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Arts & Culture

This Old House: Auburndale Project, Part 2 Of 16

THIS OLD HOUSE crew from left to right: landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, general contractor Tom Silva, host Kevin O’Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram.
Courtesy of ©Tracy Powell for WGBH/This Old House
THIS OLD HOUSE crew from left to right: landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, general contractor Tom Silva, host Kevin O’Connor and master carpenter Norm Abram.

Airs Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV

2010 Halloween Pumpkin-Carving Contest

Upload your photos and tell us about your pumpkin for a chance to win a $500 Grand Prize. The winner, along with our top 25 pumpkin picks, will be announced at thisoldhouse.com on Friday, October 29th.

"This Old House" opens a brand new season by helping the Sharma family renovate their 1940s 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.

In this episode, 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.

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A team of concrete cutters arrives to set up and begin the process of cutting through the 10-inch 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.

Visit the "This Old House" website to browse photo galleries, get money saving ideas and watch how-to videos.

This Old House 2010 Season Preview: Auburndale Project