This Old House

This Old House kicks off the second project of their 35th Anniversary Season: an addition to a 1966 Colonial Revival in historic Lexington, Mass. With a history that extends back to the time of the American Revolution, Lexington is home to a strong tradition of Colonial-style homes that are still popular today. Homeowners Jeremy and Jody Kieval love the neighborhood but not necessarily the tall trees that hide the front of their house; they'd like a curb appeal makeover that includes more sunlight and a big new farmer's porch. Inside, the front hall and dining room are working well, but the overflowing playroom needs to be relocated. Jeremy loves to cook and wants his dream kitchen to become the new heart of the home, so the nearly 50-year-old kitchen will be gutted and redesigned. Jody laments the lack of mudroom and access to the garage - but all of that will be taken care of by the new addition. All of the new upstairs space goes to the girls: the plan is to add two more bedrooms, a laundry room, and a sitting area over the garage. Norm meets architect Bill Hubner to discuss the features of the existing house, and how he's incorporated them into a plan for a sympathetic addition. In the 1980s-era great room, Richard explains why the tall room is hard to heat despite the best efforts of the baseboard and electric heat. Downstairs, the lack of insulation needs to be addressed and the heating and cooling systems may not be sized to support all of the new work in the addition. Roger shows Kevin the small stream in the backyard and the lengths that we're going go through to protect it during construction.