This Old House Season 14, Episode 20: The Lexington Ranch - 20

1

The Lexington Ranch - 1

The new season kicks off with a visit to the Haggers at Kirkside in Wayland. The lawn has come in, and the place looks great. Then it's off to Newton, where a developer has found it economically sound to buy up tired little ranches and upgrade them ratically - the idea the show will explore this season. In Lexington, our host meets Brian and Jan Ioge, and their children Brennan and Sarah, in the ranch house they've lived in for the past nine years. They want to expand it, and the crew agrees that the basic structure is sound and can be added onto without the need for repair first. The guys tell the Igoes they'll help them on their project.

2

The Lexington Ranch - 2

We meet architect Graham Gund in his offices at Bulfinch Square, a historic complex he restored. After a tour of the offices, Graham takes our host to look a house he designed in the Massachusetts countryside. He agrees to take on the redesign of the Igoes' ranch. Meanwhile, our master carpenter investigates a new style of insulated concrete foundation forms. At the ranch, architect Rick Bechtel discusses the Igoes' wish list with them.

3

The Lexington Ranch - 3

Architect Graham Gund reveals his plans for the Igoes' ranch, using a model and drawings. The crew begins to file a for a building permit and to figure material and labor cost using a computer program. Meanwhile, our host takes viewers back to London to see Jeremy and Carla Vogler in their now-complete flat.

4

The Lexington Ranch - 4

Our host catches up with homeowners Jan and Brian Igoe, urging them to vacate the premises before the demolition begins. The guys discuss the strategy of laying down fiberboard to protect the house's oak floors during construction. Tom Silva tracks down Richard Trethewey to find out how he plans to heat the new addition. We meet foundation contractor Ken Lewis hard at work digging the front bump-out's footing and learn about the Dig Safe program. (Ken hits an unmarked water pipe.) Then we take a look at the foundation hole for the new addition. A concrete cutter puts a doorway through the old foundation wall to connect with the new cellar. Graham Gund and Rick Bechtel discuss continuing design changes to the new addition.

5

The Lexington Ranch - 5

Arborist Matt Foti and crew remove a large swamp marple from the site. Tom Silva takes us to see another, simpler ranch expansion he did in a nearby town. Back at the site, our master carpenter and host discuss the new polystyrene insulating foundation forms Ken Lewis is installing; then the concrete is pumped over the house and into the completed forms. Later, our host checks in to see the slab poured and termiticide applied to the new foundation's perimeter.

6

The Lexington Ranch - 6

Lumber arrives on the site, and mason Lenny Belleveau applies a hard cement coating to the above-grade portion of the styrofoam foundation forms. Architect Graham Gund leads a tour of Church Court, an adaptive reuse project where a burnt-out church was transformed into a condominium.

7

The Lexington Ranch - 7

With the roof demolished, the crew begins to deck over the second floor. The addition is decked over, and our master carpenter and architect Rick Bechtel discuss plans for the new front entrance. Our host talks with homeowner Brian Igoe about his new chimney, and then tours a ranch renovation in a nearby town.

8

The Lexington Ranch - 8

With framing well underway, homeowner Jan Igoe gives our host a tour of the developing spaces inside the house. He then talks to framing specialist Gil Straujups, who has been hired to speed the job along. Richard Trethewey supervises the removal of the house's underground oil tank. In the new mudroom, our master carpenter shows how he is attaching closet sills to the concrete floor. Then architect Rick Bechtel takes on a tour of a nearby housing development where the homes are historically inspired.

9

The Lexington Ranch - 9

Homeowners Brian and Jan tour the house and see how the kitchen ceiling has been removed. Landscape architect Tom Wirth visits the site and accepts the challenge of reworking the approach to the house's front entrance. Tom Silva shows us some new ventilation chutes he's using, as well as an engineered wood trim. Then we visit timber-framer Tedd Benson at a jobsite on Squam Lake, New Hamshire, and see Tedd and his crew fabricate scissor trusses for the Igoes' great space.

10

The Lexington Ranch - 10

The timber trusses are craned into new place in the new addition, with stress-skin panels following to form the new roof. Tom Wirth arrives to show us two alternatives for the new entrance's landscaping, and inside Richard Trethewey demonstrates how the waste pipes were modified to handle the two new bathrooms. The guys examine the architectural shingles that are going on the new roof.

11

The Lexington Ranch - 11

The crew prepares an opening to accept a new window. Housewrap is discussed, and inside our general contractor demonstrates how he is triming out the windows with engineered wood trim. Upstairs, our host discusses various parts of the library's design with Brian and Jan, and we see how mason Lenny Belleveau built the library's fireplace. We then meets Todd Dumas, who is putting the copper valleys onto the building. Our host shows the ridge vents that are part of the roof venting system, then catches up with electrician Paul Kennedy, who shows the mix of new and old wiring he's facing.

12

The Lexington Ranch - 12

Our host arrives on site to discover stone mason Roger Hopkins at work on the new landscaping. Landacaping architect Tom Wirth explains the evolution of the winning plan. Inside, homeowner Brian Igoe is painstakingly back-priming all the vertical cedar siding, while the guys struggle to make the mitred corners on the redwood clapboards match up. Our host takes viewers on a tour of the factory where the windows were built. Back at the site, roofer Todd Dumas and his assistant Rusty put a standing-seam copper roof on one of the great room's bays. Inside, the guys discuss a piece of built-in furniture the architect has specified for the great room.

13

The Lexington Ranch - 13

Work continues on the front landscaping, and Tom Wirth gives us a update on the layout. Inside, Richard Trethewey shows us the plastic tubing that has made rough plumbing proceed quickly. Stone mason Roger Hopkins is proceeding, with granite steps going in and a concrete slab poured at the front entrance. At the workshop, our master carpenter fabricates the columns architect Graham Gund has designed for the front enterance. Then we tour a Gund project outside St. Louis.

14

The Lexington Ranch - 14

Our host catches up with Graham Gund as the architect discusses design issues with Jan Igoe. Meanwhile, our master carpenter tours the US Forest Service's Forest Products Lab, where wood is tested and evaluated. Back on site, Richard Trethewey guides through the process of installing a whirlpool tub, while Jan continues to insulate the building. Kitchen and bath designer Glenn Berger shows off the layout of the new kitchen.

15

The Lexington Ranch - 15

The job has suddenly taken a turn for the better, thanks in part to the homeowners' cleanup efforts. The crew installs the double front door, and electrician Paul Kennedy shows us the centralized audio/video/telephone wiring system he's installing. Our master carpenter continues his visit to the Forest Products Lab, where he sees recycled wood and paper technology. Back at the site, blueboard is going up in the great room, and landscaper Roger Cook goes to dig up a ""pre-owned"" tree for the use in the Igoes' front yard.

16

The Lexington Ranch - 16

After a major snowstorm, we arrive on site to find the granite steps installed and Herb Brockert's grading work in the backyard complete. Our master carpenter puts in the columns at the front entrance. Then we check in with Richard Trethewey, who explains the placement of the new oil tank in the garage. Upstairs, the plasters are hard at work, patching a section of the old living room ceiling with drywall compound and applying veneer plaster along a curved section under the new staircase. Tom Silva installs extension jambs in the great room's windows, while in the basement, the man who cut a hole in the foundation returns to try to smooth out the slab. Finally, Glenn Berger gives a tour of the kitchen as the cabinets begin to go in.

17

The Lexington Ranch - 17

Roger Hopkins puts in the last pieces of the front stairs: flagging made from ""scrap"" granite. Inside, lighting designer Melissa Guenet gives a tour of the lights going into the new new great room and kitchen. Upstairs, a fiberglass repair is done on the damaged whirlpool tub, while radiant heating tube goes in on the floor of the great room. At the workshop, or master carpenter works on the carcass an inlaid panels of the Igoes' new entertainment center. Back at the house, Glenn Berger shows some of the other storage cabinets he's installing around the house; the plasters continue their work in the library; and tiler Joe Ferrante begins tiling the master bath.

18

The Lexington Ranch - 18

We visit a iron fabrication shop to see how the front railings are being put together. Back at the house, a marble counter top is fitted into the kitchen, while manmade counters and a shower stall are fabricated on site. Roger Cook drops by with the pre-owned tree and plants it. Our master carpenter trims out a dormer window, and we check out the progress on the tiling. In the great room, Glenn Berger shows us a hutch made from cabinet pieces. In the mudroom, Joe Ferrante installs a heavy-traffic tile made from recycled glass.

19

The Lexington Ranch - 19

Our host meets up with Jan Igoe to discuss the inadvisability of doing patches in the old floors. In the great room, Jeff Hosking and crew install a floating strip floor system, while our master carpenter continues work on the entertainment center at the workshop. Back at the house, Tom Silva is installing maple stair treads and woodmaker Pike Noykes presents the handcarved ""dollop"" newel he made in his shop. Upstairs, Glenn Berger talks about his custom cherry bookshelves, and Roger Hopkins fits in the granite hearthstone. In the master bedroom, we see Paul Kennedy install a stereo speaker and check up on Corian progress in the bathroom.

20

The Lexington Ranch - 20

The home stretch. The guys arrive with the entertainment center, and meet up with architect Rick Bechtel, who is started his own firm. Tom Silva installs prefabricated cherry-veneer panelling in the library, while a mirror and glass shower doors go into the master bath. Sarai Stenquist works on Sarah Igoe's wallpaper, and Don Martini shows our host the security system.

21

The Miami House - 1

The crew heads to storm-stricken Maimi, Florida, in search for a house to fix up. After seeing one that is too big a job for six short shows, they find a 1917 Mediterranean Revival-style home that was directly in the path of hurricane Andrew, surviving structurally intact but with significant water damage. Our master carpenter meets contractors Rich Groden and Brian Stamp at two of their jobsites. Our host talks with the homeowner's son, Tony O'Donnell, about the family's plans to restore and renovate the building.

22

The Miami House - 2

With the wet plaster and carpeting removed from the house, some heretofore hidden features of the house are repealed, including a former window and the original fireplace detail. Our master carpenter sees the roofing replaced with a modified bitumen membrane system, our host meets with the architect and homeowner's daughter Mary Ellen Frank. He also tours an example of Mediterranean Revival-style architecture with Margot Ammidown of the Metro-Dade Historic Preservation Office, while Richard Trethewey checks out the state of the house's plumbing with plumber Eddie Faccaviento.

23

The Miami House - 3

Tree cutter Tony Sisto takes down a ded tree, with some difficulty, while our master carpenter checks the installation of the house's new air conditioning system. Contractor Rich Groden explains his plan to make water run off the sun porch roof better, and we get an update on the electricans' progress. Our host meets with a window sales rep, who is ordering up as many standard-size replacement windows as he can get away with in order to avoid far more costly custom units. A concrete beam is repaired in the sun porch, and we visit Dr. Bob Sheets at the National Hurricane Center in Coral Gables.

24

The Miami House - 4

Our host opens the show at ""Mt. Trashmore"", a collecting point - one of about a dozen in South Dade - for all the debris hurricane Andrew generated. Back at the house, we see how the plaster walls are being patched and finished. Our host tours the grounds with landscape architect Kevin Holler, who has devised a long-term master plan for the property. The windows arrive, and contractor Rich Groden explains their features and method of installation. We tour the kitchen and hear designer Cecilia Luaces' plans for it. finally, we visit a small Miami factory where cement tiles are being custom-fabricated to replace the broken clay ones currently on the house.

25

The Miami House - 5

We see progress on the house with general contractor Rick Groden: window patch-in, interior plastering and trim. He then meets the man who is patching the exterior stucco. Our master carpenter talks with Brian Stamp about a concrete pour meant to strengthen faulty arches in the porch section, and then visits a home destroyed by hurricane Andrew - a structural engineer explains why the house failed. Finally, kitchen designer Cecilia Luaces supervises the installation of the newly arrived cabinets.

26

The Miami House - 6

The final three days. The painters are hard at work; our master carpenter replaces a window that was broken during construction and shows us the hi-tech coated plastic membrane inside the panes that makes these windows energy efficient. Upstairs, our host sees that the pine floors have been sanded and refinished. We then watch a screened pool enclosure go up in a matter of hours, and checks out the new garage doors and the landscaping. Inside, tile goes down in the kitchen and around the fireplace. Our master carpenter visits a housing development where because most of the homes are below the flood plain, houses must be raised up to meet code. Back at the house, our host talks to Margaret O'Donnell Blue, the 76-year-old owner of the house, and takes a final tour of the completed kitchen with designer Cecilia Luaces. At the wrap party, Brian Stamp tells about the budget ($75,000 paid out by the homeowner - $10,000 more than their insurance settlement - and $75,000 of donated materials).