The WORST episodes of This Old House
Every episode of This Old House ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst 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.
#1 - Auburndale; A Ho-Hum House on The Charles River
Season 32 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/7/2010
This Old House opens a brand new season by helping the Sharma family renovate their 1940's house on Boston's famous Charles River. Out front, the home's bland exterior will receive a curb-appeal makeover thanks to the creative ideas of architect Chris Chu. On the inside, the house will get a new, larger kitchen, updated baths and loads of new windows to take advantage of the spectacular views out back. General contractor Tom Silva conducts a structural investigation and cites concerns about a new EPA law affecting all contractors dealing with lead paint in 2010. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey finds asbestos in the usual spots in the basement, but with the help of asbestos inspector Glenn Potter, it's also discovered hiding in the ceilings, walls, under the kitchen sink and even in the joint compound. Work gets underway as landscape contractor Roger Cook puts erosion control in place to protect the flood plain, while asbestos abatement contractor Brian Fitzsimons begins what will be nearly two solid weeks of asbestos removal.
#2 - Auburndale; Making the Most of Green Products
Season 32 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/23/2010
On site at the Auburndale project, the transformation of the back of the house is almost complete. Up on the deck, general contractor Tom Silva is putting down a new generation of composite decking—it is made from the same recycled plastic bits and wood waste that we’ve used before, but this time it has a durable new proprietary finish that carries a 30-year warranty. The manufacturer also provides a hidden fastening system and a prefabricated railing. Inside, painting is underway, and we’re using a product that promises richer colors, but also low VOCs—so master carpenter Norm Abram heads over to the factory to learn what goes into a quality can of paint. Painting contractor Mauro Henrique shows host Kevin O'Connor what he likes and doesn’t like about how the paint performs. In the living room, Tom shows Kevin how he’s making a few simple modifications to the fireplace mantel that will update its style to better fit in with the rest of the newly renovated house.
#3 - Auburndale; Planning for the Pergola
Season 32 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/16/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook overseeing the crew that is setting the footings for the new pergola, while also preparing to give the concrete stoop a makeover using fieldstone veneer on the riser and a bluestone cap on the top. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva begin trimming out the first floor windows, starting with the 16-foot bank of windows in the sunroom. The trim details will match the originals, using a build up of unadorned profiles created with a moulding machine. With the pergola on the way, Roger takes homeowner Allison Sharma to the Arnold Arboretum to see several different kinds of vines and select one that is appropriate for her front yard conditions. Back at the house, Norm surveys the progress on the second floor and sees how tile contractor Rob Raps is using pitching sticks to create a mud job at the base of the new shower.
#4 - Auburndale; Landscape Decisions and a Duck Tour
Season 32 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/9/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor meets landscape designer Jen Nawada Evans to see her plan for opening up the front yard while also creating perennial beds that can be added to over time. Inside, plaster contractor David Crawford shows Kevin how he is blending the old work with the new. Certified arborist Matt Foti shows landscape contractor Roger Cook why the Norway maple out front cannot be saved and demonstrates how his crew is taking it down safely, being mindful of its entanglement with the power lines. Down the river from our project, Kevin and master carpenter Norm Abram take some time to see the Charles River through the eyes of its most colorful tour guides—the "conDUCKtors" over at Boston Duck Tours. They take a tour through the city streets and then "splash" into the river as the tour bus becomes a tour boat, revealing some of the best views in Boston. Back at the house, Kevin meets up with general contractor Tom Silva and painting contractor Mauro Henrique to see how his crew is removing paint from the old shingles and how they will use a solid body stain to let the texture of the cedar shingles show through.
#5 - Auburndale; Stucco, Kitchen Design, Roof, and Insulation
Season 32 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/2/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find work on the exterior progressing in the front, while out back, general contractor Tom Silva uses an acrylic stucco system to make the new basement addition blend in with the poured concrete of the old walkout basement. Inside, Kevin welcomes Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen back to the show to see the final layout of our kitchen and to get his opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the design. Back outside, Kevin finds Tom up on the roof, working to waterproof the valley where the flat roof meets the pitched roof of the new entry addition. Insulation contractor Tony Trigler arrives with crews to install four different kinds of insulation throughout the house for four different applications including, eco-friendly batt insulation, cellulose, and both open cell and closed cell spray foam.
#6 - Auburndale; Shingles, Ductwork, Lights, and a Pocket Door
Season 32 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/25/2010
Halfway through the renovation in Auburndale, master carpenter Norm Abram lends general contractor Tom Silva a hand patching in some sidewall shingles on the front of the house. Down in the basement, host Kevin O'Connor finds plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installing the ductwork for the new hydronic heating and cooling system, chosen for its flexibility in duct sizes, which are installed in the ceiling over the family room to feed the sunroom above. Next door, in the kitchen, Kevin finds master electrician Allen Gallant finishing up the rough electrical, and also using something new— 4-inch, dimmable LED recessed light units with a light source that will last 50 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Back out in the hall mudroom, Norm and Tom accommodate another change order (and finish up the rough framing) by installing a pocket door kit that you can get at a local lumberyard.
#7 - Auburndale; A New Approach to the House
Season 32 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/4/2010
Master carpenter Norm Abram meets homeowner Allison Sharma to review progress and see the new front entry and framed up kitchen. At the garage, he helps general contractor Tom Silva turn the flat roof into a pitched roof with the help of some prefabricated trusses. Kitchen designer Donna Venegas and homeowner Raveen Sharma review the layout of the new kitchen with the help of a paper mock-up. In the backyard, landscape contractor Roger Cook and urban ecologist Peter DelTredici show host Kevin O'Connor the native and non-native species taking over the flood plain. Norm and Tom review the layout for the new back deck and walkways and get to work setting 12 new footings to support them. Later, they frame up the floor of the new sunroom using engineered lumber.
#8 - Auburndale; Fixes, Framing, and Floods
Season 32 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/28/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find most of the demolition complete, and the house entirely opened up. General contractor Tom Silva shows him the progress and then they get to work taking the dip out of the old kitchen floor by working from below, down in the basement. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram frames up the new mudroom and powder room on the first floor using Tom's preferred method of framing up new walls: cutting all of the stock to length; assembling the walls on the floor; and standing them up one at a time. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets Massachusetts State Director of Flood Control, Bill Gode, to see how the Charles River has been literally formed and shaped by several major engineering projects over the years, including three major dams. Back at the project house, as Tom contends with the termite-damaged sill out front, Kevin welcomes pest control expert Todd McNamara to see his "eco-friendly" plan to address the termites and also the carpenter ants out back.
#9 - Auburndale; Bringing in the Structure
Season 32 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/21/2010
The morning starts with the arrival of a 17-foot-long steel beam that weighs 900 pounds. It will carry the load of the house over the 16-ft. opening that was made in the rear foundation wall. Because the site is so hard to access, general contractor Tom Silva uses a crane to lift it up and over the house and place it carefully on a temporary wall near the installation site. Then, host Kevin O'Connor and Tom's crew lend a hand installing it. Master carpenter Norm Abram meets with product specialist Bill Gaines to see the insulated concrete forms being used not only for the foundations, but also for the above-grade walls on the new additions. Inside, Kevin welcomes Chris Kimball from America's Test Kitchen, to help us understand the "time capsule" of a kitchen that we have from 1940 and where the new design is headed for our homeowners in 2010. Back outside, the forms are complete and the concrete truck arrives to pour the foundation and walls. At the end of the day, Tom and Kevin discuss how the new lead laws affect interior work and how to properly test for it. Using proper protocol, the kitchen is gutted and the wall to the dining room comes down.
#10 - Auburndale; Regulations and Challenges
Season 32 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/14/2010
Landscape contractor Roger Cook preps for the new foundation of the entry hall by removing the old overgrown and badly pruned yews. Out back, host Kevin O'Connor finds general contractor Tom Silva and lead paint specialist Ron Peik demolishing the sun porch within the limits of the new national EPA lead law that now affects all contractors working on houses from 1978 or earlier. Master carpenter Norm Abram and homeowner Allison Sharma learn more about the grand estate that once occupied the neighborhood by visiting its original gatehouse, which is now a private home. Tom shows Kevin the progress on the excavation out front and out back, where Tom has transferred the load from the rear wall of the house, inbound, to a series of three temporary walls so work can begin. A team of concrete cutters arrives to set up and begin the process of cutting through the 10" thick concrete foundation walls. After the final cuts are made, they drop out a 16-foot section of the rear foundation wall to make way for the new family room addition.
#11 - Auburndale; Absolute Curb Appeal
Season 32 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/30/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook getting ready to install nine tons of rustic Pennsylvania fieldstone for the new entry walkway. Inside, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how to recognize a quality cabinet, and they assemble the kitchen island that has been sent in pieces from the manufacturer. Upstairs, Kevin finds tile contractor Rob Raps working in the kids' bathroom to install the new black and white tile scheme. Then Kevin lends a hand while master carpenter Norm Abram boxes in the ceiling beams in the sunroom, finishing them off with crown moulding. In the front entry hall, Tom shows Kevin the interior MDF two-panel doors the architect has specified, as well as a beefier version for the front door, from the same manufacturer, just as it is being painted a color called "audacious" red.
#12 - Roxbury; One Less Foreclosure in Boston
Season 31 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/3/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the job nearing completion thanks to the dedication of general contractor David Lopes. Landscape contractor Roger Cook and the YouthBuild apprentices plant the final tree and spread mulch out front, while out back, fence contractor Mike McLaughlin installs the entry gate on the perimeter fence. Inside, designer Tricia McDonagh is readying the house for the wrap party, as the final light fixtures and window treatments are installed. Down in the basement, local HVAC contractor Abdul Barrie gives homeowner Lanita Tolentino a crash course on what she needs to know about the mechanicals in her basement. Boston Mayor Tom Menino stops by to see how the house turned out, and while work continues on the second unit, Lanita’s unit is ready for her to move in. Upstairs, she shows Kevin the tile and fixture choices in the bathroom, and also her spacious new bedroom and walk-in closet. Downstairs, as her family arrives for the party, her grandmother gets a batch of Cape Verdean cachupa going on the new stove, as Lanita shows master carpenter Norm around her new kitchen and living spaces. Norm and David Lopes reflect on how far the house has come in eight months, and as the team gathers for the wrap party, all agree that it was a successful partnership. While foreclosures remain a problem nationally, there is one less foreclosure on this street in Boston.
#13 - Roxbury; Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Season 31 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/27/2010
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 visits our Washington, D.C. project house to meet the family that moved in and see how our last venture in non-profit development turned out. Then, general contractor Tom Silva lends a hand to lead carpenter Colin Paterson, who is customizing and installing the stair treads and newel post for the new stairs.
#14 - Roxbury; Roxbury Past and Present
Season 31 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/20/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find landscape contractor Roger Cook 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. General contractor David Lopes shows master carpenter Norm Abram the progress at the front entry and in the kitchen of the second unit. Next door, countertop fabricator Danny Puccio shows homeowner Lanita Tolentino how to clean and remove stains from her new marble countertops. Nearby, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets Massachusetts State Representative Byron Rushing to look more closely at the historical aspects of Roxbury. Finally, Richard and David Lopes install a new tankless hot water heater in the basement of Lanita's unit.
#15 - Roxbury; Custom Details
Season 31 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/13/2010
General contractor David Lopes shows Kevin the progress on the puddingstone retaining walls and front entrances at our Roxbury project. Master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Dover, N.H. to see how millwork fabricator Denis Goupil and his team fabricated custom arches for the front of the house. Back in Roxbury, stone specialist Steve Torok installs a decorative antique marble fireplace surround and mantel to match the original at the house. Upstairs, Kevin finds flooring contractor Ingo Vu laying out and installing a pre-finished, solid birch floor that is hand-scraped for an aged effect. Interior designer Tricia McDonagh shows Kevin how she took cues from the panels in the bay window and the marble fireplace surround when designing the cabinetry and countertop details for the new kitchen.
#16 - Roxbury; Oak Doors, Fireplace Surround
Season 31 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/6/2010
Host Kevin O'Connor finds carpenter Zo Curet in the front parlor installing a plaster crown molding. This close reproduction of the 1870s original is a lightweight foam made with plaster and an acrylic coating which can easily be installed with nothing more than a joint compound. Homeowner Lanita Tolentino shows Kevin the colors she's considering as painting contractor Ivan Batallas paints an accent wall in the back bedroom. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits a workshop to see how the slabs for our new, eight-foot, oak front doors and sidelights are machined and pre-hung for installation as one large unit on the jobsite. Two miles down the road, Kevin visits an architectural antiques shop to find a matching marble fireplace surround for the second unit of our house. Shop owner Bill Raymer shows Kevin around and offers to donate a closely matching fireplace to the project. Back at the house, the new front doors have arrived, and lead carpenter Colin Paterson makes quick work of installing them.
#17 - Roxbury; Help From Our Friends
Season 31 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/27/2010
Despite the bitter cold, landscape contractor Roger Cook works with a group of students from YouthBuild Boston to spread soil and put down sod in the backyard. Meanwhile, fence contractor Mike McLaughlin and his crew install a PVC privacy fence along the perimeter of the yard. Inside, master carpenter Norm Abram and lead carpenter Colin Paterson are adding some period charm to the bay window area by installing custom casings and paneling. The house's existing plaster ceiling medallions were beyond repair, so Norm brings back preservation plasterer Rory Brennan to replicate them on site. Fortunately, the originals were nearly identical to the medallions from the Charlestown project years ago, so Rory mixes up some plaster and pours a new medallion from the Charlestown mold. Afterward, they install a completed casting in the front parlor. At the end of the day, the fence is nearly complete and the sod is finished, thanks to our group of intrepid apprentices.
#18 - Roxbury; Coming Together
Season 31 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/20/2010
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 and the paneling on the front bay window has been recreated to resemble what might have been there originally. In the basement, 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 he's installing. Throughout the house, spray foam insulation has been installed to keep that warm air inside. Host Kevin O'Connor visits the Fort Myers area in Florida and realizes that while foreclosures are still on the rise in Boston, the city is better off than many others in the country. Real estate agent Mark Joseph gives Kevin a look at one of the country's most foreclosure-ravaged communities, and explains how the houses there are selling quickly, but often at half their former market value. Back in Roxbury, Kevin catches up with our new homeowner, Lanita Tolentino, to see the progress she's made on selecting flooring and kitchen cabinet finishes with the help of interior designer Tricia McDonagh. Out back, master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor David Lopes use low maintenance PVC decking and prefabricated railings to dress up the rear entrance decks.
#19 - Roxbury; More Trouble than We Thought
Season 31 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/13/2010
Master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with general contractor David Lopes to check out the progress that has been made on the house both outside and in. 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. Out front, a concrete truck arrives to pour the footing for the new front entry, which will be one of the last sections to be reframed. Up on the mansard roof, David shows Norm how he's putting down the new roof using architectural shingles made to look like the slate that would have been on the house originally. Days later, the new, energy-efficient vinyl windows have been installed, and work continues on the exterior PVC trim. Host Kevin O'Connor catches up with carpenter Ed Curet to see how he's installing the new siding, which was both pre-primed and pre-painted, saving time and money. At the end of the day, paint color consultant Bonnie Krims shows Norm how she worked with all of the modern, low maintenance materials to create a classic color scheme that is historically informed.
#20 - Los Angeles; Spanish Style; Stucco, Ornamental Iron, Hand Glazed Tile
Season 32 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/3/2011
Host Kevin O'Connor checks in with homeowner Mary Blee, whose pregnancy has kept her away from the construction dust for most of the project, but she's keeping tabs on the progress thanks to the webcams and her husband Kurt Albrecht's photographs. Stucco specialist Alfonso Garcia shows Kevin the last two steps of the stucco system going up, which includes an embedded mesh for strength and crack protection, and also a top layer which has integrated color and a "sand" texture finish. Kevin goes to Orange County to see some new period-appropriate ornamental ironwork created for the house and the restoration of some existing work. Then, master carpenter Norm Abram visits a small shop in Covina, CA, to see how the reproduction tile for our project is being hand glazed piece by piece. Back in Silver Lake, Kevin meets tile contractor Carlos Sandoval to see the black and yellow tile going up in the powder room.
#21 - Bedford | New Entrance, Old Bricks
Season 33 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/27/2011
Host Kevin O'Connor arrives to find the floor and walls of the new entry addition framed up, and general contractor Tom Silva getting ready to create the connection to the main house. He lends a hand as they frame up the new roof that will overlay the existing roof. Mason Mark McCullough returns to repair the exterior chimney that was cut away to make way for the new family room addition. Mark shows Kevin how to weave in the bricks so they look like they've always been there. Homeowner Joe Titlow shows Kevin why he wants the hulking fireplace and chimney gone from his kitchen, and they get to work removing it from the top down, brick by brick. Master carpenter Norm Abram revisits the oldest This Old House project to date, the Acton Project, to see how the addition there is holding up after 17 years, and what they'd do differently if they could do it all again. Back at the project house, Kevin and Joe check out some recent discoveries from the jobsite—musket balls, sleigh bells, ox shoes, and silverware from the Colonial days.
#22 - Bedford | Work on the Addition Begins
Season 33 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/20/2011
Master carpenter Norm Abram continues work on removing the old clapboards, while out back at the new addition, general contractor Tom Silva and mason Mark McCullough carefully open up a hole in the old fieldstone foundation that will connect the old basement space to the new. Inside, host Kevin O'Connor finds window restoration specialist Alison Hardy and her crew removing the historic sashes to be taken off site for rehab. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey visits the local library to see the oldest existing flag in the country, the Bedford Flag, first hand. Back at the project house, Tom shows Kevin a rotted sill that he found during demo and explains how he plans to patch, rather than replace it. The footprint of the addition starts to take shape as Tom forms the new foundation out of ICFs. At the end of the day, a concrete truck arrives for the pour.
#23 - Bedford | And the Work Begins
Season 33 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/13/2011
Landscape contractor Roger Cook starts by transplanting the shrubs and plants from the front of the house to a place where they can be "heeled in" for safe keeping until the job is complete. Homeowner Joe Titlow shows host Kevin O'Connor how his company builds highly detailed architectural models (and a whole host of other useful items) by printing them with a 3-D printer. Then, Roger gets to work clearing the small trees and overgrowth that are in the way of the new family room addition. Near the oldest part of the house, Kevin and master carpenter Norm Abram dig in by removing the front entry porch and the accessibility ramp. Then, in accordance with the new EPA lead paint laws, they set up to begin removing the peeling and rotted clapboards. Out back, general contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how he's laying out for the new addition, and excavation begins. As expected, water is discovered, and Roger gets to work setting up a drain and sump pump system to deal with it. Mason Mark McCullough arrives to demo the exterior parts of the 1970s-era chimney that are in the way of the new addition.
#24 - Bedford | Welcome to the Bedford Project
Season 33 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/6/2011
This Old House opens a new season with work on a 300-year-old farmstead that is rich in Colonial history. Homeowners Joe and Becky Titlow plan to preserve the historic part of the house while adding space and modern amenities with two small additions. Architect Dan Quaile presents the plan using a remarkable model generated from a 3-D printer, while general contractor Tom Silva inspects the structure and historic window sash, which will be restored. In the basement, plumbing and heating expert, Richard Trethewey, finds the relic of an antique water pump system, and a newer mechanical system that contains some inefficient and unsafe aspects. Master carpenter Norm Abram is concerned about the high water table, especially when it comes to excavating for the new additions. Landscape contractor Roger Cook considers the half-acre lot and what the homeowners would like to add—a storage shed, raised garden beds, a new driveway, and stone walls. The bulk of the landscape work will be clearing and reclaiming nearly half of the back yard that has been overwhelmed by brambles and invasives.
#25 - Los Angeles; So Long To Silver Lake
Season 32 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/31/2011
Work on the Los Angeles project wraps up with the finishing touches both outside and in. Plaster specialist Alfonso Garcia replicates the original "cake frosting" plaster detail on the walls, while plumbing and heating contractor Eric Downs shows host Kevin O'Connor the new bathroom fan system that not only takes stale air out, but also brings fresh air in through a damper in the basement. Homeowner Kurt Albrecht gets a look at the new HVAC system that will also clean the air, while landscape designer Melanie Williams shows off the finished landscape, and the irrigation system that will keep the plants healthy year round. Inside, interior designer Rachel Horn and her team from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, show master carpenter Norm Abram how they've used a mix of antiques, reproductions, and upholstery to create inviting spaces that are appropriate for a Spanish Colonial Revival. Homeowner Mary Blee introduces Kevin to her new son, who's arrived just in time to enjoy the renovated house. After a look at the master suite and the new kitchen, the family gathers on the back terrace to congratulate general contractor Steve Pallrand and site supervisor Angel Leon on a job well done.