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Home > Bob on TV > Bob Vila > Babyproofing the House > Healthy Home and Building Products > 0204 Transcript
0204 - Healthy Home and Building Products
October 2-8, 2006 | April 2-8, 2007
>> Vila: Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Welcome to the show. We're in Melrose, Massachusetts, where we're starting a brand-new project today—all about remodeling some of the third-floor attic rooms in this hundred-year-old house with a new baby in mind. We'll also be taking you today to the American Lung Association's show house down in Palm Beach, Florida. We're gonna learn a lot about the latest materials that should be used in the nursery. And we'll be meeting the homeowners. Stick around. It's good to have you with us. Building or remodeling a house can be a dusty and sometimes uncomfortable and even unhealthy proposition. Some of the materials that are used in house construction today—man-made, chemical products that are not necessarily good for your health. I think there's a direct link to asthma and allergies and other respiratory problems. And this is something that we're looking at here in West Palm Beach at the American Lung Association's designer show house—a 1926 mediterranean revival house that has been totally redone by local interior designers. We're gonna go inside and take a closer look, but one of the things that we're interested in is the health of the inside of the house. This 1920s mediterranean house has been done up in high style from top to bottom by some of the area's most sought-after interior designers. There's a formal living room, done by Joann Munro, with twin arched french doors leading to a tropical, scenic view of Providencia Park, the Intracoastal Waterway, and Palm Beach. The fireplace is the focus, faux-painted to look like a solid piece of coral stone known as coquina, with a faux-bois pecky cypress mantel. 100%-natural italian limestone plaster coats the walls, giving it a stucco texture in old-world golds and neutrals. The kitchen, done by Carol Knapp and Brandon Moore, has some uniquely furniture-styled walnut cabinetry, unique mosaic wall tile, and azul macauba countertops, along with an aged pecky cypress ceiling vault. In the spectacular sunroom, vivian rios gives us 1930s Hollywood in silver, gold, blue, mother-of-pearl, and mirrors. The rear wing of the house is connected to the kitchen by a passageway that's faux-finished to look like ostrich leather by a local artist, rita stankus. The powder room, by Sid DelMar Leach, has some truly original tile work made from antique english molds and brass tacks. In the elegant moroccan room by the pool, Maureen Suarez has devised a really clever treatment that disguises a rather insignificant little window and centers the room. The guest bedroom, by Joseph Pubillones, is a 1930s bachelor's den with a truly amazing bathroom—a stenciled moroccan design in venetian plaster, finished to look like mother-of-pearl. The ceiling's done in jadecor—a mixture of cloth fiber, mica, and metallic threads. At the center of many of these themes is Ecodecor, the design firm of Bernadette Upton. She did the nursery, which is the room we're really here to see. Let's go meet her. So, Bernadette, in addition to all the interior-design work that you do, you're also involved with "A Baby's Breath" program, right?
>> Yes, that was initiated by myself and the American Lung Association.
>> Vila: This is a perfect place to be talking about these issues. This is the baby's bathroom.
>> Yes, it is.
>> Vila: Tell us about some of the features.
>> Major feature here is this mural, which was done by Susan Bridgforth. Not only is it inspiring to look at and so educational and adorable...
>> Vila: It really is very good.
>> Yeah, it's great. It's all done with no-voc paint, which means "volatile organic compounds," something we don't want in our air.
>> Vila: So there aren't any chemicals in the paints used here that can outgas and affect the air that we breathe.
>> That's correct.
>> Vila: All right. Now, the other materials used in here are all-natural—ceramic tile, marble, natural wood—so that you've got a situation where you don't have any products used that could be affecting the quality of the air.
>> That's correct. And the nose knows. Can you smell it? There's nothing.
>> Vila: No, I don't smell. Even the little carpet is not synthetic?
>> Even the carpet is a washable cotton.
>> Vila: That's so important. Well, let's look at the grand creation. Let's look at the nursery here.
>> Vila: This is probably the most elegant baby's room i've ever seen.
>> Thank you.
>> Vila: And the theme continues with the circus tent.
>> Yes, it does. This is our big top, and we're coming into a room which is a healthy baby's room. We wanted to feature the "Baby's Breath" program by the American Lung Association that is available to all expectant parents, and it's about bringing the baby home to a healthy room.
>> Vila: Now, it's awfully elegant and elaborate for a baby. What happens when you have a toddler?
>> This room is designed for an infant—for mom coming home with the baby, and this is their special room.
>> Vila: So mom's included in the equation.
>> Yes, mom is included in this equation. However, when baby becomes toddler, the first thing we want to start looking at is removing tablecloths—the drop cloths to the floor—anchoring furniture, which is very important. Even that table, if it's freestanding, should be anchored to the wall.
>> Vila: Yeah, and covering up the receptacles and the electrical plugs.
>> All of that, absolutely, for toddlers. Removing climbable furniture that could get near windows. That would have to be brought forward.
>> Vila: So you've done this really for mother and child returning, and it's the first stage, so that's why it's so elegant.
>> Coming home from the hospital.
>> Vila: In terms of healthy air, don't you have to worry a lot about the stuff that makes up window treatments?
>> Absolutely. A lot of fabrics today have sizing and has a lot of formaldehyde and other chemicals in it, and so therefore this is all washable cottons. And actually, the big top, as we see it, is made up of all washable cotton again, and the frame underneath is all solid wood. There is no particleboard, so therefore we have no formaldehyde emissions.
>> Vila: That's one of the key things is to use natural wood, not man-made lumber products.
>> Absolutely, in a baby's room, unless you were using—if you're starting from scratch, there is mdf—medium-density fiberboard—there's plywood, and there are even some particleboards that are made without formaldehyde. That's what you look for—formaldehyde-free.
>> Vila: If you're planning on building baby furniture, that's what you want to look for.
>> Absolutely. And if for some reason you are hard-pressed and you use regular particleboard that does have formaldehyde, whether you're building closets or shelves or whatever, you must seal off every part of the particleboard that can be seen—or that's where the emission could come out—and you seal it with a nontoxic sealer.
>> Vila: Right. Now, this looks like it's an antique sofa.
>> It's an older sofa. It's a recycled sofa. It happens to be—and this is a big clue—an eight-way hand-tie, which means the spring construction is all eight-way hand-tie.
>> Vila: You mean the springs down here.
>> Yes, the springs down there.
>> Vila: What does that indicate?
>> That indicates that eight-way hand-tie can only be constructed on a solid wood frame. So you know, again, we're not getting a particleboard frame, because a particleboard could never hold an eight-way hand-tie construction. And in getting solid wood, once again, we know we're not getting formaldehyde.
>> Vila: What about the—is it, again, a mural painted or what?
>> Actually, this is not a mural. People think it is because the color was matched so well to the background. This is a wallpaper, and I recommend wallpaper over vinyl, particularly in a baby's room. Vinyl doesn't have the breathability, especially in hot, humid climates. But even when you have something, keep your wallpaper to a minimum. I've only selected one wall. Or borders are great. We actually off-gas—we unrolled this wallpaper for 2 1/2 days, and it had absolutely no odors whatsoever, before we installed it. We used a nontoxic adhesive also.
>> Vila: Now, is the crib an antique?
>> The crib is recycled. It's not necessarily antique. However, even with using older or recycled cribs, we want to be using something preferably from 1991 because we want to stay according to the codes that are within 2 3/8 inches. You don't want it any larger than that.
>> Vila: The openings between the bars cannot be greater than that.
>> Correct. And a lot of cribs before 1991 may have chemicals in the paint that are very undesirable.
>> Vila: What about the actual mattress?
>> The actual mattress is an organic mattress, and it...
>> Vila: Can I look at it?
>> Go right ahead. There you go. That's an organic mattress.
>> Vila: Which means its rubber?
>> Well, no. Organic is—yes, it means its rubber, but it could also be cotton-insulated. So this particular mattress is real rubber foam on the inside, insulated with wool, which is naturally, inherently flame-retardant. So there's no chemicals in this. And then the organic cotton that surrounds it.
>> Vila: So everything is natural—as much natural product as you possibly can get near the baby.
>> Absolutely, because most mattresses or foams will have what's known as pbdes—polybrominated diphenyl ethers, which means pbdes, and that's a toxic off-gassing that comes from foams, from the flame retardants. The more natural, the better.
>> Vila: And of course we're in a 1920s house, so we've got things like this beautiful hardwood floor.
>> Absolutely. You talk about "recycle," this is the ultimate. We are sitting on something that is as old as the house.
>> Vila: But my point is that you want to avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, right?
>> If you can, I would. If you're going to use wall-to-wall carpeting, first thing is, are you gonna use a synthetic or a wool? If you're gonna use a natural wool, then you won't have the problems of the phenylcyclohexene, which is the 4-pcs that off-gas.
>> Vila: But you're better off with a scatter rug like this that's washable, you can take it out.
>> And you can take it out to be cleaned. Wall-to-wall carpeting has to be cleaned in a room, and that is not preferred.
>> Vila: And you've done such a great job. And you can get the "Baby's Breath" brochure from the American Lung Association?
>> Yes.
>> Vila: Bernadette, thank you so much. Congratulations.
>> Thank you.
>> Vila: It's a beauty. Closed captioning provided by...
>> Vila: Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Next time on the show, we're starting a brand-new project in Melrose, Massachusetts, where we're taking this hundred-year-old two-family house and creating a new nursery space up in the attic rooms. We'll meet the homeowners, who are expecting any day now. We're also gonna take you on a little visit to the American Lung Association's designer show house down in West Palm Beach, Florida, where we'll tour the nursery in that house and learn from an expert what kinds of products you should use. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Next time on the show, we're remodeling this hundred-year-old two-family house to create some nursery rooms up on the third floor. The baby's just a few weeks away. Also, a tour of a West Palm Beach show house with some beautiful nursery ideas. Don't miss it.
>> Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Next time on the show, we're remodeling some attic rooms to create a baby nursery—and we have to hurry 'cause the baby's two weeks away. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: Nick Beasley is the proud owner of this terrific house right behind us here. We met Nick once before when he was at the North Bennett Street School here in Boston. He's now a successful remodeling and restoration contractor, right, with your buddy Mr. Reidy?
>> Correct.
>> Vila: Did I pronounce that right?
>> You got it.
>> Vila: Good. Tell me about finding this house and coming to Melrose, 'cause you grew up in another part of Boston.
>> I grew up in Brookline, which is about eight miles south of here. When we started looking at houses, this market here was very steep. A lot of houses are very expensive. We were looking at different neighborhoods, and little bit further out you got, the more affordable it became. We knew Melrose from some family and friends who had lived here and knew that the schools were good and the market was pretty good. We were originally looking for single-family homes, but then our realtor said, "You might want to consider a two-family because you can get more house for less money," basically.
>> Vila: Yeah, you can get more value.
>> Correct.
>> Vila: And of course, the income from the lower rental unit helps with the monthly mortgage payments, right?
>> Very helpful.
>> Vila: Isn't this a single-family originally, though?
>> It was built originally as a single-family, about 1895.
>> Vila: So it's a true 19th-century house. Let's relax. And at some point it got converted into a two-family.
>> Yes. Right now we live on the second and third floors, and we rent out the first floor.
>> Vila: Okay. Well, I'm not gonna ask you how much rent you get, but I think it's the great formula for first-time homeowners. Your wife's happy with it?
>> She is. She's adjusting to it but is happy living here, and we're finally beginning to get the house put together.
>> Vila: Of course, you bought the house before you realized that the stork was on its way.
>> Correct.
>> Vila: Great. Congratulations. When's the baby due?
>> End of June. About six weeks.
>> Vila: Oh, boy.
>> So it was built as a single-family, and these were great big bedrooms that you see in this space. And then sometime in the 1940s and '50s—we don't know exactly when—it was converted to a two-family, so the spaces that once were bedrooms are now our living room and dining room. Originally when we talked about buying a home, I hadn't thought of a two-family. It seemed daunting to take on tenants in a big, old house. But I went ahead and made the leap, and it's been a great home for us so far. We've had to do a few things. Out this door, there was a leaky roof, so we had to rip off the deck to access the roof to re-cover that. And so that's a project that is waiting to be completed. But besides that, it hasn't been so much work. The other thing that we did when we first moved in is we thought a lot about color. And we ended up getting help with the color because it turns out we weren't so great at picking out things on our own. So we chose a blue for the living room, which we love, and then at the suggestion of the colorist who we worked with, we painted this a very different color than the dining room and the living room. And she also suggested painting the ceiling so that it would really delineate the space and have it stand out on its own. The dining room that you see—purple—was inspired by my grandmother's china. So we have the china that you see there, and it really was the reason for us picking the color. And we're thrilled with it. So we go from the blue living room to the transition space, purple dining room, and then we'll head into the green kitchen. So we're heading into our kitchen. Right behind the kitchen, connected, is this alcove space which makes a great office. It's not our dream kitchen in terms of the fixtures and the cabinets, but it has great space and we're thrilled to have a place where kids can be. One of the things that we're thinking about is making it a safe kitchen for kids, so that things like cabinets and drawers won't be opened. We're also thinking about safety for the third-floor nursery. So that's part of the focus. We have two other bedrooms upstairs, and we also have a teeny-tiny room that we plan to convert to a bathroom. It's got great original beadboard. Slanted, eavy ceilings. But it's gonna take a lot of work to get it into shape, as will the two bathrooms on the second floor that we're working to—hoping to convert, as well.
>> Vila: What was wrong with the bathroom?
>> Off the main hall was the main bathroom, and off the master bedroom was a little powder room. We decided to change that and make the powder room off the hallway and a full bath off the master bedroom.
>> Vila: It sounds like a very good plan. Otherwise, your guests would have to go through the bedroom to get to the powder room.
>> Exactly.
>> Vila: Somebody had it backwards, right?
>> Yes. We used to have a little powder room off the master bedroom that was only from here to this wall. And we had a big bathroom off the hallway that was the bath for the entire house. So we decided to switch them and put a little powder room off the hallway and to put a big bathroom off the master bedroom. And so we started that process by putting a partition wall between the two, and now we're moving into rough plumbing. Once we removed the floor, you can see all the damage that the original plumbers did, and this bathroom was probably done in the 1940s or '50s. And they hogged out all the material in the original—in the structural members, which obviously creates a problem. But we're lucky enough that we can run our new pipes underneath the joists because we found a drop ceiling below, which has allowed us to plumb both the powder room and the master bathroom, and we're able to get lines up to the new bathroom that we're gonna put on the third floor.
>> Vila: So, Nick, I guess the first step for you was to figure out how to get that whole roof insulated, right?
>> That's right. When we bought the house, there was no insulation at all. And this winter, the warmest room in the house was the cupola, which was supposed to be cold storage.
>> Vila: Cold storage? [ Laughs ]
>> That's right.
>> Vila: Yeah. So last week you had the fellas from Owens Corning ProPink running through the house.
>> Yes. They did the blown-in insulation upstairs. That way they could do it without damaging any of the plaster or the walls or the ceilings, which was great.
>> Vila: That's a good approach.
>> Old houses can be difficult to insulate. The odd-spaced framing really creates a difficult thing for us to use conventional batt material. The batts themselves are premanufactured to be a normal spacing—16 or 24 inches on center. This house has a lot of 19- or 17-inch-on-center framing, and the 2x4s are actually real 2x4s. And so it makes it difficult to insulate correctly.
>> Vila: Yeah, well, the idea is that you want to fill all the nooks and crannies in there so that the insulation works well. The loose fiberglass is mixed with air and blown up through a hose into the house. Wherever they can get a small hole into a cavity, they can blow insulation in through the walls—under the attic floorboards. And they can even apply it to open stud work—as in the new construction—or in the attic roofs like this one, up under the cupola, by stretching a fabric across, stapling it... ...And blowing the insulation in through the holes. So, Nick, what's the r-factor up there?
>> The r-value is about 4.25 per inch. Since we have about 8-inch rafters, we get an r-value of over 30.
>> Vila: That's gonna translate into some serious savings next heating season.
>> We're hoping so.
>> Vila: Yeah, great.
>> Vila: Well, our thermal insulation will do a great job of keeping baby's room cool in the summer and warm in the winter. And the next project that we're gonna tackle is adding some sound attenuation—also a fiberglass product—that will help keep the baby's room nice and quiet for those lullabies. And along the way, we'll spend a fair amount of time redoing the bathrooms. That's it for this week. Till next time, I'm Bob Vila. Thanks for joining us. Looking for help on your next project? Visit BobVila.com for everything you need to get the job done right. You'll find show highlights, interactive tools for planning your next project, and helpful how-to articles for every room in your home.
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 | Carpentry, Construction & Materials
• Beasley & Reidy Restorations - Residential contracting, remodeling, and home restoration
Heat, Ventilation & Cooling
• American Lung Association - Baby’s Breath Program and West Palm Beach designer showhouse
Insulation
• Builders Insulation - Insulation contractors for loose fill, blown-in insulation
• Owens Corning ProPink - Blown-in fiberglass insulation system for increased thermal efficiency
• Resource Development Partners - Trained contractors in building science, energy efficiency, and product installation
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