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This Old House

Bedford Project, Part 6 of 16

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Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the new family addition framed up and sheathed using something fairly new - a coated OSB product that has the properties of a house wrap built in. Building science expert Joe Lstiburek explains why he thinks the sheathing board, when properly installed with taped seams, beats traditional methods of keeping air and water out of a building. Inside, Kevin finds general contractor Tom Silva and a major discovery - a cast iron pipe that was run several years ago straight through two structural beams in the kitchen. The fix is a new footing and lally column in the basement and new post supports in the kitchen placed to accommodate the new stove vent hood. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets window restoration specialist Alison Hardy at her shop in Peabody, Massachusetts, to see the historic window sash stripped, repaired, re-glazed and repainted. Later at the house, they will be weather-stripped and outfitted with new hardware to increase their insulating and mechanical performance. With the structure now fully repaired, Tom and Kevin take down the old wall of the ell, opening up the kitchen to the new family room for the first time.


  • Ask TOH | Painting Cabinets, Smart Thermostat

  • Essex | Finale: A Home for Mom and Dad

  • Essex | Design for Everyone

  • Ask TOH | Concrete Ctops, Bat Tool

  • Ask TOH | Surge Protectors, Cutting Stone

  • Essex | Tiling, Floor Stains

  • Ask TOH | Ladders, Anti-Scald Shower

  • Essex | Shiplap Walls, Finished Yard

  • Essex | Rustic Plaster, Advanced Septic

  • Ask TOH | Melted Vinyl Siding, Energy Audit

  • Essex | Standing-Seam Roof, Lighting Rods

  • Ask TOH | Heat Pump, LEDs, Houseplants

  • Essex 2012/13 | Cottage Style

  • ASK TOH | Insulate Ducts/Laundry

  • Essex | Water Feature and Geothermal

  • Ask TOH | Orchids, Kitchen Cabinet

  • Essex | One-Level Living

  • Ask TOH | Entry Bench, Perennials

  • Essex | Human Centered Design, Demolition

  • Ask TOH | Appliances, Gutters

  • Ask TOH | Hanging a TV, Tropical Pests

  • Essex | A Cottage in the Woods

  • Ask TOH | New Toilet, Lawn Patch

  • Cambridge 2012 | The Big Finish

  • Ask TOH | Terrazzo, Cracked Joist

  • Cambridge 2012 | Secondary Spaces

  • Ask TOH | Rose Transplant, Exterior Sconces

  • Cambridge 2012 | Hearthstone, Butcher Block Island

  • Cambridge 2012 | Drywells, Kitchen Design, Deck Tiles

  • Ask TOH | Fan, Water Softener

  • Ask TOH | Hand Planes, Cracked Walkway

  • Cambridge 2012 | Window Seat, Stairs, Knee Walls

  • Ask TOH | Mulch, Natural-Gas Grill

  • Cambridge 2012 | Swedish Design Details

  • Cambridge 2012 | Gutters, Range, Fireplace

  • Ask TOH | Window Trim, Pool Heater

  • Cambridge 2012 | Plaster, Shingles, Radiant Heat

  • Ask TOH | Vinyl Fence, Shower Clog

  • Cambridge 2012 | Old and New in Harmony

  • Ask TOH | Kitchen Sink, Sidelights

  • Cambridge 2012 | Exterior Improvements

  • Ask TOH: Task Lights, Cable Rail

  • Ask TOH | Palm Trees, Combo Boiler

  • Cambridge 2012 | Landscape Plans, Roof Deck

  • ASK TOH: Sod/Wireless Thermostat

  • Cambridge 2012 | Swedish Style

  • Ask TOH | Mantel, Leaky Faucet

  • Cambridge 2012 | Balloon Frame

  • AskTOH | Bluestone Patio, Bikes

  • Cambridge 2012 | Deconstruction and Design

  • Cambridge 2012 | Scandinavian Modern?

  • Ask TOH | Shelves, Washing Machine

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