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- Basement Finishing and Family Space > Episode 12: Exterior Lighting, Audio, Video, and Décor for the Melrose Home
Installing Exterior Lighting
Project: Basement Finishing and Family Space, Episode 12, Part 1
Bob is in Melrose, where landscape lighting is installed in the front and back yards using 12/2 wire in a continuous lead from the last light fixture all the way to the hub connecting solid-stem brass fixtures and 20-watt bulbs throughout the grounds. The yard is on a single circuit but could be wired as zones to turn lights on when it's dark, or to break up controls between the front, back, and side yards. The exterior is completely rewired for lighting and outlets while the inside gets radio-frequency-controlled lighting complete with scenes for different areas of the home. The children's room is reorganized with a double desk, toy storage, drawers, and bookshelves. The basement is completely finished with basement drainage, waterproofing, new subfloors, easy-stick carpet tiles, media-room recliners, audio and video systems, finished storage, a second bath with a macerating toilet and pump, laundry, and a small desk area. The entire basement is finished with a basement system that provides walls, trim, doors, and ceiling for a polished, sound-deadening new family room. The new furnace, central air, air purification, and on-demand hot water system are tucked behind finished walls where they function quietly to keep the entire house comfortable.
- Part 1: Installing Exterior Lighting
- 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 for improvement. The front of the house had some serious landscape and hardscape improvements made, including putting in a retaining wall and new shrubs and bushes. A white cedar fence was put along the side of the house. An area of peastone was put in the backyard along with a section of NewGrass artificial grass. Tom Pena of Atlantic View Lighting reviews how the outdoor lighting fixtures were installed. In this case, a 20 watt Astrobrite bulb was used which should last a long time and is user-friendly as it is resistant to oils on human hands. The Uniques stem and fixture are solid brass and feature a lifetime warranty. A 25-foot wire was used to power the lights, 22 of them in all. Every fixture in this case has a 20 watt bulb. Different sections of the yard could be designed to handle lighting differently. Photocell lighting is available to turn lights on automatically when it turns dark. No matter what size the lighting job, installers should work in order from the last light installed back to the hub to make sure things work consistently.
- Part 2: Planning Exterior and Interior Lighting, Storage Solutions, and Interior Decorating
- Part 3: Touring the Completed Basement Remodel
Bob Vila helps a young family with an old house create family and recreational space for their active kids. Projects include replacement window installation, innovative plumbing solutions, and smart storage to make indoor and outdoor spaces ideal for this growing family.
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