This Old House

This Old House opens a brand new season by helping the Sharma family renovate their 1940s house on Boston's famous Charles River.

Roger preps for the new foundation of the entry hall. The sun porch gets demolished. Norm visits the original gatehouse. A team of concrete cutters cuts through the 10-inch concrete foundation walls.

Tom uses a crane to lift a 17-foot steel beam. Norm sees the insulated concrete forms used for the foundations and above-grade walls. Tom and Kevin discuss new lead laws and the kitchen is gutted.

Tom levels the kitchen floor. Norm frames the first floor. Richard sees how the Charles River has been formed through engineering projects. Tom and Kevin contend with the termites and carpenter ants.

Norm checks the new front entry. Tom turns the flat roof into a pitched one. We review the new kitchen layout. Roger shows native and non-native species. Norm and Tom set new deck footings.

Tom and Norm frame the sunroom’s roof and install deck underlayment. Richard shows an expensive new change order on the back-to-back basement bathrooms. Kevin learns about photographer Jules Aarons.