0225 - Cedar Porch, Hydro-Air System, Fireplace, and Stone Veneer February 26-March 4, 2007 | August 27-September 2, 2007 >> Vila: Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Welcome to the show. Our addition is far along, and today we're putting up some beautiful cedar siding on the front under the porch. Also, inside, we're installing a brand-new, state-of-the-art boiler that's going to do a lot of different tasks. We're insulating using cellulose blown-in insulation. Inside, we're putting in a fireplace, and we'll be working on the drywall and putting in some woodport doors. Stick around. It's good to have you with us. Now, the front of the house is going to have a big farmer's porch with a roof over it all the way across the whole width of the house. Perfect for lots of rocking chairs. And we're using western red cedar to trim everything out. Now, this is western red cedar 2x6, which we'll use for decking, and Howard is back there, starting to put some of the siding in place. But Peter Lang is with us from the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. Sorry. How are you, Peter?
>> Hello, Bob.
>> Vila: Sorry to bring you out on such a cold New England day, but let's talk a little bit about the reasons why western red cedar is such a good choice for exterior applications.
>> Well, there are several reasons. First of all, in applications such as siding, siding's a very visible part of the house, so therefore, the look is very important, and western red cedar is renowned for its natural beauty, so it will certainly greatly enhance the look of the house -- the curb appeal.
>> Vila: Yeah, in this case, we're using tongue and grooved with a "V" in each one, right?
>> Yes. The product is a 1x6 tongue and groove. Tongue and groove. It is potentially reversible -- one of the more versatile cedar patterns in that it is a potentially reversible product.
>> Vila: You could put the rough-sawn part out?
>> You can put the rough-sawn part out or the smooth face, depending on the look that you want to achieve.
>> Vila: And, of course, you could use it horizontally or...
>> Or vertically. That's correct, and, of course, even in ceiling applications.
>> Vila: And, Peter, is western red cedar considered a green material?
>> Cedar is very definitely a green building material. It is for several reasons. First of all, it's one of the few building materials that are naturally renewable -- come from a renewable resource. Also, it is harvested in a sustainable manner from well-managed forests. Many of the forests -- many of the companies who are engaged in the business are harvesting from certified forests -- third-party certification systems such as SFC and CSA -- to ensure that the highest standards of forestry are being practiced. In addition, cedar, of course, is a recyclable material. It's biodegradable.
>> Vila: Sure, but i'll tell you, from a carpenter's perspective, it's a dream to work with.
>> It absolutely is.
>> Vila: Thanks, Peter.
>> Thank you. Thank you for using it.
>> Vila: Okay, Tim Cutler's with us now from TJ's Plumbing, and we're listening to the Viessmann. We've got three different kind of things happening here, right?
>> Yes.
>> Vila: Can you take us through it?
>> I can. We have a Viessmann boiler, which is heating our domestic hot water. It's also heating our radiant-heating system, and it's running our hydro-air heating plant here. The hydro-air system is an air handler with a hot-water coil inside it. So the water gets heated by the boiler, sent through the coil, and then sends warm air out through the building.
>> Vila: Yeah, and that, primarily, is for the existing, older part of the house, right?
>> Exactly.
>> Vila: And then what about domestic-hot-water needs for the showers and the kitchen, et cetera?
>> The showers and the kitchen get fed by a 79-gallon indirect, domestic-hot-water, dual-coil tank, okay? The bottom coil gets fed by our solar system, which has Viessmann-evacuated tubes.
>> Vila: How many of them?
>> There are 30 on the roof. This is a copper fin. You can actually see it right here. What happens is it has alcohol inside this. It has a very low boiling point. When we boil, it transfers the BTUs to this bulb, and we pick it up and send it through this lower coil, which heats our domestic hot water.
>> Vila: Okay, and then, on the other side of the room, we're gonna talk to your colleague about the PEX part of it, right?
>> Exactly.
>> Vila: All right. Thanks, Tim.
>> Yep.
>> Vila: Then, going from the old part of the basement to the new addition, what we did was we had a concrete cutter come in to provide this opening. And over here, Bill Sloan is here from Viega. Now, the heating in the new addition is actually up in the slab, right?
>> Yes. These pipes run up into supply-return pipes from the slab.
>> Vila: And these are all PEX?
>> These are all PEX tubing.
>> Vila: And then Viega is manufacturing the manifolds?
>> Yes, yes. And this copper system here, also, which is the propress system, which is both your supply and return pipes. You can feel the hot water going up, and then you can feel the return pipes.
>> Vila: Returning cooled off. Right, exactly. Oh, yeah, you totally can. Now, what kind of joints are all of these?
>> These are propress joints, Bob. Propress -- it's a copper system that's been over in Europe for over 25 years.
>> Vila: And it doesn't require any soldering?
>> No solder, no flux.
>> Vila: Have you got a little sample?
>> Yes, I do. This is a propress fitting. Basically, you can press from 1/2-to 4-inch "K," "L," or "M" copper, soft copper from 1/2 to inch and a quarter.
>> Vila: And then there is a black something in there, right?
>> That is an EPDM sealing element, commonly referred to as an O-ring.
>> Vila: Yeah, okay. Excellent. So, this is all done, right?
>> Yes, it is.
>> Vila: I wonder why it's so cold in here. Thanks a lot, Bill.
>> Thank you.
>> Vila: And inside the house, we've been busy insulating that new roof to keep all the heat in. Howard chose to use a natural product, as well.
>> The first step is installing some netting. This is a cross-linked polypropylene netting. The most important feature of this is that it's breathable, so that when we blow in at high pressure the cellulose, the air can come out and escape, so it can be packed very densely. This is a fire-retardant netting. It's stapled up in a very tight manner so that we can get a maximum amount of cellulose in here. In the truck, we have the insulation machine. There, we empty the bales of cellulose, where they are shredded up even further, and they are pumped at high pressure through these hoses and into the cavities. Here we have a roof assembly with 2x12 rafters, where we had strapping, and we've netted over it. It would cost about $2.25 A square foot. Cellulose is not just a great thermal insulator. It's a great sound attenuator. In this interior partition wall of the bathroom, we will be installing cellulose directly against the drywall to prevent sounds from traveling from the bathroom to the hallway.
>> Cellulose insulation has been around since 1920 and has been used extensively since 1970, both in new and existing construction. It's the borates that are added to the material that really give it the enhanced fire retardant, mold inhibitors, and repellent for insects. The key thing to know about Nu-Wool is this isn't just ground-up newspaper. This has borates added that impart significant fire protection to the material. In the field, we can do a test where we take a propane torch and put a penny on here and can melt the penny without the heat actually going through and heating up your hand or affecting your hand. After that cools, you then scrape away 1/8 to 1/4 inch of material, and there's fresh material underneath that. Not only do borates offer significant fire resistance, but they also are mold inhibitors and resist insects. But the best thing about borates is they're naturally occurring, and that, along with a material that's made from 83% recycled content, really offers an environmentally green product. In this house, we're using the cellulose in an unvented application. So first of all we're going to maximize the potential, or the depth, thickness, of the insulation by fully filling that cavity. And then, because we're dense-packing, or packing it in very tightly, we will then eliminate the potential for warm, moist air to permeate through that cavity and potentially condense. And that offers both the performance of the insulation and the protective aspects of the material.
>> Vila: We're using Georgia-Pacific DensArmor drywall throughout the house. One of the great advantages of this kind of innovation in drywall is that, because the mat facing is not made out of an organic paper -- it's made out of a fiberglass type of face -- you don't have any danger of hosting any sort of mold growth, and that's a really important thing nowadays in most house construction. Here we also have the added complexity, if you will, of having to install it onto this concrete-and-foam structure. So there were these steel "J" beads that were inserted horizontally, and they provide nailer, if you will, a place for the drywall screws to fasten to, and that's how they all were installed. Closed captioning provided by...
>> Vila: Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Next time on the show, we're installing a brand-new, state-of-the-art boiler that's gonna do a lot of different tasks. We're insulating using cellulose blown-in insulation. Inside, we're putting in a fireplace, and we'll be working on the drywall and putting in some woodport doors. That's next time. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Next time on the show, we're insulating using cellulose blown-in insulation. Inside, we're putting in a fireplace, and we'll be working on the drywall and putting in some woodport doors. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: Hi, I'm Bob Vila. Next time on the show, we're insulating using cellulose blown-in insulation, and we'll be working on the drywall and putting in some Woodport doors. Don't miss it.
>> Vila: And so the walls are just about ready for paint. And over here, we've got a feature that I think will really make the living room of our in-law suite very, very cozy.
>> Basically, what this is is a Majestic wood-burning fireplace. And what's unique about it, compared to most fireplaces, is this actually uses outside air for combustion. It draws the air in from the outside to feed the fire. It operates similar to a woodstove in that, when you have the fire operating in it, you're gonna run it with the doors closed. What we did is measured ahead of time to make sure that we had enough room for them to put the finish material on, the marble and the mantel and all that type of thing. So we measured out from the two sides and allowed for a six-foot mantel, basically. What we're gonna do now is get the pipe. There's a wall upstairs that's lined up with this wall. And it's also lined up with the peak of the roof, so we want to make sure we stay far enough away that we can get the flashing to fit on the chimney without getting on the edge of the roof. So we're gonna use a couple of these components here. These are 30-degree offsets. This is the most you can offset these chimney systems. You can use multiple number of offsets. I think you can use up to four on this particular fireplace. All of this information is always sent with the units. They have very thorough, very intricate manuals that come with them that explain all of this stuff.
>> Vila: And that structure for the fireplace is now being trimmed out with real stone. And Jon Nadler is here from Plymouth Quarries.
>> How are you, Bob?
>> Vila: Let me ask you. I mean, we've used man-made stone products in veneer or ashler installations before, but this is real stone.
>> This is actually real stone. Taking the principle of the cultured stone, as you're familiar with, they actually took real thin stone and saw-cut it thin so it could be applied as you would a typical cultured stone or a man-made, fabricated stone.
>> Vila: Is it native fieldstone in Massachusetts?
>> It's actually a New England fieldstone. It's from Connecticut, this particular stone. But there are also stones from New York and out west.
>> Vila: And how easy is it to cut it?
>> You can cut it with a hammer. You can cut it with a four-inch grinder. You can cut it with a wet saw. It's that easy to cut this thin stone.
>> Vila: Okay. And the cost?
>> Typically between $12 and $15 a square foot. In some cases, it's gonna be a little bit less. In some cases, it will be a little bit more, depending on the type of stone.
>> Vila: Normally when we think about fieldstone fireplaces, you're thinking about big stones that are stacked all on top of one another, and there's tons of masonry you have to support with a big concrete pad.
>> You're 100% correct when you're saying "tons of stone." In this particular case, it's a lightweight stone product. It's natural stone that's lightweight, typically less than 15 pounds to the square foot, as opposed to the natural stone, or the four-inch stone, which is 50 pounds to the square foot. This actually works from the top down. You can actually hang this from the top down. It doesn't require any structural footings underneath, so you have a cost savings there, too.
>> Vila: That's a big advantage. Now we're gonna interrupt Joe McDonough. Joe, I understand you built the original chimney when Howard built this house 25 years ago.
>> Yes.
>> Vila: Is that right?
>> Yes.
>> Vila: Well, this is such counterintuitive work. Normally you feel like you start at the bottom and you go up. But you start at the top. It looks beautiful. How do you fill in the joints in between?
>> What we do is we use a grout bag, and we buy these at a pastry shop.
>> Vila: It looks like a cake-decorating sleeve. You just squirt.
>> The mortar comes out.
>> Vila: Can you show us?
>> And you just go along.
>> Vila: That's a great tip.
>> Fills it right in. It's nice and neat.
>> Vila: And then do you have to use a trowel or anything to finish it off?
>> No, we actually use a stick.
>> Vila: Just a pointed stick?
>> That's all it is. It's old-time. And just scratch the joints out as it dries out. You let it set up, usually, a couple of hours. This has been setting for two or three hours now.
>> Vila: And you just...
>> Go over it and brush it. Take a brush and brush everything out.
>> Vila: And that's it? It's a beautiful job. Congratulations. Thanks, Jon.
>> Thanks.
>> Vila: Very nice. All right, so we're with Brian Miller of Miller and Sons painting right now. Hi, Brian. And that's Joe up there cutting in. Right?
>> Yes, he is, Bob. Joe is cutting a straight line across where the two surfaces meet. He's forming a straight line so we can bring that wall right down to the ground.
>> Vila: So if you've never painted a room, you ought to know that the first thing you do before you even get a roller out is to go around all of these corners and edges and fill in. How wide should you normally go?
>> You should try to bring it down two to three inches so you do have enough space to bring the roller up to where the wet paint is.
>> Vila: And not onto the ceiling.
>> Exactly.
>> Vila: What kind of paint are we using?
>> Today, we're using Sherwin-Williams Duration. It's an interior latex paint. It's designed for one-coat coverage. It's a self-priming paint, as well.
>> Vila: You've got a professional-looking roller here.
>> Yes, we like to use these 18-inch rollers just to get a smooth finish and decrease the lap marks. Lap marks would sometimes occur with a nine-inch roller, so that's why we do use the 18.
>> Vila: And what about the thickness of it, the nap of it?
>> The nap is a half-inch nap. It's designed to actually put more paint on the wall.
>> Vila: That looks great. It looks like we'll get away with just one coat.
>> Bob, it looks that way, and that's exactly why we like to use this application, this paint.
>> Vila: Very nice job. You've got three more to go. Thanks, Brian.
>> Vila: And, Howard, not only are you the flooring genius, but you're a jack-of-all-trades. You're putting up your own doors, right?
>> Yes, Bob. Necessity makes us do many things.
>> Vila: How are you coming with the floors upstairs?
>> We're doing great. We're putting the Bellawood pre-finished red oak, beautiful material, goes together nice. We're really having a good time.
>> Vila: That's a very good choice, yes. Anyway, Dean Stewart is with us right now to talk about our wonderful Woodport doors. And what kind of a door is this?
>> This is a four-panel, contemporary door with what we call mission sticking. It's also commonly referred as a shaker-style door.
>> Vila: Oh, 'cause the shakers made all the beautiful shaker furniture that had the flat panels like that, usually on a horizontal design.
>> Very simple design.
>> Vila: Yeah. What's the construction of the door?
>> The construction of the door is an engineered-wood panel with a birch veneer over the top of it. What's nice about birch and why Howard chose this for the project is simply because he wasn't sure whether he was going to stain or paint this door, and because birch is such a versatile wood, it would turn out beautiful no matter what he ends up doing with it.
>> Vila: When you say an engineered core, just what does that mean?
>> That is a veneer over the top of a very high-density fiberboard material, and it just makes the door a lot more stable so that it doesn't warp or have some of the tendencies that a solid-wood door would.
>> Vila: Less danger of moisture being absorbed into the door. We've all had doors warp. Well, it's a beauty. Thank you.
>> You bet.
>> Vila: And, Howard, good luck. We're running out of time. 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. Bobvila.com -- the ultimate home site.
Additional Bob Vila Showrooms • Chadsworth's - Columns, Pillars, Pilasters & Balustrades • Bellawood - Prefinished Hardwood Floors • TOTO USA - Elegant, technologically-advanced plumbing fixtures that perform! • Intelligent Warmth - The Value and Benefits of Today's Oilheat
Appliances • Sears - Appliances Decks, Fencing & Outdoor Living • Western Red Cedar Lumber Association - Tongue-and-groove 1x6 siding and 2x6 decking - View Bob Vila Showroom Floors, Stairs & Elevators • Howard Brickman Consulting (Norwell, MA) - General contracting and project management • Lumber Liquidators - Bellawood prefinished red oak tongue-and-groove flooring - View Bob Vila Showroom Heat, Ventilation & Cooling • Fireplace Connection - Fireplace installation and service • Vermont Castings - Majestic wood-burning fireplace • Viessmann - Vitola 200 boiler to serve domestic hot water, hydro-air heating system, and radiant-floor heating, liquid solar roof tubes for domestic hot water Insulation • Alpine Insulators of Gloucester, MA - Cellulose wall spray and dense pack application • National Fiber - NuWool spray applied and Cel-Pak dense pack and loose-fill cellulose thermal and sound insulation Masonry & Faux Stone • McDonough Masonry - Thin stone veneer application and mantle work • Plymouth Quarries - New England fieldstone thin stone veneer Painting & Wallpapering • Miller and Sons - Professional painting services • Sherwin Williams - Duration interior latex paint Plumbing & Septic Systems • TJ’s Plumbing and Heating - Installation of hydro-air heating system, radiant-floor heating, and indirect hot-water tank • Viega - PEX tubing for in-slab radiant-floor heating, manifolds, copper supply and return pipes, and ProPress solder-less copper joints Tools & Workshop • Knee Blades - Revolutionary new kneepad that combines comfort and mobility • Todol Pur-Stick - Gun Foam construction adhesive Walls & Ceilings • Georgia Pacific - DensArmor fiberglass-faced inorganic wallboard
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