This Old House

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

General contractor Tom Silva replicates the old exterior trim details around the new windows in the addition using cellular PVC that will never rot.

General contractor Tom Silva enlists homeowner Gillian Pierce to help him fabricate the new decorative bracket that will support the rear entry porch roof.

To replace the stairway he removed from the old kitchen, general contractor Tom Silva builds a brand new stairway to the basement.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the house to find the prepping for the exterior paint job well underway.

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.

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.

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.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives at the project house to find a bustling jobsite and the finished countertops arriving.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the construction trailer leaving the site, making way for the landscape work to begin.

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.

Host Kevin O'Connor finds carpenter Zo Curet in the front parlor installing a plaster crown molding.

General contractor David Lopes shows Kevin the progress on the puddingstone retaining walls and front entrances at our Roxbury project.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook on site with the landscape apprentices from YouthBuild Boston.

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.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives in Roxbury to find the project nearing completion thanks to the dedication of general contractor David Lopes.

THIS OLD HOUSE opens a brand new season by helping the Sharma family renovate their 1940s house on Boston's famous Charles River.

Landscape contractor Roger Cook preps for the new foundation of the entry hall by removing the old overgrown and badly pruned yews.

The morning starts with the arrival of a 17-foot-long steel beam that weighs 900 pounds.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find most of the demolition complete, and the house entirely opened up.

Master carpenter Norm Abram meets homeowner Allison Sharma to review progress and see the new front entry and framed up kitchen.

Work continues on the Auburndale project, as general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram frame the flat roof over the new sunroom.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On site at the Auburndale project, the transformation of the back of the house is almost complete.

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.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find pergola contractor Mark Bushway and his crew installing the new custom pergola in front of the house.

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.

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.

For the second project of the season, This Old House goes Hollywood with the first ever renovation project in the Los Angeles area.

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 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.

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.

At the project house, exterior work has been delayed due to four weeks of record setting rains in Southern California.

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.

Host Kevin O'Connor gets a rare, up-close look at the Hollywood sign with the man in charge of preserving it, Chris Baumgart.

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.

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.

Work on the Los Angeles project wraps up with the finishing touches both outside and in.

THIS OLD HOUSE opens a new season with work on a 300-year-old farmstead that is rich in Colonial history.

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.

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.

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.

Host Kevin O'Connor meets with landscape designer Jenn Nawada Evans to see her plan for the rambling site.

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.

General contractor Tom Silva tops off the existing cellulose insulation in the walls of the oldest part of the house.

General contractor Tom Silva finishes up the last of the structural work by replacing an undersized and partially rotted old post in the kitchen.

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.

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.

Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs a 3,000-pound slab of reclaimed granite for the front step.

General contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram install the massive decorative timbers in the new family room.

Landscape contractor Roger Cook uses old-style bricks made in Massachusetts to create a winding path to the new entry door.

General contractor Tom Silva shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's restoring the circa 1720 raised panel front door with flexible epoxy and a new paint job.

Landscape contractor Roger Cook oversees the finish going down on the driveway - a thin layer of liquid asphalt and stone that ends up looking like a gravel driveway, without the maintenance.

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.

The THIS OLD HOUSE crew opens the Barrington, Rhode Island, project aboard the motor sailor Liberty bound for the Ocean State via scenic Narragansett Bay.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find builder Andy Tiplady with the house wide open, his foundation in place and framing underway.

Builder Andy Tiplady takes host Kevin O'Connor out on the water to gather provisions for an authentic Rhode Island clambake.

With the exterior shingles going up on the house, builder Andy Tiplady shows host Kevin O'Connor why he's using red cedar instead of white, and how he is creating the signature flair on the building between the first and second floors.

Landscape restoration specialist Kate Venturini arrives from the University of Rhode Island to create a sustainable coastal landscape with the help of local landscape contractor Henry Pereira.

Builder Andy Tiplady uses a less-expensive Brazilian hardwood called garapa for the new deck, and installs it with a hidden fastening system.

On a rainy day in Barrington, builder Andy Tiplady shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's replaced the old cracked asphalt with new concrete pavers in the driveway.

Awning specialist Mike Cornell installs a new retractable awning over the deck that should stand up to the weather due to a wind sensor and fade-resistant fabric.

Builder Andy Tiplady sets 4"x4" glass tile in the kitchen using a light green grout (mixed with a latex additive) as the adhesive to set the tile and give a depth of color to the backsplash that thinset would not allow.

As the project winds down in Barrington, Rhode Island, master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor congratulate builder Andy Tiplady on a job well done, while plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows homeowner Geoff Allen an advanced programmable thermostat with a 7" LCD screen.

Kevin meets Mike Duckett in New Hampshire to see the plans for the DeWitt family's specially adapted home from HFOT.

Richard meets HFOT project manager Mike Duckett at the jobsite to understand some of the 150 requirements implemented on ADA-approved and Energy Star-rated homes.

Kevin meets HFOT community outreach coordinator Chris Mitchell, who explains why community involvement is important.

A new season focuses on the next generation. A homeowner inherits her childhood home but with her husband makes changes to accommodate their children and inlaws.

Tom finishes the forms for the new foundation and pours the concrete with a new intern.

Tom's crew and intern install a beam to support a new opening to the kitchen.

Kevin and Tom build a new floor. Richard, the homeowners and the designer hunt for an old clawfoot tub.

The apprentices learn the basics of framing a deck, while around the corner the chimney is demo-ed.

It's a big day for the apprentices as they learn how to frame a wall in the master bedroom, build a drain stack for the master bath and lay decking on the front porch.

Dining room flooring is used to make a barn door. 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.

Richard works on rough plumbing at the Elliotborough house while Kevin, Judith and Julia meet a kitchen designer.

Tom and Kevin cross the bridge from Newport, Rhode Island to Jamestown, where they tour the next project -- a 1920s bungalow which will become a larger net zero house.

Shingles with asbestos are removed. Kevin visits a manufacturer in Pennsylvania that makes precast concrete walls.

Jeff shows Kevin how he's framing the net zero house.

New apprentices join the team in Rhode Island as the roof goes up.

The electrician installs a load center. Tom and apprentices put up cedar roof shingles.

Richard watches as the home is sealed against air leaks.

Dana and Don show Kevin design samples at their studio.

Tom discusses difference between blueboard and drywall.

Roger visits a nearby sod farm with Jenn and Kevin.

The Net Zero house is complete. Kevin and Tom discuss challenges with Jeff.

Tommy and Kevin cruise around Brookline in a '57 Chevy before rolling up to the latest project: a lackluster 1957 mid-century modern house in need of a total overhaul.

While old fixtures are salvaged and asbestos is removed at the house, Norm, Richard and Kevin head back to where it all began 40 years ago, in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Norm teaches the apprentices how to lay a sill on a new foundation, while Richard scopes the sewer to see what might be lurking inside.

Tommy teaches Kevin how to calculate the risers for a set of stairs.

Mark McCullough rebuilds a century-old Puddingstone wall.

Kevin travels to the Midwest to see the manufacturing of plate glass and windows.

Mark Ferrante lays giant porcelain tile in the main living spaces of the house.

Finishing touches abound as the project wraps up: closet systems, modern baseboards and a linear wall drain in the master shower are all installed.

Tom and Jeff admire the knotty pine paneling. Kevin and homeowners look at architect renderings.

Mark and Jeff take down the chimney. Scott and Shayla window shop.

The crew places a center beam to support the second story.

Roof cheeks are pre-assembled and raised. Then the crew stands up the second floor walls.

Tommy teaches the new apprentices to frame a deck.

Tom and Jeff work on the main staircase at Jeff's shop and then they bring it to the house.

Tom and Jeff build a section of a coffered ceiling.

The new propane tank gets buried in the yard. Norm advises an apprentice in composite decking.

Jeff shows Kevin how he installs a floating oak mantel.

Norm uses old pine from a local sawmill to make a table.

As the project winds down, TVs are mounted and the blinds and curtains get installed.

The old ranch is transformed into a Dutch Colonial thanks to Jeff's team.

A year after California's worst wildfire, the people of Paradise are still clearing the devastation.

Joe the homeowner fabricates a stone hearth. Richard learns about automatic sprinkler systems.

Luke and Crystal are moving in. Kevin visits a fire test lab.

Tom inspects engineered siding and fire-rated sheathing.

Homeowners John and Molly plan to put the history back into their 1890s Shingle-style home.

Tommy and Kevin start laying subfloor in the new dining room.

Tommy and Charlie create a cathedral ceiling on the third floor.

Mark McCullough finds granite on the property to match a new stone wall to the old.

Tommy and Charlie install rounded-top windows in the breakfast room.

Tommy repairs 130-year-old pocket doors. A new type of solar goes in.

Original leaded glass windows are repaired. Jenn and Fred plant a bed of perennials along the new driveway.

Richard learns about one of the most important plumbing inventions: the Stillson wrench.

A custom brass handrail is fabricated. Molly and Mauro create a chalkboard finish in the playroom.

Work is finally complete on the Cape Ann Shingle Style project.

We take a tour of kitchens - from fireplaces used for cooking in colonial times to marble counters of modern days.

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.

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.

Five months ago this 1887 Queen Anne Victorian in Narragansett, Rhode Island was falling apart.

Decorative Queen Anne style barge rafters are reproduced for the garage addition.

The original chimney inside the Queen Anne Victorian was built with a slant at the top.

The updates to the 1887 Seaside Victorian Cottage in Rhode Island were reviewed by the historical commission.

Original house exterior details such as the Yankee gutters and corbels are installed.

Mark shows off a cobblestone apron at the driveway.

Tom watches ceiling mounted speakers disappear. Richard oversees the startup of a new HVAC system.

Inside, the work is busy with flooring and finish carpentry.

Tom assists with elaborate interior window trim and custom storm windows.

Trees and sod are transplanted out front with Jenn, while a custom deck hatch is installed out back to access the basement.

The end of the project is quickly approaching and there is still much to be done.

The once rotting Seaside Victorian Cottage is restored to its original beauty under the guidelines of the Historic Commission.

The Boston neighborhood of Dorchester has always been a special place to This Old House, as it's the home of the first project.

Kevin finds Ron Peik's team removing asbestos. Plumber Ronnette Taylor will tackle the dormant pipes.

The back porches on the triple decker are brought to code.

Jenn brings together a team to create an urban patio.

Kevin finds Tom working with the new apprentices on the front door.

Kevin finds Mauro working with the apprentices to fix the plaster damage.

Tom and Kevin reinstall upper cabinets that survived the fire.

Kevin joins the apprentices as they take a two-day roofing class.

After nearly two years since the fire, the triple decker is just about ready for the homeowners to return.

Illegal fireworks caused a fire in the Dorchester triple decker and then COVID-19 happened.

This 1880 Country Cape started as a small house on a large piece of land but was added on to over time.

Appliances, building material and radiators are salvaged from the house before the major demolition begins.

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.

The foundation is waterproofed. Mauro and homeowners discuss exterior paint colors.

Kevin helps Tom to adjust where the old house is out of level with new addition.

Kevin, Tom, and Charlie install a five-layer Flitch beam.

Kevin and Mark cut a slot in the chimney for flashing to keep moisture out.

Tom and Charlie remove a window and frame for new double hung windows.

Kevin finds walls going up at the addition. Tom shows the evolution of framing hammers and guns.

Kevin takes a trip to Pennsylvania to meet with master craftsman Paul Grothouse.

Kevin and Tommy install a skylight. Richard talks about ducts.

Richard talks about the importance of radiant floor heating in the garage and walks through the installation process with plumber Abe Bilo.

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.

A composite deck is installed with the ease of a clip system.