Without Family

Renovation has begun and the carpenter has find rot in the eaves. The kitchen, one of the hardest remodeling jobs, gets some attention, and we look into the history of the home.

Work on the house has uncovered some unforeseen problems from the roof to the plumbing, and at a moment, the dream kitchen is a nightmare. But our host has some solutions.

It's time to insulate the house, remove the old furnace, and replace it with a new-energy-efficient heating system.

How are we going to heat the house? This week our host talks with a heating specialist about baseboard heating, the heating plant in the basement and the water heater. We take a look at the bedroom closets and a new kitchen skylight.

Plasters, roofers, and carpenters are hard at work. The kitchen walls are plastered, the chimney get some attention, and works starts on the crumbling front porch.

The insulation and plasterwork are completed. The new kitchen windows are trimmed and finished. A historic preservation consultant traces the changes made in the past century in the house's exterior paint.

Work on the deck and its foundation is underway. Our host offers some hints on paint stripping and introduces an alternative to ceramic wall tile around a bathtub.

Our hosts walks through the grounds with a landscape designer and considers the gardening possibilities. The carpenters put on new red cedar clapboards, and the Mayor of Boston, Kevin White, pays a visit to the house.

Our host demostrates how to lay a parquet kitchen floor. He speaks to a marble expert about the dining room fireplace. The bathroom tile floor is installed, and we consider home security systems.

The house painter demonstrates how to apply primer. Our host talks about installing an oak floor and sanding floors. A stonemason repairs the stone wall around the house, and the yard gets two new trees.

A look at the nearly finished product, inside and out. And the finishing touches are put on the picket fence, the deck and yard.