Famous Reading: One of America's Most Notable Contractors

When most people swing a hammer, others edge away to avoid the noise. When Reading resident Tom Silva swings a hammer, he brings a camera crew.

Silva, a personality and contractor for This Old House and Ask This Old House, has brought his particularly accessible brand of construction advice to public television for more than two decades.

According to his This Old House biography, Silva discovered his love for construction as a boy when he and his brother helped their father complete a fall-out shelter under their home. The project took two years, and Silva said he felt such pride when he finished that he knew he wanted to build things for a living.

He started Silva Brothers Construction with his brothers, and built the original set for The Victory Garden for WGBH in Boston. His work later caught the attention of Russell Morash, creator of This Old House.

The show has now been on the air for more than three decades, and can be credited with inspiring other home improvement shows like Trading Spaces and Extreme Home Makeover.

In addition to his work on television, Silva has contributed to a number of construction books. At the age of 63, he now lives with his wife, Susan in Reading.