Seasons & episodes

It's a wrap for the This Old House East Boston project! After a short ride on the Blue Line - the first subway in the world to run underneath a section of the ocean - master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor arrive in East Boston to find furniture being delivered, a tent going up, and flat screen TVs being installed. Upstairs, custom cafe shutters complete the casual, cottage look for homeowner Chris Flynn, while downstairs, the grout on the glass tile backsplash is being finished in the first floor unit. Interior designer Lisey Good shows Kevin how she used paint color, lighting, and furniture to create a "boutique hotel" look for homeowner Liz Bagley, while upstairs, kitchen designer Kathy Marshall shows plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey the cottage kitchen and bath she designed with the help of beadboard, quartz countertops, white appliances and rustic tile.

Custom cafe shutters; finishing the grout on the glass tile backsplash; boutique look; cottage kitchen and bath.

For the first time ever, the experts at This Old House travel to Austin, Texas, to transform an historic bungalow into an expanded, eco-friendly home with the help of a team of local green building experts. Newly married homeowners Michele Grieshaber and Michael Klug need more space to accommodate their modern lifestyle and Michael's two growing sons, Sam and David. Architect David Webber plans an architecturally sensitive and modest second floor addition, while local builder Bill Moore has some smart strategies for increasing the efficiency of the house, while preserving the old house charm. He begins with the biggest challenge of the project ? trying to level the house's pier and beam foundation that constantly shifts with the weather due to tough soil conditions. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits another green renovation that Bill recently completed in Travis Heights to see how green building can be tasteful, subtle, and truly mainstream.

Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive back in Austin, Texas, with a visit to the spring fed pool at Barton Springs, a favorite local outdoor hangout since the 1920s. Back at the house, the first truckload of framing material arrives, while Bill's crew is busy "deconstructing" the house. Program manager Richard Morgan drops by to explain what they will need to accomplish to qualify for a rare 5-star rating from Austin Energy's Green Building Program. To gain access to the much-needed workspace in the attic, the inefficient old system must go, so HVAC contractor Michael Scher begins outside, by draining and recycling the refrigerant from the old A/C unit. Curious about where the waste from our jobsite ends up, Kevin follows a dumpster of construction waste from our jobsite to a recycling center, and then to an integrated landfill where dimensional lumber and wallboard are turned into mulch and organic compost.

After a visit to the Texas State Capitol building, master carpenter Norm Abram sees the standing seam metal roof going on our green building project, while host Kevin O'Connor meets builder Bill Moore for an update ? rough plumbing and electrical are complete, wallboard is up on the first floor, and spray foam insulation is being sprayed into the rafter bays of the new second floor. West of the project in Tarrytown, Kevin meets renowned green architect Peter Pfeiffer to see the green home he designed for his family of six. The breathtaking Craftsman-style home features local limestone, cement board siding, reclaimed wood, cross ventilation, CFLs, daylighting, and xeriscaping. Back at the project house, Bill shows Norm how his crew is making custom cedar brackets to extend the Craftsman detailing to the new work on the addition.

Host Kevin O'Connor welcomes plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey to the "Live Music Capital of the World" with a visit to the legendary Continental Club ? home of live rockabilly, swing, and country music since 1957. The next morning, builder Bill Moore shows Kevin the progress, and how sons Sam and David are helping out with demo in the first floor bath. Up on the roof, Richard finds solar contractor Andrew McCalla and his crew beginning to mount the modules that will make up a 2.45kW solar array that will provide 40% of the power needed for the new house. To keep the old house charm, Norm visits Brad Kittel at the largest salvage yard in Texas to find interior doors and glass knobs for the addition that will match what's already on the first floor. Plumber John Podolak connects the circulator pump for the tankless hot water heater, while out front, Bill shows Norm the problem with the sagging front porch pad.

Host Kevin O'Connor shows landscape contractor Roger Cook some local color on Austin's Town Lake, while back at the project house, green builder Bill Moore demonstrates how he's using a French drain and moisture barrier to try and lower the water table around the house to partially stabilize the foundation of the house. Inside, Kevin finds that the reclaimed flooring has arrived from Virginia, the new French doors are installed, and the kitchen cabinets, made from sustainable MDF and Lyptus, are going in. On a trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Roger and homeowner Michael Klug find creative ways to use native plants in residential landscaping. A new composite decking, made from 100% recycled wood and plastics, goes down on the deck off the master bedroom, while sustainable lighting designer Mark Loeffler shows Kevin how he'll use compact fluorescent and LED lighting to increase the energy efficiency of the house.

Despite a crippling ice storm in Texas, work continues at the project house. Builder Bill Moore shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he's using old roof rafters to fashion the railing system and nosings for the new stair treads. In the kitchen, homeowner Michele Grieshaber has selected six different paint colors, and paint specialist Mike Branch explains why, due to low-VOCs, the new paint we're using will be less toxic to homeowners and workers. Outside, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey lends a hand moving a 1200-gallon tank into place on the property, while rainwater harvester Blake West shows how the water will be collected from the metal roof with a series of gutters and PVC pipes, stored in the tank, and used later for irrigation. Richard visits West Texas to see how Texans are creating clean, renewable energy by harvesting the wind. Tile contractors Robbie & Bryan Hawkins install handmade tile made from 50% recycled-content on the master bathroom floor.

Using locally abundant natural materials is considered "green", so we're using local limestone on the front porch wall caps, the first floor vanity top, and in the landscape borders. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits Jarrell, Texas to see how the stone is quarried, while lead carpenter Tony Goss reinstalls the old wooden front porch columns on new bases that will resist rot better than the originals. Builder Bill Moore takes host Kevin O'Connor to a local home center to show him several products that are not only green, but also widely available. Countertop contractor Chris Farris arrives to install the new recycled glass and concrete countertops in the kitchen, and Kevin travels to Brooklyn, New York to see how they are manufactured. Back at the project house, homeowner Michael Klug and landscape designer Adams Kirkpatrick show Kevin what they have planned for new green landscape ? highlights include native plants, minimal use of grass, and local limestone borders.

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. Homeowners Bill and Gillian Pierce love their old house but it lacks family space, flow, and a modern kitchen. Architect Paul Rovinelli presents his plan for the addition, while problems are identified in the old house, both in the basement and in the landscape. Host Kevin O'Connor visits a similar house in the neighborhood that has been opened up and expanded, while general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive to begin the demolition with Bill. By the end of the day, the three-season porch has been removed, and work is well underway.

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. Inside, architect Paul Rovinelli takes host Kevin O'Connor and homeowner Gillian Pierce through the plan for the new kitchen, which calls for a modest expansion, building as Gillian puts it, "just what we need," and nothing more. One early proponent of that style of thinking was architect and author Sarah Susanka, so Kevin travels to her own "Not So Big" home in Raleigh, North Carolina, to see some smart ideas for restrained remodels that won't break the bank. Back in Newton Centre, landscape contractor Roger Cook breaks up the old porch slab to make way for the foundation for the new addition.

Host Kevin O'Connor finds general contractor Tom Silva in the backyard prepping the footings for the new porch columns. Landscape contractor Roger Cook brings in civil engineer Mike Kosmo to do the perk test needed for the new landscape plan. To learn more about the form, architect Treff LaFleche shows Kevin a stunning neighborhood Shingle-style house that he purchased, renovated, and sold 3 years ago. The turn-of-the-century home features a curved wrap-around porch, dramatic entry hall, charming inglenook, and, similar to the renovation plans the team has in store, it has a new open kitchen and family room that connect visually with the rest of the house. Back on site, Roger finds certified arborist Matt Foti removing a rotted red maple from the side yard with a tree crew and crane.

General contractor Tom Silva removes the temporary support beam that has been holding up the back corner of the house. Meanwhile, engineered lumber specialist Craig Smith shows master carpenter Norm Abram the "green" framing materials to be used in the new kitchen. Norm, Tom, and host Kevin O'Connor remove the old kitchen walls and install a new 16' beam to open up the space. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows Norm how the shoddy wiring installed over the years has created unsafe conditions and code violations throughout the house. Kitchen showroom co-owner Yael Peleg presents her vision for an "unfitted kitchen," while kitchen designer Donna Venegas shows Kevin and homeowner Maddy Krauss how the concept is incorporated into the floor plans and design choices. Back in Newton, Tom and Kevin reframe the structure of the floor under the master closet to strengthen, level, and tie it in with the rest of the floor in the new master bath.

Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs 200 running feet of pre-cast concrete to create a retaining wall that will define the perimeter of the new backyard. Inside the house, wallpaper historian Richard Nylander helps host Kevin O'Connor date and evaluate the historic wallpaper throughout the house, while general contractor Tom Silva frames for a new window in an old wall. Kevin makes a trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to see how three 19th century buildings are being moved as part of a construction project at Harvard Law School. The million-dollar move, which has been planned for five years, requires the buildings to be lifted and rolled down Massachusetts Avenue on hydraulic dollies steered by remote control.

After a brief stop at Johnny's Luncheonette for breakfast, host Kevin O'Connor meets paint color specialist Ann Pfaff to learn what colors might be appropriate for the Shingle- style house. Back in Newton, general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram build the 12-foot wall of the new kitchen bump out that will contain a built-in bench for the kitchen table. In the South End of Boston, Kevin visits stained glass designer Jim Anderson at his workshop to see the restoration and rebuilding of the home's four historic windows. In the home's backyard, under the new porch, landscape contractor Roger Cook uses a pay-as-you-go concrete truck to pour a small buttress wall that will support the exposed rubble stone foundation.

Host Kevin O'Connor drives up to the house to find general contractor Tom Silva helping load up a truck for the "Building Materials Resource Center," a local non-profit that will be selling the project's surplus materials to needy homeowners at discounted prices. Inside the house, Tom shows Kevin the progress on the porch, kitchen, and master bath, where his crew is installing several new windows. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey gives an update on the mechanical systems. To learn more about the home's Milford Pink granite foundation being a sign of wealth at the time the house was built, architect Treff LaFleche takes Kevin to see how the same stone was used on the Boston Public Library, and also how the granite is quarried and split to best match the home's existing stone. Back on site, Roger installs the new Milford Pink granite, and also matches the old mortar.

Host Kevin O'Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey stop to see Echo Bridge, a 500-foot long arched structure built in 1976 to carry water over the Charles River. Back at the project house, landscape contractor Roger Cook digs up a large, established shrub by the front walkway which will be transplanted to the backyard to help with screening. Roger also shows Kevin how work on the new fieldstone sitting wall is progressing. In the first floor parlor, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how to install a replacement window. Meanwhile, Richard adds radiant heat panels under the entry hall, a great solution for warming an area that was not previously heated. PEX water pipe goes into the kitchen, while master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Germansville, Pennsylvania to see how countertop fabricator Paul Grothouse is crafting a beautiful 3-inch teak island top for the house.

Host Kevin O’Connor sees how landscape contractor Roger Cook is building the fieldstone and mortar sitting wall. Meanwhile, master carpenter Norm Abram shows homeowner Paul Friedberg troublesome conditions with the wood-to-ground contact on the side of the house, underneath the front porch, and at the garage. Pest control expert Bill Seigel comes to the rescue with a treatment to stop the termite activity and prevent further damage. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin the new stepped dowel fastening system he is using to put down the ipe decking. Architect Treff LaFleche takes Kevin to see a riff on the Shingle-style brand new home he designed that looks traditional on the outside, but features clean, wide open, modern spaces on the inside. Up in the attic, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the air handlers, and how the high velocity mini-duct system lets him easily feed conditioned air to the second and third floors.

To replace the stairway he removed from the old kitchen, general contractor Tom Silva builds a brand new stairway to the basement. Then, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor how to select a good quality faucet—discussing function, finish, construction and valves. Inspired by an existing arched door opening, Tom shows Kevin how he's making a vaulted ceiling in the hallway that connects the front of the house to the new addition out back. At the end of the day, insulation contractor Tony Trigler arrives to install spray foam insulation in the new addition.

Progress on the home’s exterior painting continues. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor how he is wrapping the columns under the back porch in shingles. Preservation plasterer Rory Brennan shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he’s saving the old plaster in the billiards room using a new adhesive system. He also shows Norm how to replicate an authentic corner bead detail from the 1890s. Kevin meets homeowner Madeline Krauss and her interior designer, Abbey Koplovitz, to see their selections for the home’s lighting, paint colors, and furnishings. In nearby Somerville, Massachusetts, Norm visits billiard restorer Steve Kelly’s showroom and workshop to see rare and valuable antique pool tables, and also to see how work on the pool table is progressing.

A local nursery brings plants to the house. General contractor Tom Silva addresses some unforeseen rotting problems with the garage. Inside, the kitchen is plastered, the new white oak flooring is down, and the cabinets have just arrived from Kitchener, Canada. Flooring contractor Steve Dubuque shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he is layering aniline dye, stain, and polyurethane to achieve the floor color the homeowners are seeking. Plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey travels to Racine, Wisconsin, to see how one manufacturer is making a new generation of kitchen garbage disposers. Tom installs a new standing seam copper roof over the back porch. In the master bath, Kevin finds tile contractor Joe Ferrante setting up for a major tile job – the first step is waterproofing the shower by using a paint-on, flexible, seamless, waterproofing membrane.

Host Kevin O’Connor talks with homeowner Paul Friedberg to learn more about Paul’s past as an Olympic fencer. Master carpenter Norm Abram checks on the installation of the new custom garage doors. Cabinet installer Patrick Malone finishes the job by scribing his base moulding the floor. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he is giving a stock masonite door a face lift by adding an oak veneer and new oak mouldings. In the master bath, tile contractor Joe Ferrante shows Kevin how he is laying the mosaic “rug” tiles in front of the new vanity. Kitchen designer Donna Venegas shows Norm the countertop and tile choices for the kitchen, while template maker Kent Whitten creates the templates using digital technology. Landscape contractor Roger Cook works with an irrigation contractor to add both sprinkler heads and drip irrigation to the landscape before the cold weather sets in.

Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs sod in the backyard, while host Kevin O’Connor meets engineered stone distributor Chelsie Arnold to learn more about the quartz and resin countertops being installed in the kitchen. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the new high-efficiency air conditioning system. Kevin then helps general contractor Tom Silva fabricate new wainscoting for the kitchen. In the front hall, painting contractor Jim Clark shows Kevin how the oak woodwork is cleaned using TSP and a little elbow grease. In the upstairs hall, the damaged wood requires stripping and re-staining. The day ends with the sad news that our beloved tile contractor, Joe Ferrante, has unexpectedly passed away.

Host Kevin O’Connor checks out general contractor Tom Silva’s makeshift workshop on the front porch of the house. Inside, countertop fabricator Paul Grothouse arrives from Pennsylvania to install the end grain teak island top and deliver its companion piece “a custom teak farmhouse table” for the breakfast area. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey displays the progress on the second floor bath and meets tub refinisher Jack Donaruma on the third floor to see him strip and refinish the old clawfoot tub. In the master closet, Kevin finds the room painted and closet designer Brian McSharry is installing a custom closet system. Back in the kitchen, tile contractor Mark Ferrante shows Kevin how he uses wedges to create even grout lines on the uneven handmade tile backsplash. Tom shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he uses portable lathe to turn a new newel post finial out of walnut.