Plot Synopsis

THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR is an hour series that features THIS OLD HOUSE and its spin-off, ASK THIS OLD HOUSE, airing back to back. In October 2012, this one-hour series returned for its 11th season, with the first 30 minutes featuring THIS OLD HOUSE, immediately followed by 30 minutes of ASK THIS OLD HOUSE. In the first 30 minutes, the THIS OLD HOUSE crew deconstructed the interior and re-used, recycled and resold as much of the salvaged material as possible, when they transformed a 1887 Victorian-era home that sits in the densely packed urban neighborhood of Avon Hill in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Homeowners Sally and John, with their two young daughters, wanted to preserve the exterior of the former two-family house to comply with conservation district standards. Inside, however, they eliminated decades of 1960s and 70s remodeling that had already stripped much of the house's historic character. The result was a new house within the shell of an old one -- an open, modern, bright Scandinavian-style home with the kitchen, dining, and living area on the first floor, the kids' bedrooms on the second floor, and a grand master suite in the third-floor attic space. They also replaced the electrical and plumbing systems, adding air conditioning for the first time, and upgrading the heating system and insulation to be more energy efficient. In the second half-hour (ASK THIS OLD HOUSE), host Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, landscape contractor Roger Cook, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey made housecalls in Miami, FL, Denver, CO, New York, NY, and Chicago, IL and continued to tackle home improvement problems close to the show's home base near Boston. Kevin, Tom, Roger, and Richard once again attempt to figure out "What Is It?" during the fan-favorite segment in which the guys try to stump each other with strange-looking tools. Season 16 of THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR premiered on Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 8pm on PBS (check local listings). In the season opener, a homeowner inherits her childhood home but it needs changes for her children and in-laws. Mike Rowe discusses the need for skilled tradespeople. On ASK THIS OLD HOUSE, Richard installs a new type of water softener and Tom builds a shadow box.
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The seventeenth season of THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR premiered on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 8pm on PBS (check local listings). In the season opener, Tom and Kevin tour their next project: a 1920s Rhode Island bungalow, which will become a larger net zero house. Jenn installs a new type of pool, and Richard installs a heat pump water tank in Florida.