This Old House

Kevin O'Connor digs into the ADU's progress with a code-rated firewall, insulation, and fire damper in a shared interior wall, plus Richard Trethewey sees the new HVAC and water filtration systems. Later, Kevin and Tom Silva tour a compact Dorchester ADU located in the attic.

Zack Dettmore installs vinyl siding with trim details that give it a more traditional look, then tours a Pennsylvania factory where a modular Accessory Dwelling Unit is framed, wired, finished, and prepared for delivery. Back in Walpole, Richard Trethewey explains a ceiling cassette HVAC system for the basement, and the crew installs a three-panel sliding glass door.

Kevin O'Connor helps demo a wall to expand the primary space. Tom Silva works through interior and exterior wall framing details. Richard Trethewey reviews shared utilities and plumbing layout for the Accessory Dwelling Unit, and a new underground electrical service takes shape. Kevin heads to Atlanta to see how different ADUs are designed and built - some even from former free standing garages.

In Walpole, Kevin O'Connor tours Dan and Jill's 1971 ranch as they plan for Jill's parents to move into a new 900-square-foot ADU, the town's first. Tom Silva tracks new foundations and a rebuilt garage, Richard Trethewey weighs options for updated HVAC and utilities, and Jenn Nawada meets Jill and the children in the backyard to talk about their outdoor wishes.

Kevin O'Connor and the team wrap up the Needham project on a snowy move-in day, unveiling a transformed turn-of-the-century home. An open kitchen and family space, new mudroom, expanded kids' rooms and baths, a reimagined primary suite, expanded basement, new attic HVAC, and refreshed landscaping and exterior all work together to create a low-maintenance, energy-smart home for a growing family.

In Needham, Kevin O'Connor checks on a transformed Victorian with new floors, a reimagined dining room, and a 130-year-old China cabinet relocated into a new wall. Bold wallpaper and trim redefine the powder room, Heath Eastman fine-tunes primary bath lighting, ducts get a thorough post-reno cleaning, and Tom Silva restores the original front door in preparation for new mortise hardware.

Kevin checks on heated bathroom floors, custom Cape Cod cabinetry, and revamped bookcase built-ins as the crew blends new upgrades with original details in a historic Needham home.

In Needham, Kevin O'Connor reviews porch prep with Mauro Henrique, then Jenn Nawada and Mark McCullough build a brick paver patio. Kevin visits a local mill to see rift-and-quartered white oak flooring made for the project. Back at the house, he joins Charlie Silva to weave salvaged Douglas fir boards into the hallway and new linen closet so the second-floor floors look seamless.

Charlie Silva visits a Springfield, Mass millwork factory to see custom, paint-ready window trim made from start to finish. Back at the house, he installs the trim and later works with Jenn Nawada to relocate a rhododendron. Tom Silva explains the rain-screen system behind the siding, while Heath Eastman plans and begins the kitchen electrical rough-in.

Richard Trethewey meets with the HVAC subs who are here to re-duct the house to make the system more efficient. Charlie Silva demos the third-floor ceiling to make room for new insulation. Meanwhile, Tom Silva and Kevin O'Connor install a double-hung window located in the dining room that looks onto the front porch. Back inside, Kevin and Charlie address a sloped floor in the parlor.

Charlie Silva meets abatement specialist Ron Peik, who confirms asbestos on ductwork, prompting a safe cleanup. Later, Kevin O'Connor joins Charlie to strip aluminum siding and visits an aluminum recycling facility to learn about the process. Back home, a steel beam is craned through a rear window to support the now open first floor layout.

Kevin O'Connor helps Tom Silva salvage kitchen cabinets for a new pantry. Outside, Charlie Silva and Mark McCullough demolish the chimney from top to bottom. Kevin meets architect Marcus to learn how removing the chimney adds space and reshapes the layout. Out back, Charlie preps for the foundation pour of the addition and explains the need for a retaining wall before cutting a basement doorway.

The team heads to Needham, Massachusetts, to kick off their next project with Charlie. They meet homeowners Liz and Patrick in their 1896 simple Victorian to discuss plans to rework the floor plan and add an addition off the back. Later, Jenn, Mark, and the homeowners' son, Brendan break ground by pulling up the old brick walkway and palletizing the bricks.

Western North Carolina celebrates as five families return home a year after Hurricane Helene. In Swannanoa, Kevin tours Jim and Allie's, then Miah's, while Mark stops by Cat and Jeremy's. In North Asheville, Jenn admires Melinda's new yard while Zack and Matt check out the interior, and Richard visits Paula's East Asheville home before everyone gathers at a local brewery to celebrate.

James Dose, a general contractor helping restore homes in East Asheville, channels his experience of Hurricane Helene into his song “Cavalry,” using music and imagery from the flooded Swannanoa River to show how creativity can help a community heal and rebuild.

Kevin O'Connor travels to Dalton, Georgia, the carpet capital of the world, to watch carpet made from start to finish. In Swannanoa, Zack Dettmore joins a local carpenter to install a butcher block counter, while Jenn Nawada checks in on front-yard landscaping plans in North Asheville. Back inside, Kevin looks at the electrician's seamless under-cabinet lighting.

Kevin O'Connor goes antiquing with Miah at the Antique Tobacco Barn, where she is looking for a new kitchen table. Jenn Nawada assists with collecting soil samples from Jim and Allie's yard, then visits a state lab before returning with results. In Asheville, Kevin visits a nonprofit workshop that is crafting Paula's concrete vanity top.

When the Swannanoa River surged past 26 feet during Hurricane Helene, it didn’t just destroy homes, it swept their landscapes with it. A local garden center is stepping in to help revive the Swannanoa project houses. Jenn meets with homeowners Jim, Allie, and Miah to hear their visions for brand-new yards, offering plant and layout options tailored to each property’s sun exposure and conditions. 

Kevin O'Connor takes a tour of the restaurants and breweries that are reopening after Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, Tom Silva is teaching how to properly measure and install interior window shades. Later Kevin joins Mauro Henrique in prepping a house to be painted. Over in North Asheville, Mark McCullough installs a fireplace with chimney sweeps Alan Justice and James Esser.

In Asheville, NC, Kevin O'Connor strolls through restored Biltmore Village and learns about its history and future. In East Asheville, Mauro Henrique guides Paula in cleaning and staining a fiberglass door. In North Asheville, Jenn Nawada and landscape architect Jennifer Verprauskus build a boulder terrace retaining wall. In Swannanoa, Kevin learns a new method to install an interior door.