Back To The Blueprint explores the history of American buildings, from rim joist to rafter. Every weekend, Marty Dunham takes on an ‘everyday’ historic structure, uncovering how it was built, why it was built, and how to make it work today.
In each episode, Marty digs in to a building’s history and construction, and shows you not only ‘how to’ renovate, but also why it should be done that way. Past episodes have covered a wide range of topics, including hand-hewn clapboards for an 18th Century Saltbox, the painstaking disassembly and reconstruction of a frontier log home, and the bottom-up restoration of a 1940s O’Mahoney Diner. Marty also finds the right stuff—whether it’s new brownstone pulled out of an historic quarry, or vintage wood flooring reclaimed from colonial barn—and tells you the story behind it. Back To The Blueprint is about getting it done—the way it was done, and the way it should be done.
Builder and Host Marty Dunham has had a hammer in hand since the age of 6, when he helped his father build a 16x24 hipped gable barn. By the time he was 19, he was restoring and renovating his first home. As a carpenter, Marty won 4 awards in 4 years for his millwork designs.
Executive Producer for The History Channel is Marc Etkind. Back To The Blueprint is produced for The History Channel by On Screen Entertainment.