This Old House

East Boston | Stucco and Sewer Problems (28x2)

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Host Kevin O'Connor meets local architect Craig Buttner to see how he saved money on this own renovation by doing the work himself and by using salvaged materials. Craig agrees to draft some plans for the East Boston house, while general contractor Tom Silva meets historic masonry specialist John Lambert for a closer look the stucco exterior of the project house. In a perfect world, the 90-year old stucco would be replaced, but the homeowners might only be able to afford a temporary patch and paint job. Out front, landscape contractor Roger Cook shows Kevin how a street tree might be strangling the sewer pipe with its roots, causing backups in the basement. Options include removing the tree, and/or replacing the pipe, so to find out how bad the damage is, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey uses a snake equipped with a tiny video camera to investigate.