This Old Recap

13 recaps

Building Science

Building Science is a subject that recurs across these This Old House and Ask This Old House recaps. A recap is listed when one of its tags is Building Science. Tools and guides on this page come only from those 13 episodes.

Recaps

AI illustration of a ceiling cassette air handler fitted between basement joists, with insulated refrigerant lines, a PVC drain, tools, and dust on the floor in warm window light
THIS OLD HOUSES47 / E23

This Old House · S47 E23

This Old House S47 E23: Walpole Vinyl Siding, a Modular ADU From Pennsylvania, and a Ceiling Cassette That Avoids a Dropped Ceiling

Zack Dettmore and Jared install four-inch Dutch lap vinyl with trim details that hide the usual J-channel tell, Zack tours a 100,000-square-foot modular factory in Middleburg, Pennsylvania, Richard Trethewey fits a ceiling cassette into a low basement, and the crew sets a three-panel slider into a custom copper pan.

AI illustration of a sunlit, partly framed wall junction at a basement stair opening, with dimensional lumber, a built-up header, and carpentry tools resting on dusty subfloor
THIS OLD HOUSES47 / E22

This Old House · S47 E22

This Old House S47 E22: Walpole ADU Framing, Shared Utilities, and a Plumber's Flags

In Walpole, Kevin and GC Kevin open the old ranch wall while Tom Silva ties a 2x4 interior wall into a 2x6 exterior wall and Richard Trethewey watches plumber Bob lay out shared ADU drains with landscape flags. Sean Brennan buries a new 400-amp service for two meters, then Kevin tours Atlanta ADUs built in garages, new construction, and a Decatur loft.

AI illustration of a concrete foundation footing with rebar, anchor bolts, pump hose, and wooden forms in a muddy excavation under warm daylight
THIS OLD HOUSES47 / E21

This Old House · S47 E21

This Old House S47 E21: Walpole Ranch ADU Begins, a 38-Inch Frost Problem, and a Mechanical Room in Exactly the Wrong Place

Dan and Jill's 1971 Walpole ranch kicks off Season 47's final project with a 900-square-foot ADU for Jill's parents. Tom Silva catches a garage foundation that came up ten inches short of local frost depth, Richard Trethewey stares down an oil boiler that has to serve two households, and Jenn Nawada plans a yard built for kids, grandparents, and one shared fire pit.

AI illustration of a basement mechanical room with a split heat pump water heater mid-install, copper tubing, metal-clad cable, and tools on a drop cloth
ASK THIS OLD HOUSES24 / E13

Ask This Old House · S24 E13

Ask This Old House Season 24 Episode 13: Split Water Heater, Attic Ladder, and the Houseplant Doctor Is In

Ross Trethewey installs a split heat pump water heater that puts the evaporator outside, making it a cold-climate winner. Jenn Nawada prescribes treatments for mealybugs, spider mites, and fungus gnats. Nathan Gilbert gives a Massachusetts homeowner safe attic access with a new pull-down ladder. Plus: why a frosty panel is actually a good sign.

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