Bob meets with Tim Woods in the 3rd floor office. Tim shows us the Panasonic PBX phone system which is ideal for a home business with conference call, paging, and intercom capabilities from anywhere in the house. The Web-based cam is another useful feature that allows the homeowner to monitor a room through a Web site accessible from anywhere in the world. Tim also explains that the homeowner's laptop has a wireless networking card from Cisco Systems, allowing wireless in-home internet access. The laptop also has a 64MB Secure Digital (SD) card reader that downloads music onto a card, which can then be played in the homeowner's car. Finally, Tim shows Bob the Panasonic Iris scanner. The Iris scanner interfaces with the homeowner's computer system allowing secure access to computer files.

Damon Markowski from Leviton shows Bob the dimmers that have been installed to control light levels and save power. Leviton has also provided a built-in surge pression module that protects all of the electronic components of the home, including the cable television and phone, from damaging power surges.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Even if you re diligent about cleaning year-round, when winter s over there s always another reason to roll up your sleeves. But you can make spring cleaning less of an onerous chore if you use the right tools. Here are some suggestions. Get a year s worth of grime and mildew off your deck and your home s exterior in a few hours by using a pressure washer and an oxygen-based bleach solution or natural cleanser. For windows, a solution of white vinegar and water is as good a cleaner as any, and old newspapers make great lint-free window wipes. Finish the outside with some rain protectant made for car windshields and lengthen the time between cleanings. There s nothing better than a long-handled ostrich feather duster for getting rid of cobwebs and dusting those trim details up high that you never think about. A damp cloth with a little vegetable oil will work on wood surfaces. Microfiber dustcloths work on any surface, especially electronics. For cleaning lampshades and popcorn ceilings, use a lint roller. Rubber gloves will rub pet hair off the upholstery. And white cotton gloves, one wet and one dry, can help you clean the chandelier. Mop hard floors with a good self-wringing string head mop; save the sponge mop or disposable cleaning pad type for lighter everyday jobs or laminate floors. If you have wall-to-wall carpet, a steam cleaner s a great tool to have. While it might not seem like a cleaning tool, using a timer will keep you from burning out or getting sidetracked as you work. And a rolling cart to store and haul your tools will lighten your load during spring cleaning and beyond. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Barry Driscoll is in the basement installing a state-of-the-art surge protector from Square D. Barry hooks up a main surge protector for the whole house that will take care of all the appliances, electronics, and anything else that could be damaged. It also protects the telephones and cable TV that run throughout the house. This eliminates the need for individual surge protectors on separate appliances. This can be installed in a retrofit as well as in new construction. Barry is also installing an arc fault detector. These units that are now required by the new national electrical code for branch circuits in bedrooms protect against fires from arcing caused by damaged wires (if you hit a wire while hanging a picture), deteriorating electrical insulation, stressed electrical cords, or misapplied or damaged appliance use. The arc detector was designed to detect overloads, short circuits and arc faults and open the circuit and stop the arc fault and its high intensity heat before a fire is likely to ignite.

Here are some more great tips from BobVila.com. Most new parents know they need to take steps to protect their child from household dangers, but it seems like there s a new childproofing gadget invented every minute. How do you know what you need? Every home is different, and every child, even from week to week, will have different abilities and interests. To begin, get down on your hands and knees and tour your house from your child s point of view. Open everything you can and look for hard corners that can bump heads as well as anything that can burn, shock or that contains water. Look for any openings wider than two inches where a child could get stuck or fall in, like stairways, railings and operable windows. Take notes as you go and keep in mind that even if your child can t quite reach it now, it s only a matter of time until he can. Once you have your hazards list, do some online research to find the best solutions. You can child-lock or shield anything, from toilets to refrigerators to electronics, but you want to find solutions the rest of the family can live with. There are several ways to keep cabinets and doors closed, including magnetic locks you can t see. Rather than the plug-in socket shields, which some children are able to remove, try more permanent sliding outlet covers. Furniture anchor straps are great for keeping TVs, dressers and shelves from being pulled over. Safety gates are essential at stair openings, but you might also want one around the wood stove or fireplace. Some child safety measures don t cost anything. Turn your water heater s thermostat down to 125 degrees to prevent scalding. Lock your windows. And move all toiletries and medicines out of reach. While you re at it, remove any toxic cleaners and chemicals from the living areas of your home altogether. Replace them with non-toxic biodegradable products. These are better for your family and the environment, and you won t have to worry nearly as much about poisoning. No matter what you choose to install, do a safety check every six months to be sure you re still covered as your child grows. And remember that no gadget protects your child better than your teaching and supervision. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Ron Ford from Kohler shows Bob the 12 killiwatt backup generator that has been installed at the Punta Gorda, Florida, home. Backup power is essential in a hurricane to prevent moisture buildup and damaging mold growth. Advances in design mean that home generators now come in smaller, quieter packages. With record destruction from recent hurricanes, Ford says that generator sales have increased 600 percent in Florida alone. The Kohler generator is powered by a reciprocating gas engine that can be powered by natural or LP gas. Ford explains how the design has been enhanced to provide clean power that is suited to advanced electronics like plasma televisions and computers. The generator costs about $7,500 installed.

Plumbing and heating contractor Doug Buchanan is ready to install the Kenmore Elite dishwasher. The dishwasher has a very clean design with the electronics panel on the top of the lid where it's hidden from view under the counter. The interior of the dishwasher has been configured so that it can accommodate large 13-inch plates and the slide-out shelf for glassware can be lowered a notch to fit champagne flutes and other tall glassware. The dishwasher has a standard plug-in for 110 current and a drain line that is already pre-drilled in the cabinet. While old-style dishwashers have a drain solenoid, the new styles like this Kenmore Elite have a pump. The water feed is made of stainless steel flexible line which also goes through the cabinet into a main shutoff for the dishwasher only. With wheels on the back like a shopping cart, the dishwasher can be rolled right into place.

Chris Vila meets with Jack Frederick from Frederick/Gerahty to review the hot water heater. The Continuum unit from Rinnai is an instant-on unit that employs no holding tank. Water is heated on demand when the user opens the hot water tap. The unit senses the moving water and heats only what is needed and shuts down when the tap is shut off. This unit has remote sensors that can be programmed with maximum water temperatures to prevent scalding. Since the unit produces no �standing� hot water, it can be up to 70 percent more efficient than a standard hot water heater. The Continuum can produce up to 8.5 gallons of hot water per minute continuously so the homeowner never needs to worry about running out of hot water. Rinnai also uses a direct-vent system making it friendlier in today�s tightly sealed homes.

The kitchen is set for company, but the counters are clean and uncluttered. Appliances in white complement the adjacent living space in this open-plan apartment. The Whirlpool double-door refridgerator in white, with lots of storage and features, blends with the oven and cooktop, also from Whirlpool, and the Energy Star dishwasher with high-end features like wine-glass racks and special wash cycles. Bob challenged the crew to outfit the kitchen completely by shopping online from Sears.com. Juicers, pots, pans, blender, combination microwave-convection oven, coffee grinder and brewer, were all selected, delivered, and tucked away in this getaway kitchen designed for easy entertaining.

A half bathroom and a laundry were also installed in the basement of the Melrose home. These systems were installed using a pump system because the room is below street level and needs to have wastewater pumped up to the sewer lines. A SwanStone Deep Laundry Sink was put in place with a Moen faucet. A Whirlpool front-loading washer and dryer set was also installed. In order to fit so much material in a limited space, the homeowners shopped for appliances using Brandsource.com, which gave the couple detailed information on different brands, including sizes and shapes. Brandsource carries information from over 2,500 retail outlets and features $10 billion in products. The appliances were installed by a local dealer. The washing machine is a Whirlpool Duet, which features extra-large capacity, is energy efficient, and has storage in the bottom. A large freezer from Amana was installed along with a refrigerator-freezer and a GE microwave. A GE wine cooler chills beverages in the other room. The TV is a 50-inch Samsung flat panel. A 42-inch plasma Samsung TV was also installed in the master bedroom. A smaller television set was installed in the children's room. A stainless-steel grill was put in the backyard.