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Private Notes
The construction of affordable, storm-resistant single-family homes in St. Petersburg, Fla., using recycled steel shipping containers as the primary building material. Included: how the containers are cut and fitted for windows and doors, then sprayed with an insulating ceramic coating to prevent heat transfer through the metal. Guests include Askia Aquil of St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services and David Cross of Tampa Armature Works.
St. Petersburg, Fla., container-home project: A storm-resistant roof and windows are installed and sealed. Also: a tour of St. Petersburg's historic areas, parks and downtown.
St. Petersburg, Fla., container-home project: The exterior is finished, insulated and primed. Also: Architect-designer Steve Armstrong discusses the strength of the steel structure and the layout flexibility of its interior space; and David Cross shows design possibilities for container-built homes.
Safer living environments for children are explored in a visit with a Melrose, Mass., couple who are baby proofing their 100-year-old house. Host Bob Vila also tours the American Lung Association's designer show house in West Palm Beach, Fla., to learn about the association's Baby's Breath program.
Installing windows (some with enclosed blinds), bathroom tiles and a low-flush toilet in an 1895 two-family house in Melrose, Mass.
Installing sound-reduction insulation in a nursery in an 1895 two-family house in Melrose, Mass. Included: Environmental psychologist Arline Bronzaft discusses the importance of sleep in early-childhood development. Also: tips for painting a guest room.
Child safety at home is the topic. Included: a child-safety gate; bedding items; a bathtub surround; and kitchen-safety items
Work at the 1895 two-family home in Melrose, Mass., wraps up with the installation of a glass shower in the master bath and a tub in the guest bath. Also: Vila tours the renovated guest room and the new nursery.
A new project in Melrose, Mass.: adding room by making a basement a living space. Step No. 1: get rid of the junk. Then waterproofing can begin.
The Melrose, Mass., basement rehab continues with the completion of the perimeter drain and the installation of a triple sump pump and a water heater.
The basement rehab in Melrose, Mass., continues as workers move an oil burner to a more convenient location and reconnect it. Also: dealing with a squeaky ceiling; sealing a concrete floor.
Melrose, Mass., basement rehab: framing begins by installing metal studs, then cutting, measuring and leveling the framing for the walls and ceiling grid. Finally, it's time to install windows.
The project: exterior renovations on a 1921 gambrel-roofed house in Melrose, Mass. Included: new trim; built-out bay windows and columns; a new ceiling and joists for the porch; and a new front door.
A concrete curb and walkways are installed around a house in Melrose, Mass. In the back, a rotting tree is removed. Also: While installing a sliding backdoor, wood rot and insect damage are discovered and removed.
The Melrose, Mass., project: A white-cedar backyard fence (racked to accommodate the sloping space) is installed outside. Meanwhile, inside work continues in the basement with the laying of a tile floor in the laundry and the installation of a half bath, wallboard that is faced with fiberglass (to keep mold out) and a fiberglass door leading to the backyard.
A basement family room is finished; a fireplace is renovated with a programmable gas insert; and customizable storage units are installed.
In Melrose, Mass., projects include installing seamless aluminum gutters; landscaping the front yard with pachysandra, holly, rhododendrons, spring bulbs and a red Japanese maple; installing a fieldstone and pea-stone terrace and building a shed for tools and toys in the back; and installing artificial grass on a side yard. Inside, there's a new triple-slider backdoor and a refurbished mudroom. Also: a segment on no-pesticide weed control.
The focus is on the exterior of the 1921 house in Melrose, Mass. Included: Damaged trim is replaced with western red cedar while other trim is scraped, sanded and repainted; shingles are installed and stained; stucco is primed and painted; a back-window frame is replaced with a synthetic one and shutters are installed; a porch deck and lighting are installed; and a nearby trellis is constructed.
The Melrose, Mass., house: The basement is moisture proofed, and a washer and dryer, freezer, refrigerator and microwave are installed, as are blinds on the sliding door. Upstairs, blinds are also installed in the living-room windows, and various components of the home-entertainment system are put into place.
The Melrose, Mass., house: Exterior and interior lighting systems are installed; the children's room is reorganized; and the basement is waterproofed and finished (complete with a new bathroom). Also: A furnace and the central-air, air-purification and hot-water systems are tucked behind finished walls.
Excavation begins on an addition to a Norwell, Mass., contractor's home to house an elderly relative. The homeowner, Howard Brickman, describes the scope of the project, and environmentalist Steve Ivas discusses how the builders will protect fragile ecosystems surrounding the lot. Also: discussion of the extension's foundation.
Concrete for the structure of the Norwell, Mass., home addition has been poured and the first floor is constructed, as are the gable ends.
Framing begins on the addition to the Norwell, Mass., house and plywood is laid on the third floor. And the garage doors are replaced on the other side of the house. Also: a recap of the project so far.
A metal roof is placed on the Norwell, Mass., home and finished with photovoltaic panels that will absorb the sun's energy and send it to a basement inverter that will turn it into usable power for household electricity. Then fiberglass-framed windows, fiber-cement siding and PVC moldings are installed.
Host Bob Vila inspects the front deck of the Norwell, Mass., house, which was decked and sided with red western cedar; and the HVAC system that was installed in the basement. Meanwhile, cellulose insulation is blown in throughout the house; a fireplace is assembled and installed in the great room; flooring is put down in the attic; and the bedroom is painted.
A tour of the completed intermodal-steel building unit (ISBU) house in St. Petersburg, Fla., focusing on its kitchen appliances and impact-resistant windows. Also: an assessment of the future of ISBU construction.
