Episode guide
This Old House: Season 7
26 episodes · first aired Oct 10, 1985
The Newton Cottage; The Reading Ranch; The Melrose House; The Tampa House
- 1 The Newton Cottage - 1 Oct 10, 1985 Our host meets with homeowners Linda and Bill to plan the first project: a two-story addition to an 1860s Victorian in Newton, Massachusetts. The new free-standing structure - connected to…
- 2 The Newton Cottage - 2 Oct 17, 1985 Final plans for the addition are reviewed with the architects. Then we make an encore visit to the United Wrecking Company to see what gems can be culled from the Connecticut salvage yard.
- 3 The Newton Cottage - 3 Oct 24, 1985 A hole is dug for the foundation of the new addition, and the slab is poured. Our master carpenter demonstrates the carpentry skills necessary for framing.
- 4 The Newton Cottage - 4 Oct 31, 1985 As our host gets into the nuts and bolts of roof installation, the Victorian's homeowners learn the art of shingling. Meanwhile, our master carpenter tackles the finish work by trimming…
- 5 The Newton Cottage - 5 Nov 7, 1985 Construction continues with the installation of the staircase. Homeowners insulate the structure and our master carpenter discusses and demonstrates the framing and installation of…
- 6 The Newton Cottage - 6 Nov 14, 1985 The garage door is installed, while work on the water and heating systems for the new bathroom proceeds with rough plumbing and gas fitting. Homeowners the get a lesson in rough electrical…
- 7 The Newton Cottage - 7 Nov 21, 1985 Tile is installed in the new addition. On an excursion to Seattle, Washington, our host looks at a renovated hotel and visits elegant houseboats.
- 8 The Newton Cottage - 8 Nov 28, 1985 Inside, final electrical work is performed in the new addition and carpet is installed, while outside homeowners nail shingles and apply stain. Completion of the project is marked by a…
- 9 The Reading Ranch - 1 Dec 5, 1985 The second project of the season begins: doubling the living space of a ranch house by raising the roof to create a second floor. Our host discusses the homeowners' needs and reviews…
- 10 The Reading Ranch - 2 Dec 12, 1985 The project gets underway with demolition of the existing roof and opening of the house. Carpenters race to frame and close in the new second floor to protect the structure from weather.
- 11 The Reading Ranch - 3 Dec 19, 1985 Construction of the ranch house's new roof is completed, and shingling begins. Our host and the crew visit Hancock Lumber in Casco, Maine, to watch as timber is milled into dimension lumber.
- 12 The Reading Ranch - 4 Dec 26, 1985 Windows are installed in the new second-floor ranch house addition, and our master carpenter discusses the pros and cons of various types of siding with an expert contractor. The Gropius…
- 13 The Reading Ranch - 5 Jan 2, 1986 The ranch house's new second floor receives rough electrical wiring and plumbing and a whirlpool tub is installed in the master bath. Our host leads us on an encore trip to Acorn Homes…
- 14 The Reading Ranch - 6 Jan 9, 1986 The exterior of the second-story ranch house addition gets vinyl siding, with commentary by an expert in the field. Meanwhile, the interior of the addition is insulated and rough…
- 15 The Reading Ranch - 7 Jan 16, 1986 We go on an encore field trip to Ryland Homes, Maryland-based manufacturers of prefabricated houses renowned for low cost and energy efficiency. Back at the construction site, our host and…
- 16 The Reading Ranch - 8 Jan 23, 1986 Tile work is done in the master bath of the new addition, and new fixtures are installed. With work nearing completion, our master carpenter builds a staircase to the new second floor.
- 17 The Reading Ranch - 9 Jan 30, 1986 Frank mills the pineapple detail typical to garrison colonials. Mary Jane and Frank give our host a tour of the newly-finished addition - complete with paint, wallpaper, and carpet - and…
- 18 The Melrose House - 1 Feb 6, 1986 The third project of the season gets underway, as homeowners Tug and Beth begin planning the remodeling of their attic with our host. Tug and our host visit a nearby attic apartment, and…
- 19 The Melrose House - 2 Feb 13, 1986 Our master carpenter prepares Tug's attic for construction. Our host takes viewers on a field trip to Cornerstones, where homeowners (and would-be homeowners) learn to be homebuilders.
- 20 The Melrose House - 3 Feb 20, 1986 Work proceeds inside and out on Tug's attic, as the roof is shingled and skylights and windows are installed. Our host is given a special tour of New York's Trump Tower, where luxury and…
- 21 The Melrose House - 4 Feb 27, 1986 The nearly-completed attic renovation is ready to be insulated. Our host sets off for the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, once headquarters for Al Capone and now being renovated by Sunbow, a…
- 22 The Melrose House - 5 Mar 6, 1986 Carpet is laid and finish work completed in Tug and Beth's attic addition. Our host pays a visit to admire the new living space - complete with furniture - and reviews the budget with the…
- 23 The Tampa House - 1 Mar 13, 1986 This Old House breaks new ground as renovation of a Tampa, Florida, home begins. Our host takes viewers on a tour of the ""sights and sounds"" of Tampa and introduces homeowners Paul and…
- 24 The Tampa House - 2 Mar 20, 1986 New ""heat-shielding"" windows are installed in Paul and Amelia's one-story home, and the house is inspected for termites. Rigid ductwork is installed for the new central air-conditioning…
- 25 The Tampa House - 3 Mar 27, 1986 Our host, a Miami native, visits his hometown to admire the award-winning, trend-setting work of Laurinda Spear and Bernardo Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica. In Tampa, our host and Bob Diaz…
- 26 The Tampa House - 4 Apr 3, 1986 Construction is completed on Paul and Amelia's house, now graced with lanscaping and a spacious redwood deck. The new ""Florida room"" is carpeted and a screened enclosure off the dining…