Seasons & episodes

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.

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.