This Old House

Season 27 finds the experts at This Old House in historic Cambridge, Massachusetts, working on a mid-century Modern house for biotech bachelor George Mabry.

George Mabry moves out and general contractor Tom Silva moves in.  With a building permit in hand, Tom starts with the carport, dismantling it piece by piece in order to gain better access to the house.

Tom Silva discovers extensive rot and termite damage on the eastern elevation, and what he thinks is a failed footing in the basement.  Norm Abram finds that the problem is not the footing, but rather under-structured framing from two previous renovations.

Certified arborist Jack Kelly shows landscape contractor Roger Cook a treatment of horticultural oil that will protect the property's hemlocks.  Kevin meets curator Nancy Jones for a tour of the legendary Longfellow House.

Norm Abram shows Host Kevin O'Connor the newly discovered problems at the project house, most of them caused by the poor workmanship of a previous contractor.  Roger Cook reveals the anatomy of new landscape walls; they'll be natural stone veneer over reinforced concrete.

Kevin lends Norm and general contractor Tom Silva a hand framing in the "not quite flat" roof above the library.  Richard Trethewey shows Kevin a new software program that allows him to design the HVAC system on a laptop.

Master mason Lenny Belliveau gives Kevin a lesson in block work.  Kevin travels to Los Angeles to see a restored modern house that once belonged to Hollywood legend Gary Cooper.

Kevin finds stone specialist Jason Buechel installing natural quartzite veneer on the landscape walls. Tom Silva oversees the installation of the low-slope EPDM roofing system.

Tom Silva removes the old steel slider in the living room and replaces it with a more energy-efficient, insulating glass unit.  Norm Abram travels to Keene, NH, to meet artisan tile manufacturers Stephen and Kristin Powers.

Norm Abram explains the decision to use a formerly controversial exterior cladding system known as an exterior insulated finishing system, or EIFS.  Kevin finds Tom Silva and chimney specialist Mark Schaub working with the new gas fireplace unit.

Tom Silva shows Kevin how he's creating a modern look inside by using minimal wood trim around the windows.  Roger Cook starts installing 18 tons of bluestone in the front courtyard.

Tom Silva oversees the installation of the steel stairs.  Richard Trethewey gives Kevin an update on the mechanicals.

Roger Cook shows host Kevin O'Connor how he's installing a pre-fabricated pitched structural foam trench drain.  Kevin visits the Stata Center at MIT.

Roger Cook installs two concrete storage tanks that are part of the underground water collection system. Norm Abram travels to Middletown, Rhode Island, to see the custom mill shop that is machining the stair treads.

Roger Cook sets the massive bluestone treads on a stringer that appears to float over the new water feature.  Richard Trethewey shows Kevin why a chiller makes sense for cooling a house on a tight urban lot.  Flooring contractor Pat Hunt shows Kevin the new engineered floors from Europe.

Richard Trethewey shows master carpenter Norm Abram the mechanical room.  Norm travels to a fine-furniture shop in Auburn, Maine, to see some of the modern cherry furniture being made for the house.

Norm Abram finds general contractor Tom Silva at work on the dramatic 3-story stair.  Landscape contractor Roger Cook visits a 500-acre sod farm in Rhode Island to see how sod is grown and harvested.

Norm Abram finds specialist Joe Ferraro installing a new custom garage system.  Chimney specialist Mark Schaub installs new vented gas logs in the corner fireplace of the library, as general contractor Tom Silva installs custom shoji screens from California. Wrap party.