Trenton, NJ – Homeowners across America are increasingly aware of the importance of making their households friendly to the environment. One city that’s been leading the green building movement is Austin, Texas, a young, progressive city that’s home to the oldest and most comprehensive Green Building Program in the country. Tune in to NJN Public Television on Friday, March 23 at 8:00 pm for This Old House, as the show goes totally “green” with the second project of its season, and helps one local family transform their 1926 bungalow into an eco-friendly home. The This Old House Austin project will be documented in eight brand-new episodes on NJN Friday nights at 8:00 pm beginning March 23. Rebroadcasts of each episode will air twice weekly. For a complete schedule of dates and times for This Old House Austin project on NJN, visit njn.net.

“Through eight episodes chronicling the Austin renovation from start to finish, viewers will learn simple green remodeling techniques and smart ideas that can be incorporated at home,” says This Old House executive producer Jeff Ruhe. “Using strategies that conserve energy and water, and opting for durable and reused or recycled materials, will illustrate to our audience how to create a low maintenance, healthy, and comfortable green home.”

“With the Austin project, we hope to show that ‘green’ does not have to be experimental or expensive. Instead, we’re learning that green is basically just good planning and smart building,” comments This Old House producer Deborah Hood. “In ways, This Old House has been building green for years, and with the Austin project, we’ll be striving for a prestigious five-star rating from one of the most respected green building programs in the country.”

Newly married homeowners Michele Grieshaber and Michael Klug, and Michael’s two sons, Sam and David, reside in the small Craftsman-style bungalow located in the historic district of Hyde Park. With only two-and-a-half bedrooms and one bathroom in the 1,500 square feet of living space, it’s simply not enough room for a young, active and growing family.

Like many progressive and eco-minded Austin residents, the homeowners live modestly, and plan to renovate modestly for the benefit of their budget, and the environment. Keeping this in mind, Grieshaber and Klug are pursuing an expansion and remodel that will be green in nature by installing metal roofing, spray foam insulation, salvaged materials, low flow fixtures and toilets, energy efficient appliances, and a solar array that will likely erase two months of energy bills per year. Along the way the This Old House experts will work with architect David Webber and builder Bill Moore as they add living space to a historic house with eco-friendly practices, while preserving its character and architectural integrity. For this bungalow it means keeping its simple yet charming neoclassical details, such as the columns on the front porch and an arched front entrance.

Raising the roof to add a second floor with two bedrooms, a modest full bath, and a hallway/library at the top of the stairs will provide new and adequate living space for the family. Additionally, plans will include gutting and replacing the existing ’80s era kitchen, and taking down a portion of one wall to create a sitting/TV room next to the breakfast area. Exterior renovations will include removing the back deck and replacing it with a screened-in porch. Native, low-water plant material and grasses will be used for the landscape that needs to repaired and re-built. The rot on the exterior columns will be repaired, a new historic color scheme will be devised, and new insulation will be added. Meanwhile, many of the architectural details throughout the bungalow will be protected and preserved (such as the long-leaf pine floors, mantel, and built-ins), while walls and ceilings will be opened up to provide structure, wiring, ductwork, and plumbing for the new addition.

The progress of the Austin project 24/7 is captured by four Webcams powered by EarthCam. Visit njn.net for access to a time-lapse archive tracking the project's progress, and a blog sharing the homeowners’ perspective on what it’s really like to be part of a This Old House renovation. This Old House magazine will feature the Austin project starting with the April 2007 issue.

This Old House is produced by This Old House Productions, Inc. for This Old House Ventures, Inc. and presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Executive producer is Jeff Ruhe. Senior producer and director is David Vos, and producer is Deborah Hood. Founder is Russell Morash. Funding provided by Andersen Windows, Inc., GMC, The Home Depot, and State Farm Insurance Companies. This Old House Ventures, Inc. is a business of Time Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner.

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on Comcast Digital Cable in New Jersey, and on Time Warner Cable Channel 750 in NYC.
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