The kitchen stairs in New England houses usually lead to the basement, where they kept the coal and the dust and the mess.
But, having redone this house totally, we've taken advantage of the basement space.
We're really making the most of it.
This area back in here will be our exercise room.
and we've already got a floor in place.
They've just finished this Pergo laminated flooring, which looks very similar to the kitchen floor, which is genuine maple.
This is a laminated product that really wears well, but right now let's go into my workshop.
You know, one thing that's very important when you're in the woodworking shop is to stay alert.
With that in mind, my architect Gregory Rockland specified a floor product that is almost hazard yellow, as they call it.
It will definitely keep you awake.
Hey, guys.
Hi, Anthony.
Hi, Bob.
Greg, how is it going?
This is,
This is your old workbench with the new base.
Exactly.
That Anthony just built.
A nice, stable new base, and that goes right in here.
Right in here.
Good, well, we'll talk in a minute about the layout of the workshop, but first let's talk about this floor.
How do you like this product?
Oh, I love this product.
They've been marvelous to work with.
I sent them a CAD drawing of the saw blade which then they cut into floor.
It's just remarkable what these people can do.
It is amazing.
So we've got all of this field of diamonds in yellow and metallic silver and then a dark gray saw blade, and it was fun to watch them do.
Of course, we have some flashbacks to show you, first with David Altman who installed the Pergo flooring in the exercise room.
We're here in the exercise room below the kitchen where we're installing Pergo, which looks just like the maple floor I've got up in the kitchen, but it's not.
Dave, what is Pergo?
Pergo is a high-pressure laminate floor which has all the beauty of a real wood looking floor with much more durability.
So that's it's main advantage.
It's a more durable product than a regular wood floor?
Absolutely, and it's easy to install.
Yeah, it is a real do-it-yourself product and it doesn't involve nails or fasteners at all, right?
Exactly.
All you do is fill up the groove with Pergo Glue and tap it together.
And it floats on top of either, in this case a concrete slab or a plywood deck or even an existing wooden floor?
Absolutely.
You could put it over just about at any type of substrate.
What have you got on top of our concrete here?
Okay, what we've done here since you have a nice flat level concrete subfloor.
We have to use an eight mil Pergo polyethelene film to act as a vapor barrier because all concrete gives off vapor emissions.
Exactly, so that we won't have any kind of damp coming in that could cause it to lift up.
But what's this other product that you've got underneath it?
This is a special engineered cellulose type of a paper, compressed paper, underlayment that we have developed.
Just for this?
Yes, just for this.
So that this could give you a bit of a cushion, right?
Yes, gives you a good comfort.
Um hmm.
Comfortable floor to walk on.
Right.
It gives you better
any qualities.
What is the price point?
Pergo retails for approximately $4 per square foot.
And has quite a warranty, right?
Absolutely, I'm just gonna put it to the test, this is indelible marker.
It 's no problem.
All you need is a little bit of acetone, a little bit of finger nail polish remover, and it'll come right off?
Takes it right up.
Oh, boy.
Just a little bit more acetone.
Little bit more acetone.
You're out of the woods.
Terrific.
Thanks Dave.
Now, lets go to the workshop and we'll look at a different type of flooring.
Well, we've got Richard Wilton from Amtico Flooring.
How are you, Richard?
Hi, good, Bob.
And Doug Sprague from Harry's Installation Services from Quincey, Mass.
And boy, what a floor I've got here.
What kind of product is the Amtico floor?
Amtico is a pure vinyl product, which means it will not shrink, crack, or curl and it's fully flexible.
So it's a 100% vinyl.
Yes it is.
Good product to use in a work shop from he durability perspective, and also I guess from the installation.
But what I love is the versatility of design.
How many colors do you guys make?
We manufacture over 160 different colors as the standard range.
Mm-hmm.
And this particular design, which our architect came up with, is basically a blow up of a big power saw blade that's being transferred right down here onto the floor.
Now, how did he do that?
He actually drew the design on his disc and sent his computer disc down to our cutting room in Atlanta.
Through a CAD program.
That's right.
So, we produced the CAD, and then the CAD program that we produced is then automatically put into the cutting room.
Fabulous.
Now, Doug, what are you involved in doing right now?
Is this just a...
This is a dry run, Bob.
I'm laying these out just to see that everything fits where it should in the room.
And then we'll adhere it and put it in permanently for you.
Okay.
And what kind of an adhesive will you be using?
It's an acrylic-based adhesive.
The tile goes into it wet and gets rolled with a hundred-pound roller.
And it's a very, very strong adhesive fabulous.
What part of the equation do we have here?
What's this supposed to be?
That's your arbor for the center of the saw.
How perfect.
Well, I can't wait to get it all finished.
Well, it's really turning into a beautiful shop.
And this of course is one of my favorites, this 10-inch which is so versatile.
You can move it out of the way.
Let's talk about your layout, your design for the space.
How big is the space?
The space is about fifteen by thirty, which is a good size space for a home workshop.
Generous.
And the only given, the only thing you had to deal with was over here.
Right?
Right.
Well this masonry mass of chimney support and column.
A natural division of the space.
Right.
So, how did you proceed?
Well, we divided into two areas.
We've got our metal working area over here where you can repair your lawnmower, or your bicycle, or something like that, and all your wrenches and screwdrivers will be stored here.
Exactly, and my big rolling toolbox will go in the corner eventually.
Right.
And then in the middle of the space, we got the radio arm saw, which is a very versatile tool, and should always be kind of in the middle of the space so that you maximize how much room you have for the boards, for the board length.
And then on the other other half of this space.
What's the logic here, Greg?
Well, on the other half of the space is where you work at your bench.
And this is a woodworking bench where you can put together the projects you're doing.
All your edge tools will be stored over here -- planes, chisels.
And then underneath, we've got all your Sears hand tools laid out.
And, so, everything's readily at hand.
What I love is the contrast between these floors and just having plain wood and plywood -- no paint, no stain.
We'll have plenty of room to put hooks and nails and hang things.
And we've even got a nice clean-up sink right in the corner.
But now we have to break for some messages.
When we come back, we'll get together with Bob Riley.
We're building some front steps.
Don't go away.
