Starting in October, This Old House on PBS will present a special eight-episode series about three sets of homeowners who are struggling to rebuild after destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.
Home restoration experts Norm Abram, Richard Trethewey and Roger Cook, along with host Kevin O’Connor, will report on efforts hampered by provisional Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations, delayed building permits and continuing weather challenges.
Restoration projects in This Old House: Jersey Shore include an 1880s shore cottage in Bay Head, a 1980s colonial-style home in Point Pleasant and a prefabricated new home in Manasquan.
Prior to the premiere, visitors to the show’s website can watch behind-the-scenes videos from the projects. Also, for the first time, O’Connor will be blogging from the job sites on the Jersey Shore. Other special online features include a webcam, a photo gallery, project overviews, and products and services information.
“I was born and raised in New Jersey,” O’Connor said in a May 6 announcement. “So this one hits home for me. The locals here can’t imagine a New Jersey without a vibrant Shore, so it is not a matter of ‘if’ they will rebuild but ‘how.’ We hope to highlight best practices that will resonate in other coastal communities around the country.”
The program is presented by WGBH in Boston.