This Old House

For the second project of This Old House's 30th Anniversary Season, the crew takes on an issue that's top of mind in the country: foreclosures. Partnering with the City of Boston and local non-profit Nuestra Comunidad, they will take a foreclosed and abandoned two-family house from the 1870s, and turn it into two units of affordable housing in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva remove the old vinyl siding from the exterior of the house, exposing not only the original wood clapboards underneath but also lots of repair work that needs to be done.

Norm meets up with contractor David Lopes to check out the progress that has been made on the house. They find that there has been extensive framing work completed, but unfortunately, a great majority of the house had to be rebuilt due to the dire condition of the structure.

Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the construction trailer leaving the site, making way for the landscape work to begin. The roofing and siding of the house have been completed. Plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey reviews the waste and water configuration of the two-family house, and meets HVAC contractor Abdul Barrie to see the new, high-efficiency two-stage hot air system.

Roger works with a group of students from YouthBuild Boston to spread soil and put down sod in the backyard. Fence contractor Mike McLaughlin and his crew install a PVC privacy fence along the perimeter of the yard. Inside, Norm and lead carpenter Colin Paterson are adding some period charm to the bay window area by installing custom casings and paneling.

Host Kevin O'Connor finds carpenter Zo Curet in the front parlor installing a plaster crown molding. Homeowner Lanita Tolentino shows Kevin the colors she's considering as painting contractor Ivan Batallas paints an accent wall in the back bedroom.

General contractor David Lopes shows Kevin the progress on the puddingstone retaining walls and front entrances at our Roxbury project. Norm travels to Dover, N.H. to see how millwork fabricator Denis Goupil and his team fabricated custom arches for the front of the house.

Kevin arrives to find Roger on site with the landscape apprentices from YouthBuild Boston. The group is helping to spread new soil in the front yard and also to plant low-maintenance ground cover and an ornamental dogwood tree.

With just one week left in Roxbury, tile contractor Angelo McRae shows Kevin how to install meshed white subway tiles with a rail cap for the kitchen backsplash.

Kevin arrives to find the job nearing completion thanks to the dedication of David. Roger and the YouthBuild apprentices plant the final tree and spread mulch our front. HVAC contractor Abdul Barrie gives homeowner Lanita a crash course on what she needs to know about the mechanicals in her basement.