Bob is back at the Punta Gorda, Florida, storm-ready house for the installation of the hurricane-resistant front door. Jesse Gonzalez from Mercedes Homes joins Bob for the installation of an oversized front door with impact-resistant side lite. Like the windows of the home, the door is installed agains a pre-cast lip so that it can resist blown-in during a storm. The sill and the added concrete lip will also help protect against water infiltration during a storm. The door is unusual in that it swings out, a feature that will help keep it and the house envelope in tact when pressured by high winds.

Bob works with GC Charlie Tomaszewski and Matt Alexander to move the Medford home's original front door over to the left. This will allow them to frame in a proper foyer to catch the drafts during cold weather. The original door was very simply framed with just a 2 x 4 serving as a header. Because the house has a balloon frame they won't be able to get a king stud in the same way they did when the house was originally framed. The new header will be constructed from two 2 x 10s sandwiched on a regular piece of one inch board and will be supported by two king studs and will provide the full dimension of the studs that were there. In removing the sheathing they discover that the home's original cedar clapboards had been covered first with cedar shingles and later with man-made shingles. Next they install new jack studs to support the door header and then cut the sheathing to create the new opening for the door. Finally they move the old door frame into its new location.

To prepare for the Victorian remodel we take an inspirational tour of the striking Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport, Rhode Island, for a grander perspective. This Victorian palace was originally built buy the Wetmore and remodeled in 1870 Richard Morris Hunt. Isabelle White shows bob around the home. The walls in the entrance are painted canvas and the ceiling is a fresco of the tree of life. As they walk through the house there are hand carved walnut trim and paneling throughout. There are some 3500 pieces of china in the home. The tour ends in the original entrance to the home, which has a polished black and white marble floor.

At the Malibu beach house, Bob meets with Jack and Kent Colstead to hang the new arched top, vertical grain, Douglas fir front door. This door must be hung from scratch and requires careful scribing, as well as a host of other door-hanging tools. Jack gives some hints and tips for hanging the door.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. How do you ensure you ll get the selling price you want for your home in a buyer s market? Now is not the time to install those granite countertops you ve been dreaming of because you probably won t get your money back. To get the best price you can without breaking the bank, grab a roller or hire a painter. Paint is the tried-and-true, budget home improvement that realtors recommend. Pay special attention to the areas that potential buyers will see first. On the front fa ade or even just the area around the front door, scrape and repaint any peeling or flaking areas to improve that all-important first impression. Be sure to repair any damage, nail holes or cracks, and choose an eggshell or a matte paint finish to take the focus off any imperfections. If the paint s still in good condition, a light pressure wash will brighten it up and welcome visitors. If your front door is purple or your wallpaper saw Nixon impeached, now is the time to go for cream, white or beige. Some realtors even recommend repainting the whole interior in off-white to provide a clean slate. It might not be your style, but the more neutral your home s color palette, the more possibilities a buyer will see there, and that s where your work will pay off. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Bob Ryley is on to his next project, installing the new lockset from Baldwin Brass on the front door. Ryley's advice for getting started: find a clean open space to spread out your materials, and most importantly, read the directions. Ryley's already hung the striker plate, and the next step is to attach the dead bolt and the thumb latch. The brass hardware comes with corresponding hinges to create a matched set.

The second section to be secured of the four main house pieces is the first floor front section�including the front door. The workman use a �come-along� tool to join the two pieces into what is called in the modular home industry a marriage point or joint. Bob heads down to the basement to view the sections of the home from below. The lally columns from the basement will support the beams of the first floor at several points along the marriage joint. The unfinished basement will soon be a large family room, exercise area and TV den. On the first floor Bob reviews the marriage wall and how the two sections will be joined with steel brackets. The pieces have been engineered so that the bulk of the on-site work consists of securing the pieces together with bolts and removing the additional framing and supports that were added for shipping. It is almost like opening a new computer crate. You open up the box remove the packing material, plug everything in and you are almost ready to start, or in the case of a modular home, move-in.

Bob meets Tim Woods from the Internet Home Alliance at the Home Director network connection center in the basement. It's where all the structured wiring comes in and where the main controls happen: 2 +2 (cat-5 and RJ), cable broadband, security link-up, telephone, etc. Because the homeowners are a dual career couple they need to be connected to each other (home office to the studio) and to the outside world in a broadband environment. In the kitchen Larry Hicks of Home Director is installing some cable for a universal 2 + 2 outlet for TV, telephone or data near the breakfast nook providing flexibility for use of a phone, screen, etc. Looking at the Alliance's wiring plan, Tim points out the security camera at the front door and the ADT iCenter security system. The study/screening room will be a real media center with speakers for dolby stereo running through the ceiling, cable broadband, and a Panasonic high definition TV. There willl be speakers throughout the house allowing different music to play in diffferent rooms all controlled from the audio center in the kitchen. The Cisco Aironet system is a wireless network for the home allowing the homeowner to put a wireless card into his laptop and wirelessly port the web anywhere in the house. Because this is an old house in which they are trying to preserve the original plaster and lath walls, the installation of the structured wiring has required different tools and is a much slower process than in new construction, but it can be done.

Bob Ryley meets with Ken Frankel from Lucent Technologies to talk about the new HomeStar wiring system. Ryley points out the outlet part of the system on the wall. These outlets, of which there are six in the house, connect into the basement. Ken explains that the HomeStar system takes care of television, phone, internet, and security for homeowners. Homeowners can be sitting in the living room and see who is at the front door without getting up. Cameras are linked into the television for exterior and interior monitoring. The wire connecting the outlets distributes voice, data, and video through the house. Bob then shows us the hybrid wire which consists of three wires on the inside. The first is a cable wire for television. The second is for video distribution and security monitoring, and the third is for telephone and computer. The telephone and data wire is the highest grade wire called a Category Five wire. Ken tells us that cat five is six hundred times faster than a regular phone wire and perfect for home office use. He points out that using HomeStar a homeowner can save money with the networking capabilities of cables linking various televisions and computers throughout the home.

A home network's video options allow you to keep tabs on the kids in the backyard or check who is at the front door from any television in the house.