This Old House

A new project begins in Belmont, MA with a focus on salvage and restoration. Homeowners Katherine and Murat Bicer plan to revive their 1895 Victorian by building a front porch, refurbishing the original windows and opening up the kitchen.

Kevin pulls up to the house to see Roger and Katherine taking inventory of the plants, many of which Roger hopes to save and replant when the renovation is complete. Tommy explains the structural plan for the kitchen/dining area, which will be opened up to create one large eat-in kitchen. Demolition begins in the kitchen. Architectural historian Joe Cornish gives Norm a tour of Belmont's varied Victorian home styles, and they revisit the 1993 TOH Belmont project. Kitchen demo is complete, and Tommy inspects the open walls to determine how he'll provide structural support for the newly opened space. Dave Greenwood shows Norm how he's repairing the window pulley systems throughout the house. Salvage expert John Grossman stops by to collect usable items removed during demolition, including a hidden staircase that Tommy discovered in the kitchen.

To fix the slanted kitchen floor, Tommy jacks up the basement ceiling with temporary braces, installs a new support beam and pours footings for new lally columns. The homeowners want to save the marble sink and claw foot tub in the second floor bathroom, so Norm carefully disassembles the fixtures so they can be cleaned. Tommy gets the final beam specifications from the engineers and explains to Kevin the plan for holding up the back of the house. Richard tours Belmont's 1853 Homer House, which features original plumbing and air conditioning systems. Kevin finds Tommy in the future master bathroom of the project house, where he's carefully pulling up the flooring so he can reuse it to patch other areas of the house. Tommy and Kevin finish up work in the basement with new lally columns to support the house.

Tommy explains to Kevin how he assembles a flitch beam, and begins to install the first of two in the kitchen. Kevin travels to West Virginia to see how laminated veneer lumber is made. Richard discovers a rear-mounted toilet on the 3rd floor, and replaces it with the more common bottom mounted fixture due to a reworking of the floor plan. Kevin heads into the backyard where landscape designer Jenn Nawada shows homeowners Katherine and Murat her ideas for the shade-covered space. Tommy starts work on installing the second flitch beam in the kitchen. The braces come down and the open space is revealed.

Kevin meets mason Mark McCullough as he starts laying blocks for the mudroom foundation. Tommy builds a custom bay window for the new kitchen. Norm visits the shop where the original windows are undergoing restoration. Tommy shows Kevin how he uses a Dutchman's patch to cover the holes left from abandoned electrical outlets in baseboards. Kevin meets homeowners Katherine and Murat, and their interior designer Amanda Reid, at the Boston Design Center to discuss plans for the formal living room. Kevin finds Tommy putting in another beam to open up the front entryway

Kevin meets Richard in the basement and learns about the plan to keep the existing boiler but add a ducted system and a condenser for air conditioning. Tommy's excavation crew replaces the old steel main water line at the front of the house. Kevin learns how mason Mark McCullough lays brick for the new porch piers. Kevin finds Tommy pouring a concrete "rat slab," which will protect the mudroom against moisture and critters. Richard visits the tile showroom where homeowner Katherine and designer Amanda Reid are making final selections for the bathrooms.

Kevin finds Tommy out front, beginning the framing of the front porch with the ledger board. Inside, HVAC expert Brian Palen solves the puzzle of snaking ductwork through a house designed in the age of coal. Kevin heads to Brimfield, the world's largest outdoor antiques show, where homeowner Katherine searches for furnishings. Back at the house, Tommy has finished the deck framing and shows Kevin how he builds the stairs.

Kevin arrives at the back of house to see Tommy framing the new mudroom. He then finds the homeowners meeting with architect Mat Cummings, who has put together a couple of color-scheme options for the exterior of the house. Richard travels to New Bedford, Mass., to see the claw-foot tub undergoing restoration. Electrician Allen Gallant shows Kevin the remnants of old knob-and-tube wiring and snakes new wires for new fixtures in the master suite. Tommy uses a custom-made knife to shape new molding that matches the existing exterior molding.

Tommy lays down mahogany flooring on the new front porch, adhering to a special layout called for by the architect. Homeowner Katherine and interior designer Amanda meet with lighting designer Susan Arnold to select new modern fixtures inspired by some existing fixtures already in the house. Tommy explains the difference between open- and closed-cell foam insulation and applies both to solve the ice dam issues throughout the house. Richard learns about the two new gas fireplaces as they're installed on the first floor. Tommy shows Kevin how to lay out and install the shingles on the front porch roof.

Tommy converts a glass-paneled storm door into a custom mudroom-porch window. Interior designer Amanda Reid and homeowners Katherine and Murat select Victorian-inspired paint colors for the main living areas. Tommy shows Kevin how he clads the porch piers in white cedar shingles. Mark Ferrante lays marble tile in the master bath walk-in shower. Tommy lays down classic white oak tongue-and-groove floors in the kitchen and master suite.

Tommy creates an arched feature for the new gable above the front porch stairs that mimics the arch in the side gable of the house. Then he adds the finishing touch to the front porch: cedar columns. Kevin travels to Vermont to see an artisan create a custom floorcloth for the kitchen. Tommy builds the porch railings, which require a special detail in order to meet code. Kevin begins a labor of love: a tree house for the kids

Work continues on the tree house with Norm building a ladder, Tommy laying the decking and Kevin installing balusters. Mauro shows Kevin how he preps the 120-year-old shingles for a fresh coat of paint. Tommy installs a new storm window, and the original refurbished windows are installed. Kevin finds Tommy putting the finishing touches on a custom trellis he made for the mudroom bumpout. Tommy uses a special custom knife to cut the molding for the front entryway wainscoting. Using reclaimed wood from the second floor, Tommy patches the parquet flooring in the entryway

Roger replants the trees and shrubs he dug up and relocated before construction began. Meanwhile, landscape designer Jennifer Nawada puts the finishing touches on the backyard. Norm visits an old-school craftsman who is carving two newel posts to match the original on the main staircase. Kevin helps Tommy install the kitchen cabinets. Now that the marble countertop has been cleaned, it's ready for installation in the new powder room. Upstairs, the refinished claw-foot tub finds its new home in the master bath. After a big team effort, the tree house is complete and ready for the kids to enjoy.

Norm finds kitchen designer Linda Cloutier overseeing the kitchen countertop installation, and discovers her unique idea for the kitchen sink. Norm helps Tommy build a columned divider between the eating area and the mudroom, which will help separate the spaces and provide ample storage. Richard reviews all the changes to the mechanical systems in the house. Painter Mauro Henrique applies a special primer to one wall in the kitchen that will magnetize the wall, allowing the homeowners to use it for messages and notes. Interior designer Amanda Reid shows Kevin how she's using window treatments to create certain looks throughout the house. Kevin finds Tommy walking through the house with the homeowners, going through his final punch list

Kevin finds Roger in the front yard, finishing up his landscape transformation. Norm is on the new front porch, noting its beautiful design details. Just inside, homeowner Katherine shows Kevin the new front entry details. Tommy shows them how he makes the PVC floor registers look like the surrounding wood. In the master suite, interior designer Amanda Reid shows Kevin how artist Pauline Curtiss paints an intricate damask design on the walls. Up on the third floor, homeowner Murat and Richard install the interior storm windows and then admire the new bathroom and guest quarters. Outside, Kevin recaps the tree house build and then joins Tommy to discuss the functional mudroom addition. Murat shows Norm the new master suite, and Richard points out the bathroom features. Amanda and Katherine show Kevin the changes in the family room, formal living room, and dining room. The new kitchen is revealed, and everyone celebrates the renovated home on the new porch

On the North Shore of Massachusetts, homeowners Bill and April Harb begin building their dream home on a plot of raw land. The traditional farmhouse will look like it's been there for 200 years, but the building methods are at the forefront of innovation. Bill shows Kevin and Roger the site plan and walks them around the property, pointing out the first steps in the process. Norm and Tommy tour other factory homes built 5 years ago and 105 years ago, learning about the methods used for assembly. Back at the site, Kevin meets general contractor Erik Kaminski, who is leading the tree-removal process. Richard meets town official Brendhan Zubricki, who's performing a perc test to assess the soil.

Tommy and Kevin visit the Vermont factory where the house will be built, as general contractor Erik Kaminski watches the first shipment of framing parts leave. Richard meets Ed Akerley, who drills and blasts through the rock ledge to make room for the foundation. Norm and Erik watch as Scott McKenzy and his team build forms and pour concrete for the foundation

An inspector arrives to approve the new foundation. Kevin sees how Erik Kaminski installs the perimeter drain, which will keep groundwater away from the house. The first shipment of precut framing lumber arrives on-site via multiple flatbed trucks. Landscape architect Kim Turner explains her landscape plan to Richard and the homeowners, with a focus on making the property look like it's been there for a very long time. Matt Khoury leads the start of the framing process as Richard checks out the numbering system for the panels.

With framing in full force, general contractor Erik Kaminski walks Tommy through the first floor to show him how the house is coming together. Kevin meets homeowner April and interior designer Kristina Crestin to see the plan for the living/dining room. Back on-site, Erik walks Kevin through the house and shows him how they're raising the roof. With the main house framed, the crew moves on to the garage. Exterior trim arrives, and Erik shows Kevin how he attaches the fascia board to the ends of the rafters

Erik lays red cedar shingles on the roof. Kevin visits a reproduction first-period colonial home a few miles away to find out how houses were roofed 400 years ago. Up in Rupert, Vermont, homeowner Bill shows Kevin how the reproduction light fixtures the couple selected are handcrafted. Window installation begins. Norm heads to Maine, where homeowner April and interior designer Kristina Crestin search for salvaged doors for the pantry and dining room

Drilling begins on a geothermal system that will reduce the Harbs' energy bill by almost 50-percent. Norm tours local first-period homes with housewright Matt Diana. Kevin travels to the Vermont factory to see the stairs and wall panels being built. Back on the North Shore, Kevin learns about a new technology to seal ductwork

General contractor Erik Kaminski shows Kevin how he installs clapboard siding. Roger, landscape architect Kim Turner, and homeowner Bill select salvaged granite for the yard. Richard and Erik discuss the insulation plan for the house. Richard sees how the geothermal pipes are connected in the basement. At the factory in Vermont, Kevin sees the kitchen cabinets coming together.

Erik takes delivery of the kitchen cabinets, and Kevin assists with installation. They head outside to start work on the driveway. In the backyard, landscape architect Kim Turner shows Roger how she's installing reclaimed granite as a rustic patio. The den gets some formal wainscoting. The homeowners meet with designer Kristina Crestin to select interior paint colors. Erik installs the factory-made staircase.

Erik Kaminski finishes the staircase with a maple newel post. Kevin works with landscape architect Kim Turner to connect a reproduction antique light fixture to a granite lamppost. Richard shows the systems for getting water from the well. Scott Caron shows how the backup generator is installed. Electrician Heath Eastman shows Kevin how to install the crown jewel of the cupola: a reproduction lantern. Roger finds Kim in front of the house, turning the muddy pit into a beautiful front yard.

As work winds down and winter winds up, Kevin and Roger assess the exterior transformation. Erik Kaminski and Kevin build a custom closet from off-the-shelf piping. Norm and Tommy walk through the mudroom and living room to see Kristina 's designs. Richard shows Kevin the brand-new geothermal heating and cooling system. April and Kristina give Kevin a tour of the second floor. Downstairs, Norm and Tommy chat with Erik and Mike Connor about the building process. The entire team meets in the kitchen to celebrate another job well done.