This Old House

In celebration of 35 years of This Old House, we look back at all that's changed in the last 35 years, and also what hasn't—our commitment to delivering trusted ideas and information to empower homeowners. This season begins in Boston's oldest neighborhood, Charlestown. Kevin and Norm highlight Charlestown's historical importance, from colonial times through WWII. Our new project is part of a cluster of 1850s-era Greek Revival houses tucked into the backside of Bunker Hill. Homeowner Angela Daigle shows Kevin the period feel and features of her home that she loves, but also the outdated kitchen and poor organization of space that she'd like to improve. Upstairs, Tom Silva shows Norm the spaces that will be getting minimal work: an existing guest room, guest bath, and living room. But one level up, on the third floor, it will likely be a full gut to give Angela a better master suite with additional living space, assuming the City approves the plan to enlarge the existing dormers. Out back, Roger shows Kevin the sad state of the crumbling retaining walls. Then Kevin finds Richard formulating a plan for the basement. Norm stops in next door to meet Maggie Boone to see how she recently addressed a lot of the same issues that Angela faces by renovating her own row house. And Norm and Tom test for lead paint before beginning demo on the first floor, as downstairs, Kevin, Richard and mason Mark McCullough start digging into the project.

Kevin arrives to find Tom solving a major problem with the house: The exterior walls are bowing out from the weight of the roof over 160 years. His solution: build a structural wall inbound of the brick, lash the brick to the structure with threaded rods and epoxy, and then parge the whole thing. In the basement, news is brighter: Richard shows Kevin the result of two weeks of hand digging and a week of rough plumbing. The floor is down several inches, the sewer line tucked neatly in the floor, and the radiant heat/insulation system is currently going in. On the third floor, Norm shows Kevin how the roof has been under-structured since it was originally built. The structure they added in the 1980s helped, but it still needs more. Tom joins to get the first of two massive LVLs tucked into the pockets in the brick sidewalls, and fastened in place. To see how it's holding up, Norm revisits the townhouse we renovated in Charlestown 14 years ago. Back at our house, Tom shows Kevin how he's going to open up the back wall for the new bump out. It starts with using two temporary steel "needles" through the reinforced rear wall to hold the weight of the house while a new steel beam is inserted. Then, the bricks can come down one by one to make a small new addition for the breakfast area.

Richard gets up close and personal with one of Charlestown's most iconic structures, ”the Zakim Bridge,”by talking with the structural engineer on the project, Ted Zoli. At the project house, Kevin finds the front of the building obscured by scaffolding; it will be used to replace the failing asphalt roof, and also to build the dormer, if approval comes in from the City. Inside, Tom shows Kevin how he'll have to modify the old chimney for the new gas fireplace units, and they see the framing progress, including the new bump out for the breakfast area. The third floor master suite is all framed up, save the dormer, which is still in regulatory limbo. In the backyard, mason Mark McCullough presents options for rebuilding the decaying retaining walls at different price points. Then, they dig into the demolition, carrying all of the old wall material out through the house, by hand. Norm visits a salvage yard in Boston's South End that has dozens of architectural elements from the Greek Revival period, including a marble mantel and some glass doorknobs that are perfect for Angela's house. Several days later, Mark starts installing the homeowner's choice for the retaining wall: an interlocking concrete system with a bluestone cap. Richard shows Kevin the progress on the rough plumbing and electrical, including a high velocity mini duct system that will pair with an electric inverter heat pump unit to supply either air handlers or high wall cassette units. It's an efficient and quiet solution, which is perfect for this close-knit City location.

Richard stops by the Charlestown Navy Yard to see a very special guest arrive: the last wooden whaling ship in the world, the Charles W. Morgan, which was built c.1840, just a decade before our project house. At the jobsite, Norm finds architect Sally DeGan, who shares the good news that after months of work and waiting, our new dormer was finally approved. Up at the roofline, Tom shows Norm the progress on the dormer, and how he's carefully waterproofing its low slope roof. Inside, Kevin notes progress: insulation went in a few days ago and wallboard is going up. Out back, to tie in the new work with the old house, mason Mark McCullough installs a reclaimed brick veneer on the new kitchen bump out. Kevin drops in to see kitchen designer Kathy Marshall at her studio in Wenham, Massachusetts, where she is working on the interior design details with homeowner Angela Daigle. For a more authentic look, Norm and Tom replace the fake, applied vinyl shutters on our house with authentic, operable shutters make out of durable fiberglass and PVC.

Roger visits the Sullivan Square Community Garden, while Richard works with fireplace expert John Sullivan to rough in the ductwork for the new direct vent gas fireplace units. With plaster work and flooring completed, Norm and Tom add some subtle Greek Revival details to the interior window trim package. For inspiration for her own urban garden, Roger takes homeowner Angela Daigle to see some the hidden gardens of Beacon Hill. Painting contractor Mauro Henrique paints the exterior window trim on our rowhouse, and puts up samples of a few bold color choices for the new front door

Kevin finds Tom getting ready for a major upgrade to the front of the house, a new four-panel front door with glass transom and sidelights in traditional Greek Revival style. Inside, Kevin and Tom recall some of their favorite TOH kitchens over the years before seeing another one in progress; Angela's cabinets have arrived from Pennsylvania. On the second floor, Tom and Kevin install new wood wainscoting to replace the worn out, poorly made version that used to be there. Norm learns about Charlestown's ancient past from city archaeologist Joe Bagley, who provides a rare look at his warehouse of artifacts in storage and testing at Boston's own archaeology lab. Tile contractor Mark Ferrante uses a marble basket weave tile from an online supplier to make a feature wall insert in the master shower. At the back addition, Kevin and Tom install a small section of copper roof to add a bit of character and long-term durability to the small roof.