This Old House celebrates its thirtieth season with a project that blends subtle elegance with practical needs: an addition to a 1915 Dutch Colonial Revival home. The design incorporates a new kitchen, a dedicated home office, and a comfort…

Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva peel away the aged vinyl siding from the house's exterior, revealing not only the original wood clapboards beneath but also a considerable amount of necessary repairs. Inside, arc…

Kevin O'Connor and general contractor Tom Silva consider the homeowners’ choice to remain in the house throughout the renovation, acknowledging the considerable challenges it presents. Bill and Gillian Pierce are already living with their b…

In the kitchen, host Kevin O'Connor joins general contractor Tom Silva to examine a startlingly flawed framing job discovered beneath the old ceiling. The work necessitates a complete reinforcement and leveling of the ceiling, requiring the…

Gillian Pierce, the homeowner, gives Kevin O'Connor a tour of the project's advancement. The first floor’s family room is now fully framed, while above, general contractor Tom Silva is constructing the gable-end wall for the new addition. K…

The work on the Dutch Colonial Revival continues, with master carpenter Norm Abram reviewing the progress of the addition before focusing on the kitchen. There, general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O'Connor are reframing existing wal…

In Newton Centre, landscape contractor Roger Cook greets certified arborist Matt Foti, who will be pruning the hemlock trees that line the corner of the house and the driveway. Meanwhile, master electrician Allen Gallant installs a bath fan…

General contractor Tom Silva meticulously recreates the original exterior trim around the new windows in the addition, using cellular PVC—a material impervious to rot. Master carpenter Norm Abram installs the pre-hung Douglas fir exterior d…

General contractor Tom Silva calls upon homeowner Gillian Pierce for assistance in crafting a decorative bracket designed to support the rear entry porch roof. Down in the basement, plumbing and heating specialist Richard Trethewey updates …

Where a staircase once stood in the old kitchen, general contractor Tom Silva constructs a fresh one leading to the basement. Next, plumbing and heating specialist Richard Trethewey guides host Kevin O'Connor through the considerations of c…

Kevin O'Connor arrives at the house to find preparations for the exterior paint job already in progress. Homeowner Bill Pierce explains he’s chosen a novel paint, one that promises homeowners they’ll “never paint again.” General contractor …

General contractor Tom Silva assists host Kevin O'Connor in constructing a modest deck, designed to seamlessly link the kitchen and patio. Subsequently, landscape contractor Roger Cook collaborates with homeowner Bill Pierce to install conc…

Kevin O'Connor arrived at the house to find landscape contractor Roger Cook already at work, the old driveway removed and the new asphalt being laid. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram discovered the new cabinets had arrived and assisted g…

Landscape contractor Roger Cook and homeowner Gillian Pierce stopped by their neighbor and gardener, Cathy Schneider’s, to accept her generous offer of dividing some of her plants. Back at the Pierce residence, painter Anne Brady began prep…

Kevin O'Connor found a hive of activity at the project house, the newly fabricated countertops just arriving on the scene. Inside, homeowner Bill Pierce carefully examined the limited space surrounding the kitchen island before the countert…

At the Newton Centre, host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the team working diligently through the project’s final days. Landscape contractor Roger Cook is applying mulch to the remaining plantings and installing sod around the newly constru…

For the second undertaking of This Old House’s 30th Anniversary Season, the team addresses a pressing national concern: foreclosures. In collaboration with the City of Boston and Nuestra Comunidad, a local non-profit organization, they are …

Master carpenter Norm Abram connects with general contractor David Lopes to address difficulties arising over the past few weeks. These range from significant engineering hurdles to a prolonged period of rainfall. Separately, host Kevin O'C…

Master carpenter Norm Abram joins general contractor David Lopes to assess the progress on the house, examining both the exterior and interior. They discover extensive framing has been completed; however, the severity of the structural dama…

Kevin O'Connor arrives on the scene to see the construction trailer departing, clearing the way for landscaping. The house now boasts completed roofing and siding, and the paneling on the front bay window has been meticulously recreated to …

Even with the biting cold, landscape contractor Roger Cook directs a team of students from YouthBuild Boston as they spread soil and lay sod across the backyard. Simultaneously, fence contractor Mike McLaughlin and his crew erect a PVC priv…

Kevin O'Connor visits carpenter Zo Curet in the front parlor, where he’s installing plaster crown molding. A faithful replica of the original detailing from the 1870s, the molding is crafted from lightweight foam, a composite of plaster and…

At the Roxbury project, general contractor David Lopes updates Kevin on the progress of the puddingstone retaining walls and front entrances. Meanwhile, master carpenter Norm Abram journeys to Dover, New Hampshire, to observe millwork fabri…

Kevin O'Connor greets landscape contractor Roger Cook already at work, accompanied by YouthBuild Boston apprentices. The team is busy spreading fresh soil across the front yard, as well as planting resilient ground cover and an ornamental d…

In Roxbury, with a week remaining on the job, tile contractor Angelo McRae demonstrates to Kevin the installation of meshed white subway tiles, complete with a rail cap, for a kitchen backsplash. Kevin travels to our project house in Washin…

Kevin O'Connor arrived to find the project nearing its conclusion, a testament to the diligence of general contractor David Lopes. Landscape contractor Roger Cook and the YouthBuild apprentices planted the final tree and spread mulch across…