This Old House

Making Way for the Custom Built Mantel - The Bermuda House (25x23)

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Master carpenter Norm Abram welcomes general contractor Tom Silva to the island by getting him properly outfitted in the "full Bermuda." Host Kevin O'Connor meets homeowners Delaey Robinson and Andrea Dismont at Aunt Nea's Inn to see how they are managing the renovation while operating the circa 1780 guest house and raising two young boys. They show Kevin the historic mantel they'd like Norm to replicate for their new home. Across the street at the jobsite, Kevin finds foreman John Richardson and lead mason Dilton Cann pouring the bond beam that will unify the structure of the new addition and bear the load of the new stone roof. While measuring for the job, Norm and Tom decide that the firebox needs to be rebuilt to accommodate the new mantle. Worried about time and resources, project manager Alex DeCouto reluctantly agrees to add the masonry work to his list. Kevin meets curator Hugh Davidson for a tour of Verdmont, a house that has not been altered in 300 years, that features an extensive collection Bermuda-made cedar antiques. Later at the mill shop in Hamilton, Tom and Norm get working on the fireplace mantel. Tom's final analysis of the job: there's still a lot to do, but as someone who's been in the hot seat before, he knows that the builders can move mountains during the last few weeks, and they're going to have to.