the house, and later, the new mouldings are installed at the house. In the back yard, landscape designer/contractor Bob Reitmeyer shows Kevin the progress on a new retaining wall, and the brick patio that is going down in a herringbone pattern with a soldier course border. On the garden level, local millwork contractor Mitch Berlin installs new replacement windows on the back of the house. On the top level rental unit, a local spray foam insulation contractor has arrived to insulate the top of the building to keep the heat from escaping up and out—and just in time, as a snowstorm blankets Brooklyn.
At the project house in Brooklyn, homeowner Karen Shen shows master carpenter Norm Abram the progress in the owner's unit while flooring contractor Neale Rattray installs new white oak flooring in the top floor apartment. In the new master bathroom, local plumbing contractor Randy Gitli shows plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey the showerhead combination that includes a master showerhead, a handheld showerhead and tub filler. The set up is equally complicated behind the walls with volume controls and a thermostatic valve that Randy installs that day. Design correspondent Carole Freehauf shows host Kevin O'Connor the paint color scheme for the first floor which will be monochromatic to let the beautiful woodwork take center stage. Local builder Michael Streaman takes Norm over to his woodworking shop in Greenpoint to see the progress on the custom kitchen and how his crew is replicating baseboard profiles using routers instead of expensive custom knives. In the backyard, homeowner Kevin Costello lends a hand installing the new privacy fence that he found at a local home center.
At the project house in Brooklyn, host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find local builder Michael Streaman and stair fabricator Stephen Dijanic installing the vintage spiral stairs that the homeowners bought online. The new plaster medallion is installed in the parlor and design correspondent Carole Freehauf reveals the design choices for the two rental apartments. Homeowner Kevin Costello lays down click-together linoleum floor tiles in one unit while cabinet installer Oliver Earl deals with concealing ductwork over his cabinetry in the other unit. Finish carpenter Mario Quintuna shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he is rehabilitating the original five panel interior doors by patching holes, cleaning up edges and replacing panels. At the end of the day, the spiral stair is nearly complete and ready to be tested. Homeowner Karen Shen is thrilled with the way it looks and that Streaman found a way to modify it to make it fit.
At the project house in Brooklyn, master carpenter Norm Abram learns how local wood refinisher John Thomas is using a faux painting technique to disguise old and damaged woodwork. The custom kitchen is installed in the owner's unit while design correspondent Carole Freehauf meets Ian Gibbs at his SoHo showroom to see window treatment options and how the shades are custom made in his Queens workroom. Tile contractor Mauro Zanutto arranges a mud bed for tile on the garden level floor while upstairs in the master bath he prepares to lay the mosaic floor by doing a complete dry layout. Also, in the garden level apartment, the finished countertops arrive for the kitchen.
After a brief visit to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, master carpenter Norm Abram helps local builder Michael Streaman reinstall old interior door trim in the new library area. In Bensonhurst, host Kevin O'Connor finds countertop fabricator Alex DeMeo unloading a container of marble just in from Italy and the slabs of manmade quartz and resin being made into countertops. Later, the countertops are installed at the project house with cutouts for the range and seams made on site. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets electrical contractor Vinny Verderosa to see how the new service is set up for the three-family house. Then Richard meets local plumbing and heating contractor Randy Gitli to look at the mechanical room that contains two complete systems—one for the ground floor apartment and another for the top three floors. Upstairs in the master bath, tile contractor Mauro Zanutto shows Kevin his unconventional method for grouting the floor tile.
At the project house in Brooklyn, local builder Michael Streaman reinstalls the beautiful white oak entry doors that were absent for several months when they were stripped of old paint and restored by wood refinisher John Thomas. Inside, John works his way through the parlor woodwork, covering, blending and matching color as he goes. In the kitchen, local plumbing and heating contractors Randy and Erik Gitli finish their connections to the appliances, the kitchen sink and install a new pot filler over the range. On the second floor, homeowner Kevin Costello shows master carpenter Norm Abram the new temporary wall in the master bedroom that creates a nursery for their youngest son. Eventually, the wall can be removed when they take over the third floor apartment. At a landmark home store in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, design correspondent Carole Freehauf gives host Kevin O'Connor a lesson in shopping for furniture while making selections for the project house. Electrical contractor Vinny Verderosa shows Kevin O'Connor the strategy for fire prevention in the project house and some new technology in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. At the end of the day, flooring contractor Neale Rattray arrives to sand and seal the new oak floors in the boys' bedroom.
With the Brooklyn brownstone nearly complete, master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor arrive to find a bustling sidewalk with both sod and furniture being delivered. In the backyard, landscape contractor Roger Cook sees how the sod is being laid down while local builder Michael Streaman installs the last of the missing spindles at the base of the main staircase. Norm visits Mount Laurel, New Jersey, to see how the turnings were made by both a CNC lathe and with chisels by hand. Design correspondent Carole Freehauf shows Kevin the finished rental apartment on the top floor. The apartment has a casual monochromatic scheme that lets the woodwork take center stage and a stunning kitchen with period-inspired details and modern amenities. Homeowner Karen Shen shows Norm the completed master bedroom level, now accessible from within the owner's unit by a vintage spiral staircase. After a look at the backyard transformation, the crew gathers on the front stoop to celebrate the completion of the project and to congratulate Michael Streaman on a job well done.
The 30th anniversary season of This Old House opens with the crew beginning a small but sophisticated addition to a 1915 Dutch Colonial Revival that includes a new kitchen, home office, and family room. Homeowners Bill and Gillian Pierce love their old house but it lacks family space, flow, and a modern kitchen. Architect Paul Rovinelli presents his plan for the addition, while problems are identified in the old house, both in the basement and in the landscape. Host Kevin O'Connor visits a similar house in the neighborhood that has been opened up and expanded, while general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive to begin the demolition with Bill. By the end of the day, the three-season porch has been removed, and work is well underway.
Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva remove the old vinyl siding from the exterior of the house, exposing not only the original wood clapboards underneath but also lots of repair work that needs to be done. Inside, architect Paul Rovinelli takes host Kevin O'Connor and homeowner Gillian Pierce through the plan for the new kitchen, which calls for a modest expansion, building as Gillian puts it, "just what we need," and nothing more. One early proponent of that style of thinking was architect and author Sarah Susanka, so Kevin travels to her own "Not So Big" home in Raleigh, North Carolina, to see some smart ideas for restrained remodels that won't break the bank. Back in Newton Centre, landscape contractor Roger Cook breaks up the old porch slab to make way for the foundation for the new addition.
Host Kevin O'Connor and general contractor Tom Silva discuss the homeowners' decision to stay in the house during construction, and they agree it won't be easy. Homeowners Bill and Gillian Pierce are already living out of boxes and coolers, because today their kitchen will be gutted back to the studs. In the basement, the laundry room can stay for the time being, but the entire heating system is also coming out today, as plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey goes straight to work with a reciprocating saw and a sledgehammer. Outside, Tom shows Kevin how he's extending the old windowsills with wood and epoxy to replicate the historic "ears" of the sill that were cut off by the vinyl siding contractor years ago. Gillian sets up a temporary kitchen in the basement, while Kevin gets some bad news from master electrician Allen Gallant. The exterior service components are water-damaged beyond repair, and due to some hidden (and ungrounded) knob-and-tube wiring, nearly ninety percent of the old house will have to be rewired to meet building code. Out back, Tom uses interlocking, insulated concrete forms to form the foundation for the new addition, just before the concrete truck arrives for the pour.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets general contractor Tom Silva in the kitchen to see some bizarre and inadequate framing that he recently discovered in the old kitchen ceiling. As a result, they have to reinforce and level the entire ceiling using an angle iron, a laser level, and multiple new LVLs. Then, Kevin visits Long Island, New York with architect Russell Versaci to learn about the origins of our house style, the Dutch Colonial Revival. Back in Newton Centre, master carpenter Norm Abram leads the effort to frame up the first floor platform for the new addition.
Homeowner Gillian Pierce shows host Kevin O'Connor the progress—the first floor family room is entirely framed in, and up above, general contractor Tom Silva is building the gable-end wall for the new addition. Kevin climbs up top and lends a hand with the wall raising. Out front, master electrician Allen Gallant prepares to upgrade the service from 100 amp to 200 amp, but first he sets up temporary jobsite power by making up a new main connection from the street—with live wires. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin how he's using a composite pipe made up of PEX and aluminum to run new lines to the old radiators. Out at the new addition, Tom walks Kevin through the complex roof framing, and they get a sense of the new library and home office space for the first time.
Work on the Dutch Colonial Revival continues as master carpenter Norm Abram recaps the progress on the addition, then turns his attention to the kitchen where general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O'Connor are working to reframe the existing walls to accommodate new door and window openings. Upstairs, Tom installs a large new window in the library that is really six individual window units grouped together, while downstairs, kitchen designer Tamara Raymond helps homeowner Gillian Pierce envision her new kitchen with the help of paper mock-ups. Kevin pays a visit to former This Old House architect Treff LaFleche to see how he renovated his 1906 Gambrel-style Victorian to achieve superior energy efficiency and a LEED green building certification.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook welcomes certified arborist Matt Foti to Newton Centre to prune all of the existing hemlock trees on the corner of the house, and along the driveway. Inside, master electrician Allen Gallant installs a bath fan in the new powder room that looks like a recessed light, but it has hidden ventilation capabilities built in. Host Kevin O'Connor travels back to Austin, Texas to revisit our first certified green building project—a 1920s bungalow that was expanded to accommodate a family of four. Nearly three years later, the homeowners and their builder report back on how the house is performing. Back in Newton Centre, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he's roofing the new addition to match the existing house using an architectural asphalt shingle.
General contractor Tom Silva replicates the old exterior trim details around the new windows in the addition using cellular PVC that will never rot. Master carpenter Norm Abram installs the pre-hung Douglas fir exterior door for the back entry. Architect Paul Rovinelli takes host Kevin O'Connor on a tour of a recently renovated Dutch Colonial Revival that makes the most of its small footprint. Back at the house, Tom gets some help from homeowner Bill Pierce and his dad, Bill Pierce, Sr., as they remove the old bookshelves and plaster wall to gain entry into the new library addition.
General contractor Tom Silva enlists homeowner Gillian Pierce to help him fabricate the new decorative bracket that will support the rear entry porch roof. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor the progress on piping the old radiators, and the challenges he is facing in providing heat to the new kitchen space. The solution is two different applications of radiant heat, a portion installed above the subfloor, and a portion installed underneath. In a renovated church downtown, interior designer Lisey Good shows Kevin how she created a beautiful new kitchen and a combination home office/library space (both with smart storage solutions). Back at the house, Kevin helps master carpenter Norm Abram use new red cedar clapboards to patch in the old exterior siding at the back of the house.
To replace the stairway he removed from the old kitchen, general contractor Tom Silva builds a brand new stairway to the basement. Then, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor how to select a good quality faucet—discussing function, finish, construction and valves. Inspired by an existing arched door opening, Tom shows Kevin how he's making a vaulted ceiling in the hallway that connects the front of the house to the new addition out back. At the end of the day, insulation contractor Tony Trigler arrives to install spray foam insulation in the new addition.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the house and finds that preparation for the exterior paint job is well underway. Homeowner Bill Pierce reveals that he has selected a new kind of paint that promises homeowners that they'll "never paint again." General contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram install custom copper half-round gutters that the architect specified for the rear of the house. Inside, Kevin finds the wallboard up, and plastering contractor David Crawford and his crew putting up a base coat of veneer plaster. Back outside, Kevin meets painting contractors Mat Giovanello and Pat Foley to learn more about their product—a system that relies on proper surface preparation, proprietary bonding agents, and an acrylic paint containing ceramic beads to create a lasting finish. Kevin learns that just a few weeks before the end of the project, Bill has decided to have Tom rebuild his entire one-car garage. Wasting no time, Tom gets to work removing the old garage.
Host Kevin O'Connor lends a hand as general contractor Tom Silva builds a new small deck that will serve to connect the kitchen to the patio. Then, landscape contractor Roger Cook works with homeowner Bill Pierce to lay concrete pavers for the new patio. Tile specialist Catherine Mitchell shows Kevin the range of options available in selecting white subway tile for the kitchen backsplash. Then, in the new library, flooring contractor Patrick Hunt shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's installing new oak flooring to match the existing flooring in the house. Kevin checks back in with Roger as they finish the patio by applying polymeric sand, compaction, and finally, water, to lock it all in place.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the house to find that landscape contractor Roger Cook has removed the old driveway and has begun putting down the the new asphalt. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram finds the new cabinets on site, and lends general contractor Tom Silva a hand as he begins to install them. In a nearby showroom, Kevin meets up with lighting specialist Bob Joyce to see the latest in under cabinet lighting, including some new energy efficient LED options. Then, back at the house, Kevin observes how painting contractor Anne Brady strips off two layers of old wallpaper from the front entry hall. With all of the kitchen cabinets installed, Tom and Norm work to trim out the bank of windows in the back corner of the kitchen.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook and homeowner Gillian Pierce visit neighbor and gardener Cathy Schneider to take her up on her offer to share some of her plants that need dividing. Back at the Pierce home, painting contractor Anne Brady gets started on the prep and painting of the dining room, first explaining how to patch and spot prime a water-damaged ceiling. Then, Anne teaches host Kevin O'Connor a method for repainting the ceiling in 3'x3' patches that allows her to do two coats at once while always keeping a wet edge. Kevin checks on the progress of the kitchen and then meets up with countertop fabricator Danny Puccio to see the latest offerings in countertops at an off-site showroom. Out back, they see how the tops are fabricated both by machine and by hand. Inside, Kevin finds general contractor Tom Silva constructing the new built-in bookshelves for the formal living room. Kevin lends a hand fabricating the boxes and mounting them to the wall.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the project house to find a bustling jobsite and the finished countertops arriving. Inside, homeowner Bill Pierce reviews the tight clearances around the kitchen island before the tops are permanently installed. Landscape contractor Roger Cook takes homeowner Gillian Pierce shopping for plant material for the yard, focusing on dwarf specimens to fit the scale and size of her lot. Back at the house, master carpenter Norm Abram welcomes back wood countertop fabricator Paul Grothouse to install the butcher block island top and to review other wood top options. Outside, Roger and Gillian review the site prep and put the new plants in the ground. Upstairs, Norm and general contractor Tom Silva continue work on the new library by fabricating and installing the face frames for the base cabinets and gluing and installing the new oak tops for the window seat. Back in the kitchen, tile contractor Mark Ferrante installs and grouts the subway tile backsplash using a new pre-mixed urethane grout that promises faster installation time, greater stain resistance and no additional sealing.
In the final show from Newton Centre, host Kevin O'Connor drives up to find all hands on deck for the last few days of the project. Landscape contractor Roger Cook mulches in the last of the plants and lays sod around the new patio. Inside, flooring contractor Pat Hunt shows Kevin the prep for the new oak floors and how the color is achieved through layers of dye and stain to match the 100-year-old floors in the rest of the house. Down in the basement, Kevin meets plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey to see the final heating installation and how he made smart use of some old radiators to heat the basement space. In the kitchen, Kevin finds master electrician Allen Gallant installing the new LED under-cabinet lights that use a fraction of the energy of traditional lights. On the final morning of the project, master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with architect Paul Rovinelli to see the finished exterior elevations, and inside, the dramatic new library and furnished home office space. Homeowner Bill Pierce shows Kevin the finished living room, with plenty of new built-ins for books, and the new family room that is already being used by the kids in the house. The highlight of the whole project is the new kitchen, where homeowner Gillian Pierce is already happily at work preparing food for the wrap party. Highlights include a new 30” range with burners up top, and two ovens below, and plenty of space for the family to gather around to keep her company. Lead by general contractor Tom Silva, the modest project (with a modest budget) succeeded in its goals of tightening up the old house, while adding on just enough space to achieve better flow and living space for the family. At the wrap party, friends and family arrive to celebrate another This Old House job well done.
For the second project of This Old House's 30th Anniversary Season, the crew takes on an issue that's top of mind in the country: foreclosures. Partnering with the City of Boston and local non-profit Nuestra Comunidad, they will take a foreclosed and abandoned two-family house from the 1870s, and turn it into two units of affordable housing in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Local general contractor David Lopes shows host Kevin O'Connor just how extensive the damage to the old house is, and they quickly get to work demolishing the parts that can't be saved, including a three-story rear extension, which has rotted through from roof to floor. Joining the project will be apprentices from YouthBuild Boston looking to earn jobs in the building trades. In order to recruit two young carpenters from the program to work with the crew, master carpenter Norm Abram visits YouthBuild's annual carpentry challenge. Back at the house, after more necessary demolition, certified arborist Jack Kelly and his crew arrive to remove a giant dead tree that had fallen from the project house yard onto the neighbor's garage. Renovating the house will be a great challenge, but the City feels it will make a statement of hope and respect in a neighborhood that has been plagued by foreclosures.
Master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with general contractor David Lopes to discuss problems he's encountered in the last several weeks, including major engineering challenges and a month of rain. Meanwhile, host Kevin O'Connor meets up with non-profit developer David Price to learn more about Roxbury's past and present. David explains the work that his CDC, Nuestra Comunidad, is doing to bring back parts of Dudley Square. As part of Nuestra's mission to create affordable housing, they recently held a public lottery for our project house that resulted in a qualified buyer. At nearby restaurant Merengue, Kevin meets the lucky buyer of the house, Roxbury native Lanita Tolentino, to go over her renovation plans. Back at the house, the foundation walls for the new rear addition have been poured and backfilled. Inside, David Lopes shows Norm what he's done to shore up the structure of the main house, and how he is using laminated veneer lumber to remedy a structural problem caused by the failing foundation. After extensive foundation excavation on the main house, a framing crew arrives to start raising the walls for the new addition.
Master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with general contractor David Lopes to check out the progress that has been made on the house both outside and in. They find that there has been extensive framing work completed, but unfortunately, a great majority of the house had to be rebuilt due to the dire condition of the structure. Out front, a concrete truck arrives to pour the footing for the new front entry, which will be one of the last sections to be reframed. Up on the mansard roof, David shows Norm how he's putting down the new roof using architectural shingles made to look like the slate that would have been on the house originally. Days later, the new, energy-efficient vinyl windows have been installed, and work continues on the exterior PVC trim. Host Kevin O'Connor catches up with carpenter Ed Curet to see how he's installing the new siding, which was both pre-primed and pre-painted, saving time and money. At the end of the day, paint color consultant Bonnie Krims shows Norm how she worked with all of the modern, low maintenance materials to create a classic color scheme that is historically informed.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the construction trailer leaving the site, making way for the landscape work to begin. The roofing and siding of the house have been completed and the paneling on the front bay window has been recreated to resemble what might have been there originally. In the basement, plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey reviews the waste and water configuration of the two-family house, and meets HVAC contractor Abdul Barrie to see the new, high-efficiency two-stage hot air system he's installing. Throughout the house, spray foam insulation has been installed to keep that warm air inside. Host Kevin O'Connor visits the Fort Myers area in Florida and realizes that while foreclosures are still on the rise in Boston, the city is better off than many others in the country. Real estate agent Mark Joseph gives Kevin a look at one of the country's most foreclosure-ravaged communities, and explains how the houses there are selling quickly, but often at half their former market value. Back in Roxbury, Kevin catches up with our new homeowner, Lanita Tolentino, to see the progress she's made on selecting flooring and kitchen cabinet finishes with the help of interior designer Tricia McDonagh. Out back, master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor David Lopes use low maintenance PVC decking and prefabricated railings to dress up the rear entrance decks.
Despite the bitter cold, landscape contractor Roger Cook works with a group of students from YouthBuild Boston to spread soil and put down sod in the backyard. Meanwhile, fence contractor Mike McLaughlin and his crew install a PVC privacy fence along the perimeter of the yard. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram and lead carpenter Colin Paterson are adding some period charm to the bay window area by installing custom casings and paneling. The house's existing plaster ceiling medallions were beyond repair, so Norm brings back preservation plasterer Rory Brennan to replicate them on site. Fortunately, the originals were nearly identical to the medallions from the Charlestown project years ago, so Rory mixes up some plaster and pours a new medallion from the Charlestown mold. Afterward, they install a completed casting in the front parlor. At the end of the day, the fence is nearly complete and the sod is finished, thanks to our group of intrepid apprentices.
Host Kevin O'Connor finds carpenter Zo Curet in the front parlor installing a plaster crown molding. This close reproduction of the 1870s original is a lightweight foam made with plaster and an acrylic coating which can easily be installed with nothing more than a joint compound. Homeowner Lanita Tolentino shows Kevin the colors she's considering as painting contractor Ivan Batallas paints an accent wall in the back bedroom. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits a workshop to see how the slabs for our new, eight-foot, oak front doors and sidelights are machined and pre-hung for installation as one large unit on the jobsite. Two miles down the road, Kevin visits an architectural antiques shop to find a matching marble fireplace surround for the second unit of our house. Shop owner Bill Raymer shows Kevin around and offers to donate a closely matching fireplace to the project. Back at the house, the new front doors have arrived, and lead carpenter Colin Paterson makes quick work of installing them.
General contractor David Lopes shows Kevin the progress on the puddingstone retaining walls and front entrances at our Roxbury project. Master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Dover, N.H. to see how millwork fabricator Denis Goupil and his team fabricated custom arches for the front of the house. Back in Roxbury, stone specialist Steve Torok installs a decorative antique marble fireplace surround and mantel to match the original at the house. Upstairs, Kevin finds flooring contractor Ingo Vu laying out and installing a pre-finished, solid birch floor that is hand-scraped for an aged effect. Interior designer Tricia McDonagh shows Kevin how she took cues from the panels in the bay window and the marble fireplace surround when designing the cabinetry and countertop details for the new kitchen.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook on site with the landscape apprentices from YouthBuild Boston. The group is helping to spread new soil in the front yard and also to plant low-maintenance ground cover and an ornamental dogwood tree. General contractor David Lopes shows master carpenter Norm Abram the progress at the front entry and in the kitchen of the second unit. Next door, countertop fabricator Danny Puccio shows homeowner Lanita Tolentino how to clean and remove stains from her new marble countertops. Nearby, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets Massachusetts State Representative Byron Rushing to look more closely at the historical aspects of Roxbury. Finally, Richard and David Lopes install a new tankless hot water heater in the basement of Lanita's unit.
With just one week left in Roxbury, tile contractor Angelo McRae shows Kevin how to install meshed white subway tiles with a rail cap for the kitchen backsplash. Kevin visits our Washington, D.C. project house to meet the family that moved in and see how our last venture in non-profit development turned out. Then, general contractor Tom Silva lends a hand to lead carpenter Colin Paterson, who is customizing and installing the stair treads and newel post for the new stairs.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the job nearing completion thanks to the dedication of general contractor David Lopes. Landscape contractor Roger Cook and the YouthBuild apprentices plant the final tree and spread mulch out front, while out back, fence contractor Mike McLaughlin installs the entry gate on the perimeter fence. Inside, designer Tricia McDonagh is readying the house for the wrap party, as the final light fixtures and window treatments are installed. Down in the basement, local HVAC contractor Abdul Barrie gives homeowner Lanita Tolentino a crash course on what she needs to know about the mechanicals in her basement. Boston Mayor Tom Menino stops by to see how the house turned out, and while work continues on the second unit, Lanita’s unit is ready for her to move in. Upstairs, she shows Kevin the tile and fixture choices in the bathroom, and also her spacious new bedroom and walk-in closet. Downstairs, as her family arrives for the party, her grandmother gets a batch of Cape Verdean cachupa going on the new stove, as Lanita shows master carpenter Norm around her new kitchen and living spaces. Norm and David Lopes reflect on how far the house has come in eight months, and as the team gathers for the wrap party, all agree that it was a successful partnership. While foreclosures remain a problem nationally, there is one less foreclosure on this street in Boston.
This Old House opens a brand new season by helping the Sharma family renovate their 1940's house on Boston's famous Charles River. Out front, the home's bland exterior will receive a curb-appeal makeover thanks to the creative ideas of architect Chris Chu. On the inside, the house will get a new, larger kitchen, updated baths and loads of new windows to take advantage of the spectacular views out back. General contractor Tom Silva conducts a structural investigation and cites concerns about a new EPA law affecting all contractors dealing with lead paint in 2010. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey finds asbestos in the usual spots in the basement, but with the help of asbestos inspector Glenn Potter, it's also discovered hiding in the ceilings, walls, under the kitchen sink and even in the joint compound. Work gets underway as landscape contractor Roger Cook puts erosion control in place to protect the flood plain, while asbestos abatement contractor Brian Fitzsimons begins what will be nearly two solid weeks of asbestos removal.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook preps for the new foundation of the entry hall by removing the old overgrown and badly pruned yews. Out back, host Kevin O'Connor finds general contractor Tom Silva and lead paint specialist Ron Peik demolishing the sun porch within the limits of the new national EPA lead law that now affects all contractors working on houses from 1978 or earlier. Master carpenter Norm Abram and homeowner Allison Sharma learn more about the grand estate that once occupied the neighborhood by visiting its original gatehouse, which is now a private home. Tom shows Kevin the progress on the excavation out front and out back, where Tom has transferred the load from the rear wall of the house, inbound, to a series of three temporary walls so work can begin. A team of concrete cutters arrives to set up and begin the process of cutting through the 10" thick concrete foundation walls. After the final cuts are made, they drop out a 16-foot section of the rear foundation wall to make way for the new family room addition.
The morning starts with the arrival of a 17-foot-long steel beam that weighs 900 pounds. It will carry the load of the house over the 16-ft. opening that was made in the rear foundation wall. Because the site is so hard to access, general contractor Tom Silva uses a crane to lift it up and over the house and place it carefully on a temporary wall near the installation site. Then, host Kevin O'Connor and Tom's crew lend a hand installing it. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets with product specialist Bill Gaines to see the insulated concrete forms being used not only for the foundations, but also for the above-grade walls on the new additions. Inside, Kevin welcomes Chris Kimball from America's Test Kitchen, to help us understand the "time capsule" of a kitchen that we have from 1940 and where the new design is headed for our homeowners in 2010. Back outside, the forms are complete and the concrete truck arrives to pour the foundation and walls. At the end of the day, Tom and Kevin discuss how the new lead laws affect interior work and how to properly test for it. Using proper protocol, the kitchen is gutted and the wall to the dining room comes down.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find most of the demolition complete, and the house entirely opened up. General contractor Tom Silva shows him the progress and then they get to work taking the dip out of the old kitchen floor by working from below, down in the basement. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram frames up the new mudroom and powder room on the first floor using Tom's preferred method of framing up new walls: cutting all of the stock to length; assembling the walls on the floor; and standing them up one at a time. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets Massachusetts State Director of Flood Control, Bill Gode, to see how the Charles River has been literally formed and shaped by several major engineering projects over the years, including three major dams. Back at the project house, as Tom contends with the termite-damaged sill out front, Kevin welcomes pest control expert Todd McNamara to see his "eco-friendly" plan to address the termites and also the carpenter ants out back.
Master carpenter Norm Abram meets homeowner Allison Sharma to review progress and see the new front entry and framed up kitchen. At the garage, he helps general contractor Tom Silva turn the flat roof into a pitched roof with the help of some prefabricated trusses. Kitchen designer Donna Venegas and homeowner Raveen Sharma review the layout of the new kitchen with the help of a paper mock-up. In the backyard, landscape contractor Roger Cook and urban ecologist Peter DelTredici show host Kevin O'Connor the native and non-native species taking over the flood plain. Norm and Tom review the layout for the new back deck and walkways and get to work setting 12 new footings to support them. Later, they frame up the floor of the new sunroom using engineered lumber.
Work continues on the Auburndale project, as general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram frame the flat roof over the new sunroom. To shed water, the roof will be pitched slightly. Tom accomplishes this by tapering both the LVLs and the roof rafters. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm an expensive change order in the basement bathroom, and he also shares the news that the homeowners have decided to add air conditioning. Meanwhile, host Kevin O'Connor visits the Boston Public Library to learn about the former resident of the home, one of Boston's most famous street photographers, Jules Aarons. At the library, Curator Aaron Schmidt and son Phillip Aarons share their perspectives on the man and his work. On the second floor, Richard shows Kevin the progress on the rough plumbing and explains the layout of the new back-to-back bathrooms. Out on the future roof deck, Kevin finds Tom finishing up installing the underlayment on the flat roof. He lends a hand gluing down the rubber membrane, overlapping the sections, and caulking the joints.
In the basement, host Kevin O'Connor finds plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey finishing up the installation of the floor-warming radiant heat that will be in the slab under the new family room. A concrete pump truck arrives to pour all of the concrete on the basement level, including the footings for the new deck, and a team of concrete finishers works to create a smooth and level new basement floor. In a tile showroom at the Boston Design Center, Kevin and homeowner Allison Sharma meet interior designer Melissa Gulley to begin making aesthetic decisions for the entire project. Melissa gets a feel for Allison's style by looking at images she loves, pulled from books and magazines. Back at the house, general contractor Tom Silva is busy installing the new energy efficient, vinyl clad casement windows in what was formerly one of the darkest corners of the house. He cuts in new window and wall openings to reveal the spectacular views of the Charles River for the first time in that corner.
Halfway through the renovation in Auburndale, master carpenter Norm Abram lends general contractor Tom Silva a hand patching in some sidewall shingles on the front of the house. Down in the basement, host Kevin O'Connor finds plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installing the ductwork for the new hydronic heating and cooling system, chosen for its flexibility in duct sizes, which are installed in the ceiling over the family room to feed the sunroom above. Next door, in the kitchen, Kevin finds master electrician Allen Gallant finishing up the rough electrical, and also using something new— 4-inch, dimmable LED recessed light units with a light source that will last 50 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Back out in the hall mudroom, Norm and Tom accommodate another change order (and finish up the rough framing) by installing a pocket door kit that you can get at a local lumberyard.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find work on the exterior progressing in the front, while out back, general contractor Tom Silva uses an acrylic stucco system to make the new basement addition blend in with the poured concrete of the old walkout basement. Inside, Kevin welcomes Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen back to the show to see the final layout of our kitchen and to get his opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the design. Back outside, Kevin finds Tom up on the roof, working to waterproof the valley where the flat roof meets the pitched roof of the new entry addition. Insulation contractor Tony Trigler arrives with crews to install four different kinds of insulation throughout the house for four different applications including, eco-friendly batt insulation, cellulose, and both open cell and closed cell spray foam.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets landscape designer Jen Nawada Evans to see her plan for opening up the front yard while also creating perennial beds that can be added to over time. Inside, plaster contractor David Crawford shows Kevin how he is blending the old work with the new. Certified arborist Matt Foti shows landscape contractor Roger Cook why the Norway maple out front cannot be saved and demonstrates how his crew is taking it down safely, being mindful of its entanglement with the power lines. Down the river from our project, Kevin and master carpenter Norm Abram take some time to see the Charles River through the eyes of its most colorful tour guides—the "conDUCKtors" over at Boston Duck Tours. They take a tour through the city streets and then "splash" into the river as the tour bus becomes a tour boat, revealing some of the best views in Boston. Back at the house, Kevin meets up with general contractor Tom Silva and painting contractor Mauro Henrique to see how his crew is removing paint from the old shingles and how they will use a solid body stain to let the texture of the cedar shingles show through.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook overseeing the crew that is setting the footings for the new pergola, while also preparing to give the concrete stoop a makeover using fieldstone veneer on the riser and a bluestone cap on the top. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva begin trimming out the first floor windows, starting with the 16-foot bank of windows in the sunroom. The trim details will match the originals, using a build up of unadorned profiles created with a moulding machine. With the pergola on the way, Roger takes homeowner Allison Sharma to the Arnold Arboretum to see several different kinds of vines and select one that is appropriate for her front yard conditions. Back at the house, Norm surveys the progress on the second floor and sees how tile contractor Rob Raps is using pitching sticks to create a mud job at the base of the new shower.
On site at the Auburndale project, the transformation of the back of the house is almost complete. Up on the deck, general contractor Tom Silva is putting down a new generation of composite decking—it is made from the same recycled plastic bits and wood waste that we’ve used before, but this time it has a durable new proprietary finish that carries a 30-year warranty. The manufacturer also provides a hidden fastening system and a prefabricated railing. Inside, painting is underway, and we’re using a product that promises richer colors, but also low VOCs—so master carpenter Norm Abram heads over to the factory to learn what goes into a quality can of paint. Painting contractor Mauro Henrique shows host Kevin O'Connor what he likes and doesn’t like about how the paint performs. In the living room, Tom shows Kevin how he’s making a few simple modifications to the fireplace mantel that will update its style to better fit in with the rest of the newly renovated house.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook getting ready to install nine tons of rustic Pennsylvania fieldstone for the new entry walkway. Inside, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how to recognize a quality cabinet, and they assemble the kitchen island that has been sent in pieces from the manufacturer. Upstairs, Kevin finds tile contractor Rob Raps working in the kids' bathroom to install the new black and white tile scheme. Then Kevin lends a hand while master carpenter Norm Abram boxes in the ceiling beams in the sunroom, finishing them off with crown moulding. In the front entry hall, Tom shows Kevin the interior MDF two-panel doors the architect has specified, as well as a beefier version for the front door, from the same manufacturer, just as it is being painted a color called "audacious" red.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find pergola contractor Mark Bushway and his crew installing the new custom pergola in front of the house. Inside, general contractor Tom Silva modifies the turnouts at the base of the main staircase, which are now too large given the open floor plan. He modifies the structure, tread, riser, and scotia to be both smaller and more squared-off to better match the details in the rest of the house. Landscape contractor Roger Cook preps the beds for planting as nurseryman Peter Mezitt delivers a 12-foot tall river birch tree that was grown in a 25-gallon container instead of the ground. This allows for better root system retention and seasonal availability. With proper care – teasing out the roots and using adequate compost and water – the results will be better than using field-grown specimens. Next-door neighbor Sue Hickey provides some of her extra perennials to round out the garden, and then, in the basement, Tom installs a new click-together laminate floor over the new concrete slab.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the wood island top being installed, and fabricator Paul Grothouse is on hand to show how he achieved the distressed finish. General contractor Tom Silva installs the "his & hers" closet systems that were designed online by interior designer Melissa Gulley and picked up at the local home center. Security system specialist Jack Basset installs the new wireless security system that cannot only detect opened windows and broken doors, but also the sound of breaking glass. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the high-efficiency two-stage air conditioning system, and an equally efficient system for heat and hot water thanks to a condensing boiler and an indirect hot water tank. Countertop contractor Danny Puccio installs the kitchen window stool his shop made out of marble, as well as the "leathered" granite countertops – a look that's achieved by using metal brushes rather than diamond polishing pads. Tom installs the exterior hardware and shows how the new "smart lock" can be re-keyed anytime without the help of a locksmith. Landscape designer Jen Nawada Evans oversees the planting of the neighborhood trees in the community island, and the sod going down on the project, which is just about finished.
In the last episode of the Auburndale project, master electrician Allen Gallant finishes up the exterior low-voltage lighting, while inside, lighting designer Susan Arnold shows off the installed lighting plan and how she's made a house with low ceilings look more spacious. Upstairs, host Kevin O'Connor meets plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey in the kids' bath to see the water-saving plumbing fixtures, and a bath fan that will turn on automatically when it senses humidity in the room. Interior designer Melissa Gulley shows Kevin how a small custom rug factory in Fall River, MA, is making the carpets for the house using both old and new world technology. Out front, landscape contractor Roger Cook shows master carpenter Norm Abram the hops vines that will be planted to grow on the pergola in the spring. Architect Chris Chu is on hand to review the overall effect of the changes to the front of the house and general contractor Tom Silva shows Norm the new composite shutters that add low-maintenance character to the front of the house. Inside, kitchen designer Donna Venegas shows Kevin the finished kitchen and the appliances that she specified, and then kitchen consultant Chris Kimball drops by to give Kevin his final thoughts on the space. Melissa shows Norm the challenges of furnishing an open floor plan on the main level, while upstairs, it is a master bedroom retreat, where homeowner Allison Sharma joins to reveal the master bedroom and luxurious bathroom. Down in the basement, it is all about family and function, as we see the family room, new bath, and laundry with Raveen Sharma and the kids. The entire team wraps up seven months of hard work with the traditional "wrap party" from our Auburndale project on the banks of Charles River.
For the second project of the season This Old House goes Hollywood with the first ever renovation project in the Los Angeles area. After seeing some of the local sights, master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor arrive at the 1933 Spanish Colonial Revival project house in the hillside neighborhood of Silver Lake. Homeowners Kurt Albrecht and Mary Blee plan to expand and renovate the 1,500-sq.-ft. house, while keeping and extending the character of the existing house into the small addition. Changes include a major kitchen renovation, a second floor addition and reconfiguration of the back half of the first floor. Norm ventures up into the Hollywood Hills to meet general contractor Steve Pallrand at a job he's been working on that showcases the unique challenges of building in Los Angeles. Back at the house, site supervisor Angel Leon gets to work salvaging finish materials for later reuse. Project manager Joe Luttrell begins preparations to replicate the plaster "cake decorating" details on the walls, and takes some time to show Norm their salvage yard. Angel and Kevin review the plans and outline the scope of work for adding a second floor on the back of the house to gain a full master suite. In order to do that, they need to remove the roof, so roofing contractor John Dybas arrives to harvest the valuable antique clay roof tiles for future use.
Master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor stop by one of LA's major movie studios to find homeowner Kurt Albrecht at work in the animation division where it can take his team up to five years to make a feature film. Back in Silver Lake, things are moving a bit quicker, as Kevin finds the front of the house intact, but the back of the house is opened up wide from demolition—no walls or roof remain. Site supervisor Angel Leon shows Kevin the result of three weeks of work—a massive foundation form for the new addition that will meet LA's strict seismic code and "hillside ordinance" regulations. Two of the biggest challenges are getting five loads of concrete delivered up the narrow winding streets, and the 3000 psi mix that tends to set up quickly in the California sun. Up in Stockton, California, Norm visits a facility where they replicate real earthquakes with the help of a "shake table" to assist them in developing ways to protect buildings—and therefore people—from damage. After a few weeks of framing, structural engineer Jeff Ellis shows Norm how the building science has been applied to the house through shear walls, hold-downs and tying off at every level. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey reviews the rough plumbing progress while the new heating and cooling systems are being installed in the basement.
Back in Los Angeles, host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the new clay roof tiles on site as well as the custom windows and doors, which are made of wood and single-glazed to keep a historic look. They meet the strict California energy codes with a combination of tempered glass and Low-E coatings. Roofing contractor John Dybas returns to show Kevin the plan they've come up with for the new roof: using the roof tiles from the old house for the perimeter of the new roof only where they can be seen from the street. The rest of the field will be new, manufactured two-pan tile to cut down on costs. Down in Corona, California, Kevin sees how piles of clay and sand are mixed with water and fire to produce our roof tiles. Back in Silver Lake, John shows Kevin the polypropylene underlayment he's using, the flashing details, and how his expert crew sets the tiles along the ridges using nails, mortar, and hand tools. Out on the reservoir, the director of operations for the LADWP, Marty Adams, shows plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey how the neighborhood landmark has been providing LA with drinking water, and why it is being taken offline. Up in Griffith Park, they go thirty-five feet below ground to see the new infrastructure going in that will supply the city with water in the future. Back at the house, stucco specialist Alfonso Garcia evaluates the condition of our stucco, which he'll be working on next time.
Master carpenter Norm Abram arrives to find site supervisor Angel Leon wrestling with the latest challenge of the project: replicating the arch details from the front living room in various openings in the house. Outside, stucco specialist Alfonso Garcia shows Norm how the stucco system starts on the new addition with the scratch coat, and then the brown coat. The top two layers will be placed once the base is dry. On the other side of the lake, host Kevin O'Connor meets resident director Sarah Lorenzen to see architect Richard Neutra's VDL Studio and learn why the house and the architect are so important to the neighborhood and to California modern architecture. Back at the house, insulation contractor Pat McKinley shows Norm the batt insulation he's using in the basement—it's a dusty-colored fiberglass batt made with 30% post-consumer recycled bottle glass and formaldehyde-free binders. Project designer Shelby Roberts takes Kevin to a South Pasadena tile showroom to meet tile specialist Tisa Adamson and see the reproduction tile that's being selected for the project. To cut down on costs, they choose a combination of hand-made and factory-made tile. Back at the house, wallboard goes up around the main arch leading from the kitchen to the new family room.
At the project house, exterior work has been delayed due to four weeks of record setting rains in Southern California. Inside, Host Kevin O'Connor finds plaster expert Alfonso Garcia installing custom foam forms to create a tray ceiling that replicates the existing detail in the house. Once the forms are in place, they are covered with plaster. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits cabinetmaker Larry Bucklan at his shop in the nearby neighborhood of Frogtown to see how work is progressing on the kitchen cabinets. The boxes and drawers are made off site in Orange County, but Larry's crew carefully makes the doors and the custom end panel for the refrigerator. Back at the house, Larry builds a toe kick to receive the base cabinets. Upstairs, Alfonso shows Kevin the "cat face" plaster technique he is using on the walls to replicate the original plaster style. This technique provides a combination of open and closed finishes—after the finish coat is applied but before it sets up, he goes back over it with his trowel leaving closed and open patches. Some areas of the finished coat are smooth and others are rough which are known as "cat faces." In the original part of the house Kevin finds a new stain on the ceiling of the dining room and a large hole in the ceiling of the front entry.
Host Kevin O'Connor checks in with homeowner Mary Blee, whose pregnancy has kept her away from the construction dust for most of the project, but she's keeping tabs on the progress thanks to the webcams and her husband Kurt Albrecht's photographs. Stucco specialist Alfonso Garcia shows Kevin the last two steps of the stucco system going up, which includes an embedded mesh for strength and crack protection, and also a top layer which has integrated color and a "sand" texture finish. Kevin goes to Orange County to see some new period-appropriate ornamental ironwork created for the house and the restoration of some existing work. Then, master carpenter Norm Abram visits a small shop in Covina, CA, to see how the reproduction tile for our project is being hand glazed piece by piece. Back in Silver Lake, Kevin meets tile contractor Carlos Sandoval to see the black and yellow tile going up in the powder room.
Host Kevin O'Connor gets a rare, up-close look at the Hollywood Sign with the man in charge of preserving it, Chris Baumgart. Then, in Silver Lake, flooring contractor Luke Hiller shows Kevin how he's matching the 1930s look of the old floors using new red oak with a walnut feature strip. Out back, the new terrace is constructed and the crew is adding some prefabricated decorative corbels made from foam that are covered with the same stucco product as the rest of the house. Landscape designer Melanie Williams evaluates the existing yard, and then takes Kevin to a recent job in Windsor Square to show him that low water plants can also be attractive. At the end of the day, tile contractor Carlos Sandoval installs the California-made terra cotta tile on the back terrace.
Plaster specialist Alfonso Garcia shows host Kevin O'Connor how he is wrapping the kitchen cabinets in plaster for a look that is reminiscent of those found in Mexico. He fashions an archway over the sink, a cove at the ceiling, and a freehand bullnose detail at the corners. Then, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets up with local plumbing contractor Noe Lopez to lend a hand as he installs the pedestal sink in the first floor powder room. In the kitchen, master carpenter Norm Abram meets countertop contractor Tim Farr to see the soapstone countertops going in, and learns how to care for them going forward. Custom woodworker Larry Bucklan shows Norm how he is replicating the original ceiling star from the dining room for use in other parts of the house. With the profile matched and run and the miters cut, the pieces are joined with biscuits and glue and dried with an RF glue drier. Back at the house, carpenter Josheulo Mondragon installs the star with glue and a few finish nails. Outside, ornamental iron contractor Jeff Bradley and his crew install the 400-pound Juliette balcony, while inside, his wife and designer Robin Bradley show Norm the new decorative iron balustrade that is accented with circles of amber-colored glass.
Landscape designer Melanie Williams shows host Kevin O'Connor the progress in the front yard and how landscape contractor Jose Martinez uses broken concrete for the walkways at a fraction of the cost of flagstone. Then, they head to the local home center to see options for edging material for the planting beds. Inside, hardware specialist Dan Hakes shows Kevin the work he's been doing to restore the old hardware and light fixtures for the job. Dan mixes in reproductions to extend the look into the addition. Up in Malibu, Kevin visits one of the most spectacular Spanish Style houses in Southern California – the Adamson House – which is known for its extraordinary use of decorative tile. Back at our house, the Spanish theme continues with a new custom garage door that blends seamlessly with the period of the house: wood construction and iron window grates studded with dozens of "clavos" or rustic nail heads. Ornamental iron designer Robin Bradley returns as her team installs the front gates, which were fashioned to match an original found on site.
Work on the Los Angeles project wraps up with the finishing touches both outside and in. Plaster specialist Alfonso Garcia replicates the original "cake frosting" plaster detail on the walls, while plumbing and heating contractor Eric Downs shows host Kevin O'Connor the new bathroom fan system that not only takes stale air out, but also brings fresh air in through a damper in the basement. Homeowner Kurt Albrecht gets a look at the new HVAC system that will also clean the air, while landscape designer Melanie Williams shows off the finished landscape, and the irrigation system that will keep the plants healthy year round. Inside, interior designer Rachel Horn and her team from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, show master carpenter Norm Abram how they've used a mix of antiques, reproductions, and upholstery to create inviting spaces that are appropriate for a Spanish Colonial Revival. Homeowner Mary Blee introduces Kevin to her new son, who's arrived just in time to enjoy the renovated house. After a look at the master suite and the new kitchen, the family gathers on the back terrace to congratulate general contractor Steve Pallrand and site supervisor Angel Leon on a job well done.
This Old House opens a new season with work on a 300-year-old farmstead that is rich in Colonial history. Homeowners Joe and Becky Titlow plan to preserve the historic part of the house while adding space and modern amenities with two small additions. Architect Dan Quaile presents the plan using a remarkable model generated from a 3-D printer, while general contractor Tom Silva inspects the structure and historic window sash, which will be restored. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert, Richard Trethewey, finds the relic of an antique water pump system, and a newer mechanical system that contains some inefficient and unsafe aspects. Master carpenter Norm Abram is concerned about the high water table, especially when it comes to excavating for the new additions. Landscape contractor Roger Cook considers the half-acre lot and what the homeowners would like to add—a storage shed, raised garden beds, a new driveway, and stone walls. The bulk of the landscape work will be clearing and reclaiming nearly half of the back yard that has been overwhelmed by brambles and invasives.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook starts by transplanting the shrubs and plants from the front of the house to a place where they can be "heeled in" for safe keeping until the job is complete. Homeowner Joe Titlow shows host Kevin O'Connor how his company builds highly detailed architectural models (and a whole host of other useful items) by printing them with a 3-D printer. Then, Roger gets to work clearing the small trees and overgrowth that are in the way of the new family room addition. Near the oldest part of the house, Kevin and master carpenter Norm Abram dig in by removing the front entry porch and the accessibility ramp. Then, in accordance with the new EPA lead paint laws, they set up to begin removing the peeling and rotted clapboards. Out back, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he's laying out for the new addition, and excavation begins. As expected, water is discovered, and Roger gets to work setting up a drain and sump pump system to deal with it. Mason Mark McCullough arrives to demo the exterior parts of the 1970s-era chimney that are in the way of the new addition.
Master carpenter Norm Abram continues work on removing the old clapboards, while out back at the new addition, general contractor Tom Silva and mason Mark McCullough carefully open up a hole in the old fieldstone foundation that will connect the old basement space to the new. Inside, host Kevin O'Connor finds window restoration specialist Alison Hardy and her crew removing the historic sashes to be taken off site for rehab. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey visits the local library to see the oldest existing flag in the country, the Bedford Flag, first hand. Back at the project house, Tom shows Kevin a rotted sill that he found during demo and explains how he plans to patch, rather than replace it. The footprint of the addition starts to take shape as Tom forms the new foundation out of ICFs. At the end of the day, a concrete truck arrives for the pour.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the floor and walls of the new entry addition framed up, and general contractor Tom Silva getting ready to create the connection to the main house. He lends a hand as they frame up the new roof that will overlay the existing roof. Mason Mark McCullough returns to repair the exterior chimney that was cut away to make way for the new family room addition. Mark shows Kevin how to weave in the bricks so they look like they've always been there. Homeowner Joe Titlow shows Kevin why he wants the hulking fireplace and chimney gone from his kitchen, and they get to work removing it from the top down, brick by brick. Master carpenter Norm Abram revisits the oldest This Old House project to date, the Acton Project, to see how the addition there is holding up after 17 years, and what they'd do differently if they could do it all again. Back at the project house, Kevin and Joe check out some recent discoveries from the jobsite—musket balls, sleigh bells, ox shoes, and silverware from the Colonial days.
Host Kevin O'Connor meets with landscape designer Jenn Nawada Evans to see her plan for the rambling site. The first order of business is reclaiming a good percentage of the backyard from invasive vines and brambles that have been encroaching on the lawn for years. Landscape contractor Roger Cook and his crew make quick work of it using a skid steer loader with a brush hog attachment. General contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram assemble and raise the gable wall for the new family room addition. Then, on the front of the house, Tom and Kevin repair a historic windowsill that has collapsed, while adding new insulation, flashing, and side casings to the opening. At the end of the day, Norm and Kevin demo the old, low ceiling in the ell to see if any head height can be reclaimed for the new kitchen.
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the new family addition framed up and sheathed using something fairly new – a coated OSB product that has the properties of a house wrap built in. Building science expert Joe Lstiburek explains why he thinks the sheathing board, when properly installed with taped seams, beats traditional methods of keeping air and water out of a building. Inside, Kevin finds general contractor Tom Silva and a major discovery—a cast iron pipe that was run several years ago straight through two structural beams in the kitchen. The fix is a new footing and lally column in the basement, and new post supports in the kitchen placed to accommodate the new stove vent hood. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets window restoration specialist Alison Hardy at her shop in Peabody, Massachusetts, to see the historic window sash stripped, repaired, re-glazed and repainted. Later at the house, they will be weather stripped and outfitted with new hardware to increase their insulating and mechanical performance. With the structured now fully repaired, Tom and Kevin take down the old wall of the ell, opening up the kitchen to the new family room for the first time.
General contractor Tom Silva tops off the existing cellulose insulation in the walls of the oldest part of the house. Meanwhile, landscape contractor Roger Cook takes homeowner Becky Titlow to see a display of "garden to table" raised beds at Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley, MA. Then, back at the house, landscape designer Jenn Nawada lends a hand as Roger builds raised beds out of fieldstone from the old foundation, and Becky plants the first vegetables for her family. On the roof of the new addition, Tom shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's using a self-sealing membrane on the low slope roof, and at the drip edge, to properly waterproof the roof.
General contractor Tom Silva finishes up the last of the structural work by replacing an undersized and partially rotted old post in the kitchen. Meanwhile, window restoration specialist Alison Hardy reinstalls the restored historic window sashes in the dining room, adding spring-action hardware and weatherstripping to make them more efficient. In the garage, host Kevin O'Connor finds electrician Allen Gallant upgrading the electrical service to 100 amps so it can function as a workshop. Allen installs a system of metallic tubing as conduit on the inside of the building, and outside, brings the wires to the garage via a fishing system controlled by foot pedals for safety. Then, Kevin meets interior designers Dee Elms and Andrew Terrat at a house they designed in Cambridge, MA that inspired the look for the Bedford Project kitchen. Back at the house, Tom shows Kevin how he's removing the more modern narrow strip flooring in the study to reveal the more historic wide pine boards underneath. With a light sanding and clear finish, the 200-year-old patina will stay intact.
General contractor Tom Silva installs new red cedar clapboards on the oldest part of the house using a story pole to match the coursing of a later addition. Then, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey arrives to help remove some existing plumbing that's in the way of the new kitchen. Meanwhile, landscape contractor Roger Cook installs a new horseshoe-shaped asphalt driveway that will later be topped with a rustic finish to make it look like a stone driveway, without the mess or the maintenance. Then, Richard shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's solving a rough plumbing problem by using a wet vent in the downstairs powder room.
Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva rebuild the front door surround to eliminate rot and also to create a more attractive and historically accurate entranceway. Certified arborist Matt Foti inspects the ailing American Beech tree, and finding die back and root compaction, prescribes deep root injections that will both amend and aerate the soil. Host Kevin O'Connor meets nurse-turned-general contractor Monica MacKenzie at an antique home she recently renovated in Hingham, Massachusetts. Back in Bedford, interior designers Dee Elms and Andrew Terrat show Kevin and homeowner Becky Titlow where the design for the new space is headed—a sophisticated blend of modern and rustic elements that will be comfortable and low maintenance for the family.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs a 3,000-pound slab of reclaimed granite for the front step. Meanwhile, general contractor Tom Silva installs new wood windows in the addition that come with exterior trim already attached and finished in the factory. In the next town over, in Concord, Massachusetts, master carpenter Norm Abram stops in to see the progress on the period restoration of the Colonel James Barrett house, a little known house that played a big role in the American Revolution. Back in Bedford, host Kevin O'Connor finds plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey and local HVAC contactor Kevin Doran sealing and insulating the old ductwork, and also fabricating new ductwork for the addition. Meanwhile, in the backyard, Roger and his crew have prepped the soil, and are broadcasting a rye grass mix that will blend with the old lawn but will require less maintenance.
General contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram install the massive decorative timbers in the new family room. Meanwhile, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor the location for the new A/C condenser and how to set it on a prefabricated concrete mounting pad. Then, Norm visits the Parson Capen House in Topsfield, MA—a house similar to the Bedford house from 1683 that's been largely unaltered over the years. Back in Bedford, Tom shows Kevin the progress on the new front entry deck and how he's fastening the mahogany deck boards with a new hidden fastening system. It consists of a tool that serves as both a spacer for the boards and a jig for the proprietary screws. In the backyard, homeowner Joe Titlow works with family and friends to install a new garden shed that he ordered online from the home center. At the end of the day, the insulation crew arrives to add closed cell spray foam insulation to the new addition.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook uses old-style bricks made in Massachusetts to create a winding path to the new entry door. He uses half-bricks strategically placed to cheat the joints just enough to make the turns. Meanwhile, inside, wallboard and plaster are up, and the cabinets are going in. Kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows host Kevin O'Connor the challenges of fitting a modern kitchen into an ell from the 1700s, and the solutions she came up with along with general contractor Tom Silva, to hide some of the imperfections. Then, in the family room, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey unpacks the zero-clearance gas fireplace to show Kevin how it works before it is installed. Next, master carpenter Norm Abram helps Tom make and install wainscoting for the powder room out of old sheathing boards. Then, outside, Tom gives Kevin the news that our red farmhouse will no longer be red—the homeowners liked the gray primer so much that the finish color has been switched to a similar gray-blue. Painting contractor Mauro Henrique uses an airless sprayer to begin the transformation. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the eleven-inch-wide white oak floor boards go down with staples, glue to prevent cupping, and cut nails for historic effect.
General contractor Tom Silva shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's restoring the c. 1720 raised panel front door with flexible epoxy and a new paint job. Countertop installer Danny Puccio is on hand as the 1300‐pound marble island top is hefted into the kitchen, and kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows how the hole in the marble will accommodate a concealed compost bin. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's upgrading the ducted HVAC system to go from one zone to three with the help of a plug‐and‐play zone damper system that makes retrofits and zoning a hot air system easy. In Plainville, Massachusetts, furniture maker Steve Staples shows Norm how he's making our custom farm table top out of reclaimed floor joists. Back in Bedford, Tom shows Norm how he is using two old doors found in the house to make sliding "barn" entry doors for the new walk‐in pantry. Mason Mark McCullough installs the new raised brick hearth around the zero‐clearance gas fireplace using the bricks from the old kitchen chimney. Homeowner Joe Titlow takes on yet another project himself, this time composite decking and replacing the rotted railings on his back deck.
Landscape contractor Roger Cook oversees the final finish going down on our driveway – a thin layer of liquid asphalt and stone that ends up looking like a gravel driveway, without the maintenance. Inside, master electrician Allen Gallant installs a new LED strip light at the old fireplace to give the brick surround a warm glow. Decorative painter Tony Bevilacqua shows host Kevin O'Connor how he created a bright custom canvas wall covering for the new powder room. In nearby Concord, Massachusetts, master carpenter Norm Abram meets blacksmith Carl Close to see how he's making a Colonial‐inspired boot scraper and doorknocker for our house. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin the new single garage door that's made to look like two carriage doors thanks to a false post down the center. Kevin meets with realtor Ron Phipps to discuss why antique homes can be challenging to sell, and how we've addressed the major concerns with the renovation we've done. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the latest offering in hot water heaters – a hybrid type that functions like an instantaneous hot water heater, but with a heat exchanger and small storage reservoir that eliminates the wait for hot water and also improves efficiency. Then, lighting designer Susan Arnold reveals her strategy for lighting both the high‐ceilinged family room, and the low‐ceilinged kitchen, and how she's controlling everything with a new system that can be operated via an app on a smart phone or tablet.
As the Bedford project wraps up, landscape contractor Roger Cook and landscape designer Jenn Nawada Evans install both the new and old plant material, adjusted at the nursery for the change in the color of the house. In the kitchen, tile contractor Mark Ferrante installs the ceramic backsplash tile with a crackle finish that requires sealing three times to prevent seepage and staining through the cracks. In the dining room, interior designer Dee Elms is on hand as wallpaper hanger Mike Bradshaw starts installing the new hand‐woven paper from Japan. The front yard design is compete with the arrival of sod, and Roger installs the reproduction boot scraper in the granite step by the front door while general contractor Tom Silva adds the doorknocker. As furniture is delivered, host Kevin O'Connor meets kitchen designer Kathy Marshall and homeowner Becky Titlow to see the finished kitchen, and the appliances and fixtures they've chosen. Homeowner Joe Titlow shows master carpenter Norm how he's managed to get a pretty good workshop space in the garage, despite budget constraints. Then, Dee reveals the design choices they've made in oldest part of the house – brightening up the parlor and transforming the dining room with color and texture. In the new addition, Dee's design partner, Andrew Terrat, gives Kevin a grand tour of the new spaces including the new entry, mudroom, powder room, kitchen, and dramatic new family room. The entire crew of This Old House joins for a party to wish the Titlows well in their "new" old house.
As the next project starts, demolition begins on the 1950s porch addition and the first floor is gutted.
The crew prepares the house for Hurricane Irene and begins framing the second floor.
Installing windows using a custom copper pan for flashing; installing architectural shingles.
Exterior shingles; hydronic system integrated with a solar hot water system on the roof.
Installing a custom copper gutter and scupper as well as coastal tolerant and native plants.
The Brazilian hardwood garapa is installed on the new deck; red cedar shingles. Red oak flooring and decorative polyurethane brackets are installed.
Replacing cracked asphalt with new concrete pavers in the driveway; using cherry veneers in the kitchen; wall cabinets; setting the new tub.
Retractable awning; Saratoga soapstone; light fixtures; electric floor warming system.
Glass tile; installing a garage storage system; cable railing system; installing a gas stove; LED down light.
Advanced programmable thermostat; solar shades; dividing the master closet into his and hers spaces; girl's room includes timeless pieces and colors.
This Old House is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the crew will turn the inside of a dark, divided 1887 two-family into an open, Scandinavian-style one-family. Kevin O'Connor tours the house, while Roger Cook finds surprises outside. Richard Trethewey does an eye-opening energy audit. Architect Marcus Gleysteen shows Kevin his Scandinavian-style home. Tom Silva brings in deconstruction experts to remove unneeded parts, carefully peeling back the layers.
Deconstruction continues and Kevin visits an "eco" resale store in Springfield, MA. Arborist Jack Kelly removes the sick Norway maple that, left untouched, would come down on its own one day soon. The architects show Kevin the plan via a 3-D computer model, then they visit a house down the street with homeowner Sally Peterson to see the design ideas that first caught Sally's eye.
With the interior opened up, master carpenter Norm Abram shows host Kevin O'Connor the bones of the building, and the unique features of a balloon framed house—studs that run from sill plate to top plate, with floors that hang from that structure. On the first floor, general contractor Tom Silva needs to relocate a load bearing partition wall, and take the dip out of the floor. He uses temporary supports, makes up a carrying beam, inserts the new structure, and then removes the old wall. Out front, Kevin and homeowner Sally Peterson meet Susan Maycock from the Cambridge Historic Commission to learn about appropriate colors for the outside of her Victorian-era house, and how many homeowners get it wrong by using too many colors in the wrong places. While the outside of her home will be traditional, inside it will be anything but, so Sally takes Kevin up to Porter Square to see the style she's after via a shop where owner Dale Anderson curates a collection of vintage and current Scandinavian items for the home. Back at our house, Tom continues to frame in the basement, but this time without wood—he's using new tongue and groove foam panels with embedded plastic studs and wiring chases. Kind of like a partial ICF, he installs them against the fieldstone foundation with a foam construction adhesive. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows Kevin how he's upgrading and relocating the electrical service on the house.
After a quick coffee in Porter Square, host Kevin O'Connor finds general contractor Tom Silva working on the architect's plans to vary ceiling height on the first floor for dramatic effect. Kevin lends a hand in the living room as they use two-by-fours and strapping to drop the ceiling by eight inches in two key places. Then, Kevin travels to Fairfield, CT to meet designers Edie Van Breems and Rhonda Eleish to learn how our house's Scandinavian modern style evolved from more rustic Swedish country interiors. Back in Cambridge, master carpenter Norm Abram shows Kevin the framing progress on the second floor where there will be three bedrooms, a laundry, and a shared bath. Norm notes where Tom made the ceilings flat without necessarily needing to be level in the bedrooms. On the third floor, they review the framing upgrades, and Kevin helps Tom install a new skylight so it will never leak. At the end of the day, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey arrives with ductwork and plans to introduce air conditioning to the house for the first time in its history.
Kevin joins the legions of Cambridge locals by biking to work on a vintage bicycle restored locally. Landscape architect Greg Lombardi presents a plan for a yard that combines both traditional and modern elements. Tom shows Kevin how he's gotten rid of the steps to the roof deck by dropping the structure into the ceiling of the second floor. Roger arrives to tackle the giant stump left over from the old Norway Maple, first with a chainsaw, then a stump grinder. Richard shows Kevin how they've kept the ducts out of the roof rafter bays to preserve that space for insulation, and on the second floor, how they've hidden the air handler at the top of a hall closet. The plumbers have also been creative by using cast iron on the vertical runs of waste pipe in the bedrooms to dull sound, and by using a new polypropylene green pipe for supply lines as an alternative to copper. The new system incorporates connections that are fused using high heat.
Mason Mark McCullough shows Norm how he's repointing the old brick foundation with great care and a type N mortar that is slightly softer than the brick so it will give before the brick does. Then Norm and Tom repair the sagging front porch by jacking up the porch roof, replacing one of the rotted posts with a match from a local salvage yard, and then fastening the roof back to the house. Kevin visits Community Rowing on the Charles River to see how they make the Cambridge pastime of rowing available to everyone, including kids, disabled vets, and even general contractors. Back at our house, the historic porch railing is rotted and paint-caked, but the conservation district says we must replace it in kind, so Tom and Kevin re-build it out of 2x2 stock ripped down from 6x6s. Tom details the fire blocking and fire caulking as spray foam insulation begins in our balloon frame house.
Roger replaces the existing concrete front walk with a beautiful new bluestone design. They jackhammer out the old walk and start the prep for new. Tom shows Kevin the modifications he specified on the replacement windows to make them more acceptable to the Historic Commission. On the third floor, tile contractor Mark Ferrante, uses a shower waterproofing system made up of prefab components that can be customized for any size shower. We're not the only ones planning a modern house inside the shell of an old one—architect Michael Kim shows Kevin how he did just that in Brookline, and how modern and traditional can live in harmony. Painting contractor Mauro Henrique starts paint prep and shows Kevin the shades of yellow the homeowner is considering for the exterior.
After a taste of the local Japan Town, host Kevin O'Connor meets Vito Bucco, a 60-year veteran of the plastering trade. Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva match the old staggered shingle pattern. In Boston's South End, Kevin visits interior designers Andrew Terrat and Dee Elms for a sneak peek at the Scandinavian Modern vision. Radiant heat and the boiler are going in.
Norm and Kevin arrive to find the painters putting up a tinted primer with airless sprayers, turning the house from a bland grey to a sunny (and Swedish) yellow. Inside, Tom and Norm get to work trimming out the double hung widows on the second floor with an elegant, modern detail specified by the architect. Back outside, Norm finds custom gutter fabricator Augustin Crookston on site again to form and install the custom copper half round gutters for our project. Kevin meets homeowner Sally Peterson and appliance expert Sandy Lashway to explore the benefits of upgrading to professional grade ranges and ovens at a hands-on showroom. Back at the house, Richard meets fireplace specialist John Sullivan to see the Danish-designed zero-clearance wood burning fireplace insert he's providing for the living room. With the fireplace installed, homeowner John Stone shows Kevin the design and storage options they considered for fireplace wall, including the final design.
Norm drives up to find the paint job and the gutters complete, and the effect of the yellow, white and black with the copper is fresh, and decidedly Swedish. Inside, our Scandinavian-style house will be white on white, except for some key accents of wood. Tom shows Kevin how he's installing Southern yellow pine boards on the ceilings at the bay windows for architectural interest. On the third floor, the designers have chosen to add some color in the form of bright blue mosaic floor tile. Tile contractor Mark Ferrante shows Kevin how he's using the same mosaic to create a feature strip on the vanity wall to break up an entire wall of oversized white subway tile. Out on the roof deck, Tom uses cellular PVC porch boards and a customized railing system to complete the space. In the kitchen, Norm shows Kevin the prefinished maple flooring they are using and how he's working from the middle of the floor out, to compensate in case the exterior walls are out of square. At the end of the day, the last detail is installing a custom cap for the roof deck railing.
In the side yard, Roger installs two new sets of granite steps to access the old deck. Tom shows Kevin how he's making a new window seat fit into an old bay window. Norm installs the last of the maple stair treads, and creates a custom newel cap out of southern yellow pine. In the master bedroom, Tom shows Kevin how he concealed access doors within the wainscoting for the knee walls. Painting contractor Mauro Henrique use a whitewash stain with a lacquer finish to make our southern yellow pine ceilings look Swedish.
Kevin meets proprietor Jack Woker at his record store in Porter Square to see why people still love and appreciate vintage vinyl. Back at the house, Roger shows Kevin how he's using two lightweight plastic drywells to deal with the water that will come off the roof. Inside, kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows Kevin how she used cabinetry details and custom wood finishes to create a Scandinavian-inspired kitchen. Norm meets HVAC consultant Evan Trethewey to see a new thermostat that claims to be able to learn your habits and preferences. Tom shows Kevin how he's refurbishing the old pressure treated deck by covering it over with click-together Ipe deck tiles.
Kevin arrives to find Roger putting in the plants before the weather turns. He's using a mixture of traditional plants and modern grasses to achieve the same mix of old and new as the rest of the project. Inside, the fireplace is ready for its hearth. Stone specialist Danny Puccio shows Kevin how they are using pietra cardosa (Italian sandstone) turned upside down to achieve a rustic finish that goes with the Swedish theme. The sides of the woodbox are getting the same stone, right side out with a honed finish. Norm visits Paul Grothouse in his state-of-the-art Pennsylvania shop for a meeting of the woodworking minds. The butcher block top for the kitchen island has a "waterfall edge" made with an eye-catching joinery technique called a dovetail key. Paul trucks the island top to Cambridge, where the whole crew lends a hand getting it in the house, and in place. On the third floor, Richard is working on a waterfall of his own – he shows Kevin the progress on the plumbing trim out and the wall mounted fixtures for the double vanity sinks.
Kevin arrives to find Roger finishing up the driveway and the planting. Inside, Norm finds the first floor nearly complete—and very white—except for the small powder room where wallpaper installer Mike Bradshaw is putting up a bold hand-drawn wave pattern made in England. We see his technique for cutting and installing around the new blue vanity. Tom turns his attention to the basement, where he meets homeowner John Stone to help him make a simple DIY workshop with materials from the home center. They make a workbench out of a solid core door and add pegboard for tool storage. Next door to the workshop, the basement hallway and playroom will be more finished than the workshop, to give the kids a place to play. Jamie Gilmore shows Kevin how his team prepped the room by grinding down the high spots of the concrete, sealing the surface against moisture, skimming the surface with concrete, then finally applying the linoleum composition tile. Local glass artist Carrie Gustafson invites Norm into her workshop to see how she translates her background in printmaking and her love of natural, organic forms into magical pieces to hold the light, like the fixture she's making for the entry foyer at our project. On the third floor in the master suite, closet designer Erin Hardy shows Kevin the latest offerings in storage options that blend seamlessly with the modern aesthetic of the house. Back downstairs, at the end of the day, automation expert Doug Schmidt shows Kevin how he's provided wireless control for the battery- powered window shades, the first floor lighting and music. He's also provided an amazingly slim flat screen that pivots on a bracket for easy viewing, or tucking away flush with the wall it sits on.
Norm arrives to a rainy morning in Cambridge. The weather, however, isn't stopping Roger, who is putting in the last of four granite posts. Inside, Norm finds Tom reinstalling a little piece of nostalgia from the old house: an old-school doorbell that the homeowners wanted to keep. Next, Kevin finds Sally and kitchen designer Kathy Marshall settling Sally's stuff into her new kitchen and showing off its functional features: appliances, storage, sink, faucet, chopping block drawer, and even a hideaway step stool. Downstairs, Kevin finds John with no man cave, but rather great space for the kids, a workshop of his own, and Richard, who's given him high efficiency mechanicals. Richard welcomes back energy auditor Jimmy Seaborg to see how we did on tightening up the building. Back outside, Kevin meets landscape architect Greg Lombardi to see his plan realized. There were some adjustments because of budget, but the design intent is still intact: hardscape and plant material work together to create separate areas of use and function. The other great outdoor space is the roof deck; Norm recaps the work out there and then meets interior designer Andrew Terrat for a tour of the master suite. The second floor is all about the kids so Sally shows Kevin the highly functional laundry, and how the girls each had a say in the colors and details of their own rooms. The heart of the project is really the first floor. Designer Dee Elms walks Kevin through the entry foyer, hallway/mudroom, powder room, built-in hutch, living room, and dining room. As Andrew shows Kevin the highlights of the kitchen, the crew and homeowners gather for one last hurrah...until the newly installed doorbell rings! Everyone flows out onto the front porch for a last look at the exterior and a farewell cheer with the neighbors.
The second project of the season finds Norm and Kevin back on Cape Ann, this time in the scenic riverside town of Essex, Massachusetts. Not far from the antique shops and clam shacks downtown is a 1935 English-style cottage in the woods that homeowners John and Julie Corcoran hope to turn into an accessible in-law residence for Julie's aging parents. Norm finds lots of deferred maintenance, rot, a failing roof and windows, and some strange architectural choices, like the giant shed dormer that is out of sync with the rest of the cottage. Inside, Julie shows Kevin what she loves about the house and how she plans to make it comfortable and accessible for her parents, with all the necessary amenities on the first floor. Outside, Richard shows Norm the oil tank that's in the way of the new kitchen and why he might like to abandon oil altogether to pursue geothermal heating and cooling instead. In the basement, they will have to contend with ledge, well water treatment, and the unknown status of the current septic system. John shows Roger the large yard and how they'd like to keep the many trees, shrubs and perennials, while getting rid of the ratty vegetable garden and runaway forsythia. Architect Sally DeGan reviews the renovation plan with Tom and Kevin with the help of a highly detailed 3D model. Roger gets to work clearing small junk trees and the forsythia, while a specialist is brought in to properly remove the oil tank so Tom can begin work on the addition.
Kevin heads downtown to Boston to the Institute for Human Centered Design to see how good design can make living easier for people of all ages and abilities, not just those who are disabled. Back in Essex, Tom and Roger are underway with site work so that our doorways can eventually be level with the ground, requiring no steps. Inside, demolition is underway, and on the second floor, it has revealed bizarre and unsafe framing from a previous renovation that will need to be fixed. At the small kitchen bump out, excavation is complete, and the footings are in progress. Architect Sally DeGan shows Kevin that in her practice, accessible homes don't have to be institutional, they just need a short list of key considerations—one-floor living, room to get around, good lighting, no thresholds, and barrier free showers. Back in Essex, a few weeks later, the foundation for the addition is complete, as well as the first floor platform and gable end of the kitchen. Before work can progress, Norm, Tom, and Kevin need to remove the bad shed dormer. They make quick work of it with careful demo and a 60-foot boom lift. Meanwhile, Roger shows the progress on the retaining walls that will support the new patio. Then, Norm, Tom, and Kevin frame up the steeply pitched roof of the kitchen addition starting with the ridge beam and then all of the rafters, one by one.
With the main framing complete, Tom shows Kevin where water infiltration has damaged the house, what he's doing to repair it, and how he'll prevent it from happening again. Landscape architect Jade Cummings shows Kevin the plan for the side patio and how it's designed for ease of entry into the house, but also for dramatic effect and proper drainage. Then, Roger shows Kevin how he's adding a fieldstone veneer to the concrete retaining walls to give them the rustic look of a dry laid wall. In Bucksport, Maine, Norm meets architect John Gordon to see the house he designed for his physically challenged daughter, Jessica. Back in Essex, Norm and Tom replace a rotted sill, while Roger adds granite veneer to carry the look of the old foundation around the rest of the house.
Roger meets aquatic systems specialist Yorgos Gregory to learn about our existing and neglected water feature and to see what it takes to restore it to good condition and function. Kevin meets Richard to learn the anatomy of a water well and how we can revive ours. Drilling expert Roger Skillings arrives with a drilling rig to diagnose and treat the problem. In the backyard, Kevin finds master electrician Allen Gallant working on a 100-yard trench from the house to the street down below. Excavation revealed that the service was once buried, but then put above ground again in the 1960s. Today he's reburying it 18 inches down with PVC conduit that follows the contour of the land thanks to a PVC heater. At the end of the day, Kevin finds the drilling rig still on site as renewable energy specialist Ross Trethewey explains why this is an ideal site for geothermal heating and cooling and how it will work.
Norm arrives to find the new windows on site and largely installed. Tom shows him how they matched the original casement details and the operation features. Exterior trim is also going on the building, and Tom walked Kevin through the options the other day. Tom shows Kevin the stock exterior window trim choices available at the local home center, and then an option of making your own (that will last longer) out of cellular PVC if you want a slightly more custom look. They gather supplies to bring back to the Essex house. Norm has the PVC stock glued up, and Tom runs the sill profile on his moulding machine. Richard brings Kevin up to speed on the geothermal installation. The work begins with the drilling of two 350-foot deep wells or "bore holes" using the same rig that drilled our water well last time. The next step is to insert the loops into the closed loop system and grout them in place. Tom shows Kevin the detail for the cedar sidewall shingles that were pre-dipped for longevity and are being installed over cedar breather. We learn how to weave shingles around interior and exterior corners and into the flashing around the windows Tom trimmed out earlier. Roger & Kevin with see how the 5-foot trench for the geo pipes has hit ledge, and what dynamite can do about it. The blasting crew drills 5-foot deep holes into the ledge, fills them with explosives, wires them together and the show ends with a bang!
Kevin and Roger dig the Essex clamming scene out on the flats, then are regaled with some world-famous fried clams where they were invented a century ago: Woodman's of Essex. Norm drives up to the project house to find the infrastructure work (finally) settling down outside, and reminds us that we're designing for one-level living. Inside, on the day before spray foam insulation, he reviews the floor plan while Richard provides an update on rough plumbing and ductwork progress. Challenges include running vents to the backside of the house and getting ducts up into the steeply pitched roof spaces. Radiant floor panels are going down on second floor. Back outside, Norm finds roofer Dennis Gannet and his daughter Sarah Gannet installing the standing seam metal roof. Back on the front side of the house, Kevin finds Roger halfway through the front walk. He's created a flush condition at the front door with a Chelmsford granite slab, then a bluestone patio near the outcropping that then transitions to Rockport granite at the walk. It provides a rustic woodland look, while maintaining a safe and stable surface for the older folks who will be living here. We see how stone is cut with a trace chisel vs. a saw to create a broken edge. Being on a hill and having a metal roof don't make us as vulnerable to lightning as as much as being near the water does. Kevin meets Parker "PJ" Willard Jr. to see how he'll protect the house with a lightning rod system that is aluminum based vs. copper so as not to react with our aluminum roof. We see the three main components of the lighting protection system: air terminals, bonding and grounding.
Inside our Essex cottage, insulation is in and drywall is going up. Tom shows Kevin the progress and they meet drywall installer Brian Jones to see his method for boarding ceilings using a panel lift and scaffolding for the high cathedral ceiling in the kitchen. Upstairs, the plastering is well underway. Tom shows Kevin the rustic/Old World effect the homeowners want and how plastering contractor Bob Bucco achieves it using rounded corners and the rough/base coat plaster as the finish coat. At a third-party testing facility in Falmouth, MA, Richard meets George Heufelder for a brief history of septic innovation and a look at new technology that is on the horizon, and already here. One of them uses "membrane bioreactor" technology, and we're going to try it out in Essex. George's group approved the system, and it is a true leap forward in wastewater treatment. Back at our house, manufacturer Ingo Schaefer helps show Kevin how it works. We got the septic in before the cold weather, and now Roger is trying to do the same for the hardscaping. He shows Kevin the decorative bands that will make up the border for the (future) asphalt parking court, with granite strips and cobbles making up the pattern. Back inside, Norm brings out the decorative timbers that must go up in the kitchen before the plaster can continue. Tom is reusing old oak beams to simulate collar ties and rafters, and he and Norm fabricate the final joint and install the pieces.
Norm visits the last shipyard still located in Essex, Mass. A home that was restored with accessible retrofits is toured. At the cottage shiplap barn-board walls are installed; the mantel is built; Roger finishes the yard; and Kevin checks on the reclaimed tile hearth.
Exterior details are added to the sunroom; the historic look of the original cottage is revived with parged plaster, salvaged tile and oak floors. Norm visits rock hero Daryl Hall at his antique home and studio.
Completing the geothermal system; installing reclaimed marble tile and hand-painted border tile. Exploring a two-story accessible design in the Seattle home of architect Emory Baldwin.
The season's final episode tours the cottage after the installation of interior screens and a Dutch door.
For the first time, This Old House takes on three homes at the same time. The team meets the homeowners and discusses rebuilding stronger, smarter, and safer.
The team discusses how FEMA impacts building requirements, and foundation options. The Manasquan home is razed. Kevin takes a tour of Bay Head. Trouble begins at Point Pleasant.
The Mantoloking home is examined from a new angle while the Bay Head house begins framing. The team learns about a innovative foundation to be used on the Point Pleasant home. And the shows visits a business in Bay Head that has already successfully rebuilt.
The show visits the boardwalk at Seaside Heights to view reconstruction. The Bay Head home has a new deck installed. The Point Pleasant project gets crushed! A visit to the factory that will make the Manasquan house in only one week.
The windows are installed at the Bay Head house. At Point Pleasant a new dinning room is installed in place of the garage. And the modular home arrives on site in Manasquan.
Breakaway walls and flood vents are installed at the Point Pleasant. The work on the modular home continues. What plants and trees survived Sandy?
Footings are added in Bay Head home. Point Pleasant gets stone veneer, fiber-cement siding and composite decking. Manasquan project is finished. Pro surfer Sam Hammer visits the show. And marine biologist Chris Wojcik talks about the bay.
A tour of the Mantoloking project. And the wrap party for the Jersey Shore projects.
After many months on the Jersey Shore, Kevin meets up with Tom Silva at Robbins Farm Park in Arlington, Massachusetts, a family town that also has a cool vibe thanks to its proximity to Boston. The new project house, an 1872 Italianate, is just down the hill. Kevin meets homeowners Heather and Malcolm Faulds—they love their house, but know that it needs some updating. The dramatic two-story foyer, covered with a sea of little kid shoes, reveals the need for a mudroom. They want to open up the floor plan, and they definitely need a bigger, better kitchen. Upstairs, the plan is to renovate the full bath, make room for a laundry, and create a real master suite with a second full bath. Outside, Tom shows Kevin how the addition will look, as well as the challenges of foundation work, bricks that need repointing, and badly patched holes from previous insulation. To make the basement into finished space, Tom and Richard need to deal with moisture getting in, a matrix of pipes at the ceiling, a boiler and two sets of stairs that need to be relocated and an unappealing crawl space where they may have to dig for footings. Clearing out first will give them room to work on everything else, so the crew gets to work removing the old boiler and heat pipes. Roger arrives to protect hardscape and landscape from damage during construction. By the end of the day, as the old kitchen and office get demolished, our latest homeowners can already see the improvement.
Richard investigates a curious Arlington Heights landmark as Fred Laskey from the MWRA explains why the locals dressed up their water tower to resemble an obscure Greek Temple. Back at our house, Tom shows Kevin what demolition revealed: a hidden back staircase, great new ceiling height in the kitchen, and decent framing that can be reused in the former office. Upstairs, the discoveries are not so good: the second floor joists in the former full bath are badly compromised. The plan is to beef up the structure by sistering in joists from below, but first, they must remove the old stairs from the second floor all the way down to the basement. At Portland, Maine's Victoria Mansion, one of the grandest and best-preserved examples of Italianate-style architecture in the U.S., Tim Brosnihan shows Norm the hallmarks of the style and how preservation carpenters like Caleb Hemphill are diligently working to restore and preserve this architectural gem. Back in Arlington at our humble Italianate, Roger relocates a massive rhododendron from the front to an elevated bed in the backyard
Kevin, Norm, Tom, and mason Mark McCullough replace the substandard foundation by pouring a new slab and curb, all while preserving the antique fieldstone foundation. The crew also finds headroom and original plaster details in the living room.
Tom joins the home's new roof to the existing. Architect David The architect explains how much change an 200 additional square feet the house. The existing fieldstone foundation gets additional repairs and waterproofing. Roger tours a nearby Garden. Norm and Tom repair the front door.
Leveling the ceiling in the kitchen and the floor in the finished basement is explained. An opening for a new window is cut. Landscape architect Cricket Beauregard explains what to do with a shady front yard.
The new kitchen windows are inspected. Cast iron waste pipes are installed with a traditional lead and oakum joint. Outside -- trim is replicated and new siding is installed.
Selective tree pruning occurs in the yard. Inside, Richard explains the choice between PEX and copper for water supply lines. Kevin tours an 1872 Stick Style home.
Exterior colors are proposed. A tour of a nearby 1870 Italianate style home. Richard shows a more attractive approach to PVC vents. Tom shows his favorite applications for radiant heat.
A "Deadliest Catch" star drops by to help with plaster cracks. Making the second floor railing safer.
Granite steps are placed on a bed of ice to melt them into place; plaster is repaired by hand; a 3D-printing specialist shows how the repairs can be made in a computer; the design options for the front porch railing are reviewed; and the balustrade is fabricated.
A hydrangea that is damaging the foundation is removed. Painting with red paint. How to keep the basement dry.
A visit to Spy Pond in Massachusetts. A new water main is installed. Chestnut flooring is selected. Fiberglass gutters that appear appropriate to the historical period are installed.
A sidewalk is prepared. Custom moldings are installed. Tiles are picked by the homeowner. New doors and countertops are installed.
Adding the final edge detail to soapstone countertops; cutting down 12-inch marble tiles for wainscoting; oval mirror frame; oak stair treads; darkening soapstone countertops with carnauba wax and walnut oil.
Installing a custom PVC fence and arbor; creating a marble herringbone pattern in the powder room; grout options for the faux slate floor in the mudroom; building a sliding barn door; alternatives to the usual shade plants.
A teak island top is installed in the kitchen; a vanity top is added to the master bath; an electronics nook is built; the pebble tiles on the shower floor are grouted; handmade wallpaper is hung; and a new front door is installed.
A truckload of fresh sod is rolled out; a replica ceiling medallion made with a 3D printer and a custom copper vent hood are installed; a garbage disposer is selected; a pedestal sink is installed in the powder room; and storage space in the master closet is maximized. Also: a lesson in crown molding.
The Arlington Italianate project concludes with a look at how the master bath was modified to accommodate a steam shower; a tour of the basement, bedrooms, baths and laundry spaces; and an overview of the decor choices.
Season 35 opens in Boston, where an 1850s-era Greek Revival house is to be upgraded. The homeowner would like to improve the kitchen and the third floor, where the master suite is located. The retaining walls also need work.
A fix for a major problem: exterior walls that are bowing outward. Two weeks of work in the basement, meanwhile, has lowered the floor by several inches; the radiant heat-insulation system is installed; and it's shown how the roof is under-structured. In other events, Norm revisits a Charlestown townhouse featured on the show 14 years ago.
How the old chimney will be modified for gas fireplace units. The framing progress is also spotlighted, including in the breakfast area and the third-floor master suite; and rebuilding the backyard retaining walls commences. Also: a chat with a structural engineer about one of Charlestown's most iconic structures, the Zakim Bridge; and a visit to a salvage yard that has architectural elements from the Greek Revival period.
The progress on the now-approved dormer is spotlighted. Elsewhere, Insulation and wallboard are put into place; and a reclaimed brick veneer is installed on the kitchen bump out. Also: the world's last wooden whaling ship is observed arriving at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
The ductwork for the new direct vent gas fireplace units is worked on; subtle Greek Revival details are added to the interior window trim; and the exterior window trim is painted. Also: Sullivan Square Community Garden; and Beacon Hill's hidden gardens.
A major upgrade begins: adding a Greek Revival-style front door. On the second floor, new wood wainscoting is installed; a feature wall insert for the master shower is created with marble basket weave tile; and small section of copper roof is added to the roof.
A basement door is concealed; the new Cararra marble island top is spotlighted; a PVC fence is installed on top of the retaining wall; the front steps are given new life with a grinder, a router, epoxy and non-slip exterior paint; and the salvaged marble mantel and surround are installed in the sitting room. Also: the transformation of a Boston lighthouses into a summer home.
The Charlestown project wraps up. Included: restoring the exterior with a new dormer, windows, shutters and front entry; testing the security system; visiting the mechanical room in the basement; spotlighting the completed master suite; and touring the second floor, which features a guest room, guest bath and new living room.
Work on a 1966 colonial in Lexington, Mass., commences. The project includes adding a farmer's porch; relocating the playroom; gutting and redesigning the kitchen; and adding a mudroom. Also: adding two more bedrooms, a laundry room and a sitting area to the second floor.
How the home will be renovated in stages so that the owners won't have to move out. The work begins with the back porch. Also: the framing of the first floor platform is outlined; and the building permit process is explained.
The second floor's front gable wall is in place; the roof framing is underway; and the framing of the new farmer's porch is spotlighted. Also: a tour of Lexington's historic district with architect Frank Shirley highlights the front porches on colonial-style homes; and a look at how the homeowners are getting by without a kitchen.
How the roofers applied new architectural shingles to the house to coordinate it and the new addition; and a look at the progress on the back deck. Also: preventing the P-trap from the second-floor bathtub from interfering with the decorative ceiling of the kitchen; and finishing up the trim and decking on the corner deck stair.
How a small stream in the backyard affects the entire yard. Also: trees are removed; shade plants are relocated to a new bed in the side yard; a five-foot section of wall is cut away to connect the kitchen to the great room; and the kitchen's plumbing conditions are discussed.
A look at the mudroom door; the work required to patch in new clapboard; the back deck's hybrid railing system; and the layout and design choices for the kitchen. Also: what goes into a rough electrical inspection; and what's trending in kitchens.
Rough mechanical and rough framing inspections are discussed; reinforced fiberglass columns to support the farmer's porch are installed; how an arched doorway is being turned into one that's squared off; and the storm window system being using to enclose the screen porch is spotlighted.
A covered gutter is installed; the infiltration system to disperse water from gutters into the ground is detailed; native plants that will return part of the lawn back to nature are discussed; and how existing aluminum wiring is being worked with while updating recessed light fixtures and installing sconces over the mantel. Also: the making and testing of two types of windows for the project.
Progress on the mud room and kitchen
With the second floor sanded, stained and sealed, the crew commences work on the first floor; the custom refrigerator panels are spotlighted; and a chest of drawers is re-purposed as the sink base in the powder room. Also: local designer Robin Gannon shows how she decorated 22 rooms of an historic inn.
The bluestone front walk is started despite significant grade challenges; porcelain tile made to look like slate is installed in the screen porch; and the vanity project is recapped. Also: selecting and fabricating antique granite for the front walk and custom house marker.
A look at the LED ribbon strip lights being used under the cabinets in the kitchen and butler's pantry. Also: the mudroom storage system is built; the ventilation system is reviewed; wallpaper is applied to the ceiling in one bedroom; and decorative stripes are painted on an accent wall in another bedroom.
New plants are added to the landscaping plan; and a wrought-iron chandelier with 52 bulbs is installed. Also: the radiators being used in the garage and upstairs sitting room; the upstairs laundry room; and the insulated steel garage doors that should help keep the heat inside the garage.
Installing tall fescue, which needs less water and fertilizer than other varieties; and designing the great room's entertainment center. Also: the finished mechanical room; and the final heating and cooling decisions.
The transformation of the 1966 Garrison Colonial is reviewed. Included: the technology built into the new kitchen; the customization of the spaces over the garage; and the updates made to the older parts of the house.
This Old House partners with Homes For Our Troops to build a house for Army veteran SSG Matt DeWitt. Kevin sees the plans for the DeWitt project. Norm, Tom and Kevin help with framing the exterior walls. Kevin meets the HFOT Chairman to understand their mission. Kevin meets another veteran who also received an adapted home. Kevin rejoins the project in New Hampshire to see the truss roof going up.
Kevin learns that Matt DeWitt’s disability doesn’t limit his cycling passion. Richard sees some of the 150 ADA approved requirements in the home. Kevin meets HFOT recipients Alex and Holly Dillmann. Richard learns about touchless faucet technology. Norm sees an ADA-compliant shower threshold and automatic door openers. Kevin meets Cat to discuss how life will be more manageable for Matt.
Kevin, Roger, Tom and Norm build a high tunnel greenhouse for Matt and his family. Kevin meets HFOT Community Outreach coordinator Chris Mitchell for Volunteer Day at the house. Kevin visits Army veteran Joe Beimfohr at his home. Closet builder Brian McSharry creates a special master closet design. Norm designs and builds a rustic dining table. The DeWitts finally move into their new home.
A new project begins in Belmont, MA with a focus on salvage and restoration. Homeowners Katherine and Murat Bicer plan to revive their 1895 Victorian by building a front porch, refurbishing the original windows and opening up the kitchen.
Roger saves the plants that have to come out to make way for the porch. Tommy starts demo to open up the kitchen and determine how he’ll support the weight of the house. Norm learns about Victorian details. The window pulley systems are repaired.
Tommy replaces rotten lally columns in the basement. Norm removes the marble sink and claw-foot tub from the guest bath to restore. Richard discovers an historic house with 19th Century air conditioning and plumbing. Tommy saves hardwood floors.
Installing flitch beams in the kitchen; a tour of a laminated veneer lumber factory; rear-mounted toilet; a plan for the shade-covered backyard.
Tommy calls in an excavator to begin work on the footings for the new porch. Norm meets homeowner Katherine and kitchen designer Linda Cloutier in the new open kitchen to discuss the layout. They head to Linda's showroom to see the cabinet and counter selections. Kevin helps Tommy and his crew frame in the new closet and bathroom for the master suite. On the third floor, in order to fix the ice damage throughout the house, Tommy must first remove all of the old fiberglass insulation. To do this he uses a giant vacuum. Back on the second floor, Norm and Tommy resize an existing door to fit in the smaller opening for the kids' bath.
Kevin meets mason Mark McCullough as he starts laying blocks for the mudroom foundation. Tommy builds a custom bay window for the new kitchen. Norm visits the shop where the original windows are undergoing restoration. Tommy shows Kevin how he uses a Dutchman's patch to cover the holes left from abandoned electrical outlets in baseboards. Kevin meets homeowners Katherine and Murat at the Boston Design Center, where we meet their interior designer Amanda Reid and learn about her plans for the formal living room. Kevin finds Tommy putting in another beam to open up the front entryway.
Kevin meets Richard in the basement and learns about the plan to keep the existing boiler but add a ducted system and a condenser for air conditioning. Tommy's excavation crew replaces the old steel main water line at the front of the house. Kevin learns how mason Mark McCullough lays brick for the new porch piers. Kevin finds Tommy pouring a concrete "rat slab," which will protect the mudroom against moisture and critters. Richard visits the tile showroom where homeowner Katherine and designer Amanda Reid are making final selections for the bathrooms.
Framing the front porch; ductwork; Brimfield Fair, an outdoor antique show; furnishings.
Kevin arrives at the back of house to see Tommy framing the new mudroom. He then finds the homeowners meeting with architect Mat Cummings, who has put together a couple of color-scheme options for the exterior of the house. Richard travels to New Bedford, Mass., to see the claw-foot tub undergoing restoration. Electrician Allen Gallant shows Kevin the remnants of old knob-and-tube wiring and snakes new wires for new fixtures in the master suite. Tommy uses a custom-made knife to shape new molding that matches the existing exterior molding.
Tommy lays down mahogany flooring on the new front porch, adhering to a special layout called for by the architect. Homeowner Katherine and interior designer Amanda meet with lighting designer Susan Arnold to select new modern fixtures inspired by some existing fixtures already in the house. Tommy explains the difference between open- and closed-cell foam insulation and applies both to solve the ice dam issues throughout the house. Richard learns about the two new gas fireplaces as they're installed on the first floor. Tommy shows Kevin how to lay out and install the shingles on the front porch roof.
Tommy converts a glass-paneled storm door into a custom mudroom-porch window. Interior designer Amanda Reid and homeowners Katherine and Murat select Victorian-inspired paint colors for the main living areas. Tommy shows Kevin how he clads the porch piers in white cedar shingles. Mark Ferrante lays marble tile in the master bath walk-in shower. Tommy lays down classic white oak tongue-and-groove floors in the kitchen and master suite.
Tommy creates an arched feature for the new gable above the front porch stairs that mimics the arch in the side gable of the house. Then he adds the finishing touch to the front porch: cedar columns. Kevin travels to Vermont to see an artisan create a custom floorcloth for the kitchen. Tommy builds the porch railings, which require a special detail in order to meet code. Kevin begins a labor of love: a tree house for the kids.
Treehouse; installing refurbished windows; installing wainscoting in the front entryway; restoring the parquet flooring.
Roger replants the trees and shrubs he dug up and relocated before construction began. Meanwhile, landscape designer Jennifer Nawada puts the finishing touches on the backyard. Norm visits an old-school craftsman who is carving two newel posts to match the original on the main staircase. Kevin helps Tommy install the kitchen cabinets. Now that the marble countertop has been cleaned, it's ready for installation in the new powder room. Upstairs, the refinished claw-foot tub finds its new home in the master bath. After a big team effort, the tree house is complete and ready for the kids to enjoy.
Norm finds kitchen designer Linda Cloutier overseeing the kitchen countertop installation, and discovers her unique idea for the kitchen sink. Norm helps Tommy build a columned divider between the eating area and the mudroom, which will help separate the spaces and provide ample storage. Richard reviews all the changes to the mechanical systems in the house. Painter Mauro Henrique applies a special primer to one wall in the kitchen that will magnetize the wall, allowing the homeowners to use it for messages and notes. Interior designer Amanda Reid shows Kevin how she's using window treatments to create certain looks throughout the house. Kevin finds Tommy walking through the house with the homeowners, going through his final punch list.
Kevin finds Roger in the front yard, finishing up his landscape transformation. Norm is on the new front porch, noting its beautiful design details. Just inside, homeowner Katherine shows Kevin the new front entry details. Tommy shows them how he makes the PVC floor registers look like the surrounding wood. In the master suite, interior designer Amanda shows Kevin how artist Pauline paints an intricate damask design on the walls. Up on the 3rd floor, homeowner Murat and Richard install the interior storm windows and then admire the new bathroom and guest quarters. Outside, Kevin recaps the treehouse build and then joins Tommy to discuss the functional mudroom addition. Murat shows Norm the new master suite, and Richard points out the bathroom features. Amanda and Katherine show Kevin the changes in the family room, formal living room and dining room. The new kitchen is revealed, and everyone celebrates the renovated home on the new porch.
On the North Shore of Massachusetts, homeowners Bill and April Harb begin building their dream home on a plot of raw land. The traditional farmhouse will look like it's been there for 200 years, but the building methods are at the forefront of innovation. Bill shows Kevin and Roger the site plan and walks them around the property, pointing out the first steps in the process. Norm and Tommy tour other factory homes built 5 years ago and 105 years ago, learning about the methods used for assembly. Back at the site, Kevin meets general contractor Erik Kaminski, who is leading the tree-removal process. Richard meets town official Brendhan Zubricki, who's performing a perc test to assess the soil.
Tommy and Kevin visit the Vermont factory where the house will be built, as general contractor Erik Kaminski watches the first shipment of framing parts leave. Richard meets Ed Akerley, who drills and blasts through the rock ledge to make room for the foundation. Norm and Erik watch as Scott McKenzy and his team build forms and pour concrete for the foundation.
An inspector arrives to approve the new foundation. Kevin sees how Erik Kaminski installs the perimeter drain, which will keep groundwater away from the house. The first shipment of precut framing lumber arrives on-site via multiple flatbed trucks. Landscape architect Kim Turner explains her landscape plan to Richard and the homeowners, with a focus on making the property look like it’s been there for a very long time. Matt Khoury leads the start of the framing process as Richard checks out the numbering system for the panels.
With framing in full force, general contractor Erik Kaminski walks Tommy through the first floor to show him how the house is coming together. Kevin meets homeowner April and interior designer Kristina Crestin to see the plan for the living/dining room. Back on-site, Erik walks Kevin through the house and shows him how they're raising the roof. With the main house framed, the crew moves on to the garage. Exterior trim arrives, and Erik shows Kevin how he attaches the fascia board to the ends of the rafters.
Erik lays red cedar shingles on the roof. Kevin visits a reproduction first-period colonial home a few miles away find out how houses were roofed 400 years ago. Up in Rupert, Vermont, homeowner Bill shows Kevin how the reproduction light fixtures the couple selected are handcrafted. Window installation begins. Norm heads to Maine, where homeowner April and interior designer Kristina Crestin search for salvaged doors for the pantry and dining room.
Drilling begins on a geothermal system that will reduce the Harbs' energy bill by almost 50 percent. Norm tours local first-period homes with housewright Matt Diana. Kevin travels to the Vermont factory to see the stairs and wall panels being built. Back on the North Shore, Kevin learns about a new technology to seal ductwork.
General contractor Erik Kaminski shows Kevin how he installs clapboard siding. Roger, landscape architect Kim Turner, and homeowner Bill select salvaged granite for the yard. Richard and Erik discuss the insulation plan for the house. Richard sees how the geothermal pipes are connected in the basement. At the factory in Vermont, Kevin sees the kitchen cabinets coming together.
Erik takes delivery of the kitchen cabinets, and Kevin assists with installation. They head outside to start work on the driveway. In the backyard, landscape architect Kim Turner shows Roger how she's installing reclaimed granite as a rustic patio. The den gets some formal wainscoting. The homeowners meet with designer Kristina Crestin to select interior paint colors. Erik installs the factory-made staircase.
General contractor Erik Kaminski shows Kevin how he installs clapboard siding. Roger, landscape architect Kim Turner, and homeowner Bill select salvaged granite for the yard. Richard and Erik discuss the insulation plan for the house. Richard sees how the geothermal pipes are connected in the basement. At the factory in Vermont, Kevin sees the kitchen cabinets coming together.
As work winds down and winter winds up, Kevin and Roger assess the exterior transformation. Erik Kaminski and Kevin build a custom closet from off-the-shelf piping. Norm and Tommy walk through the mudroom and living room to see Kristina's designs. Richard shows Kevin the brand-new geothermal heating and cooling system. April and Kristina give Kevin a tour of the second floor. Downstairs, Norm and Tommy chat with Erik and Mike Connor about the building process. The entire team meets in the kitchen to celebrate another job well done.
Homeowners plan to restore and expand their early English-style Arts and Crafts Home; plans for mechanical and plumbing systems.
Homeowner Emily sorts through colors and wallpaper ideas for the living room. The old plaster walls are demolished. Landscape architect Kim Turner presents her plan to Nick and Emily and a certified arborist begins removing the old silver maple.
The heavy lifting and dirty work are underway: installing a new steel beam to provide support for the addition, removing an oil tank and digging for the new foundation. Meanwhile, Norm visits local examples of English-style Arts and Crafts houses.
A new foundation is built using insulated concrete forms and precast stairs, while the old exposed foundation is reinforced and waterproofed.
Tommy and Kevin follow steel beams from fabrication to installation on the addition. Richard works on the HVAC plan for the 2nd and 3rd floors. After the front porch is removed, new footings are placed. Kevin learns how to size a new firebox.
The homeowner apprentices with the mason on the fireplace. Kevin joins the homeowners at a custom cabinetry shop in Maine as they begin to design their new kitchen. Tommy changes the pitch of the two small dormers in back.
A custom range hood is fabricated, and on the roof a rebuild of the original chimney. The homeowners meet with the designer to talk about options for the first floor, including the living room panels.
The new foundation is parged to match the old stucco. Richard uses some creativity to drain the new master bath shower and the electrician starts work in the new powder room. Tommy and Charlie replace the living room windows.
The project’s old front porch was a hodgepodge design - part permanent, part temporary. Kevin finds Tommy framing the new front porch using custom cut and assembled rafters. The new design puts an Arts and Crafts punctuation mark on the front of the house. Nick and Emily have chosen special marble from Danby Vermont for their countertops. Richard travels to the world’s largest underground quarry where the stone originates to find out how marble makes it’s way from inside the mountain to inside the kitchen. Emily wants the new exterior color of the house to fit in with the Arts and Crafts design. She has brought in a preservation specialist, Sally Zimmerman, to help with the color selection. Norm catches up with them to find out what they have decided. Stucco panels are part of the Arts and Crafts charm of the project house, but they need work. Mark McCullough, in the process of fixing panels, shows Kevin the lost art of stucco.
Homeowner Emily has always wanted an enclosed space for her yoga and it was decided an outdoor shed would be the perfect solution. Kevin meets the foreman of the shed company who will oversee the one-day process. The walls come pre-assembled and raised like an old-fashioned barn raising. Tommy comes by at the end to inspect the construction. On the main house, a standing seam copper roof is installed over the front porch. Kevin and Tommy watch the final pieces go on. Then Tommy shows Kevin how to trim a window using a PVC product. He shows Kevin his special technique of using a rabbet joint to connect the joints. Down in the basement, Richard watches as a state of the art boiler gets installed by plumber Kevin Bilo. This new system will take a huge bite out of the high heating bill. Then Richard takes a road trip an hour away to visit a newly built house that uses advance building techniques and eco-friendly materials to achieve remarkable energy efficiency.
Exterior decorative features are spotlighted, including a roof detail over the bank of windows, refinished front door and evergreen trees on the edges of the property. Also: lazure painting in a bedroom.
Ship lap is chosen for the third-floor walls while reclaimed granite is used for steps, a marble slab is cut for the kitchen island and a cast stone mantel is built around the fireplace in the family room.
The kitchen island countertop is installed; work commences on a fieldstone wall in the front yard; wallpaper covers a new secret door in the upstairs foyer; and the finished heating, cooling and ventilation system is examined.
A tour of the competed project house, including the new addition in the back; updated front hall, dining room and pantry; expanded master suite; new bathroom; and new front porch.
A couple plan to renovate an abandoned home themselves, beginning with the leaky roof.
Installing a security system; blowing in insulation from the outside.
Richard snakes a camera down a drain to look for damaged pipes. Tommy repairs a leaky parapet.
Peeling paint is removed. The original leaded stained glass windows in the living room is restored.
At the Russell Woods project, Tommy repairs crumbling decorative molding with a plastic replica created by a 3D printer. Frank and Tamiko head to Kohler, Wisconsin to look at plumbing fixtures, while Richard gets a tour of the nearby factory. Back at the house, Richard and Frank repair some compromised joists in the upstairs bathroom. Tommy teaches Frank and his friends how to install kitchen ceiling strapping, and then Kevin heads to the project in Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood to see the efforts to repair the foundation.
Installing rough wiring in the kitchen; adding a new HVAC system; installing new fascia.
Repairing damaged oak flooring with a clever fix; repairing front steps; tile studio in Detroit.
Installing leaded glass bay windows; laying down modern wood-grain tile; urban farming in Detroit; installing a drywell; installing kitchen cabinets.
Interior painting; repairing decorative molding with a putty knife; installing interior doors; revitalizing a fireplace.
A tour of the completed house, citing both interior and exterior improvements.
A woman inherits her childhood home, but she and her husband make changes to accommodate their children and in-laws; Mike Rowe discusses the need for skilled tradespeople.
New foundation is poured as the house is readied for demolition; roses and lilacs are saved before demolition begins; mold is found in the basement.
The crew installs a beam to support a new opening in the kitchen. Also: the homeowners select finishes and the apprentices work on the front porch.
A new floor is built. Also: Richard, the homeowners and the designer hunt for an old clawfoot tub; Tom shows the apprentices how to level the front porch and build a hip roof; and Kevin visits Baltimore to learn about a training program.
The apprentices learn the basics of framing a deck, while around the corner the chimney is demo-ed. The homeowners work with their interior designer to create a custom pattern for the tile floor. The flue for the wood-burning stove is installed.
The apprentices frame a wall in the master bedroom, build a drain stack for the master bath and lay decking on the front porch. Meanwhile, the homeowners visit their kitchen cabinet designer.
Dining room flooring is used to make a barn door; an uninsulated crawl space is found after breaking through the basement wall; the garage floor gets radiant heat; and the front porch gets new columns. Also: Roger teaches a horticulture class in the field.
While the apprentices get a lesson in roofing, Kevin visits Rhode Island to watch how an elaborate Chippendale railing is put together. A new slab of concrete goes in the basement to keep the moisture out. Richard shows how ductwork is put together.
Tommy builds a shower seat made of foam. Richard connects steel piping. Tommy teaches how to install replacement windows. Tommy shows Kevin and Joe how he makes a jig for the exterior shingled flair detail.
Granite goes down for wood stove. Nathan installs the porch ceiling. Kevin visits a home in Rhode Island where the exterior trim is pine. Richard reviews the placement of components at mechanical wall. Mauro shows how to repair holes in old plaster.
Tommy trims the rough interior columns. Liz makes a stained glass window. Kevin tours a flooring factory in Pennsylvania. Richard visits a voc-tech school plumbing class. Norm shows Kevin a few new tricks he's learned for installing stair treads.
Norm installs an old door in the hallway. Roger watches a stone wall being installed in pre-made sections. Kevin visits a career day for the trades. In Rhode Island, twin built-in beds are made. Tommy re-installs a corner cabinet in the dining room.
Roger explains why some preventative tree work is needed. Homeowner Liz gets a lesson on tiling. The original black newel post is found to be walnut. The apprentices graduate after 10 weeks of hard work.
Liz helps Norm lay composite decking. Charlie makes exterior decorative brackets. Kevin watches quartz countertop installation. Roger's crew makes a new front walk. Liz puts in her stained glass window. Dry wells are needed for storm water runoff.
Tommy and Charlie install a fireback on a kitchen wall. Roger returns the roses and lilacs he saved and brings in some new plants. The island countertop goes on. Kevin watches a crew install a garage door. The wood stove finally arrives.
Kevin tours the renovated house with the homeowners. What was once Liz' childhood home has been transformed into a house for the next generation. Their kids and Joe's parents arrive to check it out.
A new series begins in Charleston, S.C., where Kevin and the team introduce two projects: a brick 1840s "single house"—unique to Charleston's historic downtown district—and a multi-generational 1890s home in a nearby transitioning neighborhood.
Demo starts on the Charleston projects. Homeowner Judith discusses planting options with Roger and then he visits a nursery that can provide what she needs. Kevin tours the American College of Building Arts. Richard goes privy diving.
An old fireplace will house a new stove. Tommy discusses using interior casework with exposed brick. The kitchen house brick needs repointing. Roger tours hidden gardens. Across town, demo continues while Tommy and Judith look at flooring options.
A new foundation starts out back while out front Roger determines if a crepe myrtle can be saved. Kevin visits Fort Sumter. The single house mantel and windows are restored and the old kitchen house will be connected to the main house.
Kevin meets a lumberjack on the Edisto River. In a house with no stud walls, Tommy watches how pipes are disguised and Richard seeks out places for HVAC equipment. Kevin learns about Single Houses. A crepe myrtle is pruned and Tommy talks termites.
The rotting porch is assessed and a new floor is made to look old at the single house.
The old piazza columns are restored offsite; some blacksmith students at a local college for the building arts fabricate the iron gate; and modern light fixtures are selected for an old house.
Judith looks at house colors starting at Rainbow Row; and Tommy inspects termite damage.
The pergola goes up; Ross tours a smart home; and kitchen cabinets are installed at the Single House.
Custom iron gate at the Charleston Single House; final tours with homeowners; send off from piazza.
This Old House is headed to a century-old New England cottage in Jamestown, Rhode Island, to restore the home's charm while also making it energy efficient. Homeowners Dana and Donald have a net-zero energy goal for the new home for their family of four, with state-of-the-art energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity at top of mind. For the first half of our 40th season, Sweenor Builders will be renovating the current structure as well as creating an addition that will double the size of the home. The biggest challenge? Making the two halves behave as a single, uniformly efficient and healthy whole.
This Old House is headed to a century-old New England cottage in Jamestown, Rhode Island, to restore the home's charm while also making it energy efficient. Homeowners Dana and Donald have a net-zero energy goal for the new home for their family of four, with state-of-the-art energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity at top of mind. For the first half of our 40th season, Sweenor Builders will be renovating the current structure as well as creating an addition that will double the size of the home. The biggest challenge? Making the two halves behave as a single, uniformly efficient and healthy whole.
Jeff shows Kevin how he's framing the net zero house, and Richard demonstrates heat loss and gain to design a balanced HVAC system.
New apprentices join the team in Rhode Island as the roof goes up. The homeowners visit a cabinet showroom to finalize their plans. The house gets sheathed. It's the finish line at Judith's house in Charleston. Kevin and Tom take the grand tour.
Insulation is crucial to a net zero house. Kevin finds Jeff and the apprentices starting the work. Dana shops for efficient yet decorative lighting. Tom and Jeff work with the apprentices to build false rafter tails and then they install them.
Roof insulation is next step at the net zero house. Richard tours the basement of The Breakers in Newport. Kevin meets Congressman Norcross at the house, who is also an electrician. Apprentices install and flash windows.
The electrician installs a load center. Tom and apprentices put up cedar roof shingles. Kevin and Jeff add insulation to the basement. Tom shows apprentices how to block behind walls with future cabinets and wall fixtures. The barn gets raised.
Sealing the home against air leaks; reviewing the pre-drywall checklist; landscape plan; fabricating pieces for porch columns and rails; shingles are applied as the last layer of the exterior wall system.
Reviewing design samples; heating pump; applying stone veneer; installing a wall-hung toilet tank; building a vanity.
The difference between blueboard and drywall; sizing a solar array; installing a wood ceiling; installing a generator; a boat building school.
Sod farm; HVAC installation; adding a gas fireplace to the living room; attaching screens to the side porch; digging a well.
Induction cooking; installing solar panels on the barn roof; installing a unique lattice; ERV demonstration; landscaping and hardscaping.
The net zero house is complete; touring the yard, barn and upstairs; checking out the main floor; reviewing mechanicals.
Renovation plans for a 1957 mid-century modern house in need of a total overhaul; demolition begins.
Asbestos and tree removal; a visit to the first "This Old House" project in Dorchester, Mass.
Laying a sill on a new foundation; scoping the sewer; starting a design plan to create a sleek, modern space.
Pouring a buttress; revisiting the 2001 Manchester by the Sea project; solving a ductwork problem; installing a PVC trim overhang.
In-counter outlets; former apprentice Nathan Gilbert; framing a skylight.
Selecting patio pavers; installing a skylight in the bathroom; repairing the foundation.
Calculating the risers for a set of stairs; insulating the foundation; installing radiant heat; revisiting an old project.
Installing rafters for a cantilevered roof; solving a venting problem for the kitchen sink; fixing AC ductwork; installing snow cleats on the roof.
Rebuilding a century-old puddingstone wall; revisiting the 2005 Cambridge modern project; installing trimless LED recessed lights; installing large tanks under the driveway to curtail rainwater runoff.
Manufacturing plate glass and windows; cold weather painting; installing radiant heat under the driveway while the patio is installed out front.
Laying large-format tile in the living room; visiting the 20th-anniversary project in Key West, Fla.; installing a hanging retro fireplace and modern kitchen cabinets.
Installing closet systems, modern baseboards and a linear wall drain in the master shower; selecting door hardware; installing floating bathroom vanities.
Touring the home and reviewing its special features.
The new season kicks off with a ranch house in Westerly, RI. Inside, Tom and Kevin tour the house and admire the knotty pine paneling. Kevin and the homeowners take a look at the architect renderings. Norm pays a visit to California Ranch style homes. Richard tours the structurally sound basement with Jeff. Jenn and Roger walk property to consider landscape options. Salvage and demo begin.
Mark McCullough and Jeff Sweenor take down the chimney. Scott and Shayla window shop. Jeff Sweenor and Richard Trethewey visit a convention to discover new plumbing products, while back at the ranch the exterior walls come down. Jeff will reuse the original rafters for new wall framing.
The crew places a center beam to support the second story. Tommy and Jeff raise the gable.
The crew stands up the second floor walls, and three new apprentices arrive as part of the Generation Next program.
Tom Silva teaches the new apprentices to frame a deck. Jeff Sweenor’s crew frames the exterior flair detail. Jenn Nawada learns about Westerly granite. Jeff teaches the apprentices to install a window. Richard Trethewey and Jeff look for a path for the drain stacks.
Kevin O'Connor reviews the progress of the Westerly house. Tom Silva and Jeff Sweenor work on the main staircase at Jeff’s shop and then they bring it to the house to install. At the Idea House, Kevin looks at new clapboard siding technology. Richard Trethewey tours a factory to see how a furnace is built and then watches one being installed at the project house.
Tom Silva and Jeff Sweenor begin work on a coffered ceiling in the living room. Jenn Nawada watches as local Westerly granite is cut to size for backyard steps. Richard Trethewey reviews the complex septic system as it goes in. In Ohio, Kevin O'Connor learns how the interior doors are built. Back in Westerly, Jeff installs one of those doors.
The new propane tank gets buried in the backyard. Norm advises an apprentice in composite decking. Jeff and Tom add final touches to the coffered ceiling. A shelving system goes into the new office, and applies a stone veneer to the new chimney.
The new propane tank gets buried in the backyard. Norm advises an apprentice in composite decking. Jeff and Tom add final touches to the coffered ceiling. A shelving system goes into the new office, and applies a stone veneer to the new chimney.
Norm uses old pine from a local sawmill to make a coffee table. Mauro teaches apprentice Kathryn to whitewash the knotty pine paneling. Tommy and Jeff build a pergola for the deck. Kevin helps with a shutter assembly. Electrician Ben shows apprentice De’Shaun how to light the pergola.
As the project winds down, the televisions are mounted, and the blinds and curtains get installed. Richard takes a look at the new water heater. Jenn watches the final plants go in and works to install outdoor lighting. The old flagpole comes down for a touch up.
The old ranch is transformed into a Dutch Colonial thanks to Jeff’s team. Kevin and Tom take the tour with the homeowners, and Norm presents the pine coffee table he made with local reclaimed wood. Outside, Jenn sees the last of the hydroseeding and gives Tom the garden tour. Everyone meets at the refurbished flagpole to raise the flags.
A year after California’s worst wildfire, the people of Paradise are still clearing the devastation where about 90% of homes were lost. Kevin, Tom, and Richard meet three families determined to rebuild according to the wildland urban interface codes.
In this episode, Joe, the homeowner, fabricates a stone hearth, and Richard learns about automatic sprinkler systems. Then, Kevin sees a simulator that shows how the Camp Fire spread. Tom inspects a vent that’s designed to resist embers, and another project gets the green light.
Luke and Crystal are moving into their home. Kevin visits a fire test lab, and Jose and Anna’s house gets roof shingles. Mark installs a stone veneer at Avonlea and Joey’s house. Then, Kevin tours farms around Paradise, and Jenn meets an architect who designed a town memorial.
Paradise residents discuss their determination to rebuild. Tom inspects engineered siding and fire-rated sheathing, and Richard looks at a solar backup battery. The former Paradise fire chief discusses advanced preparation with Kevin, and at the Hope Plaza Memorial ground-breaking, the heroes and survivors are honored. Then, Luke and Crystal celebrate moving in.
Homeowners John and Molly plan to put the history back into their 1890s shingle-style home. They’ll remove '70s carpet, repair cracking balusters and transform the front entry, restoring the home’s original beauty and updating it for modern living.
Tom Silva and Kevin O’Connor start laying subfloor in the new dining room. Charlie Silva shows Jenn Nawada how he’s drilling granite for the new garage and driveway. Kevin tours Cape Ann, and Tom moves an interior doorway.
Tom and Charlie Silva create a cathedral ceiling while Mark McCullough breaks through the foundation to make space for mechanicals. Kevin O’Connor learns about sun tunnels and Richard creates a plan for cooling.
In this episode, Mark McCullough finds granite on the property to match a new stone wall to the old. Heath Eastman buries the electrical underground. Kevin O’Connor, homeowner Molly and her kitchen designer Michele look for design inspiration. Then, Tom Silva creates a barrel ceiling.
In this episode, Tom and Charlie Silva install rounded-top windows in the breakfast room, and an easy-install roof shingle goes down. Roger Cook and Kevin O’Connor go fishing while Tom adds a custom diamond detail with the siding. Radiant heat goes in somewhere unexpected: the ceiling.
In this episode, Tom repairs 130-year-old pocket doors, and a new type of solar goes in. Jenn works with landscaper Fred to build a boulder wall. Richard gives a lesson on a modern heating system, and father Mark and son Erik Ferrante showcase the art of mosaic tile installation.
In this episode, the original leaded glass windows are repaired, and Jenn and Fred plant a bed of perennials along the new driveway. Mini splits solve a ductwork problem, and homeowner Molly and her designer Shelby make design decisions. Then, Tom tackles tricky original trim.
Richard learns about the invention of the Stillson wrench, and Mauro repairs old plaster. Norm then repairs broken balusters, and Heath installs a new panel. Venetian plaster goes on the dining room ceiling.
A brass handrail is created. Mauro paints a chalkboard finish, and repaired balusters get reinstalled. Richard gives a lesson in make-up air, and work begins on a custom table. Heath talks smart electricity.
Work is complete on the Cape Ann Shingle Style project. The team tours the finished home, celebrating all of the repaired historic details and the new elements that keep with its original style.
We take a tour of kitchens - from fireplaces used for cooking in colonial times to marble counters of modern days. Follow the evolution of appliances from white to avocado to stainless as well as cabinet finishes from natural to painted.
From large scale industry to small town makers, over the years This Old House has explored the places that provide building and finishing materials for our projects. We look back at some fascinating factories we've visited.
This Old House features talented makers. From young blacksmiths metalworking to a woodworker who finds centuries-old lumber under water, we visit people and places all over the country who make beautiful household items.
From demo day and design, to selecting the finishing touches, we follow every step as the homeowners decide on the components and the crew converts a decades-old butler's pantry kitchen into an up-to-date kitchen for the future.
The guys begin restoration of an 1887 Queen Anne Victorian Cottage. Kevin hears about preserving historic details while updating the interior space and creating a new garage and master suite
Decorative Queen Anne style barge rafters are reproduced for the garage addition. The antique windows get restored and primed in the shop, re-glazed, and then returned to the house for installation.
Chimney bricks are cleaned and repurposed for a new, straight chimney. Staggered shingles are reapplied. Kevin learns about glass orbs hidden on Block Island. Richard shows a new shower drain.
After months of meticulous restoration, the stained glass windows are ready to be reinstalled. Electrician Ben Giles has an apprentice. Tom re-creates original shingles. Landscape meeting with homeowners.
Original house exterior details such as the Yankee gutters and corbels are installed. Kevin catches up with the electrician's apprentice. Richard looks at the new tankless hot water system.
Mark shows off a cobblestone apron at the driveway. The crew reinforces old floor joists. Tom helps hang a drop finial on the exterior and then he and Jeff install a swinging window. Kevin meets with paint experts to discuss choosing exterior colors.
Tom watches ceiling mounted speakers disappear. Richard oversees the startup of a new HVAC system. Kevin learns about garage door side mounts. The pool arrives and is lowered into place. The homeowner and designer walk Kevin through design choices.
Inside, the work is busy with flooring and finish carpentry. Along with designer Kristen, the homeowner shows Kevin her plan for the master bathroom. Outside, a custom pizza oven and fireplace arrives by truck and is installed in sections.
Tom assists with elaborate interior window trim and custom storm windows. Richard checks out an updated electric meter and panels. Mark follows work on the limestone hardscape in the backyard. Kevin watches the assembly of a Victorian style shed.
Trees and sod are transplanted out front with Jenn, while a custom deck hatch is installed out back to access the basement. Inside, Kevin and Jeff assemble a smart lock system and Tommy helps mount a unique range hood.
The end of the project is quickly approaching and there is still much to be done. Tommy helps hang the pantry door. Tiling and backsplash work continue as the crew creates a custom surround for the gas fireplace. Appliances arrive.
The once rotting Seaside Victorian Cottage is restored to its original beauty under the guidelines of the Historic Commission. A new addition matches the existing architectural details. New hardscape and landscape anchor it to the corner lot.
The Boston neighborhood of Dorchester has always been a special place to This Old House, as it's the home of the first project. This season, the show will follow the renovation of a triple decker that was burned from illegal fireworks.
Kevin finds Ron Peik's team removing asbestos. Plumber Ronnette Taylor will tackle the dormant pipes. Jenn and the homeowners visit a community garden. Architectural Historian Arthur Krim talks about 3 deckers. Tom pulls off the melted vinyl siding.
The back porches on the triple decker are brought to code. Ice blasting is used to get rid of the fire odor. New vinyl gets installed on the entire house while homeowner Carol considers new accent colors to match the siding. Framing begins inside.
Jenn brings together a team to create an urban patio. Heath rewires part of the house with intact plaster ceiling. Charlie and Tom hang a new fire rated door. Richard explains how a new tub is fitted in. Kevin and Tom install a replacement window.
Kevin finds Tom working with the new apprentices on the front door. Tom and Charlie teach them about mineral wool insulation. Homeowner Carol looks at kitchen cabinets and counters. Richard works with James on the three separate HVAC systems.
Kevin finds Mauro working with the apprentices to fix the plaster damage. Richard meets plumber Ronnette to learn about the new sprinkler system. Kevin joins Carol and her sister Willie to shop for appliances for all three levels of the house.
Tom and Kevin reinstall upper cabinets that survived the fire. HVAC contractor James shows Richard the plan for hot water and heating. Kevin joins Carol and her sister to shop for appliances. Tile installation and window trim.
Kevin joins the apprentices as they take a two-day roofing class. Back at the project, Tommy and Charlie install French doors to divide the living room from a bedroom in the second-floor unit.
After nearly two years since the fire, the triple decker is just about ready for the homeowners to return. Kevin checks out what's left to do in all three units.
Illegal fireworks caused a fire in the Dorchester triple decker and then COVID-19 happened. Charlie Silva and a team of local contractors put this house back together, and after a long wait, Carol and her family can now move back into their home.
This Old House has followed the rebuilding of over 70 homes. But after 42 years only one of those was a Scandinavian Modern. This Cambridge, MA house started life as a dark, divided 1887 two-family home. We turned it into a bright, open Scandinavian-style one-family. In this summer special, we compress the efforts to restore this beauty into one episode. Follow the action as Tom Silva, Norm Abram, and Roger Cook, along with their teams, take this old house from rundown to remarkable.
The number of people entering the building trades has declined over the past few decades. This Old House launched the Generation Next initiative to highlight the issue and encourage young people to consider the trades as a viable profession.
Kevin, Richard, and Tom follow a family on their journey to restore an abandoned house in Detroit. The city has a program to bring these empty houses back to life, revitalizing the neighborhoods.
Residents of Paradise, California woke on the morning of Nov. 18, 2018, to find their quiet town overtaken by an uncontrollable wildfire. The fire would burn thousands of homes, businesses, schools and make it difficult to escape—resulting in 85 deaths. This Old House follows three families on their emotional journey as they rebuild their homes.
This 1880 Country Cape started as a small house on a large piece of land but was added on to over time. The crew meets the new homeowners and their architect and gets a tour both inside and outside to learn about their future plans.
Appliances, building material and radiators are salvaged from the house before the major demolition begins. Outside, an arborist sprays the old Hemlock trees on the property to protect them from damaging insects. Time to cut off the garage addition.
The old foundation gets modified for the new basement with an opening for a doorway, and the new foundation has to be tied into the old. On the first floor, the crew installs a beam in order to remove some of the wall that abuts the front staircase.
The foundation is waterproofed. Mauro and homeowners discuss exterior paint colors. Tom and the designer look at newel post options. Kevin talks to architectural historian about Cape style homes. The new foundation is braced for backfilling.
Kevin helps Tom to adjust where the old house is out of level with new addition. Then he meets Mark to look at stone veneer. Charlie needs to raise the rafters on the back dormer for more headroom. Kevin and the homeowner and designer look at tile.
Kevin, Tom, and Charlie install a five-layer Flitch beam. Jenn watches a tree company attach a cable on an old Hemlock for support and then prune an overgrown Crabapple tree. Tom and Charlie prepare for a footing to support the corner chimney.
Kevin and Mark cut a slot in the chimney for flashing to keep moisture out. Homeowners get a tiling lesson. The Silva crew transitions from old to new floor and hide the evidence. Kevin finds Charlie and the kitchen designer laying out the kitchen.
Tom and Charlie remove a window and frame for new double hung windows. A non-profit creates affordable housing for vets by renovating an old school. A new deck has living space below. New bathrooms in an old house creates plumbing challenges.
Kevin finds walls going up at the addition. Tom shows the evolution of framing hammers and guns. Richard and crew dismantle the old boiler. Heath plans for electric panels and inspects new light fixtures. A new ridge beam supports the addition.
Kevin takes a trip to Pennsylvania to meet with master craftsman Paul Grothouse. Charlie has an idea to improve a thermal break for the front dormers of the original house. Jenn and landscape designer Maria begin planting away from the construction.
Kevin and Tommy install a skylight. Richard talks about ducts. The homeowner's mother shares her craft for the house. Kevin tours a range factory in Pennsylvania established 1880. Charlie and Tom repair the original wood gutters on the house.
Richard talks about the importance of radiant floor heating in the garage and walks through the installation process with plumber Abe Bilo. Next, Richard and Mark discuss the concrete pour. Mark discusses the steps as his team takes over the pour.
Kevin talks about the Dracut School Project and visits Alison Hardy at her shop to discuss her work of repairing windows on the historic building. Richard finds Abe Bilo and his crew as they dismantle the old boiler system and prepare for a new.
A composite deck is installed with the ease of a clip system. The basement is sprayed with environmentally friendly foam insulation. HVAC zoning for this home's complicated layout is discussed. A battery backup is installed for the new solar system.
The primary bathroom gets a plaster treatment, AND Windowsills are replicated in Dracut, MA. A kitchen garden, recessed lighting, and floating countertop are installed. Then, new wood floors change directions.
After months of setbacks including bad weather and material delays, the Concord Country Cape is ready for the homeowners to move in. They walk through their updated modern and light-filled space with Richard, Jenn, Tom, Kevin and Charlie.
A small town in a big city, West Roxbury, MA is the home of our new project-an 1890s Victorian once a single family turned multi-family and back to a single family. Our crew meets the homeowners and builder and discuss future plans for this gem.
Construction is underway. The first floor is opened up, windows are installed, and the old rosin paper siding underlayment is replaced with a new high tech house wrap. Outside, it's landscaping and Pruning 101. Kitchen cabinet selections are made.
Elms are subject to Dutch Elm Disease; but not the one purchased from a local nursery for our home. Back at the house, new window trim and fiberboard siding is installed. Moving plumbing drain could be a puzzle. Possible solutions are discussed.
At the house, out front we get to know the contractor while Ipe is being installed on the porch ceiling. Out back, a brick patio is laid. Inside, a dual fuel HVAC system is installed and ducts ran. At the Dracut Centre School, corbels are restored.
The front porch gets a new set of granite stairs and a brick walkway. A new backdoor seals the house. The homeowners decide on a finish for the floors. A cable rail system is installed on the back stairs. A trade school in Philadelphia is visited.
Work on the exterior of the home is almost complete. A tub and radiant floor heating are installed in the upstairs bathrooms. The homeowners shop for interior lighting. The homeowner and his son install drywall in their new mancave.
Aluminum gutters that mimic wood are beginning to get installed. Inside, trim goes around the new back door and the existing wood flooring is patched. Upstairs the master shower is waterproofed and prepped for a linear drain.
New kitchen cabinets and range hood are installed. The homeowners' daughter talks Boho Chic with an interior designer. The challenges of laying out large format tiles in a small space are discussed. A cracked stained-glass window is repaired.
A quartz countertop and hidden receptacles are installed in the new modern kitchen, while original crown molding is matched in the dining room. It's time to hang the interior doors. Hardware installation marks the beginning of the finishing details.
It's a wrap on our West Roxbury Project. A single-family turned two family and back to a single-family Victorian has a new modern look with a better planned living space for the family of four. The whole crew is present for the reveal.
It's off to the races on a new project in Saratoga Springs, NY; but first, the crew gets a history of the bustling city. They meet new homeowners Evan and Whitney and Evan's mother Susan. The house has been in Evan's family for seven generations.
Working with a tight budget, the homeowners take on demo and backyard preparations. The architect shares his vision for the project, and a local docent shares the history of the springs of Saratoga Springs. The builder installs an air scrubber system.
From no wiring to BX wiring, electrical in the 1864 house is addressed, but first a visit to the tracks. Unfortunate demo discoveries mean changes to framing and living plans. A temporary buttress wall supports the old foundation.
Saratoga is home to secret summer gardens and mansions. The old 170-year-old basement is getting an addition with ICFs, a new slab, and a concrete bulkhead staircase, but first the radon gas must be addressed.
The original foundation needs repointing. A steel beam is installed in the new basement. Trends in plumbing fixtures are explored. A truss system is the solution for the 3rd-floor living space, which leads to a visit to the manufacturer.
At the Dracut Centre School, a new chimney facade is made to look old with a brick veneer. In Saratoga Springs, the homeowners select kitchen cabinets. The exterior of the house is cleaned in preparation for paint. Kevin takes a hot air balloon ride.
The old flooring system is replaced with a new one using ledgers and I-joists. The homeowners explore tile options. An old porch is saved and is tied into the new construction. A web of steel I-beams and roof trusses are installed.
Drainpipes are hidden in the coffered ceilings. A method is developed to drain water from the screened-in porch. A diffusion vent and a single staircase connecting the first to the third floor are installed. A DIY skate rink gets neighbors together.
The old electrical service is upgrade. Cold weather inverter heat pumps will heat and cool the house. An original window sash becomes an awning window. A vocational student has a welding project for the backyard. Various types of insulation are used.
New water and sewer lines are run. The house is brought up to code with fire sprinklers. A new slate hearth is installed. Original 1890s chalkboards are restored and reinstalled at the Dracut Centre School. Doghouse dormers are made watertight.
Vocational school students build a table for the Dracut Centre School. An alternative to wide plank hardwood flooring is used at the project house. An automatic low impact irrigation system is installed. The ICF foundation gets a stucco-like finish.
An entryway landing in the walk-in pantry poses a problem for installation of the cabinets. The builder comes up with a custom solution. The homeowners shop for paint supplies and get a lesson on preparing and painting the exterior PVC trim.
It's a wrap on the multigenerational 1864 Dutch Colonial. Once a singlefamily, then expanded and cobbled together into a three-family, the home has been reconstructed into a two-family with an open floor plan. The crew gets a tour of the finish.
Join fellow cast members, celebrities, colleagues, and friends as they celebrate Master Carpenter Norm Abram and his groundbreaking, 43-year career on This Old House.
The crew heads South to Atlanta, GA where work on an 1890s Victorian with rich history is about to begin. They get a warm Southern welcome from the builder, project manager, and homeowners and are given a tour of the project and scope of work.
The Atlanta house is in disrepair, so layers are peeled back to uncover the extent of the damage. The homeowner lends a hand with demolition of unsafe structures. We meet the contractor. A lending library is built. Care is taken to save an oak tree.
The Atlanta Beltline is toured. A stem wall foundation replaces the existing footings, and the crawl space gets a vapor barrier. The homeowner receives a lesson on HVAC installation. An outdoor learning center is toured for backyard inspiration.
New framing replaces the once termite eaten studs. Having an HVAC plan in place, the homeowner begins installing ductwork at the house. Native fruit trees are explored. Cardboard boxes make for a real kitchen feel. Old windows salvaged and restored.
Progress is made on the interior and exterior of the house. New beveled pine siding is weaved into the old. Tyler Perry Studios is toured. The house gets lightning and surge protection. In MA, The Dracut Centre School restoration is complete.
Care is taken in the renovation to respect the old details of the home. New porch columns are made to match the old. A bathroom gets a concrete-like finish. A reclaimed front door is installed. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home is visited.
It's all about finishing touches. Outside the front door is cleaned and prepped for paint, the front steps are repaired, and a medicinal garden is planted. Inside, the water heater is installed, custom shelves are built, and wallpaper is installed.
The renovation of the 1890s Victorian whose former owner was a pillar in the community for civil rights is complete. The family of the former owner meets the current homeowners. The crew gets a tour of the new spaces. The lending library is mounted.
The crew is back in Massachusetts on the Eastern Seaboard in the town of Newburyport - a middle-class neighborhood where shipwrights and sea captains once lived. They meet the homeowners, tour the project, and discuss the possible challenges.
Before demo begins, the main power is disconnected. The old bump out is demoed, and the present bathroom is tested for asbestos. A carpenter talks about working with Parkinson's Disease. The vinyl siding is removed to reveal the original clapboards.
Work is underway for the new three-story bump out, and the interior is fully demolished in preparation for the new modern floor plan. An old narrow and steep staircase is replaced with a new winder staircase. The homeowner visits the town museum to learn about the history of her home. A bulge and lean-proof retaining wall is built. The City of Newburyport wastewater treatment facility is toured.
Roof shingles are installed on a challenging roof line. Factory-assembled exterior window trims save time and labor. The original staircase balusters and railings are modified. The homeowners meet with their interior designer and make selections.
As construction nears an end, the yard gets planted. Inside, a custom home office is built from off-the-shelf materials. The old floors are reused on the second floor. An EV charger is installed, and the front door gets a high-sheen finish.
With the new two-story addition built and an efficient floor plan on the interior, it's time to call it a wrap on the project; but first, the homeowners and the crew take part in a little town fun at the annual bed race. The finished house is toured.
The crew starts one of their oldest projects yet, a first period home in the town of Ipswich, MA. The homeowners give them a tour of the property and the proposed changes. Tom Silva shows them how to salvage the old floorboards before demo begins.
The architect shares his vision for the property, but before plans can be completed, a bit of exploratory demo must take place. A lesson on first period homes is given. The team hopes to uncover the original timber frame during demo.
Preparation for the new foundation begins. A centuries old cistern is uncovered. The original timber frame structure is assessed, and the original floorboards and roof sheathing are salvaged for later use. The sill is inspected for water damage.
The timber frame structure in the ell is carefully dismantled. A new fireplace for the original gambrel is considered. Landscape and hardscape ideas are explored. A family run lumber mill is toured. The homeowner decides on a roof shingle style.
The old fireplace firebox is demolished leaving the chimney for the new fireplace. The dismantled timber frame pieces are restored offsite. Plumbing is run for a below grade bathroom. A steel beam is prepared for installation. Kevin goes clamming.
The newly restored timber frame structure is reassembled on site. A Rumford fireplace is installed where the old was demolished. The steel ridge beam is craned in place. The homeowner visits a local stone yard to select a kitchen countertop.
A warm roof is installed to keep the cold out. New framing poses plumbing challenges. Rot is discovered on the original sill. Options are explored to light the new ell considering the old, exposed lumber. A roof valley is made moisture proof.
Rotted sills are repaired before the new clapboards are installed. The challenge of ducting a first period home is solved. Old material and technique disguise a new repair. An original gunstock post is repaired. The new clapboards are installed.
Kevin gives a full progress tour. Rainwater management is discussed, and a harvesting system is installed. A handmade lighting factory is toured. The new boathouse, built in a factory, is assembled on site. Plants are heeled in for the winter.
A granite veneer water table is installed. The old roof boards are installed on the ceiling of the new ell. A dry laid stone wall is built. The plumbing manifold is discussed. A carpenter talks about leaving corporate and returning to the trades.
Finishing touches are revealed. New wide plank floorboards mimic the look of the original flooring. A soapstone sink is fabricated offsite. The hot water system is reviewed. A wood backsplash goes in the pantry and light fixtures illuminate the ell.
The modest 1720's gambrel has been restored. From the front, not much has changed; except for the color; but towards the rear, a new ell and barn element make for a dramatic transformation. The crew gets a tour of the changes from homeowners.
The crew starts a new project in Lexington, MA, to make a 1960 mid-century modern home accessible for a family with a son who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The crew meets the homeowners to learn about the disease and the challenges the current setup of the house poses. The project is a race against time, but the crew is determined to get the family back into their home as soon as possible.
Construction begins on the 1960 mid-century modern home in Lexington, MA project. The interior is fully demolished, and work begins on the foundation to address the depth. The architect gives an overview of the new design plan which prioritizes accessibility. An accessibility solutions showroom is toured. A new energy code affects the construction.
Accessibility is at the forefront of this renovation, which requires major changes. A new mechanical space is being created out front and will be connected to the old mechanical space by a new concrete block wall. Out back, a new foundation has been poured for a larger walkout basement. The new HVAC ducts are installed considering the new energy code. Framing for the new elevator begins.
Great progress is being made on the project house. The primary addition is being framed and the rooms are starting to take shape. A sound deadening wall is built. A lally column is removed and a larger ridge beam is installed to create an open kitchen and dining area. The homeowners choose hardscape finishes based on 3D renderings. An accessible designed bathroom is toured.
A tour of the progress and upcoming changes are shared, including the new wall of glass with a zero-threshold sliding glass door to the back patio. Framing begins for the new slider. The geothermal heating and cooling system is explained, and back at the house, the wells are dug. At the front of the house, steel columns and a beam which will be the entrance's new focal point are being installed.
The project house is progressing with an eye toward accessibility and the mid-century modern aesthetic. Geothermal pipes are run from the wells into the house. Wood blocking is installed for the future mounting of assistive devices. The new floor system allows for running new electrical wires without being visible. Old receptacle boxes in the original brick walls are replaced without damage.
A progress tour of the house is given, starting at the back addition, through the walkout basement and mechanical spaces, then up to the main floor. Repairs are made to the 1960 brick, including matching the original color and texture of the mortar. The homeowner gets help building a DIY ramp. Nearby, a modern accessible house is toured. New energy codes prompt changes to the exterior trim plan.
The roof of the Lexington project is a mix of multiple roof types and pitches. A custom gutter with a downspout is recessed into the overhang to manage the volume of rainfall it will yield. The house next door, one of three designed and built by the same original architect and still maintains much of the original mid-century modern features, is toured. New energy-efficient windows are installed.
The renovation has reached the halfway point. Kevin O'Connor gets a lesson on stucco from Mark McCullough before meeting with homeowner Michelle and kitchen designer Melinda Guglieta to learn about the finish chosen for the kitchen cabinets. Back at the house, Tom Silva begins installing the nickel gap siding. Out back, Jenn Nawada and Charlie Silva address the drainage concern for the patio.
Mid-century modern details are taking shape on the exterior. On the interior, rigid foam is installed on the subfloor to meet strict energy codes. The homeowner goes shopping for door hardware with accessible considerations. A single tile prep and waterproofing system is used to create a watertight bathroom for zero threshold entry to the shower. A motorized multi-slide door is installed.
The therapy pool is scheduled to be delivered onsite. To reduce the risk of shock, Heath Eastman installs bonding around the pool's perimeter. Inside, Interior designer Rachel Dunham talks tile selections with Kevin O'Connor. Tom and Charlie Silva recap the construction processes of the integrated ramp at the front entrance. Electrical work for the elevator begins. The therapy pool is craned in.
Progress continues on the mid-century modern house in Lexington. Exterior painting and interior flooring installation are underway. The elevator cab is built and is operable. The kitchen island gets a decorative finish using some of the white oak hardwood flooring. Audio-visual technologies are explored for accessibility for the home, and solar panels are installed on the roof.
The new mechanical room is revealed. Heath Eastman installs in-wall lights at the front ramp. Richard Trethewey and plumber Abe Bilo install an offset sink drain. Kevin O'Connor visits a local glass studio where the homeowners' son Wix is assisting glass artists Andrew Iannazzi and Emery Wenger with making a custom piece. Tom Silva begins installing support bars in Caffrey's bathroom.
The project is just weeks away from completion. The homeowners sit down for an interview about their son Caffrey's diagnosis with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His room gets a contemporary painted accent wall. The new staircase, which is a combination of steel railings and stringers and oak stair treads, is installed. Both new plants as well as some existing rose bushes are planted.
The homeowners son has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For this reason, the 1960 mid-century modern home is being renovated to make it accessible. Outside, a pool lift was installed, and a patio with zero-threshold access to the interior was built. A final review of the geothermal system is done. Accessible kitchen appliances and a fire-rated door are installed. A blower door test is performed.
Just ten months ago, construction began in historic Lexington, MA, to make a 1960 mid-century modern home accessible for a family whose son has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Because the prognosis of the disease is a complete loss of mobility within a year, Charlie Silva and his team of experts fast-tracked this project to meet this deadline. Today, the crew is back to check out the transformation.
The crew heads to New Jersey for the second project of the season - an 1897 Victorian in the Borough of Glen Ridge that's being renovated for multi-generational living. The homeowners give the crew a tour and explain how the new spaces will be used.
Work begins on the 1887 Victorian to make it suitable for multigenerational living. Demolition is underway on the third floor, where a bottle of 1887 Bordeaux was found during the process. The builder talks about his start in construction, and the architect shares his plan for restoring the home. The mayor gives a history lesson on the borough. The old asbestos siding is removed.
There has been major development on the 1887 Victorian. The original cedar shingles have been exposed and are in bad shape. Extensive termite damage results in additional structural work. A local community garden is visited. An existing concrete slab is made level, and a high school student works as a framer on the project. The original clay pipe is replaced with a trenchless system.
Installing helical piers for the new porch; prepping new windows for installation; protecting plumbing pipes from cold weather.
The new flangeless windows are installed water and air tight. Preparation begins for in-ceiling speakers. The Empire State Building is visited. Porch decking is installed to minimize waste, and a hybrid plumbing system is chosen for the house.
Air tightness is taken to the next level with vapor barrier electrical boxes. The homeowner designs a custom lead glass sidelight. Various types of weather-resistant barriers are explored. Drip edge flashing and exterior window trim are installed.
The new staircase is manufactured in a shop and assembled on-site. The shop is toured. The homeowner installs a new brick walkway. Wood fiber insulation and the new HRV system are explored. The architect talks about the interior trim details.
A blower door test reveals the home's airtightness; a baseboard trim gets a radius detail; discussing the borough's effort to maintain its tree-lined streets; installing a prefab tile niche; prepping interior trim for paint finish.
Building a custom mudroom bench from reclaimed wood; the primary bathroom gets a custom paint finish; spring landscaping; installing kitchen crown molding above the cabinets and recessed lighting.
Renovation of the 1887 Victorian is completed; the builder installs the custom lead glass sidelight; the crew gets a tour from the homeowners.
Celebrate the 40th season of the groundbreaking PBS home improvement series with this anniversary special. The program includes interviews with hosts and cast members, vintage clips, and favorite moments and renovations from the series that inspired an entire genre of television programming. Learn about the evolution of the series from current and alumni hosts Kevin O'Connor, Steve Thomas, and Bob Vila.
