Bob and Howard Brickman begin the installation of the old-growth pine plank flooring in a second-floor bedroom of the modern Colonial's sister house. The Eastern White pine flooring, which was supplied by Carlisle Restoration Lumber, is newly milled from select old-growth trees from New England. The boards project measure 17-inches wide, and up to 14-feet long. Brickman first lays down a 15-pound felt paper to cover the subfloor. The felt paper acts as a moisture barrier and reduces the amount of movement in the floor over time. After laying out the entire floor, Brickman marks the location of the floor joists beneath the subfloor. Using cut nails for an authentic period appearance, the floor will be face nailed. Each nail must be driven below the surface of the floor with a nail set. Once fully secured, the floor will be sanded and finished with a tung oil coating.

Hardiplank, a product made of fiber cement, will be used for the siding. The planks are made of a mix of wood fiber and cement, which work well together. The planks are durable and hold paint well. The siding being used is prefinished, so it is installed with a final factory-finsh coat.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. If your home doesn t have the style you wish it had, adding crown molding can help. It can mask any imperfections between the wall and ceiling and add formality, polish and a sense of history, literally crowning the room. Installing crown molding can be a tricky job and probably isn t for beginners. But for those with basic carpentry skills and some patience, it can be a very satisfying do-it-yourself project. Before you start, set up a short scaffolding using sawhorses and planks so you can reach the ceiling and move easily while you work. To avoid wasting expensive molding on mistakes, cut one-foot-long test pieces. Experiment with cutting them to the correct angles and use them as templates: The key is to know which edge is the outside of each cut. Keep it simple by cutting molding in position on the saw using crown stops. Most pros only use a compound miter saw on the outside corners, which are the most visible. For inside corners, use a coping saw. Use real wood molding for this job because manufactured materials will chip if you cope them. Perhaps most important, how do you know which edge is the top of the molding? Look for the ogee, the common element in most crown molding that looks like a wave. It goes closest to the ceiling. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008