A new project in Glen Ridge, NJ, brings a new member, Zack Dettmore, to the This Old House team. Zack is a young builder with years of experience. Already well acquainted with Kevin O’Connor, the rest of the team meets him for the first time and is introduced to the project.
The house is a dated three-story 1887 Victorian being renovated for multigenerational living. Homeowners Sunita and Shankar have lived in the home for 27 years and have raised their children there. Now, their daughter Asha is moving back with her husband Jason to raise their family in Glen Ridge and be closer to her parents.
The plan is to make the first-floor shared living space with a new, larger open kitchen, dining, and family room area. If needed, a new full bathroom and formal living room can easily be converted to a first-floor suite.
The second floor will primarily be Asha and Jason’s space, with a second-floor laundry room, two bedrooms, and a full bath. An old addition will be replaced with a new large primary suite with an office. The third-floor attic will be converted to a new primary suite for Sunita and Shankar.
Richard Trethewey gives a history lesson of how the house was heated for over 130 years but now proposes a complete rehab of the old steam system.
The exterior plan is to open up the front yard by removing trees that have outgrown their spaces and blocked the view of the house. The existing asbestos siding will be removed, and the porch will be replaced to recreate the home’s original historic details but with an airtight barrier.
Original Air Date: Mar 28, 2024, Season 45; Ep. 17 23:42
Products and Services from this Episode
- Builder: Dettmore Home Improvements
- Side trip: Glen Ridge Borough