This Old House

The Manchester House - 17

Steve drived down to the house, checking out the newly open vistas of the house and yard through the newly bare trees along the road. Inside, ths study and dining room are shaping up, with blueboard on the walls and the old fireplace rehabilitated. In the music room, the dramatic coved ceiling is getting the first part of its acoustical plaster system: fiberglass panels coated with plasterlike coating that's invisible to sound, allowing the panels to absorb unwanted echoes while maintaining a traditional look. Acoustician Peter D'Antonio explains the new aluminum half-round gutters manufacturer Augustin Crookston ans his crew are hanging from the roof shingles. Steve sees John Dee's slow but steady progress on the portico restoration; today, he's installing new plaster brackets to replace the originals, which were too deteriorated to salvage. Steve takes viewers to the Chicago factory where they were made, the same way they have been for 100 years. Finally, Roger Cook shows off the new