This Old House

Charming Touches for the Cottage - The Concord Cottage (25x9)

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General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O'Connor how the red cedar sidewall shingles are installed in decorative courses, designed by architect Holly Cratsley, in a classic turn-of-the-century pattern. Tom shows Kevin the most complicated part of the job, braiding the shingles to cover both the outside and inside corners. Master carpenter Norm Abram uses a template and router to cut holes in the old barn door for the new windows. Kevin lends him a hand reinforcing the back of the door, and then setting the first window, which is inserted from the back, in order to maintain a low front profile. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin the compact wall-mounted condensing boiler that will save space, energy, and virtually eliminate boiler noise - it's quieter than most refrigerators. In Spring Green, Wisconsin, insulating glass expert Tom Kaiser shows Kevin how residential window glass is coated with silver for energy efficiency, then sandwiched together and injected with argon to form insulating glass panels. Back in Concord, homeowner Jeff Bernard meets with landscape contractor Roger Cook and landscape architect Stephanie Hubbard to see the first pass at the landscape plan, and to discuss the practical aspects of executing it.