Hi Reddit! Greetings from THIS OLD HOUSE and ASK THIS OLD HOUSE. Host Kevin O’Connor, General Contractor Tom Silva, Plumbing and Heating Expert Richard Trethewey and Landscape Contractor Roger Cook here to answer your questions. Ask Us Anything!
Hi Reddit! Greetings from THIS OLD HOUSE and ASK THIS OLD HOUSE. Host Kevin O’Connor, General Contractor Tom Silva, Plumbing and Heating Expert Richard Trethewey and Landscape Contractor Roger Cook here to answer your questions. Ask Us Anything!
This Old House is America's first and most trusted home improvement show. Each season, we renovate two different historic homes—one step at a time—featuring quality craftsmanship and the latest in modern technology. Ask This Old House addresses the virtual truckload of questions we receive about smaller projects. We demystify home improvement and provide ideas and information, so that whether you are doing it yourself or hiring out contractors, you'll know the right way to do things and the right questions to ask.
We'll be here to take your questions from 1-2:30 PM ET today. (With Social Media Producer Laura McLam typing what everyone says!) Ask away!
https://twitter.com/ThisOldHouse/status/816400249480736769 https://twitter.com/ThisOldHouse/status/817023127683211264
EDIT: We have run out of time but thank you for all your questions! Also, we were so excited about answering questions that we never posted a photo. http://imgur.com/c1jMxt5
Hi everyone,
The AMA ended a several hours ago but we appear to still be getting a large number of questions for the crew. We aren't going to lock the thread (which would hinder current discussions) but wanted to put up a friendly notice to let those who may have missed it know that the AMA is in fact over.
We're going to leave it stickied for a little while so users can read it over, and after that you'll be able to find it in our sidebar.
Thanks everyone for coming together for an excellent beginning to 2017!
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Hi Kevin, Tom, Rich and Roger. Lifelong fan here, been watching since he Bob Villa era and grew up tuning in to Norm in the New Yankee Workshop. First I want to say thank you for basically 30+ years of supplying me with a free education. 2 Questions;
Is Tom, Norm and any of the other guys approaching retirement age yet, and if so, will new people rotate in and out with the format of the show (both shows) staying the same or will the shows take a new direction?
Where can I get a TOH T shirt, I've been wanting one for years?
Laura: We are always looking for new expert contractors and we are excited to feature some of them as part of the #TOHGenNext campaign next season.
Tom: I've been trying to leave for years but I can't leave sonny here alone!
Kevin: I've been trying to get rid of Tommy for years too but he keeps hitting me with his cane!
Tom: It's not a cane sonny - it's a hammer!
Laura: So you can see no one has plans to go anywhere anytime soon!
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Hi guys, loved the show for as long as I can remember! While it's great the see the large multi-million dollar renovations have you thought about doing a series of smaller, more realistic builds in a season that the average home owner may be willing to afford? For instance my wife and I are rewatching the 25th anniversary season and virtually every piece of furniture was custom made for the house. It looks great but probably isn't very realistic.
I'll also say one great thing about the 25th season is you do actually talk about some costs. It's great knowing that stone wall was estimated at $40k and things like that. I'm sure homeowners don't want you to discuss money but it's really nice knowing what things roughly cost.
Richard: The thing about price is that it's dated by the next year and it's different regionally.
Tom: Like this season we are in Detroit and the prices there don't compare to the prices here (in MA). It's night and day.
Kevin: In terms of scope of the project, a modest size house doesn't allow us to put in geothermal or radiant heat or build that stone wall and while its all expensive, it's also great content for our viewers. Think of it this way, some homeowner is willing to spend their hard earned dollars so we can show great craftsmanship and expose the viewer to new technology. I think of the big projects as a plus not a negative.
Tom: I also think of the big projects as a smorgasbord of ideas that you can pick from. It's like going to the grocery store. You don't buy everything.
Kevin: This is also why we created Ask This Old House - for the smaller projects.
Tom: We are headed to Detroit later this season and the homeowner is doing a lot of the work there from the demo to the painting.
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Tom: Could be some surprises when you do a renovation. Like when you open up a wall - lots of surprises behind a wall.
Richard: Usually Tommy finds some plumber has cut the wrong beam
Tom: The main support beam!
Kevin: My favorite was Carlisle, 25th anniversary. We owned the house and got to do whatever we wanted on it.
Richard: My favorite was Manchester by the Sea 2001.
Roger: I'm with Richard.
Richard: Great people, great project, great location.
Tom: I have a lot of favorites. It's hard to pick one. Manchester, Cambridge, actually both in Cambridge - Scandavian Modern and the small contemporary transformation
Your recent TOH episode talked about bringing in the next generation into the skilled trades. It's also featured on the cover of the TOH magazine. Can you talk a bit about what you envision for this? Is it a focus on trade education, making it easier to find apprenticeships, something else? Is there anything we as general DIYers do to promote this cause?
Laura: There is a lot of info on our website: http://bit.ly/TOHGenNext
Richard: We need to educate at the middle school level and the guidance counselor level that there is another path for career in this country. There is more jobs than we can fill in the skilled trades. And jobs in the trades can be fulfilling and meaningful. And you don't get stuck in a cubicle.
Tom: But you have to be willing to work.
Hey guys huge fan, thanks for doing this!
How do you decide what new technology to introduce to a build? Is there a vetting process of a sponsored product or the customers discretion? This has been on my mind since the Vermont build with the water treatment and geothermal heating systems.
Tom, I have to add that my wife is Portuguese and nearly jumped out her chair when she found out you were as well. I also say "Tom Silva Here" to her whenever I get ready to fix something, I don't know how that one started.
Richard: As an educational TV show we are always looking to highlight new tech to show it to America. We are always nervous about giving an exposure before its proven.
Tom: We've have turned down a lot of things because we were unsure about it.
Roger: Didn't pass the sniff test.
Richard: We normally try this stuff out on unsuspecting friends and family first.
I am in the process of constructing a new home. When I visit the homesite, what types of things should I be looking for to make sure the contractors are "doing it right"? I don't pretend to have any expertise, so are there any "common mistakes" in new construction or things that would be easy for a lay-person to look out for?
Richard: That's what we do on our show - show people how to do it right!
Tom: There's a lot of things you don't think about - expansion and contraction, how to use adhesive correctly, overdriving the heads of screws, not enough nails or screws, or even the wrong size . . .
Kevin: Get a really good contractor and you won't have to look over their shoulder. That's what you are paying them for.
Tom: Don't be afraid to ask questions, they will be glad to answer.
Richard: We used to have an old rate sheet at our business that said our hourly rate $100, if you watch hourly rate $125, if you help $150.
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Great AMA!
When you guys are approaching remodeling projects as contractors or showing DIYers how to complete a project, have you ever covered the angle of how to go start to finish on permits? I know this is a touchy subject since it varies so much on region, or that a homeowners might not want to lengthen a project, but it seems like many find the process very overwhelming.
As a followup question, what were some of the hardest things to ever get permitted or approved for a project that seemed like they should have been a no-brainer?
Tom: The first thing you need to do is make sure that the project you are getting into doesn't require a variance because that will slow things down big time. That doesn't mean you can't do it . . .
Richard: When I got the permits for my house I walked down to the office and asked 'how am I going to do this?' And then the permitter turned into a great resource. We shouldn't look at permitters as advesaries.
Tom: They are there to protect you.
Richard: And they are there to help.
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