Season 16 - The Acton House Episodes

The final days; Richard Trethewey takes Steve on a plumber’s final tour through the basement and bathrooms, and interior designer Judy George shows him the decorated rooms.

Tom Silva is in the dining room and describes what they did to fix the low dining room ceiling.

Steve finds Norm Abram and Tom Silva installing the new front entry that was built in the workshop. Tom finds the house to be off by 6" and they describe how they compensated.

Steve in kitchen where they are installing the wide paneled floor. Owners decide to leave imperfections on wood facing up. Dana is applying shilack for construction adhesive for wood and panels are nailed in with guns.

Steve sees Terry busily caulking the battered clapboards of the west gable in preparation for the top coat of paint. Norm meets up with architect Chris Dallmus for a research trip around Acton.

Tom Silva tests out the old-fashioned v-shaped gutter he made for the front porch, then takes Steve on a tour of the house. Paul Kennedy explains to Steve the challenges he faced in working with the house’s steel studs.

Steve discusses a few details of farmer’s porch that he thinks should be reconsidered. Norm and Richard Trethewey review the heating and cooling systems.

Tom Silva shows Norm his reroofing progress-stripping of old shingles, plywood sheathing, new shingles, ridge vent. Steve Thomas visits historic Deefield, MA.

Norm explains to Steve that it might make sense to replace the heavily weathered clapboards. Tommy Silva and Norm show what’s involved in installing a replacement window.

The addition is weathertight. Tommy shows Steve the lightweight steel partition walls he’s building. Norm tours a plant in Tennessee that makes power tools.

Tom Silva and crew begin to attach the sill to the foundation. Steve suggests Terry replace a lally column that got knocked down. Steve visits a c. 1760 tavern.

Norm and Tom lay out the excavation lines using a small laser level. Tom, Norm and Steve review the demolition plans, pointing out the importance of not going beyond the planned areas of reconstruction.

Tom Silva and crew moves the old milk shed to another spot on the property. Richard Trethewey does an energy audit. Steve visits Minuteman National Historical Park.

In the spring of 1994, we took on our oldest house yet, a c. 1710 Colonial in Acton, MA.