This Old House Season 21 Episode 18 The Billerica House - 18

In this episode of This Old House, the team takes on a project in Billerica, Massachusetts - a four-bedroom ranch-style house built in the 1950s. The homeowners, a young couple with two children, purchased the house as their first home and quickly realized that it needed some major renovations to make it livable for their family.

The episode begins with host Kevin O'Connor meeting with the homeowners to discuss their plans and goals for the renovation. They hope to create an open-concept living space that is bright and airy, while also adding a new master suite to the house. Kevin explains that the team will be removing several walls to create the open-concept space, which will involve taking down load-bearing walls and installing an LVL beam to support the weight of the house.

Next, general contractor Tom Silva and his team get to work on the demolition. They carefully remove the walls and beams, being careful not to damage any of the surrounding structure or materials. They also start framing out the new master suite, which involves building a new exterior wall and installing a new window.

Plumber Richard Trethewey then comes in to work on the new bathroom that will be part of the master suite. He explains how he is installing new plumbing fixtures and rerouting the existing pipes to accommodate the new layout. Meanwhile, HVAC specialist Steve Giordano installs a new ductless mini-split system to provide heating and cooling to the new addition.

As the renovation progresses, the team encounters a few unexpected challenges. The existing wiring in the house is outdated and unsafe, so they need to rewire the entire house to bring it up to code. They also discover that the subfloor in the master suite is not level, which requires them to level it out before installing the new flooring.

Throughout the episode, Kevin checks in with the various team members to see how their work is progressing and to get their insights on the renovation. He also meets with the homeowners to discuss their thoughts and concerns about the project. They are excited to see the progress and are impressed with the quality of work that the This Old House team is doing.

Finally, as the episode comes to a close, the team is finishing up the drywall and preparing to paint the newly renovated space. The homeowners are thrilled with the progress and can't wait to move into their new, updated home.

Overall, this episode of This Old House showcases the challenges and rewards of a major home renovation project. From removing load-bearing walls to updating outdated wiring, the team faces a variety of obstacles on their way to creating a beautiful, functional home for the homeowners.