This Old House

Essex 2012/13 Part 7: Rustic Plaster, Advanced Septic

Inside our Essex cottage, insulation is in and drywall is going up. Tom shows Kevin the progress and they meet drywall installer Brian Jones to see his method for boarding ceilings using a panel lift and scaffolding for the high cathedral ceiling in the kitchen. Upstairs, the plastering is well underway. Tom shows Kevin the rustic/Old World effect the homeowners want and how plastering contractor Bob Bucco achieves it using rounded corners and the rough/base coat plaster as the finish coat. At a third-party testing facility in Falmouth, MA, Richard meets George Heufelder for a brief history of septic innovation and a look at new technology that is on the horizon, and already here. One of them uses "membrane bioreactor" technology, and we're going to try it out in Essex. George's group approved the system, and it is a true leap forward in wastewater treatment. Back at our house, manufacturer Ingo Schaefer helps show Kevin how it works.