This Old House · Season 27 · Episode 14

Cambridge | Fine Craftsmanship

Thursday, January 5

Host Kevin O'Connor visits Harvard University to see their preservation efforts on several historic old buildings, including Memorial Hall, which was ravaged by a fire in the 1950's and was recently restored to its former glory. In the backyard of the project house, landscape contractor Roger Cook installs two concrete storage tanks that are part of the underground water collection system that promises a cure for George's waterlogged yard. In the garage, a crew from a local home center installs a two-part epoxy coating to give the concrete slab a showroom-quality finish. Master carpenter Norm Abram travels to Middletown, Rhode Island to see the custom mill shop that is machining the stair treads and making most of millwork for the project house. In the driveway, Roger shows Kevin how he's installing the new concrete pavers over radiant "snow melting" heat.