The BEST episodes of This Old House

Every episode of This Old House ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of This Old House!

This Old House celebrates the fusion on old world craftsmanship and modern technology. Each season features two renovation projects. Project One traditionally consists of eighteen or more so episodes and is filmed in Massachusetts. Project Two is taped in a different region of the country to highlight the variety of American architectural styles and renovation issues.

Last Updated: 3/8/2024Network: PBSStatus: Continuing
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The Concord House - 15
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#1 - The Concord House - 15

Season 11 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/18/1990

A custom stairway is installed in the Concord barn, an we visit Neenah, Wisconsin, to see how the structure was manufactured.

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The Concord House - 6
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#2 - The Concord House - 6

Season 11 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/16/1989

At the Concord site, Tedd Benson and other members of the Timber Framers Guild of North America lead a workshop where students learn how to measure, cut and join timbers for the barn's post-and-beam frame. We then go to Wiscassett, Maine, to visit a sawmill and watch as a tree is transformed into timbers ready for use in the barn's frame.

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Lexington Project 2015: Part 14: Down to the Wire
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#3 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 14: Down to the Wire

Season 36 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/2/2015

Installing tall fescue, which needs less water and fertilizer than other varieties; and designing the great room's entertainment center. Also: the finished mechanical room; and the final heating and cooling decisions.

Lexington Project 2015: Part 13: Finishing Details
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#4 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 13: Finishing Details

Season 36 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/25/2015

New plants are added to the landscaping plan; and a wrought-iron chandelier with 52 bulbs is installed. Also: the radiators being used in the garage and upstairs sitting room; the upstairs laundry room; and the insulated steel garage doors that should help keep the heat inside the garage.

Lexington Project 2015: Part 9: Old to New
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#5 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 9: Old to New

Season 36 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/28/2015

Progress on the mud room and kitchen

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Lexington Project 2015: Part 8: Conservation Concerns
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#6 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 8: Conservation Concerns

Season 36 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/21/2015

A covered gutter is installed; the infiltration system to disperse water from gutters into the ground is detailed; native plants that will return part of the lawn back to nature are discussed; and how existing aluminum wiring is being worked with while updating recessed light fixtures and installing sconces over the mantel. Also: the making and testing of two types of windows for the project.

Directors: Thomas Draudt
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Lexington Project 2015: Part 7: Inspections
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#7 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 7: Inspections

Season 36 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/14/2015

Rough mechanical and rough framing inspections are discussed; reinforced fiberglass columns to support the farmer's porch are installed; how an arched doorway is being turned into one that's squared off; and the storm window system being using to enclose the screen porch is spotlighted.

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Lexington Project 2015: Part 6: Exterior Details
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#8 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 6: Exterior Details

Season 36 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/7/2015

A look at the mudroom door; the work required to patch in new clapboard; the back deck's hybrid railing system; and the layout and design choices for the kitchen. Also: what goes into a rough electrical inspection; and what's trending in kitchens.

Lexington Project 2015: Part 5: Making Connections
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#9 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 5: Making Connections

Season 36 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/31/2015

How a small stream in the backyard affects the entire yard. Also: trees are removed; shade plants are relocated to a new bed in the side yard; a five-foot section of wall is cut away to connect the kitchen to the great room; and the kitchen's plumbing conditions are discussed.

Lexington Project 2015: Part 4: Smart Solutions
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#10 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 4: Smart Solutions

Season 36 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/24/2015

How the roofers applied new architectural shingles to the house to coordinate it and the new addition; and a look at the progress on the back deck. Also: preventing the P-trap from the second-floor bathtub from interfering with the decorative ceiling of the kitchen; and finishing up the trim and decking on the corner deck stair.

Essex 2012/13 Part 11: A Home for Mom and Dad
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#11 - Essex 2012/13 Part 11: A Home for Mom and Dad

Season 34 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/28/2013

The season's final episode tours the cottage after the installation of interior screens and a Dutch door.

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Essex 2012/13 Part 10: Design for Everyone
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#12 - Essex 2012/13 Part 10: Design for Everyone

Season 34 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/21/2013

Completing the geothermal system; installing reclaimed marble tile and hand-painted border tile. Exploring a two-story accessible design in the Seattle home of architect Emory Baldwin.

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Essex 2012/13 Part 8: Shiplap Walls, Finished Yard
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#13 - Essex 2012/13 Part 8: Shiplap Walls, Finished Yard

Season 34 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/7/2013

Norm visits the last shipyard still located in Essex, Mass. A home that was restored with accessible retrofits is toured. At the cottage shiplap barn-board walls are installed; the mantel is built; Roger finishes the yard; and Kevin checks on the reclaimed tile hearth.

Cambridge 2012: Secondary Spaces
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#14 - Cambridge 2012: Secondary Spaces

Season 34 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/3/2013

Kevin arrives to find Roger finishing up the driveway and the planting. Inside, Norm finds the first floor nearly complete—and very white—except for the small powder room where wallpaper installer Mike Bradshaw is putting up a bold hand-drawn wave pattern made in England. We see his technique for cutting and installing around the new blue vanity. Tom turns his attention to the basement, where he meets homeowner John Stone to help him make a simple DIY workshop with materials from the home center. They make a workbench out of a solid core door and add pegboard for tool storage. Next door to the workshop, the basement hallway and playroom will be more finished than the workshop, to give the kids a place to play. Jamie Gilmore shows Kevin how his team prepped the room by grinding down the high spots of the concrete, sealing the surface against moisture, skimming the surface with concrete, then finally applying the linoleum composition tile. Local glass artist Carrie Gustafson invites Norm into her workshop to see how she translates her background in printmaking and her love of natural, organic forms into magical pieces to hold the light, like the fixture she's making for the entry foyer at our project. On the third floor in the master suite, closet designer Erin Hardy shows Kevin the latest offerings in storage options that blend seamlessly with the modern aesthetic of the house. Back downstairs, at the end of the day, automation expert Doug Schmidt shows Kevin how he's provided wireless control for the battery- powered window shades, the first floor lighting and music. He's also provided an amazingly slim flat screen that pivots on a bracket for easy viewing, or tucking away flush with the wall it sits on.

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Cambridge 2012: Swedish Style
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#15 - Cambridge 2012: Swedish Style

Season 34 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/2012

After a quick coffee in Porter Square, host Kevin O'Connor finds general contractor Tom Silva working on the architect's plans to vary ceiling height on the first floor for dramatic effect. Kevin lends a hand in the living room as they use two-by-fours and strapping to drop the ceiling by eight inches in two key places. Then, Kevin travels to Fairfield, CT to meet designers Edie Van Breems and Rhonda Eleish to learn how our house's Scandinavian modern style evolved from more rustic Swedish country interiors. Back in Cambridge, master carpenter Norm Abram shows Kevin the framing progress on the second floor where there will be three bedrooms, a laundry, and a shared bath. Norm notes where Tom made the ceilings flat without necessarily needing to be level in the bedrooms. On the third floor, they review the framing upgrades, and Kevin helps Tom install a new skylight so it will never leak. At the end of the day, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey arrives with ductwork and plans to introduce air conditioning to the house for the first time in its history.

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Barrington; The Finish Line
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#16 - Barrington; The Finish Line

Season 33 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/22/2012

Glass tile; installing a garage storage system; cable railing system; installing a gas stove; LED down light.

Barrington; Wall Dressing
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#17 - Barrington; Wall Dressing

Season 33 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/15/2012

Retractable awning; Saratoga soapstone; light fixtures; electric floor warming system.

Roxbury; Mounting Challenges
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#18 - Roxbury; Mounting Challenges

Season 31 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/6/2010

Master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with general contractor David Lopes to discuss problems he's encountered in the last several weeks, including major engineering challenges and a month of rain. Meanwhile, host Kevin O'Connor meets up with non-profit developer David Price to learn more about Roxbury's past and present. David explains the work that his CDC, Nuestra Comunidad, is doing to bring back parts of Dudley Square. As part of Nuestra's mission to create affordable housing, they recently held a public lottery for our project house that resulted in a qualified buyer. At nearby restaurant Merengue, Kevin meets the lucky buyer of the house, Roxbury native Lanita Tolentino, to go over her renovation plans. Back at the house, the foundation walls for the new rear addition have been poured and backfilled. Inside, David Lopes shows Norm what he's done to shore up the structure of the main house, and how he is using laminated veneer lumber to remedy a structural problem caused by the failing foundation. After extensive foundation excavation on the main house, a framing crew arrives to start raising the walls for the new addition.

Charlestown 2014: Part 6: Kitchens and Baths
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#19 - Charlestown 2014: Part 6: Kitchens and Baths

Season 36 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/8/2014

A major upgrade begins: adding a Greek Revival-style front door. On the second floor, new wood wainscoting is installed; a feature wall insert for the master shower is created with marble basket weave tile; and small section of copper roof is added to the roof.

Belmont Victorian: Bracing The Basement
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9.60
5 votes

#20 - Belmont Victorian: Bracing The Basement

Season 37 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/2015

Tommy replaces rotten lally columns in the basement. Norm removes the marble sink and claw-foot tub from the guest bath to restore. Richard discovers an historic house with 19th Century air conditioning and plumbing. Tommy saves hardwood floors.

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Veteran's House 2015: Part 1: Veteran's Special House Project
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9.50
2 votes

#21 - Veteran's House 2015: Part 1: Veteran's Special House Project

Season 36 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/16/2015

This Old House partners with Homes For Our Troops to build a house for Army veteran SSG Matt DeWitt. Kevin sees the plans for the DeWitt project. Norm, Tom and Kevin help with framing the exterior walls. Kevin meets the HFOT Chairman to understand their mission. Kevin meets another veteran who also received an adapted home. Kevin rejoins the project in New Hampshire to see the truss roof going up.

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Veteran's House 2015: Part 3: A Home for Matt & Cat
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#22 - Veteran's House 2015: Part 3: A Home for Matt & Cat

Season 36 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/30/2015

Kevin, Roger, Tom and Norm build a high tunnel greenhouse for Matt and his family. Kevin meets HFOT Community Outreach coordinator Chris Mitchell for Volunteer Day at the house. Kevin visits Army veteran Joe Beimfohr at his home. Closet builder Brian McSharry creates a special master closet design. Norm designs and builds a rustic dining table. The DeWitts finally move into their new home.

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Veteran's House 2015: Part 2: Adaptions & Accessibility
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#23 - Veteran's House 2015: Part 2: Adaptions & Accessibility

Season 36 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/23/2015

Kevin learns that Matt DeWitt’s disability doesn’t limit his cycling passion. Richard sees some of the 150 ADA approved requirements in the home. Kevin meets HFOT recipients Alex and Holly Dillmann. Richard learns about touchless faucet technology. Norm sees an ADA-compliant shower threshold and automatic door openers. Kevin meets Cat to discuss how life will be more manageable for Matt.

Lexington Project 2015: Part 15: Garrison No More
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9.33
3 votes

#24 - Lexington Project 2015: Part 15: Garrison No More

Season 36 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/9/2015

The transformation of the 1966 Garrison Colonial is reviewed. Included: the technology built into the new kitchen; the customization of the spaces over the garage; and the updates made to the older parts of the house.

Belmont Victorian: It's All About Beams
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9.33
3 votes

#25 - Belmont Victorian: It's All About Beams

Season 37 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/2015

Installing flitch beams in the kitchen; a tour of a laminated veneer lumber factory; rear-mounted toilet; a plan for the shade-covered backyard.