This Old House Season 43, Episode 29: Saratoga Springs: Old Woes

1

Concord Country Cape | New England Cape

This 1880 Country Cape started as a small house on a large piece of land but was added on to over time. The crew meets the new homeowners and their architect and gets a tour both inside and outside to learn about their future plans.

2

Concord Country Cape | Saving What We Can

Appliances, building material and radiators are salvaged from the house before the major demolition begins. Outside, an arborist sprays the old Hemlock trees on the property to protect them from damaging insects. Time to cut off the garage addition.

3

Concord Country Cape | Fix the Foundation

The old foundation gets modified for the new basement with an opening for a doorway, and the new foundation has to be tied into the old. On the first floor, the crew installs a beam in order to remove some of the wall that abuts the front staircase.

4

Concord Country Cape | Solid Foundation

The foundation is waterproofed. Mauro and homeowners discuss exterior paint colors. Tom and the designer look at newel post options. Kevin talks to architectural historian about Cape style homes. The new foundation is braced for backfilling.

5

Concord Country Cape | Dormer Day

Kevin helps Tom to adjust where the old house is out of level with new addition. Then he meets Mark to look at stone veneer. Charlie needs to raise the rafters on the back dormer for more headroom. Kevin and the homeowner and designer look at tile.

6

Concord Country Cape | Tree Dr. House Call

Kevin, Tom, and Charlie install a five-layer Flitch beam. Jenn watches a tree company attach a cable on an old Hemlock for support and then prune an overgrown Crabapple tree. Tom and Charlie prepare for a footing to support the corner chimney.

7

Concord Country Cape | Masonry Lesson

Kevin and Mark cut a slot in the chimney for flashing to keep moisture out. Homeowners get a tiling lesson. The Silva crew transitions from old to new floor and hide the evidence. Kevin finds Charlie and the kitchen designer laying out the kitchen.

8

Concord Country Cape | Roughing It

Tom and Charlie remove a window and frame for new double hung windows. A non-profit creates affordable housing for vets by renovating an old school. A new deck has living space below. New bathrooms in an old house creates plumbing challenges.

9

Concord Country Cape | Focus On Framing

Kevin finds walls going up at the addition. Tom shows the evolution of framing hammers and guns. Richard and crew dismantle the old boiler. Heath plans for electric panels and inspects new light fixtures. A new ridge beam supports the addition.

10

Concord Country Cape | Planting for the Future

Kevin takes a trip to Pennsylvania to meet with master craftsman Paul Grothouse. Charlie has an idea to improve a thermal break for the front dormers of the original house. Jenn and landscape designer Maria begin planting away from the construction.

11

Concord Country Cape | Smaller is Better

Kevin and Tommy install a skylight. Richard talks about ducts. The homeowner's mother shares her craft for the house. Kevin tours a range factory in Pennsylvania established 1880. Charlie and Tom repair the original wood gutters on the house.

12

Concord Country Cape | Toasty Cars

Richard talks about the importance of radiant floor heating in the garage and walks through the installation process with plumber Abe Bilo. Next, Richard and Mark discuss the concrete pour. Mark discusses the steps as his team takes over the pour.

13

Concord Country Cape | Race to the Finish

Kevin talks about the Dracut School Project and visits Alison Hardy at her shop to discuss her work of repairing windows on the historic building. Richard finds Abe Bilo and his crew as they dismantle the old boiler system and prepare for a new.

14

Concord Country Cape | Sunshine Power

A composite deck is installed with the ease of a clip system. The basement is sprayed with environmentally friendly foam insulation. HVAC zoning for this home's complicated layout is discussed. A battery backup is installed for the new solar system.

15

Concord Country Cape | All in the Details

Only one more week to go and the house is busy with activity. Electrical fixtures are installed, as are the kitchen counters and shelves. Painting is happening everywhere, and the large bathroom receives a unique Tadelakt treatment.

16

Concord Country Cape | Fabulous Cape

After months of setbacks including bad weather and material delays, the Concord Country Cape is ready for the homeowners to move in. They walk through their updated modern and light-filled space with Richard, Jenn, Tom, Kevin and Charlie.

17

West Roxbury: Small Town in a Big City

A small town in a big city, West Roxbury, MA is the home of our new project-an 1890s Victorian once a single family turned multi-family and back to a single family. Our crew meets the homeowners and builder and discuss future plans for this gem.

18

West Roxbury: Pruning 101

Construction is underway. The first floor is opened up, windows are installed, and the old rosin paper siding underlayment is replaced with a new high tech house wrap. Outside, it's landscaping and Pruning 101. Kitchen cabinet selections are made.

19

West Roxbury: Drain Pipe Puzzle

Elms are subject to Dutch Elm Disease; but not the one purchased from a local nursery for our home. Back at the house, new window trim and fiberboard siding is installed. Moving plumbing drain could be a puzzle. Possible solutions are discussed.

20

West Roxbury: Outdoor Oasis

At the house, out front we get to know the contractor while Ipe is being installed on the porch ceiling. Out back, a brick patio is laid. Inside, a dual fuel HVAC system is installed and ducts ran. At the Dracut Centre School, corbels are restored.

21

West Roxbury: Exploring Flooring

The front porch gets a new set of granite stairs and a brick walkway. A new backdoor seals the house. The homeowners decide on a finish for the floors. A cable rail system is installed on the back stairs. A trade school in Philadelphia is visited.

22

West Roxbury: Father and Son

Work on the exterior of the home is almost complete. A tub and radiant floor heating are installed in the upstairs bathrooms. The homeowners shop for interior lighting. The homeowner and his son install drywall in their new mancave.

23

West Roxbury: A Match Made Perfect

Aluminum gutters that mimic wood are beginning to get installed. Inside, trim goes around the new back door and the existing wood flooring is patched. Upstairs the master shower is waterproofed and prepped for a linear drain.

24

West Roxbury: Boho Chic

New kitchen cabinets and range hood are installed. The homeowners' daughter talks Boho Chic with an interior designer. The challenges of laying out large format tiles in a small space are discussed. A cracked stained-glass window is repaired.

25

West Roxbury: Focus On Finishes

A quartz countertop and hidden receptacles are installed in the new modern kitchen, while original crown molding is matched in the dining room. It's time to hang the interior doors. Hardware installation marks the beginning of the finishing details.

26

West Roxbury: A Modern Victorian

It's a wrap on our West Roxbury Project. A single-family turned two family and back to a single-family Victorian has a new modern look with a better planned living space for the family of four. The whole crew is present for the reveal.

27

Saratoga Springs: TOH In Saratoga Springs

It's off to the races on a new project in Saratoga Springs, NY; but first, the crew gets a history of the bustling city. They meet new homeowners Evan and Whitney and Evan's mother Susan. The house has been in Evan's family for seven generations.

28

Saratoga Springs: New Vision

Working with a tight budget, the homeowners take on demo and backyard preparations. The architect shares his vision for the project, and a local docent shares the history of the springs of Saratoga Springs. The builder installs an air scrubber system.

29

Saratoga Springs: Old Woes

From no wiring to BX wiring, electrical in the 1864 house is addressed, but first a visit to the tracks. Unfortunate demo discoveries mean changes to framing and living plans. A temporary buttress wall supports the old foundation.

30

Saratoga Springs: Secret Gardens

Saratoga is home to secret summer gardens and mansions. The old 170-year-old basement is getting an addition with ICFs, a new slab, and a concrete bulkhead staircase, but first the radon gas must be addressed.

31

Saratoga Springs: Raise The Roof

The original foundation needs repointing. A steel beam is installed in the new basement. Trends in plumbing fixtures are explored. A truss system is the solution for the 3rd-floor living space, which leads to a visit to the manufacturer.

32

Saratoga Legacy Restored | Up and Away

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.

33

Saratoga Springs: Old House New Supports

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

34

Saratoga Springs: Neighbors on Ice

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.

35

Saratoga Springs: Amped Up

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.

36

Saratoga Springs: Watertight Doghouse Dormers

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.

37

Saratoga Springs: Smooth Finish

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.

38

Saratoga Springs: Pantry Problems

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.

39

Saratoga Springs: A Legacy Restored

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.