This Old House - Season 37

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.

Geothermal system; building stairs and wall panels; sealing 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.

Erik Kaminski finishes the staircase with a maple newel post. Kevin works with landscape architect Kim Turner to connect a reproduction antique light fixture to a granite lamppost. Richard shows the systems for getting water from the well. Scott Caron shows how the backup generator is installed. Electrician Heath Eastman shows Kevin how to install the crown jewel of the cupola: a reproduction lantern. Roger finds Kim in front of the house, turning the muddy pit into a beautiful front yard

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.