0207 - Baby Safety Products and a Corian Tub Deck October 23-29, 2006 | April 23-29, 2007 >> Vila. Hi, Bob Vila here. Welcome to the show, where our new baby nursery is very far along, and today we really have to get the finishing touches on because our homeowners have already checked into the hospital, and delivery is imminent. We're gonna be showing you some finishing touches in the master bath, putting in a corian tub deck. Also we're talking about all sorts of safety features for the new baby, such as gates and plug covers and all that sort of stuff, and we'll be learning about the right types of textiles to use around a newborn. Stick around. All right, well, we're looking at all sorts of baby-oriented gadgetry. Hi, Jay.
>> Hey, Bob.
>> Vila: What have you got here?
>> It's the Configure Gate by KidCo.
>> Vila: Okay. I'm used to the little ones that you buy that you kind of -- well, not used to -- I remember the little ones that you buy that expand. This is pretty elaborate.
>> We got a wide spot here. We want to contain this room and make it as safe as possible, so to bridge this gap, the Configure Gate just works out very well.
>> Vila: So it comes in three pieces like this. How did you just hook it up on the wall there?
>> The little mount goes on the wall. You could slide it out of the mount, so if you want to have it gone, it's gone.
>> Vila: I see.
>> We could also make it as wide as -- who knows?
>> Vila: So if you're gonna have a cocktail party or something, you just quickly get this out of your way. What's it made out of?
>> It's made out of metal, it's made out of plastic. We limit any sharp edges that it has.
>> Vila: So it's metal and then plastic all over the place, and it can configure itself to just about any size.
>> That's right. We could change the angles for this application.
>> Vila: So is this something you get from a catalog?
>> You can get it out of a catalog. You can get it online. I know one step ahead has it, which is a very popular website. KidCo makes it.
>> Vila: Great, and so I know that this is one of the things that you're helping us out with and you've got other gadgetry to show us in the kitchen, right?
>> We want to keep those babies safe.
>> Vila: Okay, we'll see you. Right now, Ginny Turner is with us. Hi, Ginny.
>> Hi, Bob.
>> Vila: And you have developed a whole line of totally organic, natural products that have to do with baby bedding and the like, right?
>> Yes, yes. What we've done is we have taken a need for organic products, because there are a lot of synthetic products available.
>> Vila: Well, isn't the majority of the mattress industry all synthetic?
>> It is. Synthetic is very inexpensive to make, of course, and it's mass-marketed. So all the mattresses that are made generally will contain things like vinyls. They'll contain chemical contaminants, which we call "flame retardants." So we have developed --
>> Vila: What are some of the problems with using products that have, you know, flame retardants and chemicals and so forth, health-wise?
>> Health-wise, there are some major chemical contaminants that are very popular in mattresses, both children and adult. These are the pbdes, and in August of 2003, we became very aware, as a society, about this chemical and how bad it is for our health. In the meantime, of course, all the states have been trying to recall and ban this chemical. It's taking a very long time to do this. So in the meantime, we still have these chemical flame retardants in all of our mattresses that we sleep on, including the ones that our babies sleep on.
>> Vila: Right. So this is a very important alternative to learn about and to have. This is a baby mattress.
>> Right.
>> Vila: And what are some of the features? What are we looking at?
>> Well, some of the features -- and this is one of our highest-end mattresses. We've developed this mattress for parents that are gonna use a mattress for a very long time. Children can be in a mattress from when they're born until they're about six years old. They can use a toddler bed.
>> Vila: Well, the size of it works, but I notice there are several layers here. What's the story?
>> What we've done is we've taken three different firmnesses, firmness levels for the baby. We put the firm one on top for a newborn baby.
>> Vila: So you want the firmest for the newborn baby.
>> Absolutely, and that gives them that firm surface that is recommended for newborns. As the baby grows, they no longer need that firmness level.
>> Vila: Yeah, and they get heavier, too.
>> Yeah, they do get heavier, and so they're gonna displace -- this is gonna feel very firm to them here. They want more softness, and this is a comfort thing. So they want to put one of the other layers -- either the medium layer or the soft layer -- on top. You could even flip this mattress over if that's easier and you don't want to change the plates.
>> Vila: So you got from firm to soft to softest?
>> Exactly.
>> Vila: I see. And then is the cover just natural materials?
>> Yes, in this industry, people are using organic wool, organic cotton, and natural rubber.
>> Vila: But what about fire retardants?
>> We use the organic wool. It's the layer right under the organic cotton that you see on top, and this is your natural flame retardant.
>> Vila: So the wool is actually a natural flame retardant?
>> It is.
>> Vila: How expensive are they?
>> They run anywhere -- you can get an organic mattress anywhere from about $250 up to about $400.
>> Vila: Mm-hmm. Okay, and then there's a whole line of accessories that go for the crib, right?
>> There is. One thing you want to do, obviously, is protect your mattress.
>> Vila: Right.
>> So you put a wool puddle pad on top.
>> Vila: Not rubber.
>> Not rubber. Rubber's not breathable.
>> Vila: Aha.
>> So you want to put wool on top. That gives you the breathability, the natural flame retardant, and the natural moisture resistant.
>> Vila: But it could be a little scratchy on baby's face, right?
>> Right, the baby wouldn't lay directly on this. They don't need to. You can put an organic cotton pad on top, and this will absorb urine, especially with a toddler, who wets more. You could put this on top, and then you cover all that with a sheet.
>> Vila: Okay. So when you say "organic cotton," it means it's grown without any kind of chemical fertilizers or pesticides being used in the growing operation.
>> It is, yes. Yes, not only that, organic cotton goes a step further. It goes into the processing of the fabrics because we grow them with pesticides, generally, and then they're processed with more chemicals added. So what we do in the organic industry is we don't add any of those chemicals. Everything's naturally processed so there's no chemical residue to affect the baby.
>> Vila: Fabulous. And then you've got all the other things, the -- what do you call these things?
>> This is a crib bumper to protect the edges of the crib.
>> Vila: Right.
>> So that's organic cotton.
>> Vila: Mm-hmm.
>> Then you have things to dress up your crib, of course. We've got various sheets. There's crib ruffles. We've done the whole ensemble -- everything organic cotton.
>> Vila: Wonderful, and then you've also got a line of clothing that you're demonstrating here.
>> Yes, yes, we do. These are some of the clothing you'll use with a brand-new baby. These are layette items. So you've got kimonos. These are called "snap kimonos." This is a great take-me-home item.
>> Vila: I remember these things here. It's a great idea to market products like this that are all-natural. Ginny, thank you.
>> Vila: Okay, well, we're in the master bathroom now, and a lot of the detailing in here has been completed by our homeowner, who's doing the millwork himself, and he's put up shelves, as you can see, behind me and nice paneling under the window opening. And the bathroom -- one of the great things is it's got double windows in here. These are pella's architectural line that they chose, which is a nice, historic look. It's very appropriate for this 1890s house. And what you've got here is two lights over one, which is a style of window that was very popular back then, but it's high-tech in that we have low-emissivity glass with argon gas in between the two sheets of glass, and we've got, essentially, an Energy Star rating on the windows. They were all installed last week, but right now, we want to say hi to Grant Garcia and Chris Dada, who are here to install a corian tub surround.
>> Hi, Bob.
>> Vila: Hi, guys. So, this is always an interesting thing 'cause this is not fabricated on the job, right?
>> That's correct.
>> Vila: It's taken, and you've got to do templates and stuff and do it in your shop and then bring it to the house site.
>> That's correct.
>> Vila: Now, what kind of bead is this, this caulking?
>> Well, Chris is applying a high-quality silicone that has mildew resistance integrated into it.
>> Vila: Okay.
>> And that, eventually, is going to seep out and form the seam between the soaking tub and the deck.
>> Vila: So the tub is our cast-iron, enameled finish, and then this is our corian, and this will be in between the two. Tell us about the corian. What's one of the advantages of using it in this situation?
>> Well, it's nonporous. It's renewable. It is not going to support the growth of bacteria or mold, which, in a wet area like a bathroom, is absolutely essential.
>> Vila: And it is fabricated custom, right?
>> That's correct. We'll come in ahead of time and make a template.
>> Vila: Now, this tub over here is an unusual situation in that it's kind of an overmount and it's been laid down on the frame, but then we're treating it as an undermount. We're putting this over it, right?
>> Exactly, that's right. We're using it in a little different way. We're using it just as an undermount, just like you would a stainless-steel sink under a top.
>> Vila: Okay, so you're ready to go here. Can I give you a hand putting it in there?
>> Oh, yeah, sure.
>> Sure.
>> Vila: Catty-corner.
>> Your end.
>> I got it.
>> Let's bring it up. The other way, Chris, like that.
>> Vila: There you go. Front in first. And when we say "custom-made," it's even got a little dog-ear here to go around the trim. Now, how do you go about making a template to have this cut back at the shop?
>> Well, because of the unusual shape of the tub and also the space itself, what we try to do is get an exact digital template made. Digital-photo templating allows us to put the markers where we will around the wall and also around the object itself.
>> Vila: So you've come in here physically and taken a whole bunch of photographs of the tub...
>> 24, To be exact.
>> Vila: ...With a digital camera.
>> Correct.
>> Vila: And then what happens to those photographs?
>> Well, in the photographs, you have the object dots, as you can see, and then you also have the coordinate dots, which are on those panels in the middle of the tub. Well, the software knows how to read all those and is able, through photogrammetry, is able to create what you might call a "panorama shot" of the whole object, and then it's able to give us precise locations of all these dots.
>> Vila: So that the fabricator can actually get a paper template from that to transfer onto the corian.
>> Well, we actually do one better. Before the fabricator gets it, we connect all those dots, dot to dot, create a CAD drawing that a CNC router actually cuts out all the parts of out of the sheet. And so when the fabricator receives it, it's sort of like a model-airplane kit that he puts together.
>> Vila: All right. So there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work, and we all love the instant gratification of just setting it down and seeing it as the finished product. Tell me about some of the features here 'cause I'm looking at this edge, which I don't recognize.
>> Well, what you see here is a tile cove. The ceramic tile that Nick and Maggie have chosen is going to go right down on this tile cove. In fact, here is an example of it. So what is happening more is it's going to make it a very easy-to-clean surface. You'll never have any water or any dark lines appearing there because water and dirt have gotten in there. And, of course, you can see with the tile you're holding, Bob, how it matches with the storm-blue corian, one of the 120 colors that are available in the line.
>> Vila: Yeah, they've chosen a mixture of this glass tile with the white subway tile, and it's a very, very nice combination. All right, and cement board, which is, again, 1/2-inch thick, is the best product to use as a substrate for ceramic tile or marble because of its resistance to moisture.
>> Exactly.
>> Vila: And we're just driving screws in it and fastening it to the studs. Now...Grant, the cement board is terrific for the tile, but there's always the issue of moisture getting in down at the joint between the tub or the tub deck and the vertical surface. And when that happens repeatedly, you've got health issues with mold growth, et cetera, and you've got the potential for rotting lumber 'cause you've got moisture that can get in behind. So what kind of a detail are we gonna have here in terms of the transition?
>> Well, when that moisture does intrude, if it should, it would probably wick up behind the tile, which is setting on the tile cove, and if there was some kind of sheet rock or other material there, like a green board, a moisture-resistant board, it would actually act as a wick, and it would start wicking that moisture right up the wall.
>> Vila: And right into the gypsum, if it is a gypsum board, and that gets mushy and gets destroyed in a few years.
>> And moldy and a number of other things. So what we do to eliminate that is, first of all, we have the secondary line of defense against moisture intrusion, and that's this water dam right here. This is also made out of corian, fabricated integrally into the tub deck. And then there's an air space here. It's about 1/2 inch, 3/4, maybe an inch, and the tile will actually span that, so you'll never see it.
>> Vila: Okay, now, in terms of dealing with the caulking that you've got in there, which is a silicone product -- a lot of people hate working with the silicone because it can -- if you don't do it exactly right, it won't look very, very good. Any tips on how to get a good, even application?
>> Yes, we've allowed the silicone to seep out from underneath the tub deck.
>> Vila: The bead that you put on earlier, before you set the deck down.
>> Exactly, yes. Then what Chris did is he came back with denatured alcohol and sprayed the entire area around the bead before he tooled it at all, and now, while his hands are protected, he is tooling it with a little piece of laminate.
>> Vila: Any kind of square, stiff material that you can use as a tool, or I guess you could use a putty knife.
>> A putty knife would be good, except it might scratch the ceramic.
>> Vila: Yeah.
>> So by not touching it with human hands at all, you avoid the risk of dirt getting in there or bacteria that might later on grow in some way.
>> Vila: Great. Well, that is gonna be a very, very neat job. I can't wait to see all the tile finished, and, of course, you guys are here in Massachusetts at Sterling, is it? You do all of these installations, right?
>> Yes.
>> Vila: Tile, marble, corian, whatever.
>> We do kitchens, baths, and we specialize in corian.
>> Vila: Thanks a lot, Grant.
>> Thank you very much, Bob.
>> Vila: Okay. Closed captioning provided by...
>> Vila: Bob Vila here. Next time on the show, our baby-nursery project is almost completed, and just in time, 'cause I believe the stork is right around the corner. We'll be looking at finishing touches in the new bathroom, including a corian-tub-deck installation, and all sorts of safety features that you can put in your house when you have a newborn or toddlers, including gates at the tops of stairs and covers for the electrical plugs. And we'll also be learning about the right types of textiles and mattresses to consider for baby's room. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: Hi, Bob Vila here. Next time on the show, our baby-nursery project is almost complete, and I hear the stork is right around the corner. We'll be putting the finishing touches in the bathroom, including a tub deck, also looking at the right kinds of textiles and safety features. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: Hi, Bob Vila here. Next time on the show, we're putting in a corian tub deck and looking at all sorts of baby safety features. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: All right, back in the kitchen now. Let's say hi to Jay again. And there are lots of danger points in a kitchen from the point of view of toddlers, and what are some of the gadgets that are out there that can make life easier?
>> Well, to keep toddlers from preparing their own meals, anything dangerous that they might eat, we've got various types of adhesive latches for appliances.
>> Vila: So that's just a peel-and-stick gadget that you can pick up for a couple of bucks.
>> That's right, but it comes in very handy to control what's in the refrigerator.
>> Vila: Okay, well, my kids are grown up, but I always remember putting in these little things that you push down so that they couldn't open the cabinet doors under the sink.
>> Well, they've come a long way, Bob. You can't even pinch your fingers in here because they won't open at all until you put the magic magnet, and it will release from the inside. So that's what's going on with that.
>> Vila: Oh, let me have that. So it's really clever. You're controlling it that way.
>> And it can also be deactivated with the flip of a switch so that if children aren't around...
>> Vila: That's a great innovation.
>> Yeah.
>> Vila: Now, what about stoves? Aren't they a dangerous place?
>> Yes, they are, and there are a few things we could do that don't even need equipment. You could get in the habit of using the back burners, handles turned away. Dish towels kind of attract kids to the oven.
>> Vila: Yeah, so you want to keep them off of there.
>> Right. Stove-knob covers. Every child wants to turn everything, so it allows us to utilize the burners and keep a child out.
>> Vila: And what about receptacles, plug-ins? That's a danger point.
>> Well, Bob, we can replace the cover now with a sliding outlet cover so that a child, when pulling out a plug, can't work that plug in and out.
>> Vila: So it automatically slides shut.
>> That's right, and you don't have to worry about prying out those small, choking-hazard plug-ins.
>> Vila: And let's go look at the staircase a minute.
>> Let's do it.
>> Vila: So because we've got a two-family house here, our homeowners have to come up one flight before they're on their main floor, and then they've got another flight of stairs to get to the bedroom level. So we're really looking to two gates here. And how does this gate work? Is it different from the one over there?
>> This is a gate at the top of the stairs, and nothing in child safety is more important than a properly installed gate at the top of the stairs, which needs two motions to operate -- one, two.
>> Vila: Oh, so you slide back and then lift up.
>> And to close, we could pretty much close it from anywhere, and it'll drop right in. We do not want this gate to go in that direction. We want all the movement over the landing, that's right.
>> Vila: What about the installation, though, Jay?
>> The installation -- a gate is only as sturdy as what it's mounted on, and you'll see two wood-mount kits, the k10 from KidCo. And we've used what was available on the wall to mount it straight because if not straight, it has a mind of its own, and we don't want gates swinging.
>> Vila: We don't want them swinging or a mind of their own. All right, well, thanks for all the tips.
>> You're welcome.
>> Vila: And we're up in the nursery now, where most of our work is done. In fact, furnishings have arrived -- some of them -- and we finished all our insulations so that it's nice and snug and quiet up here, and we've got our solserene ceiling, and we've got our safety covers on the electrical outlets and our night-light in place, but we're out of time. Next week, we'll hopefully have the whole thing furnished and maybe even get to meet the baby. Till then, 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. BobVila.Com -- the ultimate home site.
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Carpentry, Construction & Materials • Beasley & Reidy Restorations - Residential contracting, remodeling, and home restoration • DuPont Corian - Custom fabricated tub deck available in Storm Blue and 120 different colors • Photo-Top - Photo templating for custom tub deck fabrication • Sterling Surfaces - Custom fabrication and installation of tub deck Child Proofing • Child Proofers of Connecticut - Child safety guidelines, services, products, and installation • KidCo - Configure Gate for large spaces, stair and safety gates • One Step Ahead - Baby and child safety products for the home - Safe-Plate electrical outlet guard, Stove Knob covers, Cabinet locks, safety gates Interior Design & Home Furnishings • Ecobaby Organics - Natural, organic clothing, sheets, and bedding products for baby • Owens Corning - QuietZone™ SOLSERENE™ Fabric Ceiling System • Pure-Rest Organic Bedding Co. - Natural rubber, steel coil, and organic wool-topped mattresses
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