This Old House: Dorchester #2 (1Feb1979) House History & Kitchen Plans

Bob Vila talks with Norm Abram, who makes his first appearance on This Old House, talking about rot in the eaves. The gutters were improperly installed and allowed water to get into the house. The brackets are also water damaged because water got into the soffit. On the roof, boards near the edge will need to be replaced, and new shingles must be added. Bonnie Shatsky Hammer, This Old House associate producer, discusses the history of the house. John Parks originally owned the land in 1818. The house ownership traces back to 1861, to Eliza T. Clapp, a writer. The Clapp family developed a large portion of Dorchester. In 1932, during the depression, the house was taken over by the bank. In 1937, the bank sold it to Arthur T. Ronen, a prominent surgeon, who lived there until 1965. Bonnie and Bob look at an old image of the house and determine when renovations were completed. Back outside, Bob takes a look at the exterior demolition work. Inside, Bob tells us about the plans for the kitchen. When planning a kitchen it is important to take into account traffic patterns and workspace area. He proposes combining the kitchen with the existing dining room, and turning one of the parlor rooms into a formal dining room. We take a look at the blueprints. Ross McDonald, an energy auditor, talks about the gross energy deficiencies of the building. He recommends adding insulation and closing leaks. The main problems are heat loss and a lack of heat supply. Fifty percent of the heat produced is being lost. Ross recommends speaking with a heat engineer and retrofitting for energy efficiency.
There is a lot of demolition to be done at this old house. Bob talks about renting a dumpster for a large demo job. To do the demo work yourself, Bob recommends a few key tools: gloves, hat, facemask, claw hammer, sledgehammer, flat bar, and a crow bar. Bob tackles the demolition of the small downstairs powder room.