This Old House

Host Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, master carpenter Norm Abram, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook start off the 37th Season of This Old House by restoring a home in a dense suburban neighborhood in Arlington, Massachusetts where they will tackle everything, from the fieldstone foundation to the top of the chimney and more. Homeowners Emily and Nick are committed to preserving the property’s 1909 Arts and Crafts detailing, both inside and out, while adding their own style. The Arlington project will feature 16 all-new episodes, as the team brings back the home’s traditional aesthetics while also updating and moving the kitchen and bathrooms, and adding a master suite and home office. Landscaping projects abound. Next, watch a Sneak Peek of Season 15 of Ask This Old House.

Kevin builds a custom closet. Norm and Tommy see Kristina's designs. Richard shows Kevin the geothermal system. Kevin gets a tour of the second floor. The team celebrates another job well done.

The staircase is finished. Richard shows the system for getting well water. A backup generator is installed. Kevin learns to fit a reproduction lantern. Kim turns a mud pit to a beautiful front yard.

Kevin helps fit the cabinets. Work starts on the driveway. Granite is used for a patio. The den gets wainscoting. The homeowners select interior paint colors. Erik installs the factory-made staircase.

Kevin helps install clapboard siding. Roger selects salvaged granite. Richard discusses the insulation plan and sees how the geothermal pipes are connected. Kevin watches the cabinets come together.

Drilling begins on a geothermal system. Norm visits first-period homes. Kevin tours a factory where the stairs and panels are built. On the North Shore, he learns of a new technology to seal ductwork.

Erik lays shingles on the roof. Kevin learns colonial roof making. In Vermont, Kevin sees handcrafted light fixtures. Window installation begins. Norm heads to Maine to search for salvaged doors.

Kevin sees the plan for the living/dining room and the roof. After framing the house, the crew moves to the garage. Exterior trim arrives. Kevin learns how to attach the fascia board to the rafters.

An inspector checks the foundation as a perimeter drain is installed. The framing process begins. An architect explains her landscape plan to make the property look antique.

Tommy and Kevin visit the Vermont factory where the house is built. Richard meets Ed Akerley, who blasts rock to make room for the foundation. Norm and Erik watch Scott McKenzy lay the foundation.

A new project begins: a traditional farmhouse in Massachusetts, built in a factory 200 miles away.

Roger finishes the landscape. Tommy makes disguised PVC floor registers. Richard installs the storm windows. The house is revealed, and everyone celebrates the renovated home.

Norm and Tommy build a divider for storage. Richard reviews the mechanical systems. A special primer is used in the kitchen. Kevin learns about window treatments. Tommy goes through his punch list.

Roger replants the trees and shrubs. The backyard and treehouse are completed. Norm meets a craftsman who carves newel posts. Tommy and Kevin install kitchen cabinets. The marble countertop is fitted.

This Old House continues with a new and unique project on the North Shore of Massachusetts

Norm builds a ladder for the tree house while Tommy lays decking, and Kevin fits balusters. The shingles are prepped for paint. Tommy fits a storm window, finishes the mudroom, and patches flooring.

Tommy finishes the front porch. Kevin visits Vermont to see an artisan create a custom floorcloth for the kitchen. Tommy builds the porch railings. Kevin builds a tree house for the kids.

Tommy makes a mudroom-porch window. The homeowners select paint. Tommy clads the porch piers in shingles. Marble tile is laid in the master bath. Tommy builds floors in the kitchen and master suite.

Tom Silva lays the front at the Belmont Victorian. Katherine selects lighting fixtures while Tommy solves the ice dam issue. A gas fireplace and shingles are installed.

Kevin O'Connor and the homeowners look at samples of the Belmont Victorian exterior paint scheme. The tub is restored. An electrician wires the new master suite, and Tommy makes new molding.

Kevin O'Connor and Katherine look at antiques for the Belmont Victorian. HVAC expert Brian Palen snakes ductwork through the house. Tommy frames the porch and shows Kevin how he built the stairs.

Richard creates an HVAC plan. An excavation crew replaces a water line and brick is laid for the porch. Tommy protects the mudroom against moisture and critters, while the homeowners pick a bathroom.

The mudroom foundation is laid. Tommy builds a custom bay window. Norm watches window restoration. Tommy puts in another beam to open up the front entryway.

Porch piers are fitted, and the homeowners explore kitchen cabinet options. Tommy vacuums the old insulation while Norm resizes a door for the kids’ bath.

Flitch beams are installed. Kevin tours the Laminated Veneer Lumber Factory. Richard finds a rear-mounted toilet and the homeowners formulate a landscape plan.

Rotten lally columns are replaced; Richard takes a tour of the Homer House and its original air conditioning and pluming. The hardwood floors are salvaged.