In October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy left hundreds of thousands of homes in ruins, with some of the worst damage sustained on the Jersey Shore. Kevin, Norm, and Richard introduce three different homeowners who are determined to rebuild.
The crew meets with homeowners in New Jersey to check on their home rebuilding status. And later, Norm meets a structural engineer who explains the difference between a FEMA Zone A and Zone V.
In Bay Head, New Jersey, a builder shows Norm the framing progress. Kevin sees how they'll pin the Point Pleasant house to the ground, and Norm takes Richard to Mueller's Bakery, a shore fixture for 100 years.
Seaside Heights works on its boardwalk in preparation for Memorial Day weekend, and Kevin meets Mayor William Akers and Lou Cirigliano from Casino Pier to see the work in progress. And later, Norm finds the crew installing decking at the Bay Head cottage.
In Bay Head, New Jersey, a general contractor fits a hurricane-resistant window package. Carlos and Kevin find a plumber repairing damage and running new gas and sewer lines, and Rita's house arrives while Kevin tours the Methodist campground.
Roger meets a State Park Manager to see a natural barrier island, and Norm finds the Bay Head job in limbo as they wait for FEMA to revise the flood maps. In Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Kevin sees how insulated CMU breakaway wall panels are built.
Kevin gets a surfing lesson, and back in Bay Head, New Jersey, the house is lifted to its final height. Norm learns about the difficulties of pouring footings at sea level, and Kevin explains why fiber cement siding is the best choice.
A year after Hurricane Sandy, Norm and Kevin take stock of recovery along the Jersey Shore. Richard finds a landscaper planting some container gardens, and later, Roger joins Kevin, Norm, and Richard for a wharfside party.
The crew takes on a 1872 Italianate-style remodel in Arlington, Massachusetts, where the homeowners want to open up the floor plan and make a bigger kitchen. Tom shows Kevin the foundation, bricks that need repointing and a host of other issues.
Richard investigates an Arlington Heights landmark, and Tom shows Kevin a hidden back staircase. The second-floor joists in the former bath are badly compromised, and Norm sees how preservation carpenters restore an architectural gem in Portland, Maine.
Kevin arrives to find Tom doing even more demo than last time, and Mark McCullough gets the new foundation going. Also, Mark and his crew pour a concrete curb while Tom and Kevin break through the living room ceiling and make a breathtaking discovery.
Tom frames the new roof and an architect explains the logic behind the addition and the new interior spaces on the second floor. Mason Mark McCullough shows Kevin the corner of the failing brick foundation, and Norm helps Tom with a new mudroom entrance.
Tom shows Kevin the new floor plan and levels out the existing concrete floor with help from mason Mark McCullough. Roger discusses options for the front yard with the homeowner while Tom and Norm address the window openings.
Kevin arrives to find windows installed in the new kitchen, and Tom ties in the second-floor addition with matching clapboards. A mason makes a hole in the foundation to receive a new window, and Norm catches up with carpenter Joe Langlais.
Roger shows Kevin how he plans to let light into the yard, and Richard reviews the benefits of using PEX instead of copper for the water supply lines. And later, Norm gets a history lesson on the neighborhood from a local historian.
A paint color consultant explores options for the exterior, and Norm and Tom patch holes in the veneer floors. Richard presents a solution to the ugly PVC intake, and Kevin meets interior designer Christine Tuttle.
Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch captain Edgar Hansen is a special guest, and Tom puts him to work patching cracks in the horsehair plaster. Meanwhile, Norm and Tom raise the height of a railing, and Edgar removes an old set of concrete entry stairs.
A local historian reveals the common thread connecting Arlington's historic buildings. Roger uses new granite steps to improve the front entry. Plaster contractor Bob Bucco repairs the moldings, and Norm and Tom get to work fabricating the balustrade.
Roger shows Kevin how to remove a hydrangea with roots undermining the foundation of the house. Tom shows off the final exterior paint color selections and how he's keeping water and dampness at bay in the basement.
Local historian Richard Duffy offers a look at Arlington's ice harvesting industry. Richard takes on water pressure problems, Tom installs the Brazilian chestnut flooring in the kitchen and Norm installs new gutters.
Roger installs a new front walk using period-appropriate brick. Tom shows Kevin stock trim profiles for the door and window casings and an interior designer helps the homeowner make tile selections at a local showroom.
Kevin finds a contractor making decorative tiles while another contractor works on the soapstone countertops. And later, Norm visits the oldest, continuously operating mill site in the US where David Graf makes an oval mirror frame.
Landscape designer Cricket Beauregard reveals her plan for the front yard while a fence contractor installs a PVC fence and arbor. Eric Ferrante shows Kevin a herringbone pattern in the powder room, and Tom builds a sliding barn door using salvaged wood.
Norm arrives to install the new island top for the kitchen, and Kevin meets the homeowner and a designer to see how the vision for the house evolved. Tom builds an electronics nook, and tile contractor Mark Ferrante grouts pebble tiles.
Roger's team rolls out fresh sod, and Tom installs a ceiling medallion made with a 3D printer and conceals a vent hood unit for the stove. Richard shows Kevin how to select a garbage disposal, and Norm gives a lesson in crown molding.
The exterior look is finished with a pair of classically inspired urns. The homeowner checks out the finished basement spaces, bedrooms and baths, and and the entire group gathers in the kitchen to celebrate this beautiful Italianate home.
Your favorite shows, personalities and exclusive originals. All in one place.
Keep up with your favorite shows and hosts plus share ideas with other DIY fans.
Top tech plus sophisticated style in Pittsburgh, PA
A gorgeous home on Hilton Head Island, SC
An amazing renovation in Minneapolis, MN