Season 1 poster

Season 1

(1979)

Overview

The Dorchester House

Cast

Bob Vila as Self - Host
Bob Vila

as Self - Host

Richard Trethewey as Self - Plumbing and Heating Expert
Richard Trethewey

as Self - Plumbing and Heating Expert

Norm Abram as Self - Master Carpenter
Norm Abram

as Self - Master Carpenter

Episodes

The Dorchester House - A Tour of the House poster

The Dorchester House - A Tour of the House 0.0

January 1, 1979

Our host, a Boston designer and builder, tours the dilapidated turn-of the-century house in Dorchester, Massachusetts, …

The Dorchester House - House History and Kitchen Plans poster

The Dorchester House - House History and Kitchen Plans 0.0

February 1, 1979

Renovation has begun and the carpenter has find rot in the eaves. The kitchen, one of the hardest remodeling jobs, gets…

The Dorchester House - Frozen Pipes and a New Kitchen Wall poster

The Dorchester House - Frozen Pipes and a New Kitchen Wall 0.0

February 15, 1979

Work on the house has uncovered some unforeseen problems from the roof to the plumbing, and at a moment, the dream kitc…

The Dorchester House - Insulation and Plumbing poster

The Dorchester House - Insulation and Plumbing 0.0

February 28, 1979

It's time to insulate the house, remove the old furnace, and replace it with a new-energy-efficient heating system.

The Dorchester House - Leveled Ceilings and Kitchen Lighting poster

The Dorchester House - Leveled Ceilings and Kitchen Lighting 0.0

March 1, 1979

This week the ceilings are leveled and renovated. The bulkhead is repaired and renewed. Our hosts talks about the kitch…

The Dorchester House - Heating Plan, Kitchen Skylight poster

The Dorchester House - Heating Plan, Kitchen Skylight 0.0

March 15, 1979

How are we going to heat the house? This week our host talks with a heating specialist about baseboard heating, the hea…

The Dorchester House - Roof Repairs, Kitchen Plaster Work poster

The Dorchester House - Roof Repairs, Kitchen Plaster Work 0.0

April 1, 1979

Plasters, roofers, and carpenters are hard at work. The kitchen walls are plastered, the chimney get some attention, an…

The Dorchester House - Insulation, Historic Paint Colors poster

The Dorchester House - Insulation, Historic Paint Colors 0.0

May 1, 1979

The insulation and plasterwork are completed. The new kitchen windows are trimmed and finished. A historic preservation…

The Dorchester House - Deck Foundation poster

The Dorchester House - Deck Foundation 0.0

May 15, 1979

Work on the deck and its foundation is underway. Our host offers some hints on paint stripping and introduces an altern…

The Dorchester House - Exterior Planning poster

The Dorchester House - Exterior Planning 0.0

May 30, 1979

Our hosts walks through the grounds with a landscape designer and considers the gardening possibilities. The carpenters…

The Dorchester House - Flooring Install poster

The Dorchester House - Flooring Install 0.0

June 1, 1979

Our host demostrates how to lay a parquet kitchen floor. He speaks to a marble expert about the dining room fireplace. …

The Dorchester House - Adding Curb Appeal poster

The Dorchester House - Adding Curb Appeal 0.0

June 15, 1979

The house painter demonstrates how to apply primer. Our host talks about installing an oak floor and sanding floors. A …

The Dorchester House - The Finished Product poster

The Dorchester House - The Finished Product 0.0

June 30, 1979

A look at the nearly finished product, inside and out. And the finishing touches are put on the picket fence, the deck …