Season 2 - Basement Finishing and Family Space
Melrose, MA
Bob’s third project helps a young family refurbish unused basement space to create new family recreation rooms below ground. They add drainage systems to the interior and exterior, a sump pump, and a complete basement moisture-proofing system to create dry space within the old fieldstone walls. A frame-to-finish basement system then creates living space where once there was none. A mascerating toilet and pump provide the necessary plumbing solutions to add a small bathroom and laundry room to the layout. ...
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Removing Unwanted Junk and Combatting Basement Moisture Video Clips (BV0209)
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| Bob reviews how suburban real estate values have skyrocketed in the last couple of years and talks about Melrose, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb and the site of this new project. ...
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| Bob talks with homeowner Sarah Monzon about some of the improvements that have been made to the property. Monzon points out the retaining wall they put in the backyard. The ...
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| Homeowner Sarah Monzon explains the project and how they plan to expand the interior of the home by renovating the basement and adding another bathroom. This will allow more space ...
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| Homeowner Sarah Monzon tells how she called 1-800-GOT-JUNK to take away the refuse from their basement, including demolition debris, old appliances, and a heavy stone tub, along with unwanted books, ...
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| Bob reviews how keeping water out of the basement is a central concern in any basement remodeling project. Bob talks with Larry Janesky of Basement Systems about the problem. This ...
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| Larry Janesky of Basement Systems reviews the work being done to cut a drainage trench in the concrete around the perimeter of the basement floor. Water will be channelled through ...
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Basement Waterproofing, New Plumbing, and On-Demand Hot Water Video Clips (BV0210)
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| Bob talks about the need to create dry space when looking to create basement living areas. The Melrose house has water infiltration problems that are commonly caused by clogged downspouts ...
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| Bob reviews two types of water barriers installed in the basement to prevent water intrusion. The water barriers block moisture that comes through the walls and channel it into a ...
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| Bob reviews the work done on the existing plumbing once all the waterproofing and flood-prevention measures are put in place in the basement. Al Leone of Leone Plumbing Corp. first ...
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| Al Leone of Leone Plumbing replaces the old brass water pipes with PEX tubing in the Melrose basement project. Leone explains that the water hammer will be removed as it ...
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| Bob talks with Dan Driscoll of Rinnai about the new on-demand water heater being installed. Driscoll explains that the heater is a whole-house system sized for a three-bathroom household, laundry, ...
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Moving the Oil Tank for New Heating, Cooling, and Air Filtration Video Clips (BV0211)
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| Bob reviews the work done so far in the basement remodelling project in Melrose, Massachusetts, including the installation of new piping and a system to prevent water infiltration. John Ambrosino ...
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| Bob talks to Mark Hagan of Trane about indoor air quality in the basement remodeling project. Hagan explains that the unit installed in the house will filter out particles common ...
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| Bob explains how the family decided to stay with oil heat, especially since their oil tank was recently replaced. Bond-Tite Tank Service moves the tank into the new utility room ...
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| Bob talks with Howard Brickman of Brickman Consulting about how to fix squeaky floors. Brickman first he checks the moisture level in the joists to make sure it is in ...
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| Bob talks with Howard Brickman of Brickman Consulting about waterproofing the concrete basement floor. Brickman is putting water down on the floor to make the floor more absorbent for the ...
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| Bob recaps the work done so far in the basement remodeling project in Melrose, Massachusetts, converting an old cluttered basement into a playroom for the homeowners' two children. A perimeter ...
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| The crew from Owens Corning Basement Finishing Systems has been at work putting up the framework for the walls and the grid for the ceiling. The first step was to ...
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| Bob talks with Frank Palmeri and Suzanne Mitchell of Owens Corning about the basement finishing system that has just been installed in the Melrose, Massachusetts, home. Palmeri explains that the ...
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| Bob explains that the staircase doesn't meet contemporary codes so structural repair was required. Carpenter Cyrus Beasley of Sweenor Builders shows how a portion of the staircase is completely unsupported ...
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| Paul Viliott of PV Builders shows how an old basement window is replaced with a new one. Viliott first pulls out all the stops, cuts the sash cords, and removes ...
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| Bob talks with Ken Henderson of Harvey Industries about the features and benefits of the new window. Henderson explains that the replacement window installed does not disrupt the exterior and ...
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| Bob talks with Suzanne Mitchell and Frank Palmeri of Owens Corning about the basement finishing system. Mitchell explains that the walls are perfect for kids as they are durable and ...
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| Bob explains that the house being remodeled was built in 1921 and has never had a real facelift on the exterior. As a consequence, the home's trim, porch ceiling, decking, ...
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| Bob talks with Paul Mackie from the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association about the features and benefits of western red cedar in home remodeling projects. The wood comes from Northwest ...
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| Bob checks out the deck of the porch that had deteriorated to the point that it was a dangerous place for kids to play. The homeowner Ricardo and his brother ...
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| A new door is being installed on the Melrose house. Bob explains that the old door was adequate but had a crack in one of the panels which let in ...
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| Bob moves to the inside of the house to show the newly installed bay windows. He talks with Ken Henderson from Harvey Industries, a regional window company in the New ...
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Hardscaping, Removing Rot, and Fighting Insect Damage Video Clips (BV0214)
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| Bob talks with Nick Christy of Atlantic View Landscaping Construction about the "hardscaping" work being done in the yard. Christy explains how the granite retaining wall was installed in the ...
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| Bob talks with Ruth Foster, landscape designer and former Assistant Tree Warden for the city of Boston, about a problematic maple tree in the backyard. Foster explains the tree is ...
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| A three-panel sliding door is being installed in the Melrose home, giving a great view of the back garden. Bob explains that before this slider was installed, the back of ...
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| Bob talks with Lou Sandonato from Moynihan Lumber about the molding for the newly installed sliding doors. Sandonato explains how a piece of the old trim was taken off and ...
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Sloping Backyard Fence, Basement Bathroom, and Radiant Floors Video Clips (BV0215)
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| Bob talks with Jay Triandafilou from Architectural Fence Plus about the fencing installed on the side and backyard of the home in Melrose. The fencing was built using white cedar, ...
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| Bob explains how the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System has added a lot of warmth to the Melrose basement. A mud room was also installed in the home, with a ...
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| Bob explains how remodeling a basement presents owners with options they didn't realize they had. In the Melrose home project, a space previously used as a little paint closet was ...
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| Georgia Pacific DensArmor Plus was used for wallboard for the bathroom in the basement remodeling project. Jim Larsen from Larco Wallboard reviews some of the features of the wallboard, including ...
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| The existing basement floor was a cold concrete slab that will now have ceramic tile floor installed over radiant heat mats. Bob talks with Kevin Murray from NuHeat Inc. about ...
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| Basement toilets and showers need special equipment to pipe water and waste up and out to the sewer. Bob talks with Robert Lechner of Saniflo about the macerating toilet and ...
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| Bob recaps the work done so far in the basement remodeling project. The Owens Corning Basement Finishing System has provided the walls and the ceiling for the new basement family ...
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| Bob talks with Larry Janesky of Basement Systems Inc., about the equipment being put in place to prevent moisture damage. An underlayment is being put on the floor to prevent ...
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| Bob explains that the carpeting pattern in the basement may look like wall-to-wall carpeting, but actually it is Binvetec carpet tiles. Instead of being made up long rolls, the tiles ...
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| Bob talks with Jered Hamlin of Slide-Lok about the built-in sotrage furniture being constructed and installed. Slide-Lok is a garage storage cabinet that can also be used in the home. ...
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| The master closet of the Melrose home was redesigned to maximize storage space. Chloe Durant of California Closets met with the homeowner to draw up plans on redesigning the space. ...
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| One of the home improvement projects for the Melrose home was to repair the chimney. The chimneys for the furnace and the fireplace were both in need of repair. The ...
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| A hole is drilled into the hearth of the fireplace to accomodate the gas line. The gas line is then connected using a straight adapter to the black iron pipe. ...
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| Back in the new basement family room, almost all of the new storage units have been installed. The units feature drawers, work surface, and space for a small refrigerator. The ...
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Low-Maintenance Landscaping, Gutters, and Pantry Video Clips (BV0217)
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| The Melrose home had only one gutter left on the front, which had been neglected and was clogged with muck. In the back of the home, a vinyl gutter had ...
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| Many of the projects in the Melrose home fall under the category of safety. The big Norway Spruce tree on the left side of the front yard was limbed by ...
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| In the last couple of weeks, the landscape on the front of the yard has been replaced. It used to be somewhat scruffy and sloped right to the sidewalk. A ...
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| The side of the home has been fenced in with a white cedar fence from Architectural Fence. This fence has been designed with attached sheds to create a bin for ...
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| Moving to the backyard, the hardscape material in the backyard changes. Natural flat field stones were used because of the relaxed feeling. The loose retaining wall in the backyard was ...
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| All the plants in the backyard were from Monrovia, one of the largest plant suppliers to local nursuries in the country, and they grow some very specialized plants. Ruth Foster ...
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| On the other side of the backyard garden Weed Seal was installed along the perimeter of the fence to control weeds along the fence line and around fence posts. Bob ...
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| Bob talks with Greg Goehner of New Grass. Because of the amount of shade in the backyard and the two young boys in the house, the homeowners could never grow ...
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| Bob talks with Jay Triandafilou from Architectural Fence. An elegant gate is being added to the fence as a finishing touch. The gate features a board bottom and a lattice ...
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| The entrance to the back of the house has been modified by removing the small back door and installing a triple-panel sliding glass door that looks onto the newly landscaped ...
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Stucco Painting, Exterior Repairs, Shutters, and High-End Decking Video Clips (BV0218)
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| Bob reviews some of the work done on the house so far. The house was built in 1921 and the exterior stucco walls are in good shape overall. The woodwork, ...
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| This project initially began as a basement refinishing project and has grown into a project for a growing family. The front porch of the Melrose home was in need of ...
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| Western red cedar was used for the porch ceiling and trellises. Eventually a climbing rose will be grown along the trellis and provide a little privacy on the porch from ...
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| Bob talks with electrician John Schiavone about the new light fixture being installed on the porch. To install the fixture, first the electricity was turned off in the home. The ...
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| Steve Nott of Steve Nott and Son Carpentry reviews the steps involved in installing the window shutters. The old shutter has been removed as it had fallen into a state ...
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Basement Moisture-Proofing, Home Audio, Blinds, and Appliances Video Clips (BV0219)
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| One of the key aspects of refinishing a basement is making sure it's dry and warm. Bob talks with Larry Janesky of Basement Systems about the steps taken to keep ...
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| The new windows have been trimmed with blinds from Bali Blinds. In the kitchen, where a new patio door has been installed, the windows have a unique treatment. Dave Wahtera ...
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| Bob talks with family friend Andrew Gillis, an expert in the latest audio/visual equipment. The unit installed in the Melrose home is a Bose Lifestyle Whole Home Audio system, which ...
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| A half bathroom and a laundry were also installed in the basement of the Melrose home. These systems were installed using a pump system because the room is below street ...
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Exterior Lighting, Audio, Video, and Décor for the Melrose Home Video Clips (BV0220)
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| Although the project in the Melrose home began as a basement expansion and remodel, it soon expanded to include portions of the home that either needed repair or offered opportunities ...
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| There are many options for lighting fixtures when lighting the exterior of an old home. It is important to find something that is complementary to the age and style of ...
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| The interior of this home, like most of the homes built in the 1920s, had very little storage space. Chloe Durant of California Closets reviews some of the changes made ...
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| This 1920s-era house had almost no exterior lighting and not even a place to plug in the Christmas lights. Electrician John Schiavone installed new lighting outlets for the exterior and ...
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| The house has a lot of architectural character from the nice dark woodwork. The selection of new furniture for the house reflects this character. All of the new furnishings were ...
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| The new family room is all done and furnished and looks terrrific. Bob talks with Sarah Monzon, the homeowner who also acted as the general contractor on the project, about ...
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