This Old House: Dorchester #4 (28Feb1979) Insulation & Plumbing

Bob shares the updates on the changes to the renovation plans. Bob talks with Dave Novice, insulation contractor with Con-Serv, about the insulation plan. They have already insulated the roof and today they are blowing in cellulose insulation into the cavities in the Mansard roof area. They take a look at the machine that will be used and the insulation material—recycled newsprint. Rodents and insects do not like this material because of the print and chemicals used on it. Cellulose is a better buy than fiberglass. The soffit area will remain empty so they will need to install midget vents to move moisture out. Bob makes his way down to the kitchen to discuss the plan changes. All the walls in the kitchen addition are now new. They must add more support to the ceiling where the old archway used to be. This changes the original plan slightly and now the fridge and stove areas will be swapped. He shows where a kitchen island will now be built. Bob knocks down a piece of a wall, creating a doorway that will connect the kitchen family area to a new formal dining area. We move on into the living room where Norm shows us a new wall they built and how the old wall is out of alignment. They move outside to see how the mismatched walls are very visible outside. Norm shows Bob how they will use a pulley to crank the old wall back into position, about an inch and a half. Ron Trethewey shows Bob how they need to remove the old furnace and what the new heating system will be: a gas fire boiler. They look at the new cast-iron, energy-saving unit. The whole house will be forced hot water with gas. There will be four heating zones in the house instead of only one. The plumbing crew knocks the old, heavy boiler out of place and it will be broken up in pieces to be removed. Ron shows Bob where a utility sink will be added. They look at the pipes and how they will need to rearrange the plumbing and install new PVC piping.
Bob and Ron move upstairs to the kitchen and look at the area where the new half bath will be. There will be no window in this half bath, so it will need a light fan unit with a vent to the outside. In the kitchen, the sink and dishwasher will be on the outside wall under a window and above an unheated crawl space. Bob is worried about frozen pipes, but Ron shows him how the water piping will be protected outside the finished wall. They also discuss the water supply needed for the fridge and the gas line for the new range. Ron also looks at the plans for the upstairs bathrooms. There will be a completely new drainage system including a floor drain to protect the floor from a potential overflow on the laundry area. Ron gives an estimate of 12 days and $3,500 just for labor to complete the upstairs bathroom work.