This Old House | Reading House [S8, E1] | Full Episode

We're just 33 days away from our big 40th-anniversary TV special on PBS! In the meantime, take a stroll down memory lane with Bob Vila, as he introduces The Reading House. This series premiere episode is available FREE for a limited time in celebration of TOH's 40th anniversary! To view the rest of Season 8, get a FREE trial membership to TOH Insider. Learn more https://bit.ly/2XEaAPf #ThisOldHouse #AskTOH SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse In this episode:This Old House introduces viewers to a half Cape in Reading, Massachusetts. Most suburban houses built in the 1940s and 1950s don't have great architectural or historic value, but they are often an economical choice for first time homeowners. This proved to be the case with the first project of This Old House's eighth season, a 40-year-old Cape Cod-style home in Reading, Massachusetts. Homeowners John and Claire fell in love with the traditional lines and unspoiled quality of this two-story clapboard-sided "gem" on a quiet side street and purchased the Cape in early 1986 as their first home. But the lovely house was not without its problems, including an out-of-date, cramped kitchen and a living room too small for comfort. The two bedrooms on the second floor were small and dark; steeply sloping walls reduced the already-limited space. Overall the interior layout of the house needed revision in order to create a smoother flow of traffic and provide more living space. However, this half Cape (a Cape-style house in which the front door and chimney are placed to one side of the house and two windows occupy the other half) was built with expansion in mind, as evidenced by the parcel of open land beside it. After defining the house's problems—and potential—with John and Claire, the crew worked with architect Scott Finn to develop a plan to fill the homeowners' needs while preserving the unspoiled, authentic feel of their Cape. The plans kept the half Cape's traditional boxy proportions while enlarging it to a full Cape with a central entrance to replace the awkward side entry. About This Old House TV: This Old House is the No. 1 multimedia home enthusiast brand, offering trusted information and expert advice through award-winning television, a highly regarded magazine, and an information-driven website. This Old House and Ask This Old House are produced by This Old House Ventures, LLC and are presented on PBS by WETA Washington, DC. Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: https://ift.tt/2ROpRve Tumblr: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTumblr