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00:00Today on This Old House.
00:02I'll show you a few tips on removing kitchen cabinets that are going to be reused.
00:06Then we're going to remove this chimney from top to bottom, brick by brick.
00:10You realize there's three and a half stories of brick here, right?
00:13Uh, that's right.
00:15We're going to need a bigger boat.
00:16A boat?
00:17A dumpster.
00:18That makes more sense.
00:20Ah, that's it.
00:27Ah.
00:30Ah.
00:57Hey, good morning, Charlie.
01:19Hey, Kevin.
01:20Hey there.
01:21Welcome to suburban Needham, Massachusetts, where we're working on this house right here,
01:24built in 1896, and working for a family of five that's lived here for about seven years
01:30or so.
01:31And that entire time, they've been thinking about the renovation, how to reconfigure the
01:33floor plan, and what addition they could put on.
01:36Well, now that they made that decision, the first order of business was for Charlie to
01:39get some heavy equipment into the backyard so that he could start excavating for a 600
01:43square foot addition.
01:45We had to move an old river birch tree out of the way and pull up an adjacent brick sidewalk.
01:50That work was done by Jen and Mark and the homeowner's teenage son, Brendan.
01:53Look at you.
01:54Professional.
01:55But today, it's all about demo, so I'm headed inside to see what Pops has gotten himself
02:00into.
02:01Now, you can see down here on the first floor, the original floors were pulled up because
02:07these are getting replaced.
02:08Hey, Tommy.
02:09Hey, Kevin.
02:10How are you?
02:11Doing all right.
02:12Looks like you got started.
02:14Yeah.
02:15Well, the homeowners had a good idea that they could use some of these cabinets in the new
02:19pantry.
02:20So, the architect took some measurements and he marked save on all the cabinets that he
02:25thought would fit into that area.
02:27So, I started by taking down this cabinet here, took down the hood this morning, and the
02:32stove got moved outside out of the way, so Greg helped me with that.
02:35So, how do you feel about the idea of reusing them?
02:37I think it's a great idea whenever you have cabinets in this condition.
02:40I mean, they're a beautiful shape.
02:41The cherry with the birch veneer inside, no sags in any of the doors.
02:46Yeah.
02:47Everything looks pretty evening.
02:48Great.
02:49I was shocked that they were 30 years old.
02:50Can you believe it?
02:51Yeah.
02:52So, all right.
02:53I'll give you a hand.
02:54All right.
02:55We'll get started by separating these pieces here.
02:56The first thing I want to do is take that crown molding down.
02:59So, we needed a couple of different size flat bars.
03:02A chisel is always good to get in behind the crown molding.
03:06And a couple of hammers.
03:08Pull that right out.
03:09All right.
03:10You got it there, Sonny?
03:11I do.
03:13All right.
03:14I got one nail of this on me.
03:16You got it?
03:17Yeah.
03:18I'm going to snap this.
03:19Here you go.
03:20Yeah.
03:27All right.
03:28Screw right here.
03:29Yep.
03:39Nope.
03:40All right.
03:41All right.
03:42So, this cabinet has three screws in it into a stud.
03:43So, when you're taking a cabinet down so it doesn't fall on you, there's a couple of things
03:55that I like to think about.
03:56First of all, how heavy is it?
03:58If it's too heavy, then I make up a little frame with a leg, which I used over here.
04:03And it's just out of some scrap wood that fits underneath the cabinet.
04:07And you put it in there so it's under the front so the cabinet doesn't fall forward on you.
04:12And then, now what I'm going to do is I'm just going to take the bottom screw out.
04:16All right.
04:17I've already loosened the middle screw, that way I know it's going to come right out.
04:26Now I'll go up and take the top screw out.
04:31All right.
04:32Now, because this cabinet's so small and so light, I can just fold it down.
04:38Break that seal at the bottom.
04:39I got it.
04:40Carry it away.
04:41The wire comes feed right into the back.
04:54These are really tiny screws so this can be right out.
04:58The lights aren't going to be reused.
05:02The power is off so we can just cut the wire.
05:09Here you go.
05:14If you see it flash, then the power's not off.
05:19Wire cutter.
05:20You run, I run.
05:23And nippers.
05:24Fantastic for pulling nails.
05:29All right.
05:30So we got that out of the way.
05:31We got the shelves out.
05:32So now I got my temporary leg and put it in here.
05:36Probably about a third of the way it back.
05:39Because if the weight comes down, if I put it back here, it could pivot and then roll right far.
05:44So put it here.
05:46Helpfully keep the cabinet at the top against the wall as it comes down.
05:49Then we can just roll it off of that and carry it away safely.
05:52Time to pull out all the screws.
06:02Got it?
06:04All right.
06:05Here.
06:06That's free.
06:09All right.
06:10Now we're on that.
06:12There we go.
06:15Good?
06:18Yeah.
06:19It's just going to come up.
06:22So I'd like to get it up, but then I got to get it that way.
06:27I got to get it out from under the tile.
06:29So let me get, let me get this bottom row of the tile up.
06:32Pick it up just a little so I can get under here.
06:33There it is.
06:34Okay.
06:35Okay.
06:36Okay.
06:37There it is.
06:38There it is.
06:39Okay.
06:40Okay.
06:41Okay.
06:42Okay.
06:43There it is.
06:44Okay.
06:45Okay.
06:46Okay.
06:47Hey, why don't you just put it right up on top of the cap.
06:48Okay.
06:49Okay.
06:50Okay.
06:51Okay.
06:52Okay.
06:53Okay.
06:54Okay.
06:55Okay.
06:56Hey, why don't you just put it right up on top of the cap.
06:59Okay, okay.
07:14Hey, why don't you just put it right up on top of the cabin?
07:18And we can put that in the barrel.
07:29All right, oh, there we go.
07:49That looks pretty good.
07:50You can definitely reuse these.
07:52Absolutely.
07:53Clean them up, paint them, whatever you want to do.
07:55But they'll look brand new when they're in.
07:59All set.
08:15Well, the architect's plan calls for this chimney to come all the way down through the first floor.
08:20Okay, so, Charlie, the first thing I noticed is this is actually a rebuild.
08:24And the way I can tell is I can look at this brick.
08:27It's called a 53DD.
08:29It's only been around for 40 or 50 years.
08:32And another thing, I see some things I don't like.
08:34You can see these head joints.
08:36They're a little bit too wide.
08:37They let water in.
08:38That's a problem.
08:40You can see the moss that's actually growing all the way around the chimney.
08:43Another indication that we're taking in way too much water.
08:46All right, we want to get started.
08:47What we're going to do is we're going to start with this cap removal.
08:51We're going to use some unconventional tools.
08:53You can see this is a railroad spike.
08:56But the reason I like it is because it has a flat part right here.
08:59And that bevel is actually going to help me get under the bed joint and under the brick.
09:04I'm going to be able to pry it up off of that bevel.
09:06I'm going to work myself all the way around and then down.
09:09All right.
09:09The next tool that I'm going to use is a flat chisel.
09:12This is going to help me get under this metal cap, pry that up.
09:16And that's the first thing that we're going to do is remove this.
09:18All right.
09:19Why don't I hold on to it and you hit it.
09:22It's on there.
09:22Good.
09:23Yep.
09:23Coming up.
09:24Coming up.
09:27There you go.
09:28There we go.
09:29All right.
09:30Got that, Charlie?
09:30Yeah.
09:33So there's two flues here.
09:35One was probably for the heating.
09:37Yes.
09:37Other fireplace, right?
09:38Exactly.
09:40Way to go.
09:41Let's get them out.
09:43All right.
09:44So let's make a trip down and come right back up.
09:47Sounds good.
09:56All right.
09:59For some of these we can drop down through the flue.
10:01Sure.
10:02You know what?
10:03Let's see how it works.
10:05Ba-boom.
10:06Success.
10:06Well, hopefully we don't even have to use the buckets.
10:15Now, as we know, Charlie, the lead flashing is only up here to protect the counter flashing.
10:20That's right.
10:21A lot of people think that the lead flashing is meant to keep water out, which it does partly,
10:28but its main function is just protecting the roofers' flash.
10:35That's right.
10:36Yeah, I can play for the Celtics.
10:38So, Mark, this is a piece of flue from the two sections we've already taken out.
10:42This is clearly in great shape compared to the existing flue.
10:45Right.
10:45What do you think?
10:46All right.
10:46So it's just more indication that this chimney at one point, probably in the 80s, came down
10:52to the roof line, and that's where they started the new flue right here.
10:56You can see the decay indicating age, and then as it came back up with the new brick, we put
11:01new flue tile in, and that's what you have in your hand.
11:04In my eyes, I do see 40 or 50 years worth of soot and grime on that new flue.
11:09All right.
11:10That makes sense.
11:18All right, Charlie, look at this.
11:20That's just a chunk of mortar of what we've just taken out.
11:23You can see how gray it is.
11:24Yeah.
11:24That's actually Portland cement mixed with lime and sand, but as we got lower into the roof
11:31line where the old work existed, but look at the stuff that we've taken from the 1800s.
11:37Clear difference.
11:37Clear difference.
11:38This is a heavy lime-based mortar.
11:41The advent of Portland cement was probably 1920.
11:44And it was in good enough shape to add on to it.
11:46Exactly.
11:46You didn't have to bring it all the way down.
11:47Exactly.
11:48Right?
11:48Exactly.
11:49Great point.
11:49So we're almost through the roof line now.
11:51Okay.
11:52We're going to work our way through the little attic space and down in through the other floors.
11:55All right, Charlie, so what's the plan?
11:57Typically, we would build a wood box and you'd veneer it, but not in this case.
12:01It's not in the budget.
12:02Okay.
12:02But I have bigger plans for this access point.
12:04We're going to use it to get in here to insulate this whole roof line of the attic because our heating system is going to live in this space.
12:12And that way, you can keep it temperature controlled.
12:14All right.
12:15Well, I hate to say it, but another chimney bites the dust.
12:18Yeah, but it did have a good life.
12:19Sure did.
12:19Oh, whoa.
12:27All right, look.
12:29A chocolate bar from the 1980s, which is typical.
12:33A mason such as myself will put keepsakes into a rebuild.
12:37And when something like this happens, they're going to find them.
12:46All right, let's head inside.
12:47Let's go.
12:47Let's go.
12:49All right.
12:53Well, we've made quick work of coming through the attic, and now we're in the third floor bedroom.
12:56We have, you can see, Charlie, that we still have the same water, so it's making it pretty easy for us.
13:01We're just going to keep cracking, and we'll be done.
13:03All right.
13:04Let's go.
13:06All right.
13:07Let's go.
13:07All right.
13:07Let's go.
13:19Now that we've brought the chimney down through the third floor, we'll move down to the second floor.
13:32You know, Charlie, I thought we needed a bigger boat, but I think we need bigger buckets.
13:47We do.
13:48We need a lot of them.
13:49You know, this is going to add about four extra square feet in the laundry room on the second floor, which means you're going to be able to put a sink in here now.
13:55Okay.
13:55That's good.
13:56All right.
13:57Let's get moving.
13:57Let's keep at it.
13:58Hey, Charlie, we hot enough yet?
14:04Hot enough.
14:05I will say one thing.
14:06It looks like we've had a good day's work.
14:07Right.
14:07Guys like us love to work like this anyway, so check this fireplace out, though.
14:11We do.
14:11So the homeowners told me this fireplace was redone about in the 90s.
14:14So what do you think the backstory is?
14:16So the backstory is Kitty Corner fireplaces back in the 90s, for whatever reason, became very trendy.
14:22But I'll tell you what grabs my eye, Charlie, is this big lump of stucco right here.
14:26Beyond that stucco is all the mechanics of a fireplace.
14:29So you have your smoke chamber, your smoke shelf, your throat.
14:31Everything's involved right here.
14:33And they just stuccoed it like crazy because they didn't want any smoke to leak out.
14:37And it looks like it worked.
14:38It looks like they did a good job because I don't see any smoke coming out of the stucco.
14:41It is in front of us right now.
14:43It's the last one we have to demo, the last floor.
14:45So we might as well get at it so we can get out of here.
14:47All right.
14:47Let's do it.
14:48All right.
14:48Let's do it, Charlie.
14:56Let's do it.
15:26Marcus, nice to meet you.
15:28Kevin, how are you?
15:29Well, thank you.
15:30So architect of record for us.
15:32And I also am told that you had a hand and a decision to have the old chimney taken out.
15:37Yes.
15:37Working with Patrick and Liz over the last six months has been exciting.
15:42Creating the new vision for their house.
15:44This had to go.
15:46This gives us 40 square feet across the whole house by doing this.
15:50And so what is it that they asked you to do?
15:52The things that were on their list.
15:53So less crowding in the small rooms around when they're entertaining and just generally.
15:59They wanted to create a new formal dining room over here.
16:04So this was the old living room.
16:06The old living room.
16:07We're making it a more formal space.
16:09They're not going to use it that much.
16:10Right.
16:10But we will, even though we took that fireplace out, we're going to put a new one here, which vents directly to the outside.
16:16So you're creating a wall right here, you're basically saying?
16:19Roughly, yeah.
16:19Yeah, yeah.
16:19Roughly there.
16:21This then allows us to create a new living room through here.
16:24Wall comes down, correct?
16:25This wall comes down.
16:27Yeah.
16:28Opening up this space.
16:30So this was the old dining room.
16:31Yes.
16:32Now it's the living room.
16:33So we switcheroo.
16:34We're going to take this wall out as well.
16:37She very much likes this piece of the house.
16:40Can't blame her.
16:40We're going to use that over there in the formal dining room.
16:43Right.
16:44And you're putting a beam in?
16:45Yes.
16:46Which runs from the rear of the house to the front.
16:49The room is 22 feet long, 17 inches deep.
16:53Very significant.
16:54Weighs a ton.
16:54But it can carry all the way to both.
16:56It'll carry the load of the house.
16:58Okay.
16:58So now this sort of new family room is open to the kitchen because you said that wall comes down.
17:04We did a little work in here this morning.
17:07We're going to save some of the cabinets.
17:09It was a pretty nice kitchen.
17:10I mean, the cabinets looked great and the only knock was too small and not very open.
17:15So we can't expand on either side.
17:18Can't go this way.
17:18Due to setback issues.
17:20Okay.
17:20So our opportunity is out back.
17:23That's our addition.
17:24We're making a three-story addition, but out back we're adding 200 square feet on this floor.
17:29So it allows the kitchen to be much bigger.
17:31We'll have an open plan and an island here as a division between the living room and the kitchen.
17:36Opens everything up because that's the way people live today.
17:39Correct.
17:39So final question are these, you know, quaint, but we know we could fix that.
17:43Why are they still staying?
17:45Well, we did try and convince Liz and Patrick to get rid of that.
17:49No one really liked it.
17:50It was kind of a barrier, but Liz likes it.
17:55So they're part of this old house.
17:57So we decided to keep them.
17:58You had me at that.
17:59Marcus, I appreciate it.
18:00Look forward to working with you.
18:01Absolutely.
18:01Let's go.
18:31Let's go.
19:01Let's go.
19:09Charlie.
19:10Kevin.
19:11Looks like we got some concrete work going on, huh?
19:14Come on, Danny, where the action is.
19:15What is the scope of this whole thing?
19:18So the other day we poured our footings.
19:20There's nine yards of concrete in the footing and a lot of rebar.
19:24Then they set our foundation forms and are pouring them now.
19:30After that sets, tomorrow they will strip all of these forms, and you see what we discovered
19:36here during excavation.
19:38This is not in good shape.
19:39It can easily fall in on us, so we cannot leave it like that.
19:41You knew it was going to be rubble stone, but you didn't think it was going to be this bad?
19:44It was great shape inside, and it's about as bad as you can get on the outside.
19:48So what do you do about it?
19:49So all the rebar is in the footing, and we're going to pour a 10-inch wall up to the bottom
19:53of this window here, 10 inches thick, all the way around, and that will retain it all.
19:58So basically form on this side and let the concrete push into this?
20:01That's right.
20:02Oh, very nice.
20:03So this is for the addition, 600 feet, right?
20:06Yeah, 200 in the basement, 200 in the first, 200 in the second.
20:10Which means that if this is basement, do we want to connect it to the old basement?
20:13We do, and we've always planned on using this basement window opening because it already
20:17has a header in it, and we saw cut it.
20:19We would have saw cut it first if the stone was in good shape.
20:22If we saw cut this, it's just going to fall in on us.
20:25Yeah, I mean, you can see when I came up that it's basically, I mean, you can look right
20:28through there.
20:28Oh, yeah.
20:29It's in bad shape.
20:30So once this is poured, we're going to get our friend Ben in here, and saw cut right
20:35down, and then that will be our new opening.
20:37Ben with the big blade.
20:38Ben with the big blade.
20:38I love it.
20:39Okay.
20:39Well, Chuck is here, so let's go see how this is going.
20:42Sounds good.
21:00After the one-sided concrete pour against the existing foundation was set, the one-sided concrete
21:27pour against the existing foundation was set, it was time to saw cut through both the new
21:32concrete and the old foundation to create a doorway that connects the basement with the
21:38new addition.
21:39The stone cutter then used a series of four different sized diamond blades ranging from
21:4532 to 54 inches.
21:52Once the opening was complete, Mark came in with mortar and hand tools to fill in any gaps
21:58for a smooth, cohesive finish.
22:01All right.
22:04Nice to finally have this project underway, right?
22:07Oh, it feels great.
22:08Yeah, and this makes a huge difference, taking it down.
22:10Makes a huge difference.
22:11All the floors, all the way up.
22:13You should have saw where we looked earlier.
22:14Mark and I got filthy doing this, but change of clothes, good as new.
22:18You look marvelous.
22:19All right, so what's coming up next time?
22:21Well, now that we get the kitchen cabinets started to clear out, we're going to start removing
22:24some of these interior walls and really open up this first floor.
22:27Nice.
22:27And we'll be framing the new addition.
22:28All right, well, all that next.
22:30So until then, I'm Kevin O'Connor.
22:32I'm Tom Silva.
22:33And I'm Shelley Silva.
22:34For This Old House here in Needham, Mass.
22:41Next time on This Old House...
22:43Homeowners decide to change the aluminum siding, and I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not
22:47sorry to see it go.
22:50Then we'll see what happens at that siding after it leaves the job site.
22:58And we're installing a new I-beam.
23:01It's about 3,500 pounds.
23:03We're going to jack it up and bolt it in place.
23:09That's next time.
23:10We'll see you next time.
23:24Chao.
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