The BEST episodes of This Old House season 29
Every episode of This Old House season 29, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of This Old House season 29!
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.
#1 - Newton: Pests, Decking, and AC
Season 29 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/29/2007
Host Kevin O’Connor sees how landscape contractor Roger Cook is building the fieldstone and mortar sitting wall. Meanwhile, master carpenter Norm Abram shows homeowner Paul Friedberg troublesome conditions with the wood-to-ground contact on the side of the house, underneath the front porch, and at the garage. Pest control expert Bill Seigel comes to the rescue with a treatment to stop the termite activity and prevent further damage. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin the new stepped dowel fastening system he is using to put down the ipe decking. Architect Treff LaFleche takes Kevin to see a riff on the Shingle-style brand new home he designed that looks traditional on the outside, but features clean, wide open, modern spaces on the inside. Up in the attic, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the air handlers, and how the high velocity mini-duct system lets him easily feed conditioned air to the second and third floors.
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#2 - Newton: Winter Wrap Party
Season 29 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/17/2008
In the final episode of the Newton project, host Kevin O’Connor meets lighting designer Susan Arnold to see how she is using new light sources and more modern fixtures to update the formerly dark areas of the house. Greg Smizer, Larry Schulman, and Eric Reinhardt install the security system, plasma televisions, and audio systems while Meghan Hodge installs window treatments. Landscape contractor Roger Cook inspects the finished garage and meets landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard to see the finished back porch and terrace. Homeowner Paul Friedberg and his sons break in their new backyard with a game of Home Run Derby. Architect Treff LaFleche hangs a historical marker out front. Designer Abbey Koplovitz and homeowner Madeline Krauss display how they have pulled together the interior with paint colors, custom furniture, window treatments, rugs, and family antiques. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey tests the new digitally controlled shower system in the master bath while master carpenter Norm Abram tours the finished kitchen with designer Donna Venegas. As the wrap party begins, the team gathers on the front porch to toast general contractor Tom Silva on a job well done.
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#3 - Newton: Salvage, Progress, and Pink Granite
Season 29 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/15/2007
Host Kevin O'Connor drives up to the house to find general contractor Tom Silva helping load up a truck for the "Building Materials Resource Center," a local non-profit that will be selling the project's surplus materials to needy homeowners at discounted prices. Inside the house, Tom shows Kevin the progress on the porch, kitchen, and master bath, where his crew is installing several new windows. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey gives an update on the mechanical systems. To learn more about the home's Milford Pink granite foundation being a sign of wealth at the time the house was built, architect Treff LaFleche takes Kevin to see how the same stone was used on the Boston Public Library, and also how the granite is quarried and split to best match the home's existing stone. Back on site, Roger installs the new Milford Pink granite, and also matches the old mortar.
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#4 - Newton: Retaining Wall, Historic Wallcovering
Season 29 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/1/2007
Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs 200 running feet of pre-cast concrete to create a retaining wall that will define the perimeter of the new backyard. Inside the house, wallpaper historian Richard Nylander helps host Kevin O'Connor date and evaluate the historic wallpaper throughout the house, while general contractor Tom Silva frames for a new window in an old wall. Kevin makes a trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to see how three 19th century buildings are being moved as part of a construction project at Harvard Law School. The million-dollar move, which has been planned for five years, requires the buildings to be lifted and rolled down Massachusetts Avenue on hydraulic dollies steered by remote control.
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#5 - Newton: In Memory of Joe Ferrante
Season 29 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/3/2008
Landscape contractor Roger Cook installs sod in the backyard, while host Kevin O’Connor meets engineered stone distributor Chelsie Arnold to learn more about the quartz and resin countertops being installed in the kitchen. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the new high-efficiency air conditioning system. Kevin then helps general contractor Tom Silva fabricate new wainscoting for the kitchen. In the front hall, painting contractor Jim Clark shows Kevin how the oak woodwork is cleaned using TSP and a little elbow grease. In the upstairs hall, the damaged wood requires stripping and re-staining. The day ends with the sad news that our beloved tile contractor, Joe Ferrante, has unexpectedly passed away.
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#6 - Newton: Move or Improve
Season 29 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/4/2007
In just a short subway ride, host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram arrive at the latest project house in Newton, Massachusetts. Built in 1897, the house is a Colonial Revival in "Shingle-style clothes"—a typical transitional-style house from the late Victorian era. Nearby, homeowners Paul Friedberg, Madeline Krauss, and their two young sons are moving out of old center hall Colonial. After struggling with the "move or improve" conundrum, they decided to move AND improve. On a tour of the "new" old house, Norm and general contractor Tom Silva review the good news—an exterior in pretty good shape and beautiful intact woodwork—and the bad news—some structural issues and a disconnected, sorely outdated kitchen. Upstairs, they find extensive plaster damage, bathrooms in need of updating, and an old enclosed sleeping porch that will become part of the new master suite. Architect Treff LaFleche shows Kevin and the homeowners his plan for opening up the kitchen and adding a mudroom, while also explaining how these rooms will be connected to the rest of the house and the backyard. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey surveys the state of the mechanicals, while landscape contractor Roger Cook exposes problems with the steep grade in the backyard, drainage, and wood-to-ground contact.
#7 - Newton: Framing, Wiring, and an Unfitted Kitchen
Season 29 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/2007
General contractor Tom Silva removes the temporary support beam that has been holding up the back corner of the house. Meanwhile, engineered lumber specialist Craig Smith shows master carpenter Norm Abram the "green" framing materials to be used in the new kitchen. Norm, Tom, and host Kevin O'Connor remove the old kitchen walls and install a new 16' beam to open up the space. Master electrician Allen Gallant shows Norm how the shoddy wiring installed over the years has created unsafe conditions and code violations throughout the house. Kitchen showroom co-owner Yael Peleg presents her vision for an "unfitted kitchen," while kitchen designer Donna Venegas shows Kevin and homeowner Maddy Krauss how the concept is incorporated into the floor plans and design choices. Back in Newton, Tom and Kevin reframe the structure of the floor under the master closet to strengthen, level, and tie it in with the rest of the floor in the new master bath.
#8 - Newton: Exterior Paint Colors, Stained-Glass Window
Season 29 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/8/2007
After a brief stop at Johnny's Luncheonette for breakfast, host Kevin O'Connor meets paint color specialist Ann Pfaff to learn what colors might be appropriate for the Shingle- style house. Back in Newton, general contractor Tom Silva and master carpenter Norm Abram build the 12-foot wall of the new kitchen bump out that will contain a built-in bench for the kitchen table. In the South End of Boston, Kevin visits stained glass designer Jim Anderson at his workshop to see the restoration and rebuilding of the home's four historic windows. In the home's backyard, under the new porch, landscape contractor Roger Cook uses a pay-as-you-go concrete truck to pour a small buttress wall that will support the exposed rubble stone foundation.
#9 - Newton: Bluestone and a Historic Billiards Room
Season 29 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/6/2007
Host Kevin O’Connor runs with marathon champion Bill Rodgers to find out why Heartbreak Hill is a challenge for runners of the Boston Marathon. Back in Newton, painting contractor Jim Clark and crew are prepping the exterior of the house for paint. Landscape contractor Roger Cook shows Kevin the progress on the bluestone patio and massive bluestone stairs. The patio is set in sand, instead of stone dust, to meet the permeability requirements of the town. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he is wrapping the exterior columns with shingles woven together in a hand-crafted, flared detail at the base. Upstairs, spray foam insulation is put in the open bays of the new work and injected into the soffits of the old work. In the third floor billiards room, lighting restoration expert Scott Sweeny demonstrates several options for adapting an antique light fixture to meet modern needs. Pool table expert Steve Kelly arrives to dismantle the antique pool table for off-site restoration.
#10 - New Orleans | Camelbacks, Bargeboard, and Toxic Mold
Season 29 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/31/2008
Back in New Orleans, Kevin meets homeowner Rashida Ferdinand and her architect Rick Fifield for a look at the plans and model of the proposed work to her shotgun single. The plan calls for a camelback addition that will house a master suite, and also a new family room with back and side porches to take advantage of the cool river breezes. As demolition begins inside, builder Carl Hithe shows master carpenter Norm Abram how the house was originally constructed from dismantled bargeboards taken from vessels that once traveled down the Mississippi. At Musicians Village, Kevin meets Executive Director Jim Pate to see how Habitat for Humanity's houses are constructed post-Katrina, starting with an extensive foundation system that includes 35-foot deep pilings tied into a robust footing system. As work progresses at Rashidas house, the discovery of toxic mold is a setback, until mold remediation expert Dr. Eric Griggs arrives to begin a whole-house remediation and prevention program for the old part of the house.
#11 - Newton: Grout, Closets, and a Clawfoot Tub
Season 29 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/10/2008
Host Kevin O’Connor checks out general contractor Tom Silva’s makeshift workshop on the front porch of the house. Inside, countertop fabricator Paul Grothouse arrives from Pennsylvania to install the end grain teak island top and deliver its companion piece “a custom teak farmhouse table” for the breakfast area. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey displays the progress on the second floor bath and meets tub refinisher Jack Donaruma on the third floor to see him strip and refinish the old clawfoot tub. In the master closet, Kevin finds the room painted and closet designer Brian McSharry is installing a custom closet system. Back in the kitchen, tile contractor Mark Ferrante shows Kevin how he uses wedges to create even grout lines on the uneven handmade tile backsplash. Tom shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he uses portable lathe to turn a new newel post finial out of walnut. In the billiards room, pool table expert Steve Kelly reassembles the restored antique pool table and finally gets to play a game of pool with Norm.
#12 - Newton: Getting the Details Right
Season 29 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/27/2007
Host Kevin O’Connor talks with homeowner Paul Friedberg to learn more about Paul’s past as an Olympic fencer. Master carpenter Norm Abram checks on the installation of the new custom garage doors. Cabinet installer Patrick Malone finishes the job by scribing his base moulding the floor. General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he is giving a stock masonite door a face lift by adding an oak veneer and new oak mouldings. In the master bath, tile contractor Joe Ferrante shows Kevin how he is laying the mosaic “rug” tiles in front of the new vanity. Kitchen designer Donna Venegas shows Norm the countertop and tile choices for the kitchen, while template maker Kent Whitten creates the templates using digital technology. Landscape contractor Roger Cook works with an irrigation contractor to add both sprinkler heads and drip irrigation to the landscape before the cold weather sets in.
#13 - Newton: Bringing Light Throughout
Season 29 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/13/2007
Progress on the home’s exterior painting continues. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor how he is wrapping the columns under the back porch in shingles. Preservation plasterer Rory Brennan shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he’s saving the old plaster in the billiards room using a new adhesive system. He also shows Norm how to replicate an authentic corner bead detail from the 1890s. Kevin meets homeowner Madeline Krauss and her interior designer, Abbey Koplovitz, to see their selections for the home’s lighting, paint colors, and furnishings. In nearby Somerville, Massachusetts, Norm visits billiard restorer Steve Kelly’s showroom and workshop to see rare and valuable antique pool tables, and also to see how work on the pool table is progressing.
#14 - Newton: Fieldstone, Replacement Windows, and Teak
Season 29 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/22/2007
Host Kevin O'Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey stop to see Echo Bridge, a 500-foot long arched structure built in 1976 to carry water over the Charles River. Back at the project house, landscape contractor Roger Cook digs up a large, established shrub by the front walkway which will be transplanted to the backyard to help with screening. Roger also shows Kevin how work on the new fieldstone sitting wall is progressing. In the first floor parlor, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how to install a replacement window. Meanwhile, Richard adds radiant heat panels under the entry hall, a great solution for warming an area that was not previously heated. PEX water pipe goes into the kitchen, while master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Germansville, Pennsylvania to see how countertop fabricator Paul Grothouse is crafting a beautiful 3-inch teak island top for the house.
#15 - Newton: Garage Nightmare and Garbage Disposers
Season 29 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/20/2007
A local nursery brings plants to the house. General contractor Tom Silva addresses some unforeseen rotting problems with the garage. Inside, the kitchen is plastered, the new white oak flooring is down, and the cabinets have just arrived from Kitchener, Canada. Flooring contractor Steve Dubuque shows master carpenter Norm Abram how he is layering aniline dye, stain, and polyurethane to achieve the floor color the homeowners are seeking. Plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey travels to Racine, Wisconsin, to see how one manufacturer is making a new generation of kitchen garbage disposers. Tom installs a new standing seam copper roof over the back porch. In the master bath, Kevin finds tile contractor Joe Ferrante setting up for a major tile job – the first step is waterproofing the shower by using a paint-on, flexible, seamless, waterproofing membrane.
#16 - New Orleans | French Quarter, Shotgun Colors
Season 29 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/7/2008
Host Kevin O'Connor visits the French Quarter with Vieux Carre Commission Director Lary Hesdorffer to see how one of the most important neighborhoods in America faired during the storm. At the project house in Holy Cross, master carpenter Norm Abram finds work on the side porch underway, with homeowner Rashida Ferdinand at work stripping paint from the historic windows that will be reused on her project. Paint color consultant Louis Aubert shows Kevin how he's bringing color back to our house, along with other houses in the neighborhood, by providing bright color schemes applied in a historically accurate manner. At Musicians' Village, Norm and Kevin lend a hand to some of the volunteers who are rebuilding New Orleans, by raising walls, laying decking, and installing windows, one house at a time.
#17 - New Orleans | Saints in the City
Season 29 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/14/2008
Master carpenter Norm Abram takes host Kevin O'Connor across the Mississippi River by ferry to Algiers Point, home of the first This Old House New Orleans project back in 1990, to see how it fared during Hurricane Katrina. Back at the 2008 project in Holy Cross, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Norm the plumbing layout, and how HVAC contractor Raul Mena is planning on heating and cooling the house. Across town in Broadmoor, Norm and Kevin lend a hand installing windows with the non-profit group Rebuilding Together, who are renovating a house for wheelchair-bound homeowner, Sonia St. Cyr, at no cost to her. At Musicians' Village, Branford Marsalis shows Kevin around and introduces him to the youngest resident in the village, saxophonist Calvin Johnson, who joins Branford in a duet of "When The Saints Go Marching In." Despite the wreckage at our jobsite, landscape architect Brian Sublette starts working with Rashida to draw up a plan for her yard and gardens.
#18 - New Orleans | Return to New Orleans, Post Katrina
Season 29 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/24/2008
For the second project of the season, This Old House travels to New Orleans, Louisiana, to help a fourth-generation resident of the Lower 9th Ward return home, while following stories of rebuilding and recovery throughout the city. Host Kevin O'Connor visits Musicians' Village with founder Harry Connick, Jr. to see how he, along with childhood friend Branford Marsalis, are providing new housing for the city's musicians through Habitat for Humanity. In historic Holy Cross, along the banks of the Mississippi River, homeowner Rashida Ferdinand shows Kevin why she loves her c. 1892 flood-damaged shotgun single and artist's studio, and how she plans to restore and expand them after a two-year vacancy. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with her builder to assess the challenges of building in post-Katrina New Orleans, while homeowner Marna David shows Kevin how she managed to renovate her own shotgun single in Holy Cross, twice, once before the storm, and once after.
#19 - Newton: Big Plans
Season 29 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/11/2007
Host Kevin O'Connor meets landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard to see her plan that calls for minimal changes out front, but major work in the back to re-grade and create a large new patio. In the old kitchen, general contractor Tom Silva recaps the plan, while master carpenter Norm Abram and homeowner Paul Friedberg begin demolition. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin how to loosen a stuck sewer cap. Kevin visits a state-of-the-art facility in Westborough, Massachusetts, where the crew's construction and demolition waste is sorted for recycling. Chimney expert Mark Schaub evaluates the 100-year old chimney flues with the help of a "flue cam," which is monitored on a laptop computer. Landscape contractor Roger Cook cuts down the giant ewes that have been obscuring the front of the house for decades.
#20 - Newton: Prepwork and Inspiration
Season 29 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/18/2007
Host Kevin O'Connor finds general contractor Tom Silva in the backyard prepping the footings for the new porch columns. Landscape contractor Roger Cook brings in civil engineer Mike Kosmo to do the perk test needed for the new landscape plan. To learn more about the form, architect Treff LaFleche shows Kevin a stunning neighborhood Shingle-style house that he purchased, renovated, and sold 3 years ago. The turn-of-the-century home features a curved wrap-around porch, dramatic entry hall, charming inglenook, and, similar to the renovation plans the team has in store, it has a new open kitchen and family room that connect visually with the rest of the house. Back on site, Roger finds certified arborist Matt Foti removing a rotted red maple from the side yard with a tree crew and crane.
#21 - New Orleans | First Builder Falls Through
Season 29 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/21/2008
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram open the show with a quick visit to the local's alternative to Bourbon Street, the neighborhood jazz clubs of Frenchmen Street, where the New Orleans music scene is still alive and well. At the project in Holy Cross, homeowner Rashida Ferdinand has some surprising news: Her old contractor couldn't complete the job, so she's hiring someone new, while filling in herself to bridge the gap between builders. On her brief watch, she's managed to obtain her rough inspections, so spray foam insulation gets underway in the new addition. For progress on the French doors, Norm visits carpenter Matt Thompson to see his renovated house and shop in Bywater, and also how he's milling our historically accurate doors out of Spanish cedar. At Musicians' Village, founder Branford Marsalis gives Norm a look at the plans for the music education and performance center that will be built in honor of his father, Ellis Marsalis.
#22 - New Orleans | Back on Track
Season 29 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/28/2008
Host Kevin O'Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram take a ride through the city of New Orleans with streetcar driver Sue Daniel, who is known locally as "Streetcar Sue." At the project house in Holy Cross, Norm catches up with homeowner Rashida Ferdinand's new general contractor Larry Schneider to see the amazing progress he has made in just two short weeks on the job. At Musicians' Village, saxophonist Calvin Johnson shows Norm how he is investing sweat equity toward the 350 hours required to become a homeowner in the neighborhood. Back at the project house, lead carpenter Mike Gettle shows Kevin how he is trimming the side porch. In Central City, Kevin meets Mercy Corps program director Rick Denhart to learn how the non-profit organization helps homeowners in New Orleans desconstruct their ruined properties at no cost. The salvaged materials are given to local depots where they are sold at a reduced price. The last stop in the process is the Green Project in St. Roch where the goods are bought and sold by members of the community.
#23 - New Orleans | Recovery Continues
Season 29 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/6/2008
Host Kevin O'Connor visits the architectural marvel next door, the Dollut Steamboat house, with its owner, Don Gagnon. Back at our house, master carpenter Norm Abram meets homeowner Rashida Ferdinand and general contractor Larry Schneider for a progress tour. In addition to painting and flooring, the cabinets are mostly up in the new kitchen. Installer Oliver Earl shows Norm both the architectural details and the finish details of the cabinetry. Right behind him is countertop contractor John Finney, who's making templates for the new quartz countertops using laser technology. At the Musicians' Village, general contractor Tom Silva is on hand for the morning meeting and then gives construction assistant Danielle Draper a lesson in making a window stool and apron. In Central City, Kevin meets Craig Cuccia to see how his non-profit group rebuilds the lives of at-risk youth through a unique hospitality and construction program. Back in Holy Cross, Norm and Tom help lead carpenter Mike Gettle put down the reclaimed pine engineered flooring in the future family room.
#24 - New Orleans | Landscapes and NBA Legends
Season 29 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/13/2008
Host Kevin O'Connor and landscape contractor Roger Cook visit a 70-year old tradition on Poydras Street, Mother's Restaurant, to sample some of the local cuisine. In Holy Cross, Roger meets landscape architect Brian Sublette to see how he's creating both public and private space on our sizable lot. Fencing specialist Mark Bushway is on hand to install the green privacy fence, arbor, and gates going up in the side yard, while Deryl Boudreau is installs a standby generator on the other side of the house. Two blocks away, master carpenter Norm Abram meets executive director Beth Galante to see how her non-profit, Global Green, is building a sustainable and affordable housing development in the neighborhood with the participation of actor Brad Pitt. Back at our house, countertop contractor John Finney arrives with the countertops for the kitchen, while upstairs in the master bath, tile contractor Fred Foltmer shows Kevin the travertine floor and the glass tile going up in the shower area. Over at Musicians' Village, under the watchful eye of pianist Ellis Marsalis, Kevin finds NBA Legends Willis Reed and Robert Parish lending a hand along with local hero Tyson Chandler from the New Orleans Hornets. All of the players have local ties and are committed to keeping the national spotlight focused on the ongoing housing crisis in New Orleans.
#25 - New Orleans | Only In New Orleans
Season 29 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/20/2008
Host Kevin O'Connor meets District Fire Chief Tim McConnell to see how his own firemen are rebuilding 22 damaged firehouse on their own time, with the help of volunteers and the Denis Leary Foundation in NYC. In Holy Cross, master carpenter Norm Abram drives up to find plants arriving, and master mason Teddy Pierre, Jr. laying local St. Joe brick at the front walk. Lead carpenter Mike Gettle installs new custom composite shutters, which are functional for privacy and security, while also meeting Historic District guidelines. The mechanicals, including a new continuous flow tankless water heater, are also in place. In the French Quarter, Kevin stops into Bevolo Lighting to see how Drew Bevolo, a third generation lighting fixture manufacturer, is carrying on the family tradition, while also building lights for our project. Over at Musicians' Village, Roger helps the volunteers establish grade and plant some screening shrubs and grasses in homeowner Calvin Johnson's front yard.