Seasons & episodes

S43 · E32Saratoga Legacy Restored | Up and Away 2022-06-02＋

A new chimney facade is made to look old with a brick veneer; selecting kitchen cabinets; cleaning the exterior of the house in preparation for paint; a hot air balloon ride.

Replacing an old flooring system; saving an old porch; exploring tile options; installing steel I-beams and trusses.

Drainpipes are hidden in the coffered ceilings; draining water from the screened-in porch; installing a diffusion vent and single staircase connecting the first to the third floor; a do-it-yourself skate rink brings neighbors together.

The old electrical service is upgrade. Cold weather inverter heat pumps will heat and cool the house. An original window sash becomes an awning window. A vocational student has a welding project for the backyard. Various types of insulation are used.

New water and sewer lines are run. The house is brought up to code with fire sprinklers. A new slate hearth is installed. Original 1890s chalkboards are restored and reinstalled at the Dracut Centre School. Doghouse dormers are made watertight.

Vocational school students build a table for the Dracut Centre School. An alternative to wide plank hardwood flooring is used at the project house. An automatic low impact irrigation system is installed. The ICF foundation gets a stucco-like finish.

An entryway landing in the walk-in pantry poses a problem for installation of the cabinets. The builder comes up with a custom solution. The homeowners shop for paint supplies and get a lesson on preparing and painting the exterior PVC trim.

It's a wrap on the multigenerational 1864 Dutch Colonial. Once a singlefamily, then expanded and cobbled together into a three-family, the home has been reconstructed into a two-family with an open floor plan. The crew gets a tour of the finish.

The crew heads South to Atlanta, GA where work on an 1890s Victorian with rich history is about to begin. They get a warm Southern welcome from the builder, project manager, and homeowners and are given a tour of the project and scope of work.

The Atlanta house is in disrepair, so layers are peeled back to uncover the extent of the damage. The homeowner lends a hand with demolition of unsafe structures. We meet the contractor. A lending library is built. Care is taken to save an oak tree.

The Atlanta Beltline is toured. A stem wall foundation replaces the existing footings, and the crawl space gets a vapor barrier. The homeowner receives a lesson on HVAC installation. An outdoor learning center is toured for backyard inspiration.

New framing replaces the once termite eaten studs. Having an HVAC plan in place, the homeowner begins installing ductwork at the house. Native fruit trees are explored. Cardboard boxes make for a real kitchen feel. Old windows salvaged and restored.

Progress is made on the interior and exterior of the house. New beveled pine siding is weaved into the old. Tyler Perry Studios is toured. The house gets lightning and surge protection. In MA, The Dracut Centre School restoration is complete.

Care is taken in the renovation to respect the old details of the home. New porch columns are made to match the old. A bathroom gets a concrete-like finish. A reclaimed front door is installed. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home is visited.

It's all about finishing touches. Outside the front door is cleaned and prepped for paint, the front steps are repaired, and a medicinal garden is planted. Inside, the water heater is installed, custom shelves are built, and wallpaper is installed.

The renovation of the 1890s Victorian whose former owner was a pillar in the community for civil rights is complete. The family of the former owner meets the current homeowners. The crew gets a tour of the new spaces. The lending library is mounted.

The crew is back in Massachusetts on the Eastern Seaboard in the town of Newburyport - a middle-class neighborhood where shipwrights and sea captains once lived. They meet the homeowners, tour the project, and discuss the possible challenges.

Before demo begins, the main power is disconnected. The old bump out is demoed, and the present bathroom is tested for asbestos. A carpenter talks about working with Parkinson's Disease. The vinyl siding is removed to reveal the original clapboards.

With demo complete, the new foundations are poured, and a winding staircase replaces the old steep set. A find during demo sparks interest in the home's history. Outside, a retaining wall is built, and the old water and sewer lines are replaced.

Roof shingles are installed on a challenging roof line. Factory-assembled exterior window trims save time and labor. The original staircase balusters and railings are modified. The homeowners meet with their interior designer and make selections.

As construction nears an end, the yard gets planted. Inside, a custom home office is built from off-the-shelf materials. The old floors are reused on the second floor. An EV charger is installed, and the front door gets a high-sheen finish.

With the new two-story addition built and an efficient floor plan on the interior, it's time to call it a wrap on the project; but first, the homeowners and the crew take part in a little town fun at the annual bed race. The finished house is toured.

The crew starts one of their oldest projects yet, a first period home in the town of Ipswich, MA. The homeowners give them a tour of the property and the proposed changes. Tom Silva shows them how to salvage the old floorboards before demo begins.

The architect shares his vision for the property, but before plans can be completed, a bit of exploratory demo must take place. A lesson on first period homes is given. The team hopes to uncover the original timber frame during demo.