KUED Programs

Mason Mark McCullough shows Norm how he's repointing the old brick foundation. Then Norm and Tom repair the sagging front porch. Kevin visits Community Rowing on the Charles River to see how they make the Cambridge pastime of rowing available to everyone. Back at the project house, Tom and Kevin re-build the rotted historic porch railing to meet conservation district standards. Tom details the fire blocking and fire caulking as spray foam insulation begins in the balloon frame house.

Kevin joins the legions of Cambridge locals by biking to work on a vintage bicycle restored locally. Tom shows Kevin how he's gotten rid of the steps to the roof deck. Roger arrives to tackle the giant stump left over from the old Norway maple. Richard shows Kevin how they've kept the ducts out of the roof rafter bays to preserve that space for insulation, and on the second floor, how they've hidden the air handler at the top of a hall closet.

The crew starts the ceiling work on the first floor, host Kevin O'Connor learns more about Swedish Style, and general contractor Tom Silva lets some light into the master suite with the help of a new skylight.

With the interior opened up, master carpenter Norm Abram shows host Kevin O'Connor the bones of the building. On the first floor, general contractor Tom Silva relocates a load-bearing partition wall and takes the dip out of the floor. Out front, Kevin and homeowner Sally Peterson learn about the appropriate colors for the outside of her Victorian-era house. Later, Sally takes Kevin to a nearby shop to see the style she's after for the interior of the house.

The crew removes a central chimney brick-by-brick so the bricks can be re-used on another job, host Kevin O'Connor visits an "eco" resale store, and landscape contractor Roger Cook removes a sick Norway maple with the help of an arborist.

Homeowners John Stone and Sally Peterson want to turn an 1887 Victorian-era two family house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, into a one-family home. Landscape contractor Roger Cook finds a few surprises in the yard, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey uses an eye-opening energy audit to demonstrate the need for efficiency upgrades, and general contractor Tom Silva brings in a deconstruction expert to remove all of the old and unneeded house parts.

After a little antiquing at The White Elephant, Norm and Kevin help Tom install interior screens and a Dutch door. Electrician Allen Gallant shows off the exterior lighting and generator, and homeowners John and Julie Corcoran give a grand tour of the beautifully decorated "English cottage" with interior designer Keith Musinski.