In this episode:
Host Kevin O’Connor takes us on a house call of historical proportions to talk about wallpaper restoration. When visiting the Franklin Pierce home, Kevin speaks with museum staff about restoring the home, more specifically, the 200-year-old imported wallpaper in one of the rooms. After discussing the origins of the wallpaper, professional paper restoration experts show Kevin the painstaking process that goes into restoring this work of art.
Next, we meet Kevin and master electrician Heath Eastman back at the shop to talk about GFCI outlets. After discussing what a GFCI is and what it does, Heath shows Kevin how it works, the different types of installations that may exist, and how to test a GFCI’s function.
Finally, we head out on another house call with general contractor Tom Silva. A homeowner’s gutters have been leaking on their patio, and Tom immediately sees the issues: poor sealing, the wrong installation height, and an improper pitch. With help from the homeowner, Tom removes the existing gutters and gets to work.
Tom and the homeowner first dissemble and clean the gutters, ensuring all surfaces are in working order. Then, they apply caulk and reassemble the gutter system and brackets. Next, the two climb up a pair of ladders to lay out the ideal pitch for the gutters (1/4-inch slope over 4 feet), then snap a chalk line. The two lift the gutters into place and align them with the chalk line before fastening them to the fascia and rafter tails for a perfect, leak-free installation.
Understanding Antique Wallpaper Restoration
Host Kevin O’Connor heads to the Franklin Pierce home in New Hampshire to learn what it takes to restore antique wallpaper.
Where to find it?
Kevin travels to the Franklin Pierce Homestead in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. The historic site built in 1804, has two-hundred-year-old block-printed wallpaper manufactured by hand in France. Kevin talks with paper conservators working to restore the scenic wallpaper, an edition of “Les Vues d’Italie,” made by Joseph Dufour and Co., Paris in the 1810s and 20s and shipped to New Hampshire in 1824.
Special thanks: Bexx Caswell-Olson
Everything to Know About GFCI Receptacles
Master electrician Heath Eastman teaches host Kevin O’Connor everything he needs to know about ground fault circuit interrupters.
How To Repair Gutters
General contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner solve a problem with leaky gutters over their patio.
Where to find it?
Tom uses a straight edge to determine if the gutters are hung too high. To remove the gutters, Tom uses a Dewalt compact drill to unscrew the gutter brackets. To rehang the gutter, Tom marks the gutter with a chalk line, then drives one 1-¼” pan-head aluminum screw to hold the gutter in position. To reinstall the gutters, Tom installs 5″ gutter brackets inside the gutters through the fascia board and into a rafter tail. To fasten the 2×3 downspout B-elbows to the downspout, Tom uses 1-¼” aluminum pan-head screws. Then he screws an aluminum strap near the upper and lower ends of the downspout. To seal the corner joint, Tom uses 85148 Seamer mate Gutter Sealant. To install the drip edge, Tom uses 1-½” galvanized roofing nails and nails them in every 16″.
Original Air Date: Oct 27, 2022, Season 21; Ep. 5 23:42
Products and services
- Side trip: Franklin Pierce Homestead